[ExI] Project-oriented networks (was: Efficiency of algorithmic trading)

[Samantha Atkins]

On May 4, 2011, at 2:14 AM, Eugen Leitl wrote:

> On Tue, May 03, 2011 at 04:12:10PM -0700, Samantha Atkins wrote:
> 
>> I think it is economic collapse of a greater magnitude than 
>> seen before bring on the destruction of many western and 
>> some eastern technological societies.  Beside that energy is a piece of cake.
> 
> A purely financial collapse would be an eminently recoverable
> problem. 
> 
> But the reason for the collapse are systemic, and resource
> scarcity is the key driver.
> 
>> I can think of ways that would fix energy that are actually 
>> doable at reasonable cost within a decade.  Not so much on 
> 
> A decade scale implies immediate (as: starting today)
> deployment, with no innovation required. Apart from negawatts
> (cut the US blue whale in half) I can only think
> of micro co-gen plants first, and solar thermal and solar
> PV second. 

Agreed.  We have the research behind us to build GW and larger molten salt thorium reactors.  If we managed to get more sane and streamline some of the nuclear red tape we could have much more electrical capacity on hand without burning oil or NG and so without coal.  We could have it in that timeframe.    Getting rid of oil for IC engines would take a while.  But with enough energy you can make a variety of liquid fuels quickly enough for the interim.  

> 
> Germany plans to reach 41.6 GWp photovoltaic capacity
> by 2014. This would mean ability to supply up to ~50%
> of peak demand load or 4-5% of total demand.

I wish them luck.  I don't think this is really plausible economically or otherwise, yet.   I would be happy to be wrong.

- samantha