That’s not the title of a prog rock album. Nor am I referencing something that pseudo scientists or astrologers talk about effecting us personally, though in a way, it is the effect of celestial bodies on our planet that this loop helped me visualise in a new way (1):
There’s something about seeing both the gentle swell, and the explosive water eruption in this loop, that make clear how much potential energy there is in tidal hydroelectric power. That being, energy from the moon.
(Note, from here on my maths may be off, but I’m as sure as I can be!) In total, it’s believed that 120,000,000,000 Joules of energy could be generated globally from tidal power alone (2).
While that’s pretty impressive from a free energy source point of view (the only ‘cost’ to earth being the very gradual slowing of our rotation over millions of years (3)) it’s nothing in comparison to what the sun chuck out at the earth…
Each hour 430 quintillion Joules of energy from the sun hits the Earth. That’s 430 with 18 zeroes after it! In comparison, the total amount of energy that all humans use in a year is 410 quintillion Joules. (4)
Each hour! 20,000,000,000,000,000,000 Joules more than the whole each needs each year!
Anyway, just some thoughts for a sunny day after a clear moonlit night. 🌝🌞
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