CO2 may or may not cause global warming, but as of right now it doesn’t look to be. I base this on information such as documented high CO2 levels in the past (when the world was having ice ages) and when the ecological status of Greenland was living up to its name. I will tell you that many of the power generating companies have up dated their CEM (Continuous Emission Monitoring) equipment to include CO2, because right or wrong, they long ago realized this would be an up coming area of conflict.

Speaking of power generating, how about someone figuring out how to use the many thousands of BTU’s wasted to the atmosphere as water vapor from the cooling towers. The “latent Heat of Vaporization” must be removed when condensing steam after all the useable energy is removed from the steam cycle. A huge waste. With only a 20 degree drop across a cooling tower, mega flow rates are used and problem, this is low temperature energy. This needs some original and outside the box thinking. For example it could be used to heat farm land or hot houses for early planting and seed germination, radically extending growing seasons (Many generating systems are out in the country). Not a year round use perhaps, but a possible. Or, perhaps some form of energy storage using thermocouples and DC storage for conversion to plant use, thus vastly increasing plant efficiency.

We may also have to fund research into alternative fuel sources, but the big auto makers won’t give us a clean package unless forced, and they’ll charge double for their efforts. Why not set up a fund for small entrepreneurs only. Have private industry supply the capitol and a “board of Engineers” dole it out based on the merits of a startup companies ideas. Take Big Government out of the equation. They’d only muck it up anyhow.

Look at the startup space craft companies run on relatively miniscule budgets and what someone like Burt Reutan has already done. We have an incredible inventory of excellent minds in the United States wasting their time designing better widgets. I know a small company that builds a “bolt on exhaust system” for snowmobiles that produces approximately a 25 horse power gain by kicking unburned fuel back into the engine. That’s a giant increase in percent horse power for a small engine. Fund them to build a similar exhaust for our older autos rather than waste the fuel in a catalytic converter.

Years back, College students at Moscow University in Idaho drove a large car down to Boise, running only on fumes from the gas tank. The sun provided better fuel vaporization than any carburetor or fuel injection system, getting 80 to a 100 mpg. Makes you wonder why the auto industry hasn’t done better. Another gentleman I know designed and patented a rather unique heat exchanger that clamped onto the exhaust system of a diesel engine. It raised the fuel temperature to a constant 60 degrees. This has the potential for doubling fuel milage in cold climates by physically expanding the fuel.

These are stop gap measures only, but they illustrate the potential available if real funding became available to the small entrepreneur. There are countless brilliant individuals that have learned to think and could put their energies to good use, but they need financial help. Developing, patenting, marketing and distributing often cost more than they can afford and good ideas find the trash. What a waste.

As for me, I dont believe that we are causing global warming. This idea of a carbon tax is merely an attempt by government to grab more money and by New Age environmentalists to shift wealth from the US to the third world which would not have such a tax.

On the other hand I believe there is a need for alternative energy. First and foremost is that we currently by our energy from people who want to kill us, and our oil money is giving them the means to do so. Secondly, the price of oil is going to continue to rise because the supply will diminish and developing nations like China are rapidly increasing their consumption.

As conservatives, we should not be waiting for, hoping for, or wishing for a push from the government. We should utilize our entrepeneurial spirit and a free market economy to bring alternative energy online. Lets see how the government has helped so far.

We had the oil embargo in the 70-s. In response, the government imposed price controls on gasoline which caused masive shortages. So the government imposes conservation via CAFE and a national speed limit. CAFE eliminated the family station wagon which had not so good mileage. People who needed a station wagon started buying vans and pickup trucks with even worse mileage while everybody else was forced into “beer cans” with aluminum engines that warp and heaven forbid you get hit by a pickup truck. They also give tax breaks to encourage alternative energy. Then the embargo ends, oil prices plunge, alternative energy isnt close to competitive and the government ends the tax breaks which all but destroys the alternative energy industry.

The same for pollution. The government starts out with limits for cars. Then they decide to tell Detroit how to achieve those limits. The result to date is OBD II, which adds thousands of dollars in computers and gadgets to the engine, some of which can only be fixed by the dealer (at $100/hr) and millions of dollars in NRE which could have been devoted to alternative energy. Sadly, nearly the same level of pollution reduction could have been obtained with other fuels such as CNG or LP with just a few hundred dollars in after market parts. But now you have to certify that your after market parts meet OBD II standards. This must be done for every engine of every year of every make at the cost of tens of thousands/engine.

Want to build a factory to make your new part or new fuel? In my state you need an air pollution permit. The limits are well defined and generally most small businesses would not exceed them. However, you must pay a tax of $40,000 just to walk in the door of the state EPA. Depending on your request, the tax could be higer and it takes months to get this permit. Another problem is convincing them that you will not exceed the limits. You must hire environmental engineering consultants (more $$$$/hr) and lawyers to guide you throught the EPA process.

As you can see, thanks to the government the system has been rigged to keep small busines and entrepenuers out. What is needed is less government or more reliance on Yankee ingenuity. The opportunities are many. We should get the government out of the way and let the market place decide which technolgies succeed and which fail.