Oil Companies R.I.P.

This is the real thing people.
Evntually they say air cars will be able to reach 100 M.P.H.. Obviously they will improve on the outer design
Take note that America (so far) will have nothing to do with it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2281011.stm

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/science/01/23/air.car/index.html

http://www.theaircar.com/tests.html

toyota's hydrogen fuel cell proto:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/future/fines.html

and check this bad muh-fuh out:
http://www.toyota.com/vehicles/future/pm.html

i'm all for getting rid of gasoline/petrol based fuels, but oil companies make other stuff too - ANYTHING made out of plastic is a petroleum product - so we won't be able to get rid of them anytime soon.

I'm no scientist, but it's pretty well established that you can't get something from nothing, at least "energetically" speaking. So the car runs on compressed air/hydrogen/unobtanium? Those fuels still need to be mined/created/processed/transferred/installed, and that takes energy. While they may pleasantly reduce the amount of nasty pollutants spewing out of vehicles in a crowded city, God help the poor folks living next to the hydrogen extraction plant.

Most companies (even non-oil ones) are reluctant to jump on the new engine-tech bandwagon simply because of the huge investment in peripheral support systems required. Hydrogen powered car = good. Cost of dozens of hydrogen plants and thousands of filling stations = not so good. Getting car companies to invest billions because you say you will invest billions in processing/fueling and related support systems = highly unlikely. Hydrogen powered cars are already the Qudrophonic stereos of our time.

That's why I predict hybrids will be such a success (and already are by most accounts). "Conservation" and "efficiency" are not buzz-words that excite people, so they really need to be reassured they are getting something more for the same expenditure. It's about time they started utilizing all that wasted momentum and braking energy.

Nowhere-near-tiki rant off.

I heard the government..(inhale)....has this car...(exhale).......that runs on water...(inhale)........(exhale)...what was I talking about???

If Americans quit buying SUVs we wouldn't have to - EDITED TO COMPLY WITH FORUM RULES - (can you finish this statement?).

A 7 MPG increase in overall new car efficiency would eliminate dependence on other countries oil. PRAY FOR HIGHER OIL PRICES

Cost of dozens of hydrogen plants and thousands of filling stations = not so good.

i can see your point, but capital up front is required in any new business venture, and the end result would be worth it in reduced emissions and domestic self-sufficiency in the long run - but that's the problem - no one wants to talk about the long run because it's not money in their pocket. it boils down to greed.

Greed. An unacknowledged, unadmitted human trait.

So who here exactly gives all their income away to the poor? Who here exactly lives like Mother Teresa (did)?

Let's see, there's corporate greed, Upper-class greed, government greed, what no middle-class greed? Right.

There are a number of human tendencies people don't like to admit to. At least some only cause hair to grow on your palms...

Mining the Moon:
Moon's Helium-3 Could Power Earth

Researchers and space enthusiasts see helium 3 as the perfect fuel source: extremely potent, nonpolluting, with virtually no radioactive by-product. Proponents claim it’s the fuel of the 21st century. The trouble is, hardly any of it is found on Earth. But there is plenty of it on the moon.
Scientists believe moon rocks contain all the energy the United States needs for the next millennium.
The moon’s surface is full of the energy source helium-3.
If we could land the space shuttle on the moon, fill the cargo with canisters of helium-3 mined from the surface and bring the shuttle back to Earth, that cargo would supply the entire electrical power needs of the United States for an entire year.

(Insert political leaders name here) plans to create a permanent lunar base.
A professor at the Fusion Technology Institute, said helium-3 provides one million times more energy per pound than a ton of coal.
Fusion of helium-3 does not produce greenhouse emissions, and mining it would do little environmental harm.
The moon doesn’t have air or water. So, there won’t be any of that kind of pollution,” he said.
Helium-3 is found in the top few feet of lunar soil. To access it, miners would shovel up the surface, bake it and isolate the gas.
Researchers still are working on building a helium-3 reactor that would produce more energy than it takes in.
Scientists estimate the moon probably holds more than 1 million metric tons of helium-3 on its surface, more than enough energy to provide the nation with more than 1,000 years of electricity.

Moon's Helium-3 Could Power Earth

Yeah, but if we take all the helium out of the moon, won't it fall back down to earth?

-Randy

Heehee! I was thinking maybe everyone on Earth might start sounding like "The Chipmunks".

I thought the moon was made of cheese?

On 2004-01-27 18:13, Tiki_Bong wrote:
what no middle-class greed? Right.

:) i never said that - anyone that has collections of crap like me couldn't.
but i still say: it's a little different for (just as an example) a guy like me to want to keep his student loans to eat with than it is for a multi-billion dollar corporation to want more and more and more and more and more etcetera etcetera without regard for the impact on everything around it.
it's kind of like equating guy-that-doesn't-want-to-buy-a round-of-drinks with kenneth lay - a bit of a stretch.

having said that, yer damn right i want to win the lotto. :)

On 2004-01-27 20:24, Rain wrote:

On 2004-01-27 18:13, Tiki_Bong wrote:
what no middle-class greed? Right.

:) i never said that - anyone that has collections of crap like me couldn't.
but i still say: it's a little different for (just as an example) a guy like me to want to keep his student loans to eat with than it is for a multi-billion dollar corporation to want more and more and more and more and more etcetera etcetera without regard for the impact on everything around it.
it's kind of like equating guy-that-doesn't-want-to-buy-a round-of-drinks with kenneth lay - a bit of a stretch.

having said that, yer damn right i want to win the lotto. :)

Rain,

I didn't quote you on my post. I wasn't talking to you or about you. I only was making an observation on 'greed'. Yes you mentioned it, I just provided my own thoughts on it.

You were cool about it, but this is typically how I end up on Hanford's sh&t list, when someone thinks 'Bong' is attacking them (then all hell breaks lose).

We cool!

sorry 'bout that! i wasn't trying to get things heated or anything, either. just ass-u-me-ing it was response (not an attack, though.)

We cool!

i'll drink to that.

you guys ever see will ferrell do harry carey on SNL?
"if the moon was made of cheese... wouldja eat it? i would! man, it'd be delicious..."

We cool Rain!