Please understand that I'm engaging in friendly discussion of this topic. My opinions are my own, and I'm not trying to convert people. I simply have a standard that I feel must be met, for me, not for everyone.
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Originally Posted by vstech
why electricity only?
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Efficiency.
Here's a post from one of the EV forums I frequent.
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Isn't it ridiculous to state that a gallon of gasoline (6.3 lbs) produces 20 lbs of carbon dioxide?
Visit: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/co2.shtml for an explanation.
In fact, refining one gallon of gasoline is on average 37.5% efficient.
http://www.exxonmobil.com/UK-English...Ref_Fawley.asp
That means it takes 2.67 gallons of burned oil to produce one gallon of refined gasoline.
Crude oil contains 85% carbon by weight.
http://cdiac.ornl.gov/pns/convert.html
The weight of crude oil is 6.5 lbs / gallon.
http://www.eppo.go.th/ref/UNIT-OIL.html
Using the same math from fueleconomy.gov:
6.5 lbs/gal x 2.67 gals = 17.35 lbs
17.35 lbs x .85% C = 14.75 lbs C
14.75 lbs C x 3.7 (44/12) = 54.58 lbs CO2!
That's 54.58 lbs CO2 from refining gasoline.
PLUS
The 20 lbs CO2 from combustion of the refined gasoline in a car.
That's 74.58 lbs CO2 from one gallon of gas.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech
..except in areas where total hydro electric and solar/wind generation are main sources, coal and nuclear are gonna be heavily fuming up the earth.
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Admittedly, I am advantaged in that area, here in the High Desert of Southern California.
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Originally Posted by vstech
...onboard generation is basically a hybrid... unless you are talking about the solar panels doing the work...
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Right again, I want both solar panels and an onboard generator (although small). Present lack of a supportive infrastructure dictates that I must generate power somehow for extended range.
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Originally Posted by vstech
...perhaps hydrogen is the answer... I don't know how it's cracked out of water/air... possibly just as bad for the environment as gasoline/diesel...
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Unfortunately, without the solar/wind/geothermal power source to drive the hydrogen generation facilities, the energy efficiency of extracting hydrogen from water is very inefficient.
Quote:
Originally Posted by vstech
...with all the deserts and flatlands for solar and wind generation, I don't see why we are still mainly generating our power with coal...
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Because we still have the coal fired plants and don't have to build new ones plus we have a domestic coal supply. But, yes, it is still dirty.
Every person must make their own personal decisions; however, in the USA, the government is elected to make the best decisions for us all. The need to listen to the scientists and engineers more often.