Question

[rogruth]

Because AlGgore has convinced many that we are killing the polar bears.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Because AlGgore has convinced many that we are killing the polar bears.

But don't we have to burn fossil fuels to make electricity?
And. People don't seem to be too fond of nuclear reactors for electric power generation (Chernobyl springs to mind, as well as a reactor that went critical in Japan,) right?

[HONDO74]

Question regarding electric vehicles (I am alarmed to have heard, just recently, that Mercedes has a plan to move substantially toward electric cars in the near future ):

The recent hurricanes. Folks are told to get out of their homes and move away from the storms. Everyone takes to the highways and promptly get bogged-down in inch-along traffic. Gasoline-propelled cars run out of gas, eventually. However, they sure can go farther than electric-powered cars. In an even shorter time, the electrics are stranded. AND THEN the whole area loses electricity! The electric-powered vehicles can't even go/get towed anywhere to benefit by getting recharged. Those drivers are stranded any way you look at it. And even the recharging would take hours.

And some of us want this technology? WHY?

The technology is being pushed so we can eliminate burning fossil fuels which they say is the cause of global warming. And according to the lame stream media it is global warming that caused the last 2 hurricanes.

If they can come up with some type of battery that will last a lot longer then they will be have longer range cars. I can see smaller electric cars as viable for large cities with a short commute for work. And with self driving cars a person gets in it in the morning and tells it to take them to work. The car drops them off at the front door and then it goes and parks itself. Send a signal to it from your $1000 iPhone and it picks you up at the end of work.

[HONDO74]

Because AlGgore has convinced many that we are killing the polar bears.

But don't we have to burn fossil fuels to make electricity?
And. People don't seem to be too fond of nuclear reactors for electric power generation (Chernobyl springs to mind, as well as a reactor that went critical in Japan,) right?

No, we are going to blanket the country with wind generators and solar panels.

China is the largest producers of electric cars in the world.

They are also in the process of building a 1000 coal fired power plants. They don't have to comply with the Paris accord that they signed until 2030. Cheap power and cheap labor, that's how you become the number one world economy.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Because AlGgore has convinced many that we are killing the polar bears.

But don't we have to burn fossil fuels to make electricity?
And. People don't seem to be too fond of nuclear reactors for electric power generation (Chernobyl springs to mind, as well as a reactor that went critical in Japan,) right?

No, we are going to blanket the country with wind generators and solar panels.

I have noticed them popping-up when I drive across Pennsylvania, from NJ to Pittsburgh, esp. along Rt.30 and/or the PA Turnpike. Seems a good idea, given the wind in those old Appalachians.

I wonder if it would be possible to install an ever-expanding line of them along the east Atlantic, especially considering the wind that pushes at the coastline so consistently. Imagine if we could have them in-place when hurricanes occur, generating electricity for storage and later use, harvesting some considerable good out of the devastating (!)

[HONDO74]

Unfortunately when the wind gets past a certain speed the turbines have to be shut down or they will destroy themselves

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Because AlGgore has convinced many that we are killing the polar bears.

But don't we have to burn fossil fuels to make electricity?

Have to, no. We choose to because it's American way.....unlike for instance France being ~80% nuclear for electricity. They made a decision decades ago to be independent of fossil fuels and being held hostage by the producers of oil & gas.

And. People don't seem to be too fond of nuclear reactors for electric power generation (Chernobyl springs to mind, as well as a reactor that went critical in Japan,) right?

Yeah, those did a great propaganda job for the no-nukes crowd and just when reactors here were going to get re-licensed and even maybe new ones built, there's an earthquake and then a tsunami that takes out the one in Japan...........

[Rufus T. Firefly]

But don't we have to burn fossil fuels to make electricity?
And. People don't seem to be too fond of nuclear reactors for electric power generation (Chernobyl springs to mind, as well as a reactor that went critical in Japan,) right?

No, we are going to blanket the country with wind generators and solar panels.

I have noticed them popping-up when I drive across Pennsylvania, from NJ to Pittsburgh, esp. along Rt.30 and/or the PA Turnpike. Seems a good idea, given the wind in those old Appalachians.

