Solar Electric Powered Aircraft

"Malcolm Austin" wrote in message
news
I do hope your only talking about the USA. The rest of us are rather
better
at using our fuel than the oversize/overused States ;-0

Actually, the efficiency of consumption per dollar of GNP in the US is the
highest in the world by about 20%.


--
Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

"Matt Barrow" wrote in message
...

"Corky Scott" wrote in message
news

I read a really depressing article about the future of oil several
days ago. There does not appear to be any viable substitute for oil
based energy at this time or on the horizon, not at the colossal
amounts we consume per day now anyway.

Considering that we have anywhere from 40 to 200 years of known reserves,
and that breakthroughs happen with considerable frequency, I'd say whoever
wrote the article was pushing an agenda. The history of mankind has been
laced with such hysterics.


The "years of known reserves" is a very tricky number. To get an answer,
you have to project the rate of consumption and what those consumers will
pay. (At one million $ per barrel, we have an infinite supply whereas the
number of years of reserves at $10 per barrel is zero.)

The jokers in the deck are China and India both rapidly becoming first world
economies. If their consumption curve follows the rest of the
industrialized world, we are in very big trouble indeed.

Nuclear, anyone?

Bill Daniels

"Malcolm Austin" wrote in message
news
I do hope your only talking about the USA. The rest of us are rather
better
at using our fuel than the oversize/overused States ;-0

I see the smiley, but that attitude ****es me off, so bad. (and I don't mean
drunk)

If the US were the size of England, it sure would make a difference, on how
much energy we used. Trains would be feasible. We wouldn't have so many
unpaved roads that need SUV's.

I realize there are many people that have larger vehicles than they need,
but when I travel it is by car, not train. I like to be able to take my
whole family, and their stuff.
--
Jim in NC

Hi Jim,
sorry I touched a raw nerve there! Without wanting to ramp up
the
"discussion" my comment would be: -

Your argument really seems to say that, dam the rest of the world, we are
going
to use all the energy we want. We did similar things in the past, as with
high
sulphur coal for power generation. The result was lots of acidified lakes
and dead
trees east of us.

Attitudes will have to change, or your very dry Death Valley will cover
rather more
of the country than it currently does..

Malcolm...


"Morgans" wrote in message
...

"Malcolm Austin" wrote in message
news
I do hope your only talking about the USA. The rest of us are rather
better
at using our fuel than the oversize/overused States ;-0

I see the smiley, but that attitude ****es me off, so bad. (and I don't
mean
drunk)

If the US were the size of England, it sure would make a difference, on
how
much energy we used. Trains would be feasible. We wouldn't have so many
unpaved roads that need SUV's.

I realize there are many people that have larger vehicles than they need,
but when I travel it is by car, not train. I like to be able to take my
whole family, and their stuff.
--
Jim in NC

Malcolm Austin wrote:

Attitudes will have to change, or your very dry Death Valley will cover
rather more of the country than it currently does.

No problem Malcolm, we'll just move to Jolly Old England and make ourselves
at home amongst the "wind generators".

"O-ver, we're coming o-ver, and we won't be back...."

It should make "over-paid, over-sexed, and over here," look like a minor
episode. Of course, we'll have some suggestions on changes that will need to
be made to your customary way of doing things -- hope you won't mind.


Jack

"Matt Barrow" wrote in message ...
Considering that we have anywhere from 40 to 200 years of known reserves,
and that breakthroughs happen with considerable frequency, I'd say whoever
wrote the article was pushing an agenda. The history of mankind has been
laced with such hysterics.

Ahhh, but it sure would be nice to end terrorism by no longer needing oil
from the Middle East and we could let them go back to being the POOR camel
****in' Bedoins that they have historically been...

"Bill Daniels" wrote in message ...
The jokers in the deck are China and India both rapidly becoming first
world
economies. If their consumption curve follows the rest of the
industrialized world, we are in very big trouble indeed.

Nuclear, anyone?

Nuke China and India? Well... If you *insist*...
politically-incorrect-grin

"Malcolm Austin" wrote

sorry I touched a raw nerve there! Without wanting to ramp up
the
"discussion" my comment would be: -

Your argument really seems to say that, dam the rest of the world, we are
going
to use all the energy we want.

No, not at all. There are not ANY alternatives to driving for most people,
with the exceptions being the percentage of people living in or very near to
the few largest cities that have good mass transit systems.

I do carpentry work. I have a full sized van to carry my tools and
material. It does not get good gas mileage, but I can not afford to get a
second small efficient car to drive back and forth to work.

My wife has a mini van, because we have 2 kids, and do a lot of driving for
vacationing, and entertaining with other couples. Once again, there is no
alternative, but to drive a larger vehicle for commuting, if you are going
to use it for the size as you need it, sometimes.

There are lots of people that live on gravel roads, WAY out in the country,
sometimes with 100 meter (and more) drop-offs right next to the road, with
no guard rails. 4 wheel drive is necessary for when it is very wet, or snow
is on the road. Sometime these roads never get plowed, until the snow melts
weeks later. Do you see any safe and reliable alternatives?

It is true, that there is a segment of our population that could drive
smaller vehicles. That needs to happen, and I realize that. It is not
possible for some.

I would love to walk a couple blocks and catch a train, and walk a couple
more blocks to get to work. The neares passenger line is 90 miles away, and
it is one line, straight though the sate, with no branches. This is in a
state that I think is larger than England. Imagine that; one line for all
of England.
--
Jim in NC

Only one stipulation if you don't mind:-

WE DRIVE OF THE LEFT OF THE ROAD, AND NOT THE LEFT OF
THE CAR!!

We have enough trouble with the Europeans with that one !!! :-))

Malc....

PS. Oh, and I hear your not over sexed anymore, whys that ????????


"Jack" wrote in message
...
Malcolm Austin wrote:

Attitudes will have to change, or your very dry Death Valley will cover
rather more of the country than it currently does.

No problem Malcolm, we'll just move to Jolly Old England and make
ourselves at home amongst the "wind generators".

"O-ver, we're coming o-ver, and we won't be back...."

It should make "over-paid, over-sexed, and over here," look like a minor
episode. Of course, we'll have some suggestions on changes that will need
to be made to your customary way of doing things -- hope you won't mind.


Jack

"Morgans" wrote in message
...


There are lots of people that live on gravel roads, WAY out in the country,
sometimes with 100 meter (and more) drop-offs right next to the road, with
no guard rails. 4 wheel drive is necessary for when it is very wet, or snow
is on the road. Sometime these roads never get plowed, until the snow melts
weeks later. Do you see any safe and reliable alternatives?

In just a few moments I will be driving my Honda Civic on an interstate
that will be a sea of SUVs. Most of those SUVs will be carrying only one person
and damn few of them will be dirty, or look like they ever have been. It makes
me sick.


Vaughn