Engineering News

If all the effort spent on these methods of making synthetic petrol and diesel had been placed into research on fuel cells and/or solar cells, so that electric wheel vehicles could be used in trains, buses, trucks and cars, we would be in a much better state than at present.

When will our so-called "Leaders" come to understand the oil age has been and gone forever.

Kind Regards....

The politician,

And his sisters, and his cousins, and his aunts!
His sisters and his cousins,
Whom he reckons up by dozens,
And his aunts!

... all have theirs sticky fingers in the oil business.

(Apologies to Gilbert & Sullivan)

Del

Several problems, Sparky. Where does all the electricity come from? We would have to have about twice as many electric generating plants as we do now. The alternative sources are not reliable enough and cost too much when compared to nuclear plants, coal-fired generating plants and hydropower. But we can't have nuclear because of radioactive waste, coal-fired plants because of CO2 and dams change the environment and cannot be allowed. If you think gasoline is expensive, try using nothing but the alternative power sources; wind, solar, geothermal, etc and see what energy costs then.

EVs have a niche where they can be used in certain ways, but they cannot yet replace the normal automobile because of lack of range, speed, convenience, size and especially in cost. A hybrid between an EV and a fueled vehicle would not unduly tax the electric grid and would use much less fuel for the miles traveled. My preference is the more efficient and less polluting steam-electric hybrid.

"Leaders"? They are politicians who serve every special interest group except the voters, because the voters are not organized. They bow to the money from business and kowtow to every environmentalist group who promises votes.

The "Oil Age" is just winding down slowly and those who have their lives and money invested in it will fight anything that threatens them. Sasol has been making synthetic fuel from coal for years and WW II Germany did the same.

Sounds like something that could work. Which hysteric will worry about it getting loose and eating all our cloth?

Aaargh will it get loose and eat my fur .. aaarrggh panic... _{<runs round in circles rapidly>}

Del