[DMCForum] Re: Electric powered DeLorean

["Walter Coe" <Whalt@xxxxxxx>]

> But my question is do they view it as a
> viable long-term solution for their industry? Or is this
simply some
> huge PR campaign to appease consumers

Most of the hydrogen fuel made today comes from fossil
fuels.  Other sources include nuclear power, solar, wind,
etc.  As long as you can generate electricity and find
water, you can make hydrogen fuel.  This is why the
automotive industry is developing technology to use it.
Whatever our energy solution turns out to be, hydrogen is an
excellent from to store it in.

> If we had to ship in water from other countries, the
international
> outcry would be unimaginable. Pictures of staving kids in
Africa...

You can't be serious, right?  Oh I get it.  You are spoofing
me because what I claim sounds so ridiculous?  Look, it
doesn't take a lot of water to make hydrogen fuel.  It is
not like all of our water is suddenly going to dry up
because we burn it as fuel.  Actually once we burn the
hydrogen, it combines with oxygen and turns back into water.
If there are really problems with global warming & melting
icecaps, then you better hope that we can get rid of some of
that excess water before it floods us.

> However, any profit that stakeholders don't realize, but
> still think that they could have made, is still deemed as
a loss by
> them. So any alternative fuel sources need to be
profitable for them.

Ironically, if my idea is feasible then the oil companies
may love it.  Basically we can make our own crude oil from
organic matter.  But it would be just as well to use this to
make hydrogen fuel or a very clean burning converted natural
gas.

> Even if we didn't take the corporations into
consideration, there are
> still the independant proprietors of gasoline stations.
They profits
> are not made at the pump, but rather from the sales of
convience items
> inside. Soda, chips, etc.

So then who is going to sell the new hydrogen fuel?  Wow, I
can just imagine all these empty gasoline stations just
waiting for a new market to fill.  Could they sell hydrogen?
Hey, what a concept.  It used to be that diesel was hard to
find.  It still is to some degree, but many fuel stations
are carrying it now.  Hydrogen would be yet another
commodity they would sell.  Maybe they would exchange fuel
cartridges or maybe they would fill a tank on your car like
an old propane tank.

> And now, we want to force these same people into
> retrofitting their gas stations with brand new systems to
dispence
> hydrogen?

In Florida fuel stations have to replace their underground
tanks every 10 years whether they need replacing or not.  It
is simply a law here.  They have all kinds of monitoring
wells around the tanks to monitor for leaks.  Gasoline is
toxic messy stuff to handle.  It absorbs water and
contaminants.  Most attempts to make it cheaper or burn
cleaner tend to shorten its shelf life.  And you are worried
about forcing people to sell it?  Hydrogen will be much
nicer to sell.  It might be a cartridge that is swapped out
while consumers patronize a convenience store.  Or maybe it
would be yet another pump next to the diesel and unleaded.
What about forcing people to handle stinky toxic gasoline?
What about forcing people to pay outrageous prices?  What
about being forced to send our money overseas to buy oil?

> We'd need to give some serious tax, and/or insurance
> incentives to these people, for storage tank retrofits.

I'll be glad to help out however I can so long as it is
fair.  If this works then it should free up a lot of
resources to help everyone.

> Use of sewage/agricultural waste is a great solution that
takes care
> of both fuel, and disposal needs.

Absolutely.  If we only process the waste lightly then we
can get hydrogen and clean burning natural gas.  If we
overprocess then we get coal & crude and all that mess.  It
would be useful for plastics & such.  But generally I expect
that we would take the clean stuff off the top to use as
fuel and then compost the rest.

> Don't get me wrong, I'm definetly
> interested in hydrogen, and learning more about it. But I
really only
> see it as being feasable for light duty passenger cars.

http://www.forbes.com/vehicles/2005/01/04/cx_dl_0104vow.html##Static
Check out the above link.  I found it by doing a Google on
"hydrogen" and "hummer".  It talks about Arnold
Schwarzenegger's love of hydrogen, his hydrogen powered
Hummer and about a dozen hydrogen fueling stations in
southern California.

Walt

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