The electricity used for electric cars creates incredible pollution if it comes from coal-fired or fission power plants. Only if it comes from hydro, wind or solar is electric clean.
“Only if it comes from hydro, wind or solar is electric clean.”
This statement is so short sited. How much pollution is created by the manufacturing of the components for hydro, wind, or solar? How much pollution is created by the equipment and supplies required to maintain hydro, wind, or solar? I know the same goes for coal and nuclear, lots of maintenance. No energy is clean. Coal is the worst, no question. I have relatives that work for power companies that use wind, and they say that the turbines are always breaking down. Can’t keep them running. Hydro and nuclear are stuck in the past. Hydro is inefficient and hard to get big parts into dams that weren’t designed for upgrades. Manufacturing solar panels is a dirty process. Modern research into nuclear power has produced better reactors and far less polluting fuels. Point is, no energy is clean.
Well Slowbiker, gasoline micro-plants are the worst. Coal is second-worst. Otherwise, yeah, no energy is entirely clean, so wasted energy is really a crime. Moving a single human around in a two thousand pound box, accelerating and decelerating to a stop every 100 yards, will *never* be a sustainable form of transportation.
Never uunderstood why wind turbine generators need to have such efficient, long, expensive- to manufacture blades. And why only three per unit? I’m sure that lower efficiency blades (perhaps not even blades per se) could be more compact and so less visually intrusive. Blades for an aircraft propellor need to be as efficient as possible for maximum performance and fuel efficiency – but the wind blows without charge, so surely a lower tech, cheaper, easier to make & repair unit could generate just as much power despite having lower efficiency.
Fan blade design is significantly different between driving and driven. “High bypass” jet engines use a (many) bladed ducted fan. Wind power design is more akin to a anemometer. (Catching the wind) Management to suit demand requires many variable solutions in both generation and distribution.
The Ludington power plant has exceeded design fuel consumption expectations by many percent. It has realized real benefits from operational stability, with elegant solutions to peak loading.
Funny thing is it costs me more in the short term to bike in to work no question about it. I have a small gas sipper car that costs practically nothing in fuel and insurance to do the 3 mile, never over 35 mph speed commute. When I bike in, my appetite goes way up, and I eat food which in one meal costs more than the car trip costs me. Yes long term costs and maintenance and potential break downs are a different story on the car, but I do all my own car work too so that isnt as big as most folks budgets.
And taking in pollution! 🙁
The air inside the cars is more polluted
And have a brain.
At some point we need to be less smoggy on both sides
Someday half of the cars will be electric and we’ll have less smog. But careless drivers will always be there.
The electricity used for electric cars creates incredible pollution if it comes from coal-fired or fission power plants. Only if it comes from hydro, wind or solar is electric clean.
What about my Hub dynamo? 🙂
Cyclists are exposed to less smog than motor vehicle passengers and drivers.
https://www.science.unsw.edu.au/news/air-pollution-worst-inside-cars-research
“It’s not possible to eat too much – only to cycle too little.” – John Donnelly
“Only if it comes from hydro, wind or solar is electric clean.”
This statement is so short sited. How much pollution is created by the manufacturing of the components for hydro, wind, or solar? How much pollution is created by the equipment and supplies required to maintain hydro, wind, or solar? I know the same goes for coal and nuclear, lots of maintenance. No energy is clean. Coal is the worst, no question. I have relatives that work for power companies that use wind, and they say that the turbines are always breaking down. Can’t keep them running. Hydro and nuclear are stuck in the past. Hydro is inefficient and hard to get big parts into dams that weren’t designed for upgrades. Manufacturing solar panels is a dirty process. Modern research into nuclear power has produced better reactors and far less polluting fuels. Point is, no energy is clean.
Well Slowbiker, gasoline micro-plants are the worst. Coal is second-worst. Otherwise, yeah, no energy is entirely clean, so wasted energy is really a crime. Moving a single human around in a two thousand pound box, accelerating and decelerating to a stop every 100 yards, will *never* be a sustainable form of transportation.
Jay, yes. A gasoline engine may approach 30% efficiency, and a diesel perhaps 40%, but the true efficiency of a car using either is well under 10%.
I burned maybe 250 Calories riding to work today, call it 1000 kJ (and I’m nowhere near 100% efficient.)
Had I driven a 50 MPG car, I’d have burned 0.2 gallons of gasoline to go the same ten miles. That would be 24000 kJ of energy.
1000/24000 = 4.2% of the efficiency of a bicycle.
Never uunderstood why wind turbine generators need to have such efficient, long, expensive- to manufacture blades. And why only three per unit? I’m sure that lower efficiency blades (perhaps not even blades per se) could be more compact and so less visually intrusive. Blades for an aircraft propellor need to be as efficient as possible for maximum performance and fuel efficiency – but the wind blows without charge, so surely a lower tech, cheaper, easier to make & repair unit could generate just as much power despite having lower efficiency.
Fan blade design is significantly different between driving and driven. “High bypass” jet engines use a (many) bladed ducted fan. Wind power design is more akin to a anemometer. (Catching the wind) Management to suit demand requires many variable solutions in both generation and distribution.
The Ludington power plant has exceeded design fuel consumption expectations by many percent. It has realized real benefits from operational stability, with elegant solutions to peak loading.
Funny thing is it costs me more in the short term to bike in to work no question about it. I have a small gas sipper car that costs practically nothing in fuel and insurance to do the 3 mile, never over 35 mph speed commute. When I bike in, my appetite goes way up, and I eat food which in one meal costs more than the car trip costs me. Yes long term costs and maintenance and potential break downs are a different story on the car, but I do all my own car work too so that isnt as big as most folks budgets.
It’s appalling how few of you people know what a car weighs. Most commonly I read “2000 pounds.” Second is “3000 pounds.”
A midsize suv is 5000 pounds, people. A 3/4 ton pickup is 6500-7500 pounds.
Only the tiniest of economy cars are near the 2000 pound range.