h a l f b a k e r yPlease listen carefully, as our opinions have changed.
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why the huge subsidy? there is no way that ten minutes of human exertion can possibly yield 75c worth of energy. How much are you paying per KWH? (that's 1000 watts for an hour or 6000w for 10min) We pay around 7.5 cents per KWH here so your beggar is going to need to put out more than 60,000 watts, for ten minutes, more than the peak output of most cars AND more than slightly impossible. |
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On the other hand, this could work in he third world where people live on pennies a day and electricity does not come as cheaply. |
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The subsidy might make more sense if you consider the the offset in costs to the national health care system. It may also offset criminal justice system costs, on the precept that idle hands do the Devil's work. |
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humans produce about 100w without moving (heat), and another 100w power at low-grade exercise: top-notch athletes can bump that up to 300w (not bad considering that's almost .4hp). But you could combine the two in a cogeneration system that heats the building as well. |
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Blimey - warped minds think alike. Deleted my anno in
deference to the foresightful, inciteful Zimmy. |
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The problem with this is if beggers wanted to work for money they would already do it. You'd probably come out one day to find a stolen lawnmower hooked up to your energy crank. |
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really? Every single person on the street is there because "they simply refuse to work" , who are you, Ebenezer Scrooge? |
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//find a stolen lawnmower hooked up to your energy crank//
Probably... and I'd go right to the beggars... and I'd ask them which one(s) of the teens/20'ishes living in the neighbourhood of the person whose lawnmower was stolen, had done it. |
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Or are you talking about when you're walking down the street and a reasonably well-dressed person says "excuse me" and when you turn to them, it isn't somebody informing you that you've dropped something, or asking directions or time, or giving you a compliment about your suit...it's somebody that wants to sell you some legal'ish scam or another. |
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I could see this working if units were hooked to
the grid and had a network id of some kind. Hand
out the units to anyone who wants one and the
utility company pays the standard rate minus 1% to
cover the cost of the unit(once the unit is paid for
the user gets 100%). The money would go onto
some sort of debit card that could be used in
stores and such. It wouldn't be a very high paying
way to make money, but it would be something.
The creative(lawnmower/gear ratio users) would
be rewarded, not for making cleaner energy, but
for making more. |
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I think this could be made to work. The energy content of a
beggar, if clothed, is probably quite high. |
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"Soylent Green is people !" |
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No, no, no. One creates the energy crank devices, gives them to beggars, who then stand around asking people to turn the crank a few times for them. |
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