'Ice That Burns' May Yield Clean, Sustainable Bridge To Global Energy Future

In the future, natural gas derived from chunks of ice that workers collect from beneath the ocean floor and beneath the arctic permafrost may fuel cars, heat homes, and power factories. Government researchers are reporting that these so-called "gas hydrates," a frozen form of natural gas that bursts into flames at the touch of a match, show increasing promise as an abundant, untapped source of clean, sustainable energy. Full Story »

Posted by Kevin Barry
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Subjects: Business, Sci/Tech
Topics: Energy
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Posted by: Posted by Kevin Barry - Mar 28, 2009 - 2:26 AM PDT
Content Type: Article
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Edited by: Kevin Barry - Mar 28, 2009 - 2:26 AM PDT
Gary Clark
3.0
by Gary Clark - Mar. 28, 2009

This is an optimistic, speculative piece, taken from American Chemical Society material, that admits too little is known and years of research are needed before production could occur. It omits both the high cost of deep water mining of clathrates and the dangers of destabilizing structures containing huge amounts of volatile methane, a gas 20 times more dangerous for atmospheric warming than CO2.

Let research go on, but don't put promotion before the facts are all in.

“In the next five to ten years, the research potential of gas hydrates will be more fully realized.” More »

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Kevin Barry
3.3
by Kevin Barry - Mar. 28, 2009

Effectively a press release from a scientific group hosting a symposium, it provides some information on harvesting methane from deep ocean ice chunks. Unfortunately, while the headline mentions that it could be clean and sustainable, it really doesn't explain how. It concludes with a brief explanation of government investigation in this potential fuel source over the last few years, and provides links to related articles. Interesting for a quick read.

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William Hughes-Games
4.0
by William Hughes-Games - Mar. 29, 2009

A bit weak on the other side of the coin.

While it is true that of all the alkanes (methane, ethane, butane, propane etc.), methane produces the greatest amount of energy per unit of Carbon dioxide produced, it still represents probably the greatest threat to human society that exists today. Methane clathrates exist right up to their pressure/temperature limit in many oceans of the world. A tiny rise in temperature or fall in pressure is all that is needed to start them escaping spontaneously. If, as expected, they exist ... More »

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Kenneth Sibbett
4.0
by Kenneth Sibbett - Mar. 28, 2009

An article explaining how to turn Ice into fuel for the short term until a better solution comes along.

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