Ocean Energy

[Etherichead]

The Swiss already do this! Why doesn't the USA capitolize on tidal energy, it is quite a simple concept. They use long floats connected to each other by mechanical means, as the tide lifts and lowers the floats, levers are used to compress hydralic fluid, which in turn is stored in tanks, (I realize compression of fluid is next to impossible, but bladder tanks are used, the compression is of the air around the bladder), the pressurized fluid runs generators, this is a constant easy to maintain energy system. Another simple system is a float on an anchor, tide lifts float up and down, linear motion is converted to rotational. Ocean energy is unlimited!

[UnemployedMech]

There are US companies that utilize tidal energy.

You run into an issue in the same manner that getting a hydrological dam is incredibly difficult. You are talking about putting machinery in protected water ways. There are security, shipping, and environmental concerns.

[Etherichead]

Gotcha

Makes perfect sense, why use a clean scource of energy production when they can put oil pumping rigs that produce black gold, lol, thanks for the input, I figured it was complicated by many reasons/excuses

[UnemployedMech]

I can't tell if I angered you and if I did, I apologize. I don't mean to be a wet blanket so to speak.

There is no such thing as a truly "clean" energy source, if you look at clean as not having an impact on the surrounding environment. For examples, wind farms do impact migratory bird patterns. Solar power consumes a LOT of water (got to keep those panels clean which is why just putting a massive facility in the middle of the desert isn't as simple as one would think). Tidal water ways are very critical environments for marine life. In a very real fashion, the open ocean is like the desert (not as much marine diversity) while the tidal areas are very vibrant (sort of like the rain forest). Putting anything in the tidal areas are going to effect migratory patterns. That is also where many critical fishing stocks are located. If you have ever tried to have construction done on near a water way, its incredibly expensive and difficult to do because of the regulations.

Even if we didn't have cars, we would still consume a large amount of hydrocarbons because of our need for plastics. This is NOT to say that tidal energy has no future in the US. Like I said before, there are companies trying to develop and utilize the technology. My whole point is that its not as simple as just turning a switch and the US can convert over to it from oil.

[Etherichead]

good point

Thanks for the input kind sir, thats why I asked the question, becuase smart people like yourself have the imformative input such as the implications you mentioned. I was just trying to be funny, it just seems big oil prevents alot of good ideas from happening. Solar is extremly toxic! in manufacturing and disposal, and to recapture the energy spent in manufacturing, it takes almost the life of the panel. With our lust for energy worldwide, it just seems we should be capitalizing on more simple alternatives then oil, solar, wind, nuclear, etc. I really don't know, just fishing for input, like yours, I appreciate it, thank you, I shouldn't be joking, this is a serious matter, we are all in the same boat, thanks for for the reply