2008 Energy Forum

Many companies and industries worldwide are scrambling to develop alternative energy technology and infrastructure in order to transition from fossil fuel sources and additionally reduce their environmental footprint. Despite these efforts there remain very few readily applicable and affordable Reliant Energy solutions provided to mainstream consumer culture. Unfortunately, most investors have devoted their resources into spurious, gimmicky, and wholly inappropriate schemes.

Hybrid automobiles, for instance, were initially touted by automobile industry giants as a great leap in energy efficiency and environmentally-sound technology. Although hybrid automobiles have slightly greater fuel efficiency they require more overall lifetime energy costs due to the research, development, manufacturing and shipping costs of their specialized parts and battery systems. Hybrid fuel cell technology typically depends on large amounts of nickel, the extraction of which is extremely environmentally destructive. Ecologically concerned consumers may prefer to switch to used, older model diesel vehicles that run on biodiesel or straight vegetable oil in order to save money and avoid the environmental costs associated with the manufacturing and development of hybrid technology.

In general, reducing energy costs as well as lowering environmental impact are best accomplished not by purchasing new gadgets or technologies but by lowering fuel use and consumption.

Batteries are a huge part of modern society, with an increasing number of items relying on batteries. It has long been known that batteries are bad for the environment, and although some manufacturers are making strides, batteries remain an environmental threat. Batteries are responsible for a large majority of the nation’s mercury contamination and are normally not disposed of properly. Fortunately, there are a growing number of environmentally friendly options.

Rechargeable batteries are more environmentally friendly than their disposable counterparts. That is due largely to the fact Read more…

The price of gasoline is a point of contention with nearly everybody. Simple errands and family activities are now something to be weighed against the cost of gasoline and how necessary the short jaunts are. Analysts have been warning consumers that gas prices will steadily increase and soon the normal price for gasoline will be upwards of five dollars a gallon.

These ridiculous prices will hit everybody in the pocketbook, one way or another. The price of goods and services will continue to increase to make up for the increasing cost of Read more…

You don’t have to do large things in order to conserve our environment and our energy resources. You don’t have to start a solar plant or plant thousands of trees in order to protect and guard the environment. You can start with small things. One of the easiest thing you can do is to stop buying disposable, plastic water bottles. Instead, in today’s market, there are a lot of stainless steel water bottles that can be reused over and over again. By doing this, we decrease the number Read more…

If perhaps you’re travel budget is limited and you can’t attend an upcoming energy forum, or perhaps you’d rather enjoy the energy forum in a more environmentally friendly manner, consider registering for the Virtual Energy Forum, an annual event most recently held June 16^th-17^th. The cost is free to any interested parties with the entire event taking place over the internet. Keynote speakers present in streaming video formats and questions can be submitted and answered in real time just as if every person was in the same conference center. A live chat function is also made available in order to converse with other attendees and exchange contract information, as well as people who post exhibits on the virtual exhibit floor, featuring the latest energy saving products and solutions. Video presentations on relevant energy issues can also be easily watched as you select the highpoints of the conference that most appeal to you and your energy interests. Read more…

This decade has brought on a serious change in the energy mentality of the United States. After the oil crisis of the ’70s, we settled back into a pattern of unsustainable, guilt-free consumption. But in the last few years, consistently high oil prices have finally created a push to find more sustainable, alternative energy sources. One of the more popular of these alternatives has been biofuel, including ethanol and biodiesel. Read more…

Once considered to be the holy grail of energy solutions, “cold fusion” has turned into more of a mythical Big Foot concept, with claimed leads and developments by some researches but largely dismissed as ridiculous by mainstream science. In theory, cold fusion would allow for the nuclear fusion of atoms at almost room temperature. In the normal process of nuclear fusion, such reactions take place only under the extreme conditions found inside stars. Were the hopes and hard work of cold fusion optimists to come to fruition, our world would be blessed with an unlimited energy supply for the foreseeable future.While preliminary cold fusion work began as early as the 1920′s, cold fusion first became a widely publicized and talked about concept in 1989. In March of that year, highly regarded electro-chemists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons claimed to have produced fusion through the use of electrolysis (a process requiring an electric current to drive chemical reaction) of heavy water (water with abnormally high proportion of deuterium isotopes) on a palladium electrode. The result was a wildly excessive output of heat, of such relative magnitude it could only be rationalized in terms of nuclear processes. Read more…

In today’s market, it seems every company is trying out some variation of a ‘green’ product line. In their haste to appeal to environmental activists and eco-friendly consumers, many of these products don’t live up to the standards their labels promise. To avoid purchasing items that simply claim to be environmentally safe, look for the Energy Star Label to guarantee quality and energy efficiency.Energy Star is an international standard for energy efficient products. Created in 1992 by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the program has since been adapted by Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the European Union. If a product is marked with an Energy Star label, it most likely uses 20-30 less energy than required by federal standards and meets a stringent set of specifications set by the EPA or DOE for its specific product line. Consumer products that may carry an Energy Star Label are computers and electronics, household appliances (such as refrigerators and dishwashers), heating and cooling systems, lighting and fans, plumbing, and building products. Read more…

In the US and other major countries worldwide, Energy has become somewhat of a druga drug with extremely addictive qualities and devastating long term effects. You might disagree seeing as energy is not something you inject, smoke, or swallow like the common ‘drug’. However, energy is something you consume, and it is something you consume in massive amounts every minute of every day. The energy being referred to is not the literal capacity for human activity; rather it is the use of fossil fuels and other resources used to power everyday utilities such as electricity, air conditioning, automobiles, and other modern day technologies.If you take a moment to analyze the twodrugs and energythe resemblances are scarily striking. Let’s define ‘drugs’ as mind altering substances that affect your daily life. Hardcore (and illegal) drugs such as cocaine, ecstasy, heroine, and crystal meth are the most dangerous because they are extremely addicting and destroy user’s ability to function without them. Now, let’s talk about energy. Though not a mind altering substance, energy certainly affects your daily life. It is present in your life 24/7. When you have to go a day without itsay the power is lost due to a storm, or your car broke downyou suffer from what can only be termed ‘withdrawals’. Quite simply, energy makes life easier and most American’s can’t stand to function without it. Read more…

The U.S. Department of Energy, or DOE, deals with US policies regarding energy and safety for handling nuclear material. Though a majority of their time and resources are spent dealing with nuclear energy, a great deal of the department is dedicated to the problems and research of energy consumption by typical Americans. According to the DOE, energy plays a massive role in shaping American societyit affects national security and the economic output of our nation. In fact, the US spends over 500 billion dollars on energy annually. Here are some ways the Department of Energy is proactively looking out for America’s energy industry.For one thing, they are increasing energy supplies. Plenty of research has gone into finding clean fuel alternatives to replace and assist traditional fossil fuels. Cutting edge technology is being used to develop sustainable sources, such as fusion, and to find a way to use hydrogen to reduce our dependence on imported oil. The need for clean energy has drastically increased but a good source has yet to be found. The DOE’s work will hopefully lead to the necessary solution before America’s energy use dries up the oil reserves. Read more…