Tidal power with a twist ( New Scientist)

New Scientist, 5 July 2008 p 40-43

Another week, another New Scientist article about a new renewable technology to generate electricity and maybe contribute to saving the world.

That may sound slightly sarcastic and to some extent it is. Every week I read about a really great technology that I can feel really positive about which could really save the planet. Then the pragmatist in me kicks in and asks if it is really a viable technology and when will it change the world.

This week it is about electromagnetic pumps which is basically the caterpillar drive in reverse as seen in the very great film and book "The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy.

In the caterpillar drive electricity was pumped into the drive which had superconducting magnets and it is then propelled through the water.

With this technology a clever Japanese physicist called Takeda reversed the engine and using tidal power pushed water through to generate electricity. The technology has great potential as a underwater turbine. No moving parts, so little servicing required and can be sited out the way on the sea bed.

Although very positive the technology has a long way to go, the lab prototype has so far only generated a fraction of a watt. So not even enough to light up a very low wattage bulb.

The other interesting part of this article was about the funding for projects such as this one with interesting but unproven potential, potential lets face it to save the world.

Takeda has two assistants and only limited funding from a state ministry, luckily he has been successful in being awarded more funding but it is very much still small scale. As he puts it he can only look at the next small development step.

So funding wise why isn't there the "International Fund for Saving the Planet Through Technology" (IFSPTT - you have to have an acronym). I would support that, it might even be something where I would give £5 a month to.

A charity which gave funding to develop renewable technologies and bring them to market. That would be a worthwhile cause, maybe I should set it up. Of course it wouldn't have to be for new technologies, it could be for revitalising old ones or bring a technology from the design phase through to production. I remember reading years ago about a company that was working on using blimps as slow but cost efficient cargo lifters.

Why should science funding be left to entrepreneurs, academic institutions or government. Why not fund them for the greater good by donations from the public. By the people, for the people, for the planet.

Of course there might already be such a charitable fund, I just haven't heard about it yet. In which case why don't they market themselves more.