Quake Update
First hour guest, geologist
Jim Berkland commented on a UCLA geologist's prediction that a 6.4 magnitude or greater earthquake would rock Southern California by September 5th. He said there is little confirmation that such a quake will take place, though it has been reported that animals in the San Diego Zoo are acting strangely.
Berkland believes quakes can be predicted by examining what he calls "local effects." These can include changes in the magnetic field (often signaled by missing pets), tidal forces, and anything else out of the ordinary, like young whales beaching themselves.
Recap
New Energy Alternatives
Former astronaut and scientist
Brian O'Leary, founder of the
New Energy Movement, discussed the research and development going into solving the global energy crisis, and reasons we need to move immediately towards "new energy."
According to O'Leary, the world's oil fields are at maximum production levels and can barely keep up with demand. He predicts "in another 40 or 50 years there won't be any oil left." O'Leary suggested an active suppression by the "Powers That Be" has kept the world's economy tied to fossil fuels, despite the fact that many possibilities exist for alternative energy sources.
O'Leary believes the future of energy rests on several new technologies, including zero point devices, advanced hydrogen chemistry, and cold fusion. He said low energy nuclear reactions (cold fusion) make it theoretically possible to drive a car across the United States on a liter of water. Perhaps even more promising is zero point energy, which involves tapping into the seemingly limitless energy in the vacuum of space. O'Leary envisions a day when people are disconnected from a centralized power grid and instead receive their energy from inexpensive handheld devices.
Visit newenergymovement.org for information on the upcoming Conference on New-Energy Alternatives in Portland, Oregon on September 25-26, 2004, or call toll free (866) 585-2344.
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Hydrogen Fuel Cells
Fuel cells are essentially inexhaustible batteries -- as long as they're supplied with fuel, they don't lose charge. Within a fuel cell a simple electrochemical process takes place that converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, with heat and water as the only emissions.
Every fuel cell consists of an electrolyte membrane sandwiched between two electrodes: a positive electrode called an anode and a negative electrode called a cathode. Hydrogen (or hydrogen-rich fuel) is passed over the anode where a catalyst splits it into ions and electrons. The electrons cannot pass through the electrolyte material and instead travel around it via an electrical circuit to reach the other side of the cell. This flow of electrons is electricity.
The following U.S. Department of Energy
animation illustrates how a fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity.
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