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Article: Waiting for the sunrise. (solar energy forecast) (Science and Technology)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- May 19, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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EVERY year about 1,000 times more energy reaches the earth's surface from sun than could be produced by burning all the fossil fuels mined and extracted that year. For millennia people have thought up both ingenious and silly ways to use this immense and indefatigable source of power
They have succeeded in tapping only a trickle.
The oldest way to exploit solar energy is through heat. Water heaters for homes and swimming pools are still among the most widespread solar devices. The sun can also make hot water or steam for industry. One of the newest uses is to tap the sun's energy in chemical reactions to break down hazardous wastes and to refine fossil ...