DISQUS

Nuclearnotsogreen · 2 years ago

This is otherwise an excellent piece, but you are overlooking the greenhouse gas emissions, radiation, and other pollution that come from mining nuclear materials, not to mention the problem of nuclear waste that not a single brilliant engineer has solved for good.

Ray Rothrock · 2 years ago

Thanks for the comment. Actually in the case of mining, radioactive emissions from uranium mining is real and comparable to coal mining and other forms of mining as well. Disturbing the earth as mining does always releases gases, some radioactive and some not. It's very dependent on the exact geology of course.

WIth regard to radioactive emissions coal is even more problematic. Coal emits when burned radioactive gas, radium, which is inherently in the earth and therefore coal. It goes right out the stack into the air. It is very hard to prevent this. I'd really not want to live downwind from a coal plant for this and many other reasons. Did you have to have a radium test when you purchased your home? If you had a basement, you probably did.

As for nuclear waste, I must disagree based on what I learned and saw when I was in the nuclear industry. In the 70's I visited the Navy's reprocessing facility and saw it actually working up close and personal. The ultimate disposal of long-lived radioactive material is, in my opinion, mostly (if not entirely) political The technology for managing it, keeping it contained and isolated, and moving it around is well known, tested, and widely known. A lot of brilliant engineers have indeed worked on it with great success.

Every thing is a trade-off of course. And all facets of modern society must be considered when making energy source decisions, including the politics. I just get bummed out when folks lay it off on the engineers that a problem (waste management) has not been solved when, in fact, it really has. We need to make tough choices, or the radium will continue to go up the stack at an ever increasing rate.

Don Jones - VentureDeal · 2 years ago

Ray,

You didn't mention solar. Is this just an area of incremental improvement as photo cell costs are driven down and not very interesting to you, or...?

Anthony Kuhn · 2 years ago

Thanks for cheerleading the need for VCs to invest in alternative fuel startups and businesses. You'll have lots of company in the near future! I cross-posted on your piece to http://blog.innovators-network.org
IN is a non-profit dedicated to bringing technology to startups, small businesses, non-profits, venture capitalists and intellectual property experts. Please visit us and help grown our community!

Best wishes for continued success,

Anthony Kuhn
Innovators Network

gluphus · 2 years ago

It seems to me there is a large market opportunity in systems that help people do more with less. Affordable/intelligent smart home products could reduce the average families energy and water usage 30-70% without any lifestyle change.

Are the VC's/angels thinking about helping companies that do that, not just refining hydrocarbon cracking or alt fuels?

IMHO, this should also be a policy focus, its less expensive, easier to implement and gives the masses a feeling that they are helping. I guess the downside is such policy only benefits individuals and small companies, not multinationals and big government....

Edward · 2 years ago

Nanotechnology is the other science I would have championed as a future efficient source of new energy producing and energy saving products.
Most would agree that our future will be transformed into a society where energy sources are more benign and efficient. However, I think that the greatest impediment to the introduction of new energy technology, is mainly politics and local social acceptance.
Next time you see a futuristic movie depict their version of a city, consider all the zoning regulations, power distribution issues, environmental aesthetics concerns, safety regulations at the local, regional, national, and international level. And you will begin to understand that we as a society are a big problem to our own future.

Quintin Hansen · 2 years ago

I am a freashman safety managment student and interesteted in who'll regulate and oversee these elctrons flying around? And can they keep things safe at a pace needed to overcome our energy needs?

Texas Department Of Public Saf · 2 years ago

Nice read!. Your topic about What can the VC community do to help our energy crisis? needs more comments. I'd like to spend me Sunday nights reading about texas department of public safety

Yuanping Zhao · 2 years ago

I fully support Venrock's idea on "More Miles Per Gallon". Facing to the fact that 25% to
30% engine efficiency, the whole world lacks
feasible solution and technology until now:

High Efficiency Integrated Heat Engine (HEIHE) is just invented and patented recently. HEIHE integrates multiple engine theory and practice into one engine body ------ compound combustion, heterogeneous combustion, staged-combustion, combined cycles, multiple power strokes, multiple working fluids, multiple operation strokes and multiple engine efficiency contributors. HEIHE comprises twin compound cylinder structure, with the primary cylinder being the primary combustion and/or expansion cylinder; the secondary cylinder being the secondary combustion and/or expansion cylinder. Power strokes driven by expansions of different working fluids such as air-fuel combustion products and steam, as well as compressed air during pneumatic hybrid braking power regeneration mode, are integrated into one engine block. Twin cylinder structure provides the secondary compound expansions of three (3) different fluids as to harness the energies that would be lost with the fluid exhausts or during braking. All of these make HEIHE work around six (6) cycles with twelve (12) operation strokes. Among six (6) working cycles involved, four (4) cycles contain four (4) different power strokes but only one of the power strokes consumes the fuel. Thus the fuel conversion efficiency could be greatly increased, or even be doubled comparing with the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE). Its innovative engine structure has been posted at wfeast.com for comments and
its prototyping funding supports.

The inventor of this green engine is expect to see double fuel convention efficiency, thus
double gas mileage, once it is implemented.
Based on HEIHE architecture, 21st Century engine revolution is waving to us. I believe
Venrock's investment will definitely trig this
engine revolution, making this innovative green
engine a reality.

HEIHE --- Welcome to our energy hungery world!

Dean W. Nelson · 1 year ago

The inevitable solution to the continued existence of mankind on our Earth
resides in the entrepreneural availability of fusion power. As a simple unlearned
Blog on this Planet, I am very curious to know whether Mr. Cagle’s, Skybolt™
Fusion Reactor has any scientific validity, based upon your broad extensive
Nuclear background as required?
RE: Singularity Technologies, Inc.
http://www.singtech.com/ FusionNow@singtech.com Dean Nelson

molies · 1 year ago

it's real energy future