Thursday, March 1, 2007

Alternative Fuel Sources

I like to call myself an environmentalist. Unfortunately, living in Utah County, I can't do much about my feelings for environmental issues, I can't even recycle. Because of the limited environmental resources in my area, I am so excited to share with the internet the latest news about some exciting alternative fuel resources...

Just what you need when you are out in the woods: Scientists in (we believe) Singapore "soaked a piece of paper in a solution of copper chloride and sandwiched it between strips of magnesium and copper. This sandwich was then laminated between two sheets of transparent plastic. When a drop of urine is added to the paper through a slit in the plastic, a chemical reaction takes place that produces electricity. The prototype battery produced about 1.5 volts, the same as a standard AA battery, and runs for about 90 minutes. Researchers said the power, voltage, and lifetime of the battery can be improved by adjusting the geometry and materials used. Urine contains many ions (electrically charged atoms), which allows the electricity-producing chemical reaction to take place in the urine battery." "A Pee Powered Battery" (Treehugger.com)
I actually think this would be a good battery for survival kits. Or, just think of how long you could last on a camping trip with pee powered flashlights. This has got to be the best new idea out there for boy scout troops. My only hesitation would be, how sanitary can they make the pee-application-procedure? And if we utilized this source for say, cars, would there be a pee smell? Because I don't think I could travel very long in a car giving off pee-smelling emissions.

And on to our next story:

A former Canadian defence minister says be believes advanced technology from extraterrestrial civilizations offers the best hope to "save our planet" from the perils of climate change.

Paul Hellyer, 83, is calling for a public disclosure of alien technology obtained during alleged UFO crashes -- such as the mysterious 1947 incident in Roswell, New Mexico -- because he believes alien species can provide humanity with a viable alternative to fossil fuels... "Alien technology the best hope to 'save our planet'," (The Ottawa Citizen)


There are not enough words... wait, I do have some words. Isn't it typical of a politician to expect a win-win solution to fall from the heavens instead of financially supporting solutions that might annoy his constituents because they will have to make a major lifestyle changes? Well, I guess that's just my opinion.

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