First of all let me state my position. I love this planet and I would like to see it kept a nice place for all future generations. That said I also believe that carbon credits are a scam and just making certain people very wealthy.
Carbon is the basis of (just about) all life on earth. The planet is a closed system with carbon in the air and carbon in the earth/plants/animals/etc. The trick is to have a balance of carbon in the air. Plants take it out of the air and put it back in the ground/animals/etc. If there is not enough CO2 in the air then we would be too cold, too much and we would be too hot.
I also believe that global warming is not purely caused by humans, plus people really need to stop beating themselves up on how much their car pollutes. YES I drive an SUV, actually I drive a truck and an SUV. Why, because they are more comfortable and safer. Yes they are safer, did you ever pay attention or take a physics class? Oh and yes I have already proven that the higher/larger SUV has saved my wife, unborn baby, and my life.
There are a ton of causes of excessive amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere and the answer is to do everything we can to embrace technology for our energy needs. Beyond the political issues, the economy is very important. Many will say "how can you care more about the economy than the planet!!!!". Simple, I am in touch with reality and the bottom line for almost everyone is their pocket books. Liberals, Conservatives, if you don't have money then you can't do anything, it is as simple as that.
Lets start using more natural gas, wind, solar, hydroelectric, and duh! NUCLEAR! Yes it has a nasty byproduct but nuclear is the easiest cleanest way we have of generating a lot of power...TODAY. As newer technologies get better then you slowly decommission old nuclear plants and move forward.
Oh and I am not the first (by far) and not the last, stop buying oil from overseas, use ours. It cost money and energy to ship it and money flows out of our country when it needs to stay here.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Hydrogen, fuel of the future
But many of you already thought that. So why don't we see more fuel cell powered cars, buses, trains, houses even? The creation and distribution of Hydrogen is the problem really, once that gets figured out it will truly be the fuel for everything.
We will still need petroleum for lubrication, different products that we use, etc and so on.
Think of hydrogen as a way to store energy. Much better than a battery as batteries lose power over time and are not really that efficient. Hydrogen must be created from electrolysis in water or by stripping it out of hydrocarbons such as natural gas. This is all easy to do but has inefficiencies associated with each method. As we can be more efficient to extract pure hydrogen out of water using energy sources from solar and wind (or other renewable energies) then we do have a truly green energy source that can do lots of things.
It can produce power through a fuel cell and it can be burned for heat or to run a combustion engine. Think about an airplane that runs on hydrogen, the emissions would be a small fraction of what fossil fuels are.
Why are we not seeing more hydrogen?
I believe that the powers that be, government, corporations, etc. do NOT like hydrogen because anyone can make it. Just think if anyone can make a fuel that can power just about anything being made at home where it can't be taxed, rationed, or controlled in anyway how much power these "powers that be" would lose.
Just like an electric car, having a form of transportation that does not require a fuel that can be controlled and can be produced by anyone with solar or wind power. This is a loss of control for our government and the corporations producing power.
We will still need petroleum for lubrication, different products that we use, etc and so on.
Think of hydrogen as a way to store energy. Much better than a battery as batteries lose power over time and are not really that efficient. Hydrogen must be created from electrolysis in water or by stripping it out of hydrocarbons such as natural gas. This is all easy to do but has inefficiencies associated with each method. As we can be more efficient to extract pure hydrogen out of water using energy sources from solar and wind (or other renewable energies) then we do have a truly green energy source that can do lots of things.
It can produce power through a fuel cell and it can be burned for heat or to run a combustion engine. Think about an airplane that runs on hydrogen, the emissions would be a small fraction of what fossil fuels are.
Why are we not seeing more hydrogen?
I believe that the powers that be, government, corporations, etc. do NOT like hydrogen because anyone can make it. Just think if anyone can make a fuel that can power just about anything being made at home where it can't be taxed, rationed, or controlled in anyway how much power these "powers that be" would lose.
Just like an electric car, having a form of transportation that does not require a fuel that can be controlled and can be produced by anyone with solar or wind power. This is a loss of control for our government and the corporations producing power.
Modular Cars
Options, options, options... There are so many, why not just go to a car dealer, pick a frame and then have them piece it tightener. We are not far off now. The structure of the car should be put together by people who know what they are doing. After that have the body panels, stereo, seats, etc put in with whatever choice of colors/options you want. This way there are not a ton of cars on the lot sitting around because no one likes the color or the seats, or... well you get the point.
Need your car fixed, just pull off the old part and snap on a new one. Done! All the parts can be recycled or fixed and reused. Parts between model years would be mostly interchangeable to minimize inventory. Customizing your ride would be taken to a new level and the car companies could make more money on customizing after the sale of the car than on the original sale itself. If you car is 8 years old and looks outdated, jut replace some of the body panels and your all new looking!
Need your car fixed, just pull off the old part and snap on a new one. Done! All the parts can be recycled or fixed and reused. Parts between model years would be mostly interchangeable to minimize inventory. Customizing your ride would be taken to a new level and the car companies could make more money on customizing after the sale of the car than on the original sale itself. If you car is 8 years old and looks outdated, jut replace some of the body panels and your all new looking!
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Well here goes...something
I have so many thoughts and ideas stuck in my head that I want to share...well that's the point of this blog. I will do my best to keep on topic relating to technology and how it can be used to improve our lives and the planet.
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