Saturday, October 17, 2009

Ocean Energy Making Waves

We can obliterate a nation with nukes and technology, (and fossil fuel pollution), but we practically have not harnessed the eternal energy of the ocean for clean fuel. Well, there are ripples of promise happening. At Agucadoura, Portugal, a wave farm is generating electricity for 1500 homes. Britain has also gotten excited about the potential of wave energy. Here are some other developments are utilizing wave farm technologies. Britain is surrounded by an abundant resource, and so is Newfoundland - it seems like a renewable offshore resource, for shore.

To hear and see the fury of incessant waves crushing and pushing on shore, one imagines some day that this energy will be converted to a zero-carbon energy. On a regular day, the tides are powerful enough to literally move shore boulders weighing hundreds of pounds. Today, the ocean showed its might with ten times more strength. In the picture below, winds created what looked like a giant spray plume from a fast jet boat, which shadowed the wave it rode, laterally making its way across the seascape.Australia will have at least one wave power prototype in operation this year. The particular system is called Ocean Energy Bionics, by BioPower Systems. It is just one design by one group. See others here.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

once again in love with your photos and inspired. called Escape, I did use some of your words to generate the poem, I hope you like it.. THANKS
Inky

Charlie said...

I will read your poem inky. Glad you liked the photos. It was a very wild day on the seas, nearly 100 km winds, which created the cruising surf.

Anonymous said...

happy you stopped by, I cannot give all the credit to self on this one. Ty once again. I know the winds you have had of late have been very bad. another day on the rock. have a great week.
SMILES