Climate Change

[dan_s]

"Meanwhile, the number of Americans who agree the earth is warming because of man-made activity has been in free fall, dropping to 34 percent in October, from 50 percent in July 2006, according to a poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press."

The earth is currently in a cooling period due to reduced sunspot activity that could last 10-30 years.

The key word is "man-made". The world's climate is changing. It always has and it always will. The fact is that man has very little to do with it. Those supporting the climate change agenda are in it for the money.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/co ... 143446.htm

Our national energy policy (and the world's for that matter) should be based on CLEAN + ABUNDANT natural gas. I am 100% for electric cars. This is the best way to reduce dependence on foreign oil. The increased electricity they will need can come from natural gas fired power plants. Wind and solar will never be able to compete in the free market with natural gas.

JMHO of course
Dan

[setliff]

good article, dan.

btw, why burn natty to generate electricity for electric cars---why not just burn the natty in cars---each energy conversion lowers overall efficiency?

[dan_s]

I agree that both are needed. Both electric and CNG fueled vehicles will require a lot of infrastrcture to become accepted and make a dent in the use of oil for transportation fuels but we have to start somewhere.

[prince_jake_33]

Setliff, The internal combustion engine gets about 20 to 25% conversion of the heat content to mechanical energy. The duel cycle conversion uses the natural gas in a turbine and then the exhaust gas goes to a steam generator. This setup gets about 55% conversion of heat energy to electricity. An electric motor gets about 98% conversion of electricity to mechanical energy. So evaluation is kind of complecated.
But I think you are right in that we can get the high energy fuel into our moving cars and trucks.
Packing around a big battery seems a bit combersome.

[denegrem]

NG Vehicles in China?

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB3000142 ... 87538.html

[dan_s]

The technology is definitely out there.

Check out this private company based in Houston: http://www.neogas.us/

Cars and trucks run very well on compressed natural gas (CNG). The problem is the infrasture (refueling stations) doesn't exist. This company has the systems needed but which comes first, the chicken or the egg.