The future according to Ray Kurzweil

[Niners fan]

Originally Posted by evilnewbie

I wish I was in 8th grade... I would of done things differently... unfortunately the last time I was in school was when I finished my professional degree and racked up 160k in educational loans... that was years ago... the posters above me (and below me) were hostile towards solar energy and rather we build nuclear power or drill for more oil... none of which was a solution... only impediments to future energy standards.. now that someone is suggesting that solar energy is an extremely viable alternative, they jump on the bandwagon... its strange that people would rather jump on something a celebrity of sort would talk about instead of thinking about it on their own... it just makes sense what our energy standard was going to evolve to... why wait? When you can push it through faster..

The current projections about solar have to do with advances in technology. Don't you think the animosity you observed had more to do with the state of the technology at the time and less towards the concept of solar energy?

As for the "celebrity" aspect, it is generally a little annoying to early adopters when people start getting on a bandwagon. But it usually takes someone with some level of public profile to raise awareness.

We live in a community that is pretty "granola." I find it amusing when the greenies get annoyed with big companies like SC Johnson or Clorox touting green products or practices. I'll admit the companies are just trying to make money but the greenies miss the point that there a demand has been created for environmentally friendly products or practices.

[aspiring_natural]

Ray Kurzweil - Time magazine's person of the year anytime soon

[Gatornation]

The solar leasing articles I've read recently seem promising. Lets you get in without the huge upfront cost.

[chuck_steak]

Originally Posted by Philosophizer

I'd like to have power when the sun isn't shining. When big solar doesn't need massive government subsidies to produce energy cheaper than petro or nuclear, I'll look into it. Until then, we need oil and it's time to tap into our own resources before every other country does it for us and then exports it back to us at a nice profit.

there is wind and there is biomass. there are alternatives to solar. that's why it's best to have a combination of those instead of just relying on one source.