YAGBT: Does everyone think that these times are a wake up call?

[Soccer55]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Soccer55

Originally posted by: Fritzo
hydrogen: more energy is used in gas extraction than is given

Doesn't a nuclear fusion reaction give off hydrogen? So if we developed the technology to produce a stable nuclear fusion power plant, we're killing 2 birds with 1 stone? Or am I way off base with this?

-Tom

Fusion is a long way off. Even if huge amounts of money were poured into research, it would still be decades before we had a useable reactor and even longer before our infrastructure was changed so that cars could run on electricity.

Ah, I see. I was getting at the fusion thing to produce cheap hydrogen (if in fact, fusion reactions yield hydrogen), not electricity.

-Tom

 

[zerocool1]

Originally posted by: Crappopotamus
i want my next car to be nuclear powered.

now what happens if there is an accident?

 

[SagaLore]

Originally posted by: zerocool1

Originally posted by: Crappopotamus
i want my next car to be nuclear powered.

now what happens if there is an accident?

Not much. A nuclear powered engine, small enough to fit in a car but can still power the car up to 75mph+ speeds, won't have enough radioactive material to do any harm. You'd have more risk having an acid battery blow up in your face than a faulty nuclear engine...

 

[Rubycon]

Originally posted by: SagaLore

Originally posted by: zerocool1

Originally posted by: Crappopotamus
i want my next car to be nuclear powered.

now what happens if there is an accident?

Not much. A nuclear powered engine, small enough to fit in a car but can still power the car up to 75mph+ speeds, won't have enough radioactive material to do any harm. You'd have more risk having an acid battery blow up in your face than a faulty nuclear engine...

Do you have any idea of ramifcations necessary for NRC /DOE certs? It's CRAZY.

It would be easier to run the redneck trucks off firewood.

 

[FoBoT]

we need to start mining all the low sulfur coal that the clintons "protected" at their Lippo group crownies

http://www.apfn.org/apfn/lippo.htm

 

[aidanjm]

blah blah blah <insert 10 million bogus reasons why we can't develop cost effective alternatives to petrol> blah blah blah

 

[eakers]

Originally posted by: OulOat
I'm buying stock on gerbil powered vehicles

i'm gonna go with the fred flintstone model yabba dabba do!

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Soccer55

Originally posted by: Fritzo
hydrogen: more energy is used in gas extraction than is given

Doesn't a nuclear fusion reaction give off hydrogen? So if we developed the technology to produce a stable nuclear fusion power plant, we're killing 2 birds with 1 stone? Or am I way off base with this?

-Tom

No, it uses a form of hydrogen. Fusion is still 50 years off, and the output is VERY radioactive.

 

[Codegen]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

Originally posted by: Soccer55

Originally posted by: Fritzo
hydrogen: more energy is used in gas extraction than is given

Doesn't a nuclear fusion reaction give off hydrogen? So if we developed the technology to produce a stable nuclear fusion power plant, we're killing 2 birds with 1 stone? Or am I way off base with this?

-Tom

No, it uses a form of hydrogen. Fusion is still 50 years off, and the output is VERY radioactive.

Meh, the way the people look around here couldn't get any worse.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Fritzo

No, it uses a form of hydrogen. Fusion is still 50 years off, and the output is VERY radioactive.

He-4 isn't radioactive as far as I know.

 

[oboeguy]

Fusion has been 50 years away for fifty years. Don't hang your hat on it.

New Orleans == New Pompeii. I hope folks finally get a clue.

I love bike commuting.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: mchammer

Originally posted by: conjur
More like it's time to rethink the entire American way of life.

Suburbs/exurbs and the McMansions therein and the 30-40 mile commutes one way in SUVs and 4,000lb sedans.

That's a lot of gas being used up.

It looks like it's time to retrench and become more European as far as housing goes. Concentrate housing around the cities, more densely, with buses, trains, bicycle lanes and leave the open expanses open.

So turn the country into New Jersey?

Turn it into Vienna, or Brussels, or Cologne, or....

