<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for The right questions]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by GreyFlcn http://www.grist.org/article/The-right-questions/ Mon, 29 Dec 2008 05:34:27 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-right-questions/1 Charts are good

http://greyfalcon.net/solarenergy.png
http://greyfalcon.net/geoenergy.png

-David Ahlport


]]> Charts are good

http://greyfalcon.net/solarenergy.png
http://greyfalcon.net/geoenergy.png

-David Ahlport


]]> Comment #2 by Earl Killian http://www.grist.org/article/The-right-questions/ Mon, 29 Dec 2008 09:55:50 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-right-questions/2 your statement isn't strong enough

You could strengthen your solar energy comparison by two orders of magnitude. According to the textbook Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes known coal reserves contain 39,000 EJ of energy. According to Wikipedia, the sunlight reaching Earth in a year is 3,850,000 EJ. That means Earth receives sunshine equal to our known coal reserves in just 3.7 days.

(The same Wikipedia pages gives annual wind energy as 2,250 EJ and Biomass as 3,000 EJ, i.e. less than known coal reserves. Known U235 reserves are 2,600 EJ in the textbook.)

]]> your statement isn't strong enough

You could strengthen your solar energy comparison by two orders of magnitude. According to the textbook Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes known coal reserves contain 39,000 EJ of energy. According to Wikipedia, the sunlight reaching Earth in a year is 3,850,000 EJ. That means Earth receives sunshine equal to our known coal reserves in just 3.7 days.

(The same Wikipedia pages gives annual wind energy as 2,250 EJ and Biomass as 3,000 EJ, i.e. less than known coal reserves. Known U235 reserves are 2,600 EJ in the textbook.)

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