Alternative Energy doesn't mean Nuclear Energy.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Recently in Australia there has been much debate about the need to find alternative energy sources to fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas. In terms of generating electricity the so called environmentally friendly Nuclear Power is often put forward as the one, clear and sensible alternative energy choice.
However I've always maintained that Nuclear Energy isn't environmentally friendly because no company has found a viable use for the nuclear waste it produces. Nuclear waste is usually to stored which, given its radioactive nature and inability to biodegrade safely within a time period of less than before Armageddon, doesn't seem all that friendly to me.
People like me usually look towards the obvious solar and wind energy as a better alternative but that's largely because I'm not a scientist. I lack the knowledge to look beyond the main stream options.
Thankfully the children's science show, Scope, presented a highly informative show on Alternative Energy giving hope that there really are alternatives to Nuclear energy. To be honest this particular episode should be required viewing for anyone wanting a heads up on where science is taking us with regard to environmentally sustainable/friendly energy sources.
What really impressed me during this episode was an alternative energy source known as Hot Rocks being developed by Australian company Geodynamics Limited.
In layman's terms this energy source sends water 5-6 kilometres below the earth's surface where it uses the heat stored in a naturally occurring, special kind of granite rock to heat the water. The water is then bought to the surface where it can be converted to steam. This steam is used to drive a turbine that produces electricity. The best part is that the water is reused meaning that this system is not a great burden on water supplies.
For a more detailed explanation read Geodynamics FAQs page.
Geodynamics makes the following claims about this energy source which I think puts the lid on Nuclear Energy once an for all:
One cubic kilometre of hot granite at 250 degrees Celsius has the stored energy equivalent of 40 million barrels of oil when the heat is extracted to a temperature of 150 degrees Celsius.
Australia is known to have several thousand cubic kilometres of identified high heat producing granites and these have the potential to meet the total electricity demand of the country for hundreds of years.
The only thing Hot Rocks has against it is that it is still in development. This is why I believe Nuclear is often touted as the way forward. Nuclear is ready to go. It's an established power source with powerful investors driving it forward. These investors have a real vested interest in establishing Nuclear energy in new markets so they can make more profit.
Governments often look towards established businesses willing to pay big money to install technology that will ultimately return a profit for everyone. It's economically cheaper than backing an in development, concept that won't return a dollar for several years. Even if that concept is a better alternative in the long term.
Having seen Scope's show on Alternative Energy I'm totally convinced that Nuclear Energy is not the way to go. Anyone supporting such a venture must have a vested interested in the companies involved. Nuclear is not an alternative and it is even less environmentally friendly than non biodegradable plastic shopping bags.
If you live in Australia you probably caught this video on Channel Nine's 'i-caught' show which premiered here tonight. It's an American show (or at least the host is American) and 'Battle at Kruger' was the very first video they showed.
As far as wildlife videos go this is the most amazing thing I've ever seen. This has got everything, water buffalo, lions and a crocodile all battling it out over a baby buffalo that could well be both the luckiest and unluckiest offspring on the planet.
The lesson here is that even the kings (or in this case queens) of the jungle shouldn't get between a mother water buffalo and its baby.
I wish I could articulate all the thoughts that have been running through my head.
I made the mistake of asking for constructive feedback on one of my videos and got well meaning comments like:
"You need to talk a bit quicker"
"You need to smile a bit more"
"You need to be more expressive"
"Maybe you shouldn't talk, let the art take centre stage"
"Maybe you should talk more like you were just talking to a friend"
I've taken this feedback on board and have been trying to change to be more like whatever it is that people feel I need to be more like. Maybe I should just hire an actor to be me since perhaps the real thing isn't up to scratch? Someone who knows how to talk expressively, well paced and can throw in the occasional smile.
Much of the time, it seems to me, that the majority miss the point of online video and why it isn't and never should be mistaken for television. Television is polished and filled with people who train to be the best at what they do.
Online video, whilst accessible to professionals, is the medium of people just being themselves. Presenting whatever it is that they want to express because they want to share something of themselves with others.
I've become discouraged of late because, try as I might, I can't talk a bit quicker, I'm not usually very expressive and I don't smile a heck of a lot. What you see on camera is exactly how I am when I talk to a friend. I'm not trying to be a television presenter. This is me. This is who I am.
The point of my videos is to let you get to know me, the face behind the art. I don't want the art to take centre stage because the art doesn't tell you anything about me as a person. The art only lets you make assumptions about who I might be not who I actually am.
Trying to change myself for my videos has made the process of making them less and less fun. To the point where I often don't record anything because I just can't be bothered with take after take of trying not to stumble on lines that are supposed to be spontaneous. It's a frustrating process where just saying "Hi, I'm The Extraordinary Tourist" becomes a chore because I continuously stumble the very next line trying to talk quicker and more fluently.
If I do let myself talk naturally I then have to spend hours editing out all the pauses whilst I stop to gather my next thought. Even though I talk to the camera the same as I would talk to a friend it's not quite the same. The camera doesn't speak back. You can't think about what you're going to say next whilst the camera speaks. Pauses become much more noticeable. I don't have to edit the pauses out but it emphasizes the slow pace that I naturally speak at.
I'm sure that, after reading this far, you may be thinking I should just be myself. The problem with that is, being myself just doesn't seem to be good enough.
I am South Australian Artist, 'TET' or 'The Extraordinary Tourist'. Read about things that interest me, particularly art, social commentary, humour and life observations. Please feel free to leave a comment by clicking the 'Comments' link at the bottom of each entry.
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