trilete312 0 #1 March 18, 2003 Lets try this. At the end of the 48 hour rule, pull all forces out of the area. Then lets take all the money we would spend on the war, invest in infrastructure for hydrogen powered cars. Give the automakers a firm rule, you have 18 months after which time, no more gasoline powered vehicles may be sold in the US, you must get the fuel cells that amoco and shell and everyone are so afraid of working and in production vehicles in 18 months. Oil would still be around for a long time, but if we stopped depending on the foreign sources.... I was surfing the radio today and caught part of a Paul Harvey commentary where he was asking for less foreign oil and his thought was that When the government told Detroit to get the lead out of gas, they did it in 10 months when they said there was no way. He said it shouldn't take a government mandate to produce fuel cell cars. Yes I realize this will never ever happen, but it is food for thought.----------- Ready, Set, Gooooooo Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,064 #2 March 18, 2003 >Then lets take all the money we would spend on the war, invest in >infrastructure for hydrogen powered cars. Give the automakers a firm > rule, you have 18 months after which time, no more gasoline > powered vehicles may be sold in the US . . . Well, that might work except for one problem - we don't have any hydrogen. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CanuckInUSA 0 #3 March 18, 2003 Quote Well, that might work except for one problem - we don't have any hydrogen. If you're nice to us, maybe Canada will sell the US some of it's water to produce the hydrogen. Then again, what am I thinking. GW would declare Chretien menace and then he'd wage war on us. And instead of Canada fighting back with weapons of mass destruction, we'd fight back with beer and hockey sticks. Then you'd be in real trouble. Try not to worry about the things you have no control over Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VectorBoy 0 #4 March 18, 2003 Quote >Then lets take all the money we would spend on the war, invest in >infrastructure for hydrogen powered cars. Give the automakers a firm > rule, you have 18 months after which time, no more gasoline > powered vehicles may be sold in the US . . . Well, that might work except for one problem - we don't have any hydrogen. Well we could always fuel cars with weapons grade radioactive material confiscated from countries that shouldn't have such material, well unless they buy some cars from us. Glen Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 6 #5 March 18, 2003 Quote If you're nice to us, maybe Canada will sell the US some of it's water to produce the hydrogen. Then again, what am I thinking. GW would declare Chretien menace and then he'd wage war on us. And instead of Canada fighting back with weapons of mass destruction, we'd fight back with beer and hockey sticks. Then you'd be in real trouble. Yah, there'll be many a game misconduct penalties handed out for this one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dterrick 0 #6 March 19, 2003 Can't we just explode water or something? no more worries about the ice cap melting and flooding the coastline... and it would give explosionologists something to do Quote Well, that might work except for one problem - we don't have any hydrogen Dave Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Iflyme 0 #7 March 19, 2003 QuoteYes I realize this will never ever happen, but it is food for thought.We need more people presenting options! Far-fetched or not! Anything to avoid raining bombs down on the people of Iraq. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,064 #8 March 19, 2003 >We need more people presenting options! Options are easy; it's the follow through that's hard. Here are a few: -Remove the SUV efficiency loophole. -Push natural gas as a fuel; it's 99% domestically produced, and it's about as easy to make as hydrogen. There are natural gas cars and buses right now. -Push hybrids. You can build Expeditions that get 40mph with hybrid technology. -Push biodiesel as a replacement for petroleum diesel. -Restart nuclear power plant construction. Cheap power makes things like hydrogen production possible. -Fund light rail and high speed rail development. Trains are harder to hijack than airliners. The above would be expensive, but any one of the above would cost far less than the 100 billion or so this war will cost us. It won't prevent this war, but could help prevent the next one. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
btvr 0 #9 March 19, 2003 [Well, that might work except for one problem - we don't have any hydrogen. Sure we do, It's just in the form of Bombs!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MC208B 0 #10 March 19, 2003 Geez...that was dumb. PEACE! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
phatcat 0 #11 March 19, 2003 What about methane engines? I mean, beans are cheap. Anal sized plastic hoses are cheap. 2 + 2 + millions of Americans... Why not? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FallRate 0 #12 March 19, 2003 Quote -Restart nuclear power plant construction. Cheap power makes things like hydrogen production possible. What? And watch as the world is destroyed by the toxic nuclear waste!? FallRate Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nacmacfeegle 0 #13 March 19, 2003 Add to the mix... Hydro electric, wind and wave power, solar power, waste heat recovery systems on carbon users, geothermal power, more efficient use of the power we do generate. Improve your mass transit systems. Oh and sign up to the Kyoto agreement, then start applying punitive taxation to your hydrocarbon consumers. If your gasoline cost the same as it does over here, the public would cry out for more efficient vehicles. Hmmm, sounds about as popular as......-------------------- He who receives an idea from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine, receives light without darkening me. Thomas Jefferson Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydyvr 0 #14 March 19, 2003 Quote -Remove the SUV efficiency loophole. Conservative as I am, I've never understood the concept of our "right" to drive gas-wasting vehicles. My ultra-right GF and I spar over this one all the time. It's time for America to wake up and smell the monoxide! . . =(_8^(1) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,064 #15 March 19, 2003 >What about methane engines? I mean, beans are cheap. And not only that, natural gas IS methane. Get a Honda GX and attach some tubing in the right places and you're good to go. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PhillyKev 0 #16 March 19, 2003 Quoteattach some tubing in the right places and you're good to go. If you "go" won't that clog the tubing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jraf 0 #17 March 19, 2003 It would be enough if there were a diesel fuel price incentive and more cars with efficient turbodiesel engines available. Sadly enough Detroit does not want to allow that as currently they are not capable of producing a decent turbodiesel.jraf Me Jungleman! Me have large Babalui. Muff #3275 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 3,064 #18 March 19, 2003 >Sadly enough Detroit does not want to allow that. . . Detroit doesn't care much about diesel vs gas engines; they profit both ways. Up until recently gas was just so cheap that there was no reason _not_ to use gas engines. Now perhaps there will be. I would think farmers would support this the same way farmers support ethanol, since vegetable oil will work in diesel engines just fine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
