Q Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 ^^^ I'm afraid you're right. I guess we're going to have to burn up all the coal and petroleum before a cost-effective alternative "miraculously" materializes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emperor Devon Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Oh, I could literally go on for hours about this one. To summarize what could be debate-provoking several page paper that would bore most people here, all these problems could be reduced if there was no such thing as money, which is a large reason for why people do not buy hybrid cars and why companies don't risk severe setbacks by switching to environmentally safe means of doing things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedHawke Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 You've gotten to drive one? More than once? Don't mistake this for sarcasm: I'm envious! Yup. They are really not what people would expect... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagobahn Eagle Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Well, it's been proven beyond all doubt that human Co2-emissions are causing global warming (although of course the oil companies don't want you to believe that:p), so yes, switch energy sources. And the global warming is causing more natural disasters, killing thousands. Use collective transportation, ride your bike, or walk. Leave your car at home when you can. As for what alternative energy sources are viable, I guess the best bet is hydrogen, when we can make it cost-efficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Q Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 Another possible short-term solution I've read about is biodiesel. As the name implies it can be produced from the oils of certain plants (soybeans, rapeseed, etc). Again, we run into the problem of lack of farmland for both food and fuel production, but in the case of biodiesel there is a unique possible solution-algae. Certain strains of algae are more than 50% oil in composition-compare that to any dry-land plant. It can already be grown in the water treatment ponds of any waste-management facility and it has been suggested that vast ponds could be built in the southwestern American desert. Algae ponds can produce up to 10,000 US gallons of biodiesel per acre. Regular diesel engines can already run on biodiesel. Biodiesel is non-toxic, biodegradable (sorry, HAZ-MAT), and produces far less greenhouse gasses than diesel fuel made from petroleum. Yes, it produces CO2, but since the plant got that CO2 from the atmosphere to begin with, you wouldn't be releasing any new CO2 like you would by burning petroleum. This could actually work until the problems of hydrogen and fuel cell production are overcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HerbieZ Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Public transportation? Exercise? Those people should be lucky they're only paying 3 bucks or so a gallon. It is my understanding Europeans pay a whole heck of a lot more. Upward 7 bucks a gallon. You should have seen it when the Iraq war started. Queues for miles at petrol stations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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