Here's an idea for big oil to diversify it's product mix: build windfarms in west texas, build massive desalination plants in Houston, send electicity to Houston for hydrolosis and hydrogen production, retrofit some existing refineries in Houston for large scale production and sale of hydrogen. Send concentrated seawater by-product from desalination via pipeline to the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana. Use a portion of the hydrogen produced to maintain baseload power. Additional desal plants & hydrogen production facilities can be built around our coasts if necessary to minimize the need to use our already-limited freshwater supplies - ultimately there is very little environmental harm from concentrated seawater if it is returned properly. Hydrogen can be stored & used in all kinds of variations of these tanks and used for transportation and home energy. Hydrogen...for the future of America!!

25 Million Gallons of freshwater per day....
http://www.tampabaywater.org/watersupply/tbdesal.aspx
http://www.tampabaywater.org/watersupply/tbdesalprotect.aspx

And give those h*mos a break - no way

Make hydrogen tanks? We don't have enough hydrogen. It takes energy to make hydrogen, we don't have enough energy.
Use wind power to make drinking water? We don't have enough wind energy.
This is like finding a new use for petroleum, or a new use for corn, or a new use for water during a drought.
But when we have excess energy and nobody wants it - these guys are waiting to store it in their tanks, in anticipation of affordable fuel cells.

Of course there is enough hydrogen. Water is two parts hydrogen. Of course we have enough energy to make energy. It is sunlight from which 99.999% of it reaching Earth today is unused and turned into heat. Wind energy is fine but Harry Homeowner's backyard may not be big enough to hold a windmill whereas it probably is large enough to hold a panel of photovoltaic cells used to make electricity to break apart water to make hydrogen which will power Harry's car and home. This is going to happen and is called a watershed event. Burning carbon (oil, coal, corn) will be totally obsolete within 5 to 10 years.

From the comments I've been reading over the last two years, there seems to be two predominate schools of thought from 'joe public'. One: expect the energy companies to have a change in direction and embrace alternative energy in a way that is beneficial to the whole country and mankind at large. Two: Do whatever you can on an individual basis for yourself. Both positions have there place. But from all the commentary out here, is there no organized effort to pool resources, network, bypass corporate america and offer something to our own communities and the public at large. I'm no great history student, but isn't part of what has made America strong over the generations been our entrepreneurial spirit and action?

Argue, debate, and comment as we like. But anyone interested in producing energy for more than just our individual selves and not waiting on big business to do so, email me. I wouldn't mind the talk. (dasaad@earthlink.net)