IMO an ideal way to fuel our vehicles would be to use plants for fuel.
Plants grow and take CO2 out of the air. We harvest the plants and convert
into fuel. Burn the fuel, produce CO2 and water. Recycle. Problem would be
efficiency of course. I think corn based ethanol is used here/there as fuel?
Alternatively we could start growing lots of trees to suck up CO2 from the
air. Harvest the trees but don't burn them. If only there was a fire-proof
way to store large quantities of wood. CO2 levels a tad high? Grow another
few cubic miles of poplar.
Never mind me, I'm just day dreaming :-)
Sander
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ian Woollard" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Tony Fredericks" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, November 26, 2002 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: [ERPS] Solar cell research breakthrough
> Surprisingly, plants are a very inefficient way to process sunlight-
> they are under 2% efficient.
>
> I'd expect the high efficiency solar cells and electrolysis to be much
> more efficient.
>
> But its not efficiency, it's cost of course. I don't have a clue which
> is cheaper. And plants are environmentally friendly, whereas solar cells
> are very nasty to make with lots of waste products.
>
> Tony Fredericks wrote:
>
> > "Paul F. Dietz" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
> >
> >> Ben Zarzycki wrote:
> >>
> >>> The point of electrolysis is not that it is cheaper (although it may
> >>> be if we had an abundance of clean energy such as solar cells). The
> >>> point is that is creates a clean "hydrogen cycle" that is not
> >>> dependent on plants. Water is split. Water is made. No intermediary
> >>> steps. This is not the case for any other method.
> >>
> >>
> >> Why is 'not using plants' a desideratum? What are we, some religious
> >> sect
> >> that cannot tolerate the killing of our leafy brethren?
> >
> >
> > I believe his objection to using plants has to do with the
> > introduction of more CO2 into the atmosphere, not whether or not
> > plants should be killed.
>
> Yes but plants don't introduce more CO2 into the atmosphere, they suck
> it out; we put it back. No net gain.
>
> >
> > Tony Fredericks "Mind that bus!"
> > Amateur Rocket Scientist "What Bus?"
> > E.R.P.S. Member SPLAT!! - Arnold Rimmer
> >
> >
> > _________________________________________________________________
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>
>
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