From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Fri Jun 13 2003 - 21:36:45 MDT
On Fri, 13 Jun 2003, Spike wrote:
> A few windmills are going up along 5 now (low interest rates making them
> attractive investments) but progress is being strangled by low oil
> prices.
Spike, I understand (and completely support wind power). *But*
as I tried to point out in my response to Anders my car doesn't
"run" on electricity! Nor my home.
> This world cannot make any real progress in energy production until we
> burn up most of the reserves. Cheapy oil is holding back progress.
Granted -- because we have had ~100 years to develop the infrastructure
that depends on oil and gas. So everything that is involved is inexpensive
at this time. But there is no (significant) infrastructure to produce
fuel cells that consume hydrogen. There are no pipelines to move
hydrogen around the country. There are power lines to move electricity
around but you, I think, would be one of the first to recognize
that even that system can break down when prices spike.
[I seem to remember a situation a year or two ago... but I digress...]
The questions I'm trying to raise are not whether things will
eventually work out (I point out the U.S. efforts with respect
to coal) -- the question I'm trying to focus on is "How much do
we get set back if we hit the wall hard?"
Give me an estimate of how many years you think it would take to
replace every gasoline fueled vehicle in the country with a battery
powered electrical vehicle? And then estimate the hit to the economy
while that process takes place and everyone is spending time and money
fueling their obsolete vehicles in a situation that may resemble the
oil shortages during the '70s.
Spike -- I'd suggest you might be riding your motorcycle a bit less
when fuel for it costs $10.00/gallon...
Robert
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