outrageous gas prices whatnot.

[commoner]

...the ONLY reason for high petrol cost in the uk is the government TAXES......Subtract 80% (taxes) from what you pay at the pump and you'll know the real cost of one litre of petrol. If such a level of taxation was imposed in the U.S. you would probably see a second American Revolution.................commoner

[beaky]

Whenever I'm grousing at the pump here in NJ, I try to think of those of you in Europe and the UK who are really getting squeezed!!
I'd love to get a hybrid, but it's not in the financial cards right now... chances are by the time I get one, the state will have gotten wise and added a huge tax for owners of hybrids, to make up for the lost gas tax revenue (usually applied directly to highway maintenance budget).
But for the moment, hybrids make great sense, both conservation-wise and money-wise.
And for those who don't know, all production hybrids are non-pluggable; that is, the small gas engine keeps the batteries topped off (with help from regenerative braking). In stop-and-go traffic under 25 mph (where most gas gets wasted), they'll run on electrics alone, as long as there's enough juice. The gas engine will either idle or shut down (starting an engine doesn't use more gas than several minutes at idle- that's an old myth).
When accelerating, the puny gas engine is augmented by the electric motor(s)  to give it some pep, so they can hold their own on the mean streets.

[Ivan]

Yeah and the fire department hates them (Toyota Prius is a prime example) because when it crashes the current usually goes on the bodywork (and that's a unhealthy 200V or so)

[JBaymore]

My dream house would have a wind farm and a roof made of solar panels, and still be jacked into the grid (just incase) .

I've had solar water heating panels on the roof for about 27 years and a sloar greenhouse used mainly for heat about 22.  Auxiliary heat with wood stoves.

best,

..................john

[Omag 2.0]

Gonna repeat my answer from the thieves thread... read an wheap...

I did some conversion... this is the result...

My little diesel-car: $ 5,15/ gal

My girlfriends pertol car: $6,42 $/gal

So excuse me if I think your still paying reasonable prices in the US...  ;D

[beefhole]

If such a level of taxation was imposed in the U.S. you would probably see a second American Revolution.................commoner

Don't worry, we'd still find a way to blame it on the Brits

[legoalex2000]

what I was saying is the gas prices in my area converted.
although the way you speak, im lucky to get $3 a gallon.

what i want is the oxygen powered car. The french are developing it. it's a car powered by compressed air. It's the perfect solution! just stick a scuba tank to your car and go! no emmissions, it's free, it's everywhere. BAM done.

http://www.theaircar.com/

or i would go for a hydrogen car. but those are only offered in Washington DC.

Ramos

[TacitBlue]

I want one!!

[Katahu]

Did you know that in places like Cuba, there are people who retro-fit a bicycle with either a very small gas motor from something like a lawn mower - or an electric motor that's usually from anything that has a strong enough electric motor?

It's quite brilliant actually.

If you need to gain some speed just kick in the motor. And if you need to just casually strol along, just pedal. And at something like nearly 90 miles to the gallon, that's pretty good competition.

However, those kind of retro-fits are usually illegal for safety reasons. One reason is that the stock brakes of the bikes are too weak to handle the speed and people tend to crash and get hurt.

[TacitBlue]

I saw a lot of those conversions at Oshkosh of all places. There was even a booth there that would install a motor and disc brakes on your bike. People were using motors from everything from circular saws to weed-eaters to leaf blowers. It was pretty interesting.

[JBaymore]

what i want is the oxygen powered car. The french are developing it. it's a car powered by compressed air. It's the perfect solution! just stick a scuba tank to your car and go! no emmissions, it's free, it's everywhere. BAM done.

Unfortunately, the "problem" is still there.

Exactly HOW will you compress the air for the car?  Yup..... you have to have energy input to do that...... likely electric or fuel.  So you are consuming fuel to do it

And every chemical/mechanincal step you put into the conversion process from the origianl energy source to the end use imparts losses.  So you are likely better off burning the gas in the car rather than buringing the gas in the compressor that compresses the air, to then use to drive another energy conversion in the car.

Centralized electric generation as a concept is NOT "fossil fuel resource" friendly.  But it is good for the centralized energy company's pockets  ;).

First there is the cost in energy to mine and transport the fuel to the generating station.  There are HUGE losses in the extraction of the heat from the original combustion to the water to create steam.  Then there are huge losses in the machanical linkages that take the steam and spin the turbines.  Then there are some losses in the generating coil setup itself.  Then come the big transmission losses.  

In the end, the MAJORITY of the BTU energy available in a pound/kilo of fuel at the mine is actually lost to all this crap... not used.

There ain't no free lunch on this stuff.

There is a lot to be said for de-centralized power sources.  But "big money" is involved... so it comes back to big politics....... WHICH we will avoid here.


best,

..................john

[commoner]

...I remember many years ago (50 or 60) there was a design for "soap engine" in some magazine or other....the idea was that soap bubbles were injected into the cylinders and spark plugs were substituted by  needles ..the idea (obviously) was that bursting the bubbles gave the pistons the neccessary kick to rotate the crankshaft.........anybody old enough to remember that?......Fozz maybe. Commoner

[TacitBlue]

That sounds ridiculous! was the ad a joke?

[JBaymore]

That sounds ridiculous! was the ad a joke?

No... I imagine it worked quite well. Made the con man a bundle!  

best,

...................john

[Omag 2.0]

Busting bubbles used to power the pistons?  ::) I smell a con from miles away!... perhaps if the bubbles where filled with flamable gas, than to could work if you ad a spark... And no Fozzer, you don't have to cranck your bean-production up... yet...  ;D