19-03-2013, 03:47 PM
(19-03-2013, 03:27 PM)Ed Doe Wrote: The solution to the energy industry whether people agree with climate change or not is a combination of alternative technologies both on a microgeneration scale and on a large commercial scale. The benefits of this on its own means more oil available for petrol and diesel, so we can go for longer with our cars!!
I agree with Ed for a change! Wind is pretty useless considering how many turbines you need just to produce the same amount of energy as a nuclear plant like Sizewell near here. And waves again, yeah theres loads of waves, but it doesn't make much power either. And then theres solar panels which again aren't a lot of use. However if all new houses were built with solar panels and maybe a small wind turbine on each one, it would make a huge difference. Theres already a system in place where you can get free solar panels and save a tonne of money (although they're tied to the house for 10 years even if you move, which is why many people wont have them atm). Have a few wind farms and wave farms (if thats the correct term) then just use the nice clean nuclear power to 'top up', save all the coal burning and CO2 emmisions.
However I don't agree with the part about cars. I mean fossil fueled cars? The things that cause the most amount of emmisions and use loads of non-renewable energy sources?? This should be tackled straight away, not 'family' electric cars, they're just a con for several reasons (building costs, heavy weight ruining roads despite paying no tax, poor range, etc) but hydrogen imo is the way forward. It would cost a lot to put a hydrogen pump in each garage, and the cars would be expensive at first...but shell and BP take enough bloody money anyway, they should be putting it into new tech!!
And before you moan, that would then allow 'conventional' cars to be kept for recreation. Petrol prices would drop as fewer people would need it so the supply and demand thing comes into play. And you'd have your hydrogen (or electric if you just wanted a cheap town runaround) car for the everyday stuff. People used to ride horses for work, working fields and transporting things, but now they've been left for recreation, personally I don't like horses, but regardless, people that do enjoy them, still have their fun. And this is the way I can see cars going in a few decades.