From: Spike (spike66@attbi.com)
Date: Fri Jun 13 2003 - 23:52:54 MDT
Spike noted:
<<A few windmills are going up along 5 now ... The glass is half full
and filling
steadily.
spike >>
Yes, but internal combustion engines do not run on windpower. Are you
thinking that we ought to create fuel through solar energy and windpower
to fuel our cars? I didn't think so. :-)
Mitch
No, I had in mind embedded powergrids in roadways to transfer
power to hybrid cars. The cars would still have a small internal
combustion
engine aboard so that they could go anywhere, but they would get their
power
from the road most of the time. We would figure out the appropriate
ways to bill the owner for the power used, such as the current
automatic toll collection systems in use in many roads and
bridges. We know that power can be transmitted via magnetic
induction, so all the technical problems already have waiting
solutions. Alls we need is the will to get it done.
If we have sufficiently abundant electric power, then innovative
solutions will be found to all our energy problems. Right now
we are burning cheap oil because we can. Furthermore, we
should do so, for we need to liberate the sequestered carbon before
we move on to renewable energy sources. Carbon in the biosphere
is a good thing, friends, it really is. Life was better in the
Jurassic.
As for singularity on hold: not. I doubt that process will be
seriously hindered by oil prices. If oil ever does start to get
expensive,
we have technology ready and waiting to respond: efficient hybrid cars,
ultra-lightweight vehicles, many transportation-obviating communications
technologies, superinsulation of buildings, a bunch of stuff that
we have had for years but do not use because oil is so blamed cheap,
the stuff is practically free.
Robert mentioned the cost to phase over from internal combustion
to the next generation, well sure, there will be some pain. But we can
do it.
Right now humanity spends most of its energy fighting itself. As
soon as we get over that, we can get to building really cool stuff
like electric roads and such. We must find a resolution to our
current world war 4, then we will be ready to proceed.
spike
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