Green Energy Needs Lots of Water
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 02.18.08
Surfing on Lake Michigan credit Farlane
In America's efforts to deal with Peak Oil, we may come up against Peak Water more quickly than imagined. University of Texas professor Michael Webber, an environmental policy specialist, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science that alternative fuel production uses a lot more water than gasoline refining. According to the Star, Webber said the water required for an alternate fuel vehicle to travel a certain distance can be up to 100 times that required for a gas-powered vehicle.
"I don't know of anybody who shops for fuels based on their water intensity," he said, "But as river levels continue to drop and aquifers dry up, this link between water and energy is going to become an issue at a higher government level." He also suggests that this may become an international issue.
"Right now Canadians don't care about this because you're the most water-rich nation in the world. "But you might care if the U.S. starts coming after your water because we're in trouble from the energy-water connection," he said. ::The Star
The water required for the hybrids and for hydrogen production is mainly used for cooling in electrical generating plants, and we should note that while the water supply is needed, it just passes through and is usually returned to the river where it came from so it is not really consumed. If the electricity comes from wind or solar then there is no water component involved.
See also ::Thirsty Nukes Can't Take the Heat and ::TVA Shuts Reactors: River Water is Too Hot and US Presidential Candidate From New Mexico Thirsty For Wisconsin Water
This strikes me as grant-baiting ,fear mongering research of the sort one would expect out of Competitive Enterprise Institute. Especially the part about "if they come after your water".
One can make such assertions about virtually any energy production or material extraction industry.
From the USGS:
How much water does it take to refine one barrel of crude oil? 1,851 gallons
http://ct.water.usgs.gov/education/trivia.htm
The title of this post is far too broad. The article points out that some biofuels and hydrogen take a lot of water. To generalize to "green energy" is absurd. For example, the only water required for the Stirling dishes that have graced these pages so many times is for mirror washing. Wind is similarly very low water. You acknowledge this in the last sentence, but that is far too late.
Wind/solar powered electric vehicles are the best choice on just about every front: efficiency, water use, emissions (clean air), sustainability, maintenance, habitat conservation, land use, and cost of operation. In comparison, hydrogen and biofuels have a limited role to play. It will take only 5000 sq.mi. of Stirling dishes to power U.S. passenger vehicles in 2050.
GEEZ TREEHUGGER,
guys you have to notice when BS pops on your radar! That is just despiccably dishonest, nonsensical propaganda - how could you let yourself propagate this piece?
No logical explanation delivered, no math behind it, just a Texan "Yeehaa-institute "estimating (!)" some numbers?
Come on, come on!!
Why would a hybrid which can even be plugged in and recharged via renewables (windgrid, as my household does) - and which uses the same gasoline as the (oh-so-environmentally-friendly) guzzlers show up at ten times the usage of water, which is misquoted from the beginning??
This is too vague to be useful. Alternative fuels? Ethanol? Does that include cellulosic ethanol and algal biodiesel? Does that include waste grease? It sounds to me like this is just "first generation" biofuels, which everyone here hates anyway.
okay, so i can understand that too much of anything can be a bad thing...but i almost get the feeling this guy is saying "current ways of doing things = good...new ways of doing things = bad." i have to agree with the other comments...this wasn't a good article to post, both in opinion and straight content.
The number of gallons of water for ethanol seems very high, but seems at least probable that is might use at least 4 to 10 as we are talking about plants... can anyone give us an informed number?
The number of gallons of water for ethanol seems too high, but seems at least probable that is might be at least 4 to 10 as we are talking about plants... can anyone give us an informed number?
Hey, this isn't FUD, if it is applied to growing food for biofuel production. It takes a great deal of water to grow crops, and not all of it comes straight from the sky. Looks like another solid nail in (corn based) ethanol's coffin, and I'm thankful for that.
gotta love the "green infiltrators" from the big oil boys.
Sounds like allot of people are still walking funny because of the corn cobs in the wrong place!! Keep all food crops on the table where they belong. Produce energy sources which are sustainable, nonpolluting, and renewable. Produce energy sources that use no water, as in wind and solar, or very little water, closed loop algae biodiesel/ethanol. This guy is either highly uninformed, or works for the oil companies, or both. Think positive and keep it simple.
Sounds like allot of people are still walking funny because of the corn cobs in the wrong place!! Keep all food crops on the table where they belong. Produce energy sources which are sustainable, nonpolluting, and renewable. Produce energy sources that use no water, as in wind and solar, or very little water, closed loop algae biodiesel/ethanol. This guy is either highly uninformed, or works for the oil companies, or both. Think positive and keep it simple.
i agree with the other comments. where is the proof? i love article on all sides of the spectrum, but i need some proof or a credible source.
i want to know how the numbers were generated. lots of money and water goes into keeping oil prices where they are today. do the numbers incorporate the water used to keep the complicated drilling and transportation systems of oil? oil drilling in the ocean or in the icy regions?
Energy Independence Now!
No more Oil Wars!
Stop funding the terrorists!
Drill in Anwar.
Build more nuclear power plants
Use More coal.
Use more natural gas
Turn trash into energy
Double the efficiency of windmills and solar cells.
If France can do nuclear power so can we.
If Brazil can do biomass/ethanol power so can we.
If Australia can do LNG power so can we.
Domestically produced energy will end recession and spur the economy.