2020 - Visions of the Future (Page 7 of 7)
Aspen, Colorado
September 5, 1980
2020 - Visions of the Future - Roaring Fork Valley (Page 7 of 7)
Nick's 1980 predictions for the year 2020
Document courtesy of:
Aspen Historical Society, IDCA Time Capsule Collection
Text:
7
Photovoltaic - very important - usually linked to household solar hot water. The vital water system cools the concentrated solar cells.
Wind - here and there, along with geothermal, tidal, wave, salt-lake heat trap, etc.
Locally, we will use much more electric power per capita because of inefficient public transport, rapid increases in electric heating (very inefficient, but clean), snow making.
Aspen can afford to overspend for energy. We may burn the last gallon of gasoline ever used - $250.00! In an antique 1980 jeep.
"WANT" FUTURE SCENARIO, or What I Want That They Didn't Do For Me.
These are up to you, but I will add my pet energy solution. This is only my wish list because:
1. Nationally it would require a leap in thinking to start now, before we overinvest in dreary solutions like alcohol (hic!) or proceed from crisis to crisis (most likely).
2. Locally Aspen will be too conservative and rich to need or try new risks. Perhaps Glenwood Springs or Carbondale will go for it.
It is:
The HYDROGEN AGE
And the LOCAL PLANT
Hydrogen, stored as a metal hydride, is safer than gasoline and works great in cars. It can be generated from coal, steam, nukes, and for the independent - directly from solar photovoltaic cells (T.I.). It is pollution-free (burns to water), so the CO2 crisis is crested. We will cook with it.
Fuel cells make electricity from it, and we can make it from electricity, so you could consider it a battery. If super-batteries come, the all-electric car wins. We will have both.
THE LOCAL PLANT
Aspen purchases a tokomak (fusion) from Russia, or an LMFBR from France in 2018 because we still build 'em one at a time over a 15-year period. Russia started mass-producing off-the-shelf reactors in 1975.
We pipe heating steam all over our towns in the winter. Country mice add a touch of solar electric.
We make our own hydrogen for transportation and peak shaving via fuel cells.
We produce the necessary tenfold increase in electric supply.
We charge up our short-range commuter cars for fifteen cents a day.
No big transmission towers.
If we can't stomach the risks of atomic mysteries, we do the same with local coal where we know how bad it is (visit Denver).
HEADLINES FROM THE ASPEN HERALD TRIBUNE, 2020
2020 Census 30% off - Government decides to contract out.
Seven Deadly Sins Removed By Surgery.
Aspen Heavy Metal Laser Mining Threatened by Undersea Cartel.
Aspen Mountain Closed to Local Civilians on Powder Days.
Feds Legalize All Drugs but Heroin and Cocaine - Aspen Booms.
Extraterrestial Beings A Big Disappointment.
County Buys Used Wind Generators to Hook to our Nuke to Blow the Shale Dirt Back to Glenwood.
Night Skiing Goes Disco.
Nick DeWolf
233 W BLEEKER, ASPEN CO 81611
Sep 5, 1970
part of an archival project, featuring the work of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Requests for use are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com
2020 - Visions of the Future (Page 7 of 7)
Aspen, Colorado
September 5, 1980
2020 - Visions of the Future - Roaring Fork Valley (Page 7 of 7)
Nick's 1980 predictions for the year 2020
Document courtesy of:
Aspen Historical Society, IDCA Time Capsule Collection
Text:
7
Photovoltaic - very important - usually linked to household solar hot water. The vital water system cools the concentrated solar cells.
Wind - here and there, along with geothermal, tidal, wave, salt-lake heat trap, etc.
Locally, we will use much more electric power per capita because of inefficient public transport, rapid increases in electric heating (very inefficient, but clean), snow making.
Aspen can afford to overspend for energy. We may burn the last gallon of gasoline ever used - $250.00! In an antique 1980 jeep.
"WANT" FUTURE SCENARIO, or What I Want That They Didn't Do For Me.
These are up to you, but I will add my pet energy solution. This is only my wish list because:
1. Nationally it would require a leap in thinking to start now, before we overinvest in dreary solutions like alcohol (hic!) or proceed from crisis to crisis (most likely).
2. Locally Aspen will be too conservative and rich to need or try new risks. Perhaps Glenwood Springs or Carbondale will go for it.
It is:
The HYDROGEN AGE
And the LOCAL PLANT
Hydrogen, stored as a metal hydride, is safer than gasoline and works great in cars. It can be generated from coal, steam, nukes, and for the independent - directly from solar photovoltaic cells (T.I.). It is pollution-free (burns to water), so the CO2 crisis is crested. We will cook with it.
Fuel cells make electricity from it, and we can make it from electricity, so you could consider it a battery. If super-batteries come, the all-electric car wins. We will have both.
THE LOCAL PLANT
Aspen purchases a tokomak (fusion) from Russia, or an LMFBR from France in 2018 because we still build 'em one at a time over a 15-year period. Russia started mass-producing off-the-shelf reactors in 1975.
We pipe heating steam all over our towns in the winter. Country mice add a touch of solar electric.
We make our own hydrogen for transportation and peak shaving via fuel cells.
We produce the necessary tenfold increase in electric supply.
We charge up our short-range commuter cars for fifteen cents a day.
No big transmission towers.
If we can't stomach the risks of atomic mysteries, we do the same with local coal where we know how bad it is (visit Denver).
HEADLINES FROM THE ASPEN HERALD TRIBUNE, 2020
2020 Census 30% off - Government decides to contract out.
Seven Deadly Sins Removed By Surgery.
Aspen Heavy Metal Laser Mining Threatened by Undersea Cartel.
Aspen Mountain Closed to Local Civilians on Powder Days.
Feds Legalize All Drugs but Heroin and Cocaine - Aspen Booms.
Extraterrestial Beings A Big Disappointment.
County Buys Used Wind Generators to Hook to our Nuke to Blow the Shale Dirt Back to Glenwood.
Night Skiing Goes Disco.
Nick DeWolf
233 W BLEEKER, ASPEN CO 81611
Sep 5, 1970
part of an archival project, featuring the work of nick dewolf
© the Nick DeWolf Foundation
Requests for use are welcome via flickrmail or nickdewolfphotoarchive [at] gmail [dot] com