$1/Gallon "Green Gasoline" In Sight
- Thread starter Bob Hubbard
- Start date
The problem with fusion is that it's been just forty years away...
... every single year since 1946
I don't know what we'll come up with. But I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be as cheap and easy as fossil fuels.
And just in case people were feeling too complacent, today's news said that China has less than a month's stock of coal on hand.
This should make the guys in West Virginia happy.The problem with fusion is that it's been just forty years away...
... every single year since 1946
I don't know what we'll come up with. But I have a sneaking suspicion that it won't be as cheap and easy as fossil fuels.
And just in case people were feeling too complacent, today's news said that China has less than a month's stock of coal on hand.
fireman00
Brown Belt
ethanol derived from sugar cane (ala Brazil) is much more resource and cost effective. Unfortunately there are trade agreements which prevent the U.S. from growing mass amounts of sugar cane. Processing corn into ethanol is very inefficient.
Cellulose based fuels are the way to go... using our existing infrastructure (refineries, pipelines, tanker transportation and refilling stations) and converting recently shut down auto production facilities into making "green cars" would be take 5 to 10 years and could bring about a resurgence in our economy. Gas and alternative fuel could co-exist, be produced, transported and sold along side but gas would be much more expensive which would drive more folks to buy alternative fuel cars.
Electric cars would be a great way to go but I'm concerned about battery life - I've seen a couple that will get 300 miles per charge with a top speed of 60 mph... but I'm sure as you increase speed, turn on the radio, heat/ AC, headlights that the mileage range would decrease markedly. And where would you plug in to recharge?
Hydrogen could be another alternative which could utilize existing infrastructure but there's a concern about the potential instability (big bang) if there's a release.
For homes.... its time for the Federal gov't to subsidize 50% of the cost of a 10Kw system - the kind that feeds and draws from the power grid (no batteries) - that's enough to power the average residential house. Business with more then 25 employees should also be mandated to either buy carbon credits (use the money for subsidies) or install a solar array that will equal the average amount of daily electrical consumption. That's another segment of manufacturing that would have to be cranked up - most, if not all, panels come from Japan and Brazil, China, Japan, German and the U.S. are all fighting for their piece of a small pie.
Cellulose based fuels are the way to go... using our existing infrastructure (refineries, pipelines, tanker transportation and refilling stations) and converting recently shut down auto production facilities into making "green cars" would be take 5 to 10 years and could bring about a resurgence in our economy. Gas and alternative fuel could co-exist, be produced, transported and sold along side but gas would be much more expensive which would drive more folks to buy alternative fuel cars.
Electric cars would be a great way to go but I'm concerned about battery life - I've seen a couple that will get 300 miles per charge with a top speed of 60 mph... but I'm sure as you increase speed, turn on the radio, heat/ AC, headlights that the mileage range would decrease markedly. And where would you plug in to recharge?
Hydrogen could be another alternative which could utilize existing infrastructure but there's a concern about the potential instability (big bang) if there's a release.
For homes.... its time for the Federal gov't to subsidize 50% of the cost of a 10Kw system - the kind that feeds and draws from the power grid (no batteries) - that's enough to power the average residential house. Business with more then 25 employees should also be mandated to either buy carbon credits (use the money for subsidies) or install a solar array that will equal the average amount of daily electrical consumption. That's another segment of manufacturing that would have to be cranked up - most, if not all, panels come from Japan and Brazil, China, Japan, German and the U.S. are all fighting for their piece of a small pie.
