The Ergosphere
Friday, April 28, 2006
 

Contribute to the Myths File

I'm trying to fill out a list of energy myths, misconceptions and propaganda.  So far I've got a few things like this:

Got any other good ones?  I'm not looking for answers or explanations, just the topics themselves.

 
Comments:
Two pretty obvious ones:

Peak X is NOW!

Peak X will destroy us!
 
Myth: It is more energy efficient to produce ethanol than to produce gasoline.

Link: Ethanol versus Gasoline

That is just one site of many that make the claim, which is a result of measuring gasoline versus ethanol via different metrics.

RR
 
How about the car that runs on water.
 
Fossil fuels are subsidized.
 
Ignorance: Reduction in energy consumption is directly linked to reduction in atmospheric CO2 emissions.

Here in NZ, we have a lot of Hydro and geothermal power stations. Our govt have discussed the idea of introducing their own "Carbon Tax" for every X of energy used, electrical, oil-based or otherwise. This appears to be a blatant ignorance of the fact that things like electric trains powered by electricity-from-hydro are not actually contributing to CO2 levels at all.
 
"Saving electricity cuts oil demand (misconception or propaganda?)"

Neither. This is a holdover from the 70's, when nuclear power replaced oil-fueled power generation. There's no oil-fueled commercial power generation anymore, save for emergency backup power and that kind of thing.
 
I'm looking for the topics, not the answers.  I can write the answers myself.  These topics are pretty good, keep 'em coming.

If you're wondering, this is part of the project I embarked on.  If it goes anywhere I'll post some excerpts.
 
Wind power is useless because the wind doesn't blow all the time.

Alternatively: Wind farms kill pretty birdies!

@Gitch: I bet nobody in New Zealand takes the piss out of the Think Big hydro schemes any more..
 
Okay here's a few:

oil companies/ automakers deliberately bankrupted railroads in the USA in the twentieth century to promote the car.

automakers have fought attempts to compel them to increase mileage across their product ranges

the hydrogen economy has been deliberately promoted by oil companies/ automakers/ politicians to avoid being compelled to make changes now (rather than some indefinite date in the future)

carbon sequestration (co2 capture) is not a proven technology and is promoted by companies (and politicans funded by companies) that want to promote coal and natural gas use.

nuclear power is/is not uneconomic

ethanol is/is not uneconomic

nuclear energy can/cannot be safely used by all countries without weapons proliferation

solar energy is/ could soon be the most economic way to put communities on the grid in developing countries (where there is no existing electrical infrastructure)

replacing the use of "primitive" biomass in developing countries (e.g. wood burning etc.) would reduce total co2 emissions significantly.

James
Alternative Energy Blog
 
Now that you mention it, controversies are probably good fodder too.
 
Easter Island/Rome/Incan civilization is a direct allegory to the imminent collapse of America/Europe/The World.
 
Can you say somethihg on "zero point energy"?
 
How about that nuclear power does not contribute to global warming? Or that hydrogen is an energy source rather than a method of storing energy?
 
Post a Comment



<< Home
Talk largely about energy and work, but also politics and other random thoughts


Mail Engineer-Poet

(If you're mailing a question, is it already in the FAQ?)

Important links

The FAQ
Glossary
The Reference Library

Blogchild of

Armed and Dangerous

Blogparent of

R-Squared




The best prospect for our energy future:
Flibe Energy

ARCHIVES
January 1990 / February 2004 / March 2004 / June 2004 / July 2004 / August 2004 / September 2004 / October 2004 / November 2004 / December 2004 / January 2005 / February 2005 / March 2005 / April 2005 / May 2005 / June 2005 / July 2005 / August 2005 / September 2005 / October 2005 / November 2005 / December 2005 / January 2006 / February 2006 / March 2006 / April 2006 / May 2006 / June 2006 / July 2006 / August 2006 / September 2006 / October 2006 / November 2006 / December 2006 / January 2007 / February 2007 / March 2007 / April 2007 / December 2007 / January 2008 / May 2008 / June 2008 / August 2008 / October 2008 / November 2008 / December 2008 / February 2009 / March 2009 / April 2009 / May 2009 / June 2009 / July 2009 / August 2009 / September 2009 / October 2009 / November 2009 / December 2009 / January 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 / June 2010 / July 2010 / August 2010 / September 2010 / October 2010 / November 2010 / December 2010 / January 2011 / February 2011 / March 2011 / April 2011 / May 2011 / July 2011 / August 2011 / September 2011 / October 2011 / April 2013 / November 2013 / December 2013 / January 2014 / February 2014 / March 2014 / April 2014 / July 2014 / August 2014 / September 2014 / October 2014 / November 2014 / February 2015 / April 2015 / October 2015 / March 2016 / April 2016 / May 2016 / June 2016 / July 2016 / November 2016 / December 2016 / February 2017 / May 2017 / June 2017 / September 2017 / October 2017 / November 2017 / March 2018 / May 2018 / June 2018 / October 2018 / December 2018 / January 2019 / March 2019 / June 2019 / October 2019 / November 2019 / March 2020 / June 2020 / December 2020 / March 2021 / April 2021 / May 2021 / July 2021 / January 2022 / February 2022 /


Powered by Blogger

RSS feed

Visits since 2006/05/11: