| A big advantage to clean, green energy is the fact | | | | are both lightweight and cheap. |
| that the electricity is made close at hand. Let's use | | | | The thing about green energy is that it's not always |
| homemade hydrogen as an example. Taking a simple | | | | reliable. There isn't always wind or sunshine. But there |
| electrified copper wire and using a process known as | | | | is always water. Homemade hydrogen can be made |
| electrolysis, a person can transform an ordinary cup of | | | | and used anytime, and can power a wide variety of |
| water into combustible H2 and O2. Though storing and | | | | systems in the home, and also in vehicles. Did you |
| using these compounds is difficult at the current level | | | | know that people have been using homemade |
| of technology, the point is that the energy produced is | | | | hydrogen for years now as a fuel additive to increase |
| right at a person's fingertips. Homemade hydrogen, | | | | the gas mileage and fuel efficiency of their cars? And |
| wind energy, and sunlight are all over the world. | | | | the technology is getting better and cheaper everyday. |
| So why is that an advantage, to have the energy | | | | I find it interesting that in many cases America and |
| close at hand? The reason why is because of the | | | | Americans are becoming more intertwined with the |
| energy loss factor that happens when you transport | | | | system as the global economy pushes ahead. Things |
| electricity across a large area. A power plant | | | | like national health care and the European Union are |
| produces a huge amount of energy from a centralized | | | | bringing people into more connection with one another. |
| location. It then ships the electricity over many miles of | | | | In a lot of other ways however, people are becoming |
| electrical wire. This process causes much of the | | | | more and more independent. With homemade energy |
| energy to disperse. The further the electricity is | | | | growing more and more in popularity people are |
| transported, the more you lose. Power plant energy, | | | | becoming more independent by seeking higher levels |
| though much more efficient still than green energy, is | | | | of sustainability. |
| also much more wasteful because the energy has to | | | | Homemade hydrogen for power isn't yet a popular or |
| travel such large distances to get to the furthest | | | | feasible concept. Though there are many who use it |
| sections of the grid. | | | | to power the various systems of their home, it still isn't |
| That's what I love about clean, alternative energy. | | | | yet a feasible way of producing and storing energy. |
| Though it's still pretty inefficient and expensive, energy | | | | But as the technology continues to get better, I think |
| loss is minimized because the electricity only has to | | | | we'll be seeing many more homes powered in part by |
| travel down the wire about ten feet to get to the | | | | homemade hydrogen. In the meantime, solar panels |
| house. This virtually eliminates energy loss, which I think | | | | are expected to drop in cost by 50% within the year, |
| is a huge plus. It's not just that, think how awesome it | | | | which I think will have a huge impact on America's |
| would be to make your very own homemade | | | | utilization of clean energy. I guess we'll have to wait |
| hydrogen? That's just an awesome sounding idea. | | | | and see. |
| And the generators that make hydrogen these days | | | | |