So, there's this little project I've been thinking on for some time now. Let's fix the world. Problem. Naive/naif scheme. Solution. Let's get off our laurels and out think the problems facing us. At the moment, we've got an energy crisis, combined with a pollution issue. I'm calling all scientists, schemers and nut and bolt tinkerers. Crazy seed #1, attract lightening via laser (path ionization), store via Leyden capacitor battery and dispense to the public. How would you step it down for the public mainlines? Environmental impact? Ethical issues? How do we make it sexy for capitalists when it's likely seasonal and nuclear energy isn't?

Oh, and alternatives. I know it's squishy but break out the open minds, whip out the pocket protectors... I'm uh, gonna go start some coffee.

I'm cool with that

I make some as well, meet you back here in 10 min

Mornin, sunshine.

Could go to fuel powered plants,our town is putting one in starting in may,it's a 232 million dollar project,but once it goes in it'll be powered by the slack piles from our coal mines and once we hook into it's power supply it'll cut our power costs by 45 percent.

Don't know what a Leyden cap. is but if you could power high capacity pumps with it over short period..pump water from lower resevoir up to upper res. and reconvert to hydro-elec. thru exsisting grid

I like the idea of the capacitors but I surely would not want to be an electrician messing with all that voltage.

Last time I checked, it took 1.21 Jigawatts to operate a flux capacitor.

This could work.

I was thinking the same stuff this morning...about the coffee

Coal may be a short term (non-renewable, smokey) alternative to treehuggers but serious kudos to town for ethics and saving the public dollar. There's a hydroelectric dam near my house, it's awesome.

yummy, the coffe ws good, little chocolate

It's not only gonna save us a bundle,it's also providing 2500 permenent jobs.

Wish I could help with that one,
<---No rocket scientist.
Lightening as an energy source seems viable enough to me, if it can be harnessed!!
How much energy can be stored and dispersed by these methods?

Perm jobs, now that's something America could stand more of. Like chocolate, it seems... There's none in the house. But the coworker who brought up her Columbian family blend... We're keeping her. The Leyden jar is a capacitor dating from 1746, depending on the version. Ben Franklin streamlined it to what it is today, throwing lightening across the room to liven up parties, and if stories are true, policy meetings.

I'm not a rocket scientist either, just like poking well endowed brains. The amount of energy harvested would likely depend on the location and season, I'll look up the average. I'd imagine the whole system is limited by effeciency of the ONE part you scrimp on.

As with anything, the weakest link, of course. I guess that would be the lightening itself, but as unpredictable as it can be, it is also reletively plentiful. If there's some way to do it, they'd ought to.........