PV Gap

Loretta Said:

which would be cheaper to acquire? a 1MW solar power system or a 1MW windmill power system?

We Answered:

A windmill will be way cheaper.
However, you may have to get more permits, if you place it on your roof there are vibrations to take into account, and in a village or city the other buildings slow down the wind; so you don't get the full 1MW.
Solar is easier, doesn't need permits. Just put it on your roof and leave it there for 25 years. It is way more expensive than the windmill thoug; think 2-3 times more expensive!

Lorraine Said:

wind farm, solar system, waste to energy plant. which one is built cheaper? which one is better?

We Answered:

Wind is better. It costs little to put wind turbines up and does not take very much monitering. The land under the turbines can still be used for farming. There is enough wind in the US to power all our needs if we used it. The only arguement against it is it causes "visual pollution".

Solar energy still costs a lot to make the solar panels; the price will come down eventually as new solar technology comes about, but right now it is not plausible as the major source of energy.

Incinerating waste does get rid of most of the waste problem, but it creates another problem: pollution. No matter how "cleanly" it is burned, solar and wind energy is cleaner because they do not produce any pollutants.

Daniel Said:

Why should we send a manned mission to Mars?

We Answered:

Compare the variety and quantity of samples men were able to gather from the Moon, against the small amount that has been obtained by automated probe, and you may get some idea. We will be looking for signs of a life that may once have existed on a warmer wetter Mars, billions of years ago, before it lost the vast bulk of its atmosphere, and humans prospecting for water are more likely to strike it rich than machines, and can make educated guesses, as well as appreciating the occasional fortuitous find, recognisable by its difference from those things around it, something our primitive probes are not yet capable of.