How many gallons of water do you need to power a lightbulb?

April 17th, 2008

Sounds like a mediocre Scientific Method, science project for a grade schooler doesn’t it? Well…I know you realize that there was probably a purpose to this question that had something to do with energy. It did.

According to the study: it takes between 3,000 gallons and 6,000 gallons of water to power a 60-watt incandescent bulb for 12 hours a day over the course of a year.

That statistic was published today by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, who have studied how demand for a dwindling natural resource–fresh water–plays into energy. CNet wrote an article about Floating Nuclear Power Plants last year that also looked at this issue.

As for the study itself, the most water-efficient energy sources are natural gas and synthetic fuels produced by coal gasification. The least efficient are ethanol and biodiesel–two fuels booming in production because of supportive government policies, followed by rapid investment while they twist their moutsaches and roll around in their money on their silk bedding.

In terms of power generation, they found that geothermal and hydroelectric energy use the least amount of water, while nuclear plants use the most.

A United States-wide tally shows that power generation requires 655 billion gallons of water a year.

“There are several variables, such as geography and climate, technology type and efficiency, and accuracy of measurements that come into play. However, by standardizing the measurement unit (BTU, or British Thermal Unit), we have been able to obtain a unique snapshot of the water used to produce different kinds of energy,” Virginia Tech professor Tamim Younos said.

While we watch our food prices skyrocket because we are using corn and grains, what are your thoughts on the different energy sources available? Do you actually believe global warming is that serious of an issue? Are you Al Gore?

Here’s the quote of the day:

“When millions of people are going hungry, it’s a crime against humanity that food should be diverted to biofuels,” said India’s finance minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram.

Wow…pretty strong statement right there.