Living without (much) Power

Coming soon

Nuclear Power Plant

Nothing arouses more controversy and argument than the subject of nuclear power. Since the advent of the nuclear power plant, there has been strong opposition and defenders of the technology. The figures for 2006 show that there are 442 reactors in the world, producing 17% of the world's electricity. The finite nature of fossil fuels is focusing the minds of politicians on whether to build new plants. Every time a new reactor is mooted, there are lengthy inquiries and protests.

Supporters of nuclear power say that the absence of greenhouse gas emissions is justification for building more nuclear power plant facilities. Environmental campaigners, such as Greenpeace, point to a number of concerns. There have been accidents, notably at Chernobyl and Three-Mile Island, radioactive leaks, and there is the threat of terrorism at nuclear facilitates.

Radioactive waste is another problem, with regard to how to transport it and how to dispose of it safely. The waste is dangerous to humans for thousands of years. Plutonium, a by product of nuclear power, can be used in the manufacture of an atomic bomb, a factor going against the quest for non-proliferation.

Cost is also a factor in the debate. The reactors are very expensive to build and to maintain. Their lifetime is limited and then they have to be decommissioned, another costly exercise. The technology of the nuclear power plant is reliant on uranium and this is a finite resource anyway.

When the first electricity power was produced by a nuclear reactor in 1951 in an Idaho experimental plant, it was supposed to usher in a golden era of clean power. The first commercial enterprise in the world began five years later at Calder Hall in England. The nuclear age has not met with universal praise. Many people claim that radioactive waste from a plant in Cumbria, England routinely leaks into the Irish Sea and that there is an above average amount of leukemia in the area.

The campaign for alternative energy sources continues. People who are not comfortable with the expansion of nuclear power look to wave, wind and solar power for the answer in addition to energy conservation.

Generate Energy to feed back into the grid $$$

Thinking on the ways to generate our own electricity, we've come up with some pretty good ideas. If we were to get some power generators that we could run on the heat from a furnace, we could generate more electrical power then we actually need for our home, thus we can feed it back into the grid and Idaho Power will pay us for it. We've found that coal is around $40-$60 a ton if we have it hauled from Utah, so we are planning to start a coal Co-op in our area. If you are interested in buying Cheaper coal in Boise Idaho area, let us know by email at coalco@lm77.com My brothers are working for Owyhee Bee Boards and their boss has ways to haul the coal, so we've got enough for part of the winter and will be hauling more this year.

It costs $180-$190 a ton from the carriers around here, and it's shatteringly unreasonable with a house our size. The used Motor Oil kept us warm last winter, but our set up is a water radiator system designed for coal. It's pretty energy efficiant (per mass) to run compared to electric or gas heat, but at those kind of prices it's pretty high cost.

Anyway, we thought about getting some generators and building a bigger furnace outside that would help out with energy costs. It could save a lot of money.

Here's something cool about coal power plants

On another note, I'd like you to take a look at this great e-book resource about
raising leaders

Fuel Cell Car

"The technology is solid, but we figure it will take another eight to 10 years before the technology is financially viable for consumers to purchase," said John Painter, Ford's Florida site manager for the project. Read more - Hydrogen-cell cars turn heads

Hydrogen fuel-cell cars may be hitting the streets sooner than everybody thought if Honda lives up to recent promises. Honda: fuel-cell vehicles on the road by 2010

One of the coolest possibilities of using hydrogen fuel cells in cars, other than the fact that they don't need gasoline, is that the entire engine can be made into a flat rectangle, eliminating the bulky engine block that sits under the hoods of current gasoline-powered cars.
GM's fuel-cell car burns no gas, has tons of room

Real BioDiesel

I am interested in cheaper energy, like you... and the rest of the world. Do you know anything about Bio Diesel? Well, I'm not going to say it's the solution to the energy problems of the world, but I'm willing to bet some of us could save a lot of money, just by powering our houses- maybe even partially powering them, with an alternative fuel, such as this biodiesel stuff. We'll need a generator you know, and we'll probably have to collect barrels of used vegetable oil from our local McDonald's chain. Truth be known, I've yet to try it. Here are some ebooks for making our own BioDiesel and getting set up with a generator. Electricity - Make It, Don't Buy It. and BioDiesel Made Easy

We saved a lot of money this year on heat. We have a coal furnace, and Dad and the boys rigged it up to drip used motor oil. It's kept us warm, and doesn't cost more then the gas it takes to take the barrels in the truck, down to the local auto man, fill them and tsiphoned home again. After drilling a small hole in a plate on the back of the furnace, a small copper tube was inserted, and oil was siphened to drip at a steady and slow rate.