----- Original Message ----- From: "Gautam Mukunda" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2003 11:53 PM Subject: Re: We Can make Fuel Cells Happen
> --- Dan Minette <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Yes, you are, but its well hidden, so don't feel > > bad. :-) Individual > > internal combustion engines are not all efficient. > > Large natural gas > > plants are much more efficence, and environmentally > > friendly. So, by using > > fuel cells, and by producing hydrogen during off > > peak hours, one can gain a > > lot of efficiency, and lower pollution for the same > > amount of automobile > > usage. > > > > > The ways that I can think of to do this, are, > > well, the exact same ways > > we > > > generate energy right now. > > > > I think I explained using the present system above. > > And, there is always > > the hope that people will accept nuclear power > > again, and use that to > > decrease pollution tremendously. > > > > Dan M. > > OK, that makes sense. That was always why I thought > electric cars were a fairly good idea, I should have > just carried that chain of logic over to fuel cells. > So I was also confused by the "zero-pollution economy" > rhetoric, which I guess is not true. > > While (as you know) I wholeheartedly agree with you > about nuclear power, I do wonder about your thoughts > about how recent events might play a role into that. > It is my understanding that global Uranium supplies > are not all that vast - now, we've been hearing the > same thing about oil for a century, so maybe it's the > same thing. But if that is the case, then only using > breeder reactors will allow us to use nuclear for the > long-term. I would be in favor of that, except that > breeder reactors tend to produce weapons grade > material - and until we can be confident that the > threat of mass terrorism has been relatively > permanently defeated, that seems, unwise, I guess. > So: > 1. Do you think that the estimates that global Uranium > supplies are limited are correct? and Well, I pulled a paper up on a website that indicates that the supplies are much more than origionally thought. When prices are low, then proven reserves are low. I don't think that the straight supply would be a problem. > 2. If so (or even if not) what do you think about the > breeder reactor problem? I remember, but cannot find online, that there was some indication that there is a way to "poison" reprocessed fuel so that it would be extremely difficult to use in bombs. In short, it would be OK for the countries that can be trusted with weapons grade material with the breeders, and they could then sell the "poisoned" fuel elsewhere. Dan M. _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
