Missing the Forest for the Trees
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The document discusses Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) as a viable climate change mitigation solution, emphasizing its potential to harness solar energy from tropical oceans to reduce fossil fuel consumption. It argues that capturing a small fraction of solar energy could significantly substitute oil use, with a specific example using Jamaica's land area for implementation. The author advocates for exploring OTEC while questioning the focus on less innovative alternatives like clean coal and solar PV.
Missing the Forest for the Trees
- 1. Missing the Forest for the Trees OTEC a Climate Change Mitigation Solution Waiting to be Rediscovered Al Binger Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre Belmopan. Belize November 8,2007
- 2. Global mean surface temperatures have increased
- 3. Best Available Solution The Energy in the Tropical Oceans Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Technology proposed in 1888 by French Scientist Fuel Cells
- 8. Global Energy Consumption We consume some 85 million barrels of oil and a lot of coal daily Let us estimated for sake of argument that we consume half the amount of oil in the form of coal So we would consume about 130 million barrels of oil Could we meet this from OTEC?
- 9. YES -Absolutely If we could capture 0.01 percent of the solar energy we would have 250 barrels of oil equivalent per hectare So 130 million barrels would require less than 600,000 hectares … that is less that the area of my small island state of Jamaica
- 10. Example of Water Production Cost by Hybrid OTEC Plant
- 14. CONCLUSION Some men see thing and ask how .. I dream dreams and ask why not? George Bernard Shaw I do both – how come clean coal, solar PV, etc.. and why not OTEC?