Carrying capacity of the Earth

[100Coogn]

Well, yes. but then it will probably not be our fault.

100% Agree.   

Coogan

[Vraciu]

Even colliding with another galaxy (which will happen) isnt much of a risk, there is still a lot of space in the space so its unlikely that we are affected. An asteroid from the Oort cloud is far more likely. But it will not end the Earth itself so I guess it doesnt count..

If we get pulled into another galaxy all bets are off.   

Would the planet be detroyed?  Well, technically, no, since matter is neither created nor destroyed.  But it will most certainly be in no recognizable form.

Asteroids have hit before and wouldn't have the impact (pun) of a galactic head-on.

The point is, the planet will be gone someday, and it will have nothing to do with humans.

[Zimme83]

If we get pulled into another galaxy all bets are off.   

Would the planet be detroyed?  Well, technically, no, since matter is neither created nor destroyed.  But it will most certainly be in no recognizable form.

Asteroids have hit before and wouldn't have the impact (pun) of a galactic head-on.

The point is, the planet will be gone someday, and it will have nothing to do with humans.

Yes. and its completely irrelevant in this debate.

[zack1234]

Will Uranus affect the Earth?

After a curry

[Vraciu]

Will Uranus affect the Earth?

After a curry

We heard you like to explore Uranus.  Is this true?   

[Shuffler]

Will Uranus affect the Earth?

After a curry

Preparation H will help

[Vraciu]

Preparation H will help

Preparations A through G were failures...

[Skuzzy]

I’d like to see the specs on that.  You're not delivering anywhere NEAR all of that to the end user for a variety of reasons and it is only even generating power of any kind (never mind peak) for a fraction of the year.

These things last ten years with a break even point of twenty.   It’s a scam.

If we think solar is the solution we are dreaming.    It may be helpful here and there but only as a minor augmentation not a replacement. 

I’m all for anything that works, so let’s keep developing the technology and see, but we are a long way from Star Trek...

I am thinking you are confusing solar plants with solar panels.  Solar plants use steam driven generators.  The plant in the Mojave is a working plant powering a small town nearby.  I drove through there a couple of years ago.
 
They use a battery backup to store excess electricity when they need it.  The residual heat in the heat exchanger can convert water to steam for several hours after Sun set.

You want to turn a blind eye to it, fine, but openly dismissing a working plant is not going to convince anyone you are right.

I never said solar was a solution.  I was commenting on the inaccuracy of your statement how solar plants could not generate enough electricity to power a light bulb.

[Vraciu]

I am thinking you are confusing solar plants with solar panels.  Solar plants use steam driven generators.  The plant in the Mojave is a working plant powering a small town nearby.  I drove through there a couple of years ago.
 
They use a battery backup to store excess electricity when they need it.  The residual heat in the heat exchanger can convert water to steam for several hours after Sun set.

You want to turn a blind eye to it, fine, but openly dismissing a working plant is not going to convince anyone you are right.

I never said solar was a solution.  I was commenting on the inaccuracy of your statement how solar plants could not generate enough electricity to power a light bulb.

It was hyperbole, first of all.    (I'm also really uninterested in convincing anyone.   That's not my job and I've long gotten over the futility of even trying.  Besides, I'm still trying to figure out fact from fiction myself, and that's a process, not a destination requiring a skeptical eye toward EVERYTHING.   I'll lead them to the water and they may drink it if they wish or tell me they think it's poisoned.  That's up to them.)

"PV [photo-voltaic] solar panels convert solar energy to electrical energy at an efficiency factor of about 15%.  Thus, our panel [one square meter in size], at the equator, year-round, should deliver 25.5 watts of electrical energy – one very dim light bulb."

Secondly, I highly doubt this plant powers an entire town but let's say it does...    What's the cost?   This is not a market-driven solution.  This is a highly subsidized endeavor where you are spending $500 to save $40.   

You made precisely my point, btw, on batteries.    We have nowhere near the battery technology to make this stuff even remotely efficient.   Pie in the sky dreams of solar power replacing oil are just that.  Dreams.   It's not a global solution for energy, and I seriously doubt it ever will be.    Regionally, of limited use or to augment the grid?  Sure.   If they can ever figure out how to tie it in efficiently.   We are a long way from that.

This lays it out far better than I can.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2014/07/five_fatal_flaws_of_solar_energy.html

I think solar has its place, but it's not the panacea we're being promised.  I say let's use everything but only as technology permits.   I'm not going to put solar panels on my house when the break-even is 18 years under perfect conditions.   It's stupid to do that.   Let the technology improve then we'll talk.

[Shuffler]

I am thinking you are confusing solar plants with solar panels.  Solar plants use steam driven generators.  The plant in the Mojave is a working plant powering a small town nearby.  I drove through there a couple of years ago.
 
They use a battery backup to store excess electricity when they need it.  The residual heat in the heat exchanger can convert water to steam for several hours after Sun set.

You want to turn a blind eye to it, fine, but openly dismissing a working plant is not going to convince anyone you are right.

I never said solar was a solution.  I was commenting on the inaccuracy of your statement how solar plants could not generate enough electricity to power a light bulb.

In the end we can never just dismiss anything without thorough testing. Through testing we can find paths for improvement in generation. It may never drill down to one source for power. It will most likely always be multiple sources that will work the best.

[Vraciu]

In the end we can never just dismiss anything without thorough testing. Through testing we can find paths for improvement in generation. It may never drill down to one source for power. It will most likely always be multiple sources that will work the best.

Well said. 

[Brooke]

When I was in high school, I was antinuclear (to be precise, anti nuclear fission).

In college, I decided (as an idealistic youngster) to go into plasma physics and fusion-reactor engineering.  That meant going into nuclear engineering.  Even though I was majoring in fusion, I did have to take courses in fission as well.  By the time I finished by BSE in nuclear engineering with a major in fusion, I had nearly the opposite opinion from when I stared.  I now felt that fusion had waste problems, too, and more importantly wasn't likely to be a power source for a very, very long time; and I felt that good fission designs could be a great power source.

[Zimme83]

Newer generations of Nuclear, for ex with led cooling could be a way forward. Thorium reactors is another. Led cooling can give you the ability to use the waste of todays plants as fuel so you get the fuel for free. Thorium is much more abdundant than Uranium and the waste is a lot less radiant than with the Uranium-Plutonium cycle.

The problem with nuclear plants is that its hard to convince anyone to have them as neighbour and when things go bad it goes really bad.

[DmonSlyr]

Why not magnetic motors? They could spin for years.  No crazy tech needed. Easier to repair. No waste. No runoff. Safe. Doesn't ruin the scenery. Perpetual motion. That's the way.

[ghi]

  The residual heat in the heat exchanger can convert water to steam for several hours after Sun set.

 Ingenious heat exchanger, collects  the heat from Sun during day to melt salt and after sunset hot liquid salt boils water into steams for turbine.