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I cannot understand this anti-technology, Luddite point of view.
Jed, I totally agree. A generation ago, the business establishment was
calling environmentalists "luddites" for suppossedly opposing technological
progress (I think they were just advocating an alternative approach). But
strangely, this whole "luddite" term has gone full circle and now it is the
American business establishment that can rightly be accussed of being
luddites for standing in the way of technological progress that might
reorder the hydrcarbon society and affect their profits. Businesses are
more interested in just existing and protecting markets than solving
problems or advancing to new technologies that might enhance life for
everyone. This struggle to implement alternative energy technologies that
are growing increasingly practicle is an excellent example of this luddite
resistence in our modern era.
It is very fortunate that in other countries, government and industry
still plan and build for the future. On NHK (Japan national TV) yesterday
they showed a prototype electric automobile being developed at breakneck
speed by the power companies, Toyota and the government. It is based on
the newest batteries. The range is 200 km, and it recharges in 10 to 15
minutes. It will go on sale next year, and it should be available in the
U.S. in three years, just about the time the first serious U.S. hybrids
hit the road, I suppose. It is obviously lead to plug-in hybrids as well.
Thanks for the info. Sounds very interesting. We'll have to follow the
developments. We're not far off from the point where electric could replace
gasoline as the most versatile and least expensive option for automobiles.
If recharge times in the 10 to 15 minute range can be achieved by the
Japanese, that is a huge step forward. The range issues will quickly be
worked out. Recharge time is really the limiting factor for electric
vehicles at this point (6 hours in a long time and impracticle for highway
driving).
Electric makes sense for many reasons:
- Electric propulsion costs only about one-tenth of gasoline propulsion at
the moment (you can travel the same distance for 1/10th the cost using
electric, perhaps more with gas prices at $3.00+).
- Electric engines are simpler and cheaper to maintain than petrol engines.
- Pollution can be controlled at the point of electrical production and more
easily controlled (ultimately we'd like to see that point of production be a
renewable energy source like cold fusion).
- Switching to an electric vehicle energy distribution system would be
rather easy. The infrastructure is already in place. Building charging
stations isn't too complicated. Certainly the electric infrastructure would
have to be modernized, made more efficient and enhanced to handle the
heavier load from electric cars, but those changes are long overdue anyway.
