Burning ice: Bridge to a clean energy future?
Tue, Mar 24 2009 at 2:06 AM EST
Read more: ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, CLEAN TECH
Photo: U.S. Geological Survey A new study to be presented this weekend by the USGS at the American Chemical Society shows a vast untapped source of (relatively) clean energy. Gas hydrates, essentially frozen natural gases, are formed when decomposed plant material comes in contact with icy water and intense pressure.
The USGS estimates there is about 84 trillion cubic feet of the stuff locked in the Arctic Slope region of Alaska, enough to heat 100 million homes for 10 years. But they also say that more research needs to be done to determine the viability of extracting the resource.
Like natural gas, the hydrates burn much cleaner than coal and oil and so could help reduce the overall carbon footprint of the United States while other carbon neutral energy sources (like solar and wind) and the Smart Grid they require are brought online.
via: Phys.org
Link
EMAIL
Stumble
Tweet
The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect
the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions,
MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.
| « Previous Dumb grid 'dinosaurs' set to retire | Next » LANL: From bombs to biofuels |
