Whenever politicians and greens talk about alternative energy, the list usually goes wind, solar, and tidal power. But how real is tidal power? Where will it happen and when?
This week on Radio Ecoshock you’ll hear Martin Burger, CEO of a tidal power company called Blue Energy. He spoke to the New Energy Movement in Vancouver on January 26th, 2009. This is an original recording by Radio Ecoshock.
In fact, Martin went further. He explained four other neglected new energy sources, the best and most intriguing from a survey of 500 he’s examined over the past two decades. I’ll add those as time allows.
And, as promised in last week’s show, we’ll consider how new ways of living appear in a society. Burger says money cannot bring the next wave. It is a problem of consciousness, how we function as big groups, like the flocks and schools of other animals.
Along the way, I’ll toss in a few facts about installations around the world, the current state of tidal power.
How about this one. Did you know that days used to be much shorter here on Earth? Like 21.9 hours, just 620 million years ago, instead of 24? Just pumping all that sea water into the bays and narrows of the world uses up mechanical energy that causes the world to spin. The tides are slowing down the planet. The 26 hour day is coming. But don’t toss out your clocks just yet – that will be another 600 million years from now.
As we’ll hear from Martin Burger, this immense power can be harnessed to create giant streams of electricity. The initial building cost is high, but the long-term maintenance costs are quite low. The impact on the local ecology varies with the design. Martin will be describing a “tidal fence” of spinning rotors, built into a bridge perhaps. It’s a big dream, but there are signs tidal power is beginning to lift off in various parts of the world.
I’m going to pick out the tidal info from Martin’s speech at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver.
More at http://www.ecoshock.net/transcripts/ES_090206 Script Tidal Power.htm
That transcript from the show includes a quick review of tidal power around the world, along with some of their ecological consequences.
Alex
I have been listening to your podcasts from some time. I have not agreed with everything in the past but at least it made me think about issues and that is fine. Martin Burger’s comments about various alternative approaches to physics (for some reason it was never explained how the laws of thermodynamics could be wrong) and his implied conspiracy theories about alternative energy sources (the death of a research under mysterious circumstances) left me a bit concerned. I am not suggesting that Martin Burger’s other ideas were incorrect but I think there was a need to question some of his more outlandish suggestions. Did members of the audience do this? The skeptic in me unfortunately tends to make me doubt some of this other assertions when these rather “fringe” ideas went unchallenged. I have found that the following site if a good guideline when examining science issues of a questionable nature: http://chronicle.com/free/v49/i21/21b02001.htm.
Martin Burger’s views seem to fail these tests on a number of points.
I will continue to listen to your podcasts but hope that there might be some clarification and elaboration about some of Martin Burger’s views.
Hi Gary,
Yes several listeners wrote with doubts about Mr. Burger’s ideas – the Myers water power engine in particular.
Generally I go with more widely accepted science myself. I don’t doubt that the big oil companies would stoop to any length to cut off a competitor – but it seems fantastic to me that running engines on water has somehow been missed out – or, as you say, the laws of Thermodynamics have been thrown out.
It’s strange, because I found the presentation on tidal real and useful. For the rest – well, I let my listeners be the judge. Sorry if I lapsed into a bit of entertainment, most of Ecoshock content is pretty serious.
Alex