[extropy-chat] FWD (SK) Nuclear Energy: A Fallacious Response tothe Oil Crisis (renewable fuels)

[spike]

bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Terry W. Colvin

Subject: [extropy-chat] FWD (SK) Nuclear Energy: A Fallacious Response to
the Oil Crisis

http://www.lemonde.fr/web/article/0,1-0@2-3232,36-683369,0.html


    Nuclear Energy: A Fallacious Response to the Oil Crisis 
    By Stéphane Lhomme 
    Le Monde 

    Monday 29 August 2005 

    The price of oil takes off and global warming gets worse...

    Rich countries must make major reductions in their energy consumption
and, at the same time, finance the development of renewable energies on the
planet...



This article sounds a bit extreme, does it not?

In any case, I have been thinking a lot about 
renewable fuels lately.  Last time I pointed out
that our Detroits could be dramatically smaller
than they are, someone pointed out to me that
the poor might have a difficult time of changing
out their rolling stock, that it would be a major
impact to all advanced nations to replace their
entire automotive infrastructure.

It occurred to me that this would not be necessary.
Modern cars could be reworked with engines less
than half the size of current ones.  V-8 SUVs could
have small four cylinder engines installed.  Accords
could have two cylinder motors adapted to their
current transmissions.  A new industry would be
born, with adapter kits for new, small engines
going into existing Detroits.

Of course, the re-engined vehicles would be too
slow to get out of their own way.  I could imagine
the average car having the same performance as that
yellow school bus we used to ride, you remember
that, do you not?  It was slower than Christmas,
but it got us there eventually.  A re-engined
Detroit could get half again the mileage, and as 
an added bonus, it would be so unpleasant to drive 
that proles would be hesitant to use it at all
whenever possible, saving even more fuel.

Higher fuel costs will make a number of home
technologies viable: more insulation in the walls
and ceilings, higher tech air conditioners and
automated attic venting systems, solar water
heating, white LED lighting systems and so 
forth.  We have all these technologies today, 
but cheap oil has kept them from full viability.

Having slower cars will seriously suck, but it
is not the end of the dream.  We still have 
motorcycles, which allow one to tear around 
like one's ass is on fire if one must, yet 
still get 50 miles to the gallon.  We will
use the phone and cable more, the pistons
and tires less.  Technology will continue 
its forward march.

spike