 

[Gibson486]

There is millions being invested into other forms of energy/fuel. It is not easy.

 

[JackRipper]

Originally posted by: ironcrotch

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
BIodiesel is impractical right now. To use biodiesel instead of diesel and gasoline would take a HUGE amount of farmland, I believe double the current. The only good option is nuclear power.

Everything seems to be impractical when it first comes out. I mean for something to take off, it will cost a bit at first, but with economies of scale and everything it should go down with good investment.

Uhm, no... notice he said "HUGE" amounts of farmland... ie physically impractical whether you have the money or not...

am a bit lazy... but if u google vegetable oil for diesel engines plus seaweed you might find some more info about how much ocean surface we would need to get alternative biodiesel fuel.

Also the argument that Europe pays more than $3 per gallon, for years, shows that their economy has been adjusted for that (fuel) long ago. Its just a shocker for us to be paying $3 a gallon but eventually the (our US) economy will adjust for it...

Although it seems ideal to be looking for alternate fuel (and I totally agree with you on this) but realistically the economy will adjust itself before you will see much progress in r/d of alternate fuel... putting us back in a semi-content state again.

There are way too many factors (not to mention hidden ones) involved for any kind of real wake-up call...


-JR

 

[nakedfrog]

When the crap are we finally gonna get the smart car over here? Next year?

 

[JackRipper]

Originally posted by: ironcrotch

Originally posted by: klah

Originally posted by: ironcrotch

The idea of getting an alternative car, like a diesel car that will run biodiesel. But what will it take for people to want to ditch the petrol car?

and for anyone that says biodiesel isnt worth it cuz it takes too much to create, i'd rather pay 3 dollars for a gallon of biodesiel and help out a farmer in the US, than 3 dollars to help out OPEC and their kids.

http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/July05/ethanol.toocostly.ssl.html

Pimentel and Tad W. Patzek, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Berkeley, conducted a detailed analysis of the energy input-yield ratios of producing ethanol from corn, switch grass and wood biomass as well as for producing biodiesel from soybean and sunflower plants. Their report is published in Natural Resources Research (Vol. 14:1, 65-76).

In terms of energy output compared with energy input for ethanol production, the study found that:

* corn requires 29 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced;
* switch grass requires 45 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced; and
* wood biomass requires 57 percent more fossil energy than the fuel produced.

Biodiesel increases the amount of foreign oil we have to import.

ahhhhhh, we don't need more problems. We need solutions! Everyone can be a critic. We need problem solvers.

You don't seem to understand do you? He's pointing out the facts that it is simply not FEASIBLE at the moment, not being a critic.

In order to solve a problem you have to know what factors are involved. It would help if you try reading about what you are suggesting first then offer realistic solutions. Anything else would be asking for a miracle.


-JR

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: ironcrotch
I'm watching the news and gas prices shot up in many areas $0.50 in a matter of minutes. And now there are "shortages" where people are apparently being turned away.

I mean, who elses is getting sick of all this gas bullshat, cuz all you're really doing is filling the pockets of some dude in the middle east, or some OPEC fat cat. Lately everytime I fill up my car I get queazy thinking that I'm just a sucker in this game and under their complete control.

So as pricing goes, many areas in the country have hit broken $3 barrier and it's not likely going down, since we are already willing to pay that much and more.

The idea of getting an alternative car, like a diesel car that will run biodiesel. But what will it take for people to want to ditch the petrol car?

and for anyone that says biodiesel isnt worth it cuz it takes too much to create, i'd rather pay 3 dollars for a gallon of biodesiel and help out a farmer in the US, than 3 dollars to help out OPEC and their kids.

People were saying this during the early 1970's oil crisis. The cost of every commodity is affected by speculation and supply.

 

[Fritzo]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: Fritzo

No, it uses a form of hydrogen. Fusion is still 50 years off, and the output is VERY radioactive.

He-4 isn't radioactive as far as I know.

No...fusion blasts neutrons everywhere....not a reaction you'd want to be standing around.