Energy!

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by Damon Payne

Coal liquification technology is far cleaner than simply burning the coal. Do some research.

Cleaner yes, but nuclear power is still better. Solar power is the best around and if the governments of the world were really interested in reducing CO2 emissions (which of course they aren't) they would fund major research into personal Solar energy. That comes with the added benefit of reducing reliance on the grid as well as being carbon neutral.

I have heard mumblings that Intel have got some grade A silicon about which has got 30% efficiency (compared to about 12% for normal solar cells and 5% for nature) but the stuff is very cost prohibitive at the moment (i.e. it is cheaper to buy 3m2 of the 12% stuff than it is to buy 1m2 of the 30% stuff) but that will change soon, hopefully. The government is worried about personal power plans though, while it does ease the burden from the grid, it takes away tax revenue that would normally be earned on Gas and Electricity, but in the developing world this is not so much a problem as taxes on these basic items is so negligible that they could survive without it. So the developed world is in for a shock if India/China/Thailand take up this kind of personal power plan seriously as they will be less dependent on outside factors like how much oil and gas is being produced, and chances are that the money saved in the long term will go to military build up in China, education in India and fixing the country in Thailand.