I wonder if it would be possible to install an ever-expanding line of them along the east Atlantic, especially considering the wind that pushes at the coastline so consistently. Imagine if we could have them in-place when hurricanes occur, generating electricity for storage and later use, harvesting some considerable good out of the devastating (!)

There are limits on numbers per unit space and limits on tolerated wind speed on use. I'll be putting solar panels up on my place in PA eventually.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I can see smaller electric cars as viable for large cities with a short commute for work.

That's where they have the best chance of success - large cities with limited parking, etc. Put the charging ports in the parking garages.

[HONDO74]

I can see smaller electric cars as viable for large cities with a short commute for work.

That's where they have the best chance of success - large cities with limited parking, etc. Put the charging ports in the parking garages.

As more of these electric cars get produced the better the technology will be to improve them. Cutting down on air pollution in big cities is a very good idea. I wouldn't mind having one for short trips and as a grocery getter.

GM is selling a $5,000 electric car in China
http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/07/autos/g ... index.html

Kind of looks like one of those smart cars.

[HONDO74]

No, we are going to blanket the country with wind generators and solar panels.

I have noticed them popping-up when I drive across Pennsylvania, from NJ to Pittsburgh, esp. along Rt.30 and/or the PA Turnpike. Seems a good idea, given the wind in those old Appalachians.

I wonder if it would be possible to install an ever-expanding line of them along the east Atlantic, especially considering the wind that pushes at the coastline so consistently. Imagine if we could have them in-place when hurricanes occur, generating electricity for storage and later use, harvesting some considerable good out of the devastating (!)

There are limits on numbers per unit space and limits on tolerated wind speed on use. I'll be putting solar panels up on my place in PA eventually.

Here is a very good thread on another forum about solar panels from people that have them and what to expect from them.
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=136321

[rex desilets]

Question regarding electric vehicles (I am alarmed to have heard, just recently, that Mercedes has a plan to move substantially toward electric cars in the near future ):

The recent hurricanes. Folks are told to get out of their homes and move away from the storms. Everyone takes to the highways and promptly get bogged-down in inch-along traffic. Gasoline-propelled cars run out of gas, eventually. However, they sure can go farther than electric-powered cars. In an even shorter time, the electrics are stranded. AND THEN the whole area loses electricity! The electric-powered vehicles can't even go/get towed anywhere to benefit by getting recharged. Those drivers are stranded any way you look at it. And even the recharging would take hours.

And some of us want this technology? WHY?

Because it makes folks feel all virtuous and all.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I can see smaller electric cars as viable for large cities with a short commute for work.

That's where they have the best chance of success - large cities with limited parking, etc. Put the charging ports in the parking garages.

As more of these electric cars get produced the better the technology will be to improve them. Cutting down on air pollution in big cities is a very good idea. I wouldn't mind having one for short trips and as a grocery getter.

They should fill a niche. If you remember the air pollution over the major cities in China in the not so distant past, it's pretty easy to see how such a vehicle would make sense.

125 years ago we were a horse driven transportation society and we chose to go where we are and assemble all of the infrastructure to support it. We only stop ourselves from change and forward where it makes sense.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I have noticed them popping-up when I drive across Pennsylvania, from NJ to Pittsburgh, esp. along Rt.30 and/or the PA Turnpike. Seems a good idea, given the wind in those old Appalachians.

I wonder if it would be possible to install an ever-expanding line of them along the east Atlantic, especially considering the wind that pushes at the coastline so consistently. Imagine if we could have them in-place when hurricanes occur, generating electricity for storage and later use, harvesting some considerable good out of the devastating (!)

There are limits on numbers per unit space and limits on tolerated wind speed on use. I'll be putting solar panels up on my place in PA eventually.

Here is a very good thread on another forum about solar panels from people that have them and what to expect from them.
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=136321

Well, yes. Almost all of the really good incentives were killed 16 years ago......like the power company being required to buy back everything at peak load costs....

But in my specific case the house where I'll put them is not used more than 2 days a week, there's no air conditioner, and the only thing that runs 24/7 is the refrigerator that I just dragged outside to dispose of. When I'm not there, that's it. So the overwhelming majority of time, I'll use zero of the solar generated power. And the solar system is sitting on the back porch waiting for me to get up on the roof........I do hate that part.

[rogruth]

Another problem with the windmill turbines are the NIMBYs.