http://www.airpower.maxwell.af.mil/airchro...-aug/becker.htmThoughts? If Germany could meet its oil needs under a world war with its coal reserves why can't America (and to a larger extent the rest of the world)?
America has looked into this. We kidnapped all the German scientists that developed it for WWII. And we funneld billions of dollars into the program in the 50's.
We don't do it because it doesn't scale up to producing anywhere near the needs of America's liquid fuel addiction and it pollutes like crazy.
I laugh every time I read a line like this in an article trying to justify some Business As Usual scheme:
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| There are, of course, other sources from which energy can be derived, sources such as nuclear fission, nuclear fusion, solar and thermal power, and the like. But for the foreseeable future they either present many environmental threats or are not yet sufficiently developed to replace our dependence on foreign oil supplies |
We have the technology TODAY to end our oil addiction within 20 years, while growing the economy, brining manufacturing back to this country, and developing technology that we can sell to the entire rest of the world so they can follow our lead.
We aren't ever going to have a technology that's so potent that one day we'll simply flip a switch and run everything on this great new energy. We need to take what we have and implement it so that over the next 20 years we don't need oil anymore.
At current efficiencies for PV, it would take an area equal to 7% of Arizona to power the entire country, vehicles and all, on solar. Spread that out over the sunbelt from California to Florida and it could be nearly done with simply putting panels on rooftops and other existing structures.
The 10 midwestern states could do the same thing with wind.
Nuclear could do the same thing, and we have fuel to run fission reactors for the next 1500 years.
Combine the 3 and our electricity needs could be met 100% with alternatives in less than 20 years.
Auto companies can produce zero emmissions vehicles that will meet the needs of most American commuters right now for competetive cost. We have vehicles set to come on the market within the next 5 years that will make them applicable to 100% of the people.
Throw in some vehicle legislation to raise CAFE to 80 mpg minimum. Tax the holy hell out of new vehicles sold that don't meet those CAFE standards. Get these vehicles on the street. The goal should be 50% of our entire vehicle fleet fueled by alternatives by 2025.
Do this and our oil problem is solved. Don't and we'll be in the same boat forever.
It looks promising actually:
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The US Air Force, the world's most powerful air force, wants to wean itself from foreign oil and nearly zero out its carbon dioxide output as part of a sweeping alternative energy drive, a senior Pentagon official said on Friday.
By early 2011, the U.S. Air Force aims to make sure its entire fleet of bombers, fighters, transports and other aircraft can use a domestically produced 50-50 blend of synthetic and petroleum-based fuel.
http://www.enn.com/pollution/article/24117
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