[geeks] electric cars

[James Fogg]

> Someone does that and uses the methane as an energy source?
> Then yes, like that, but with bacteria designed to produce
> methane, or hydrogen, or whatever, rather than the random
> opportunistic cultures we have now.


Nearly all newer landfills do it, often as a pollution abatement effort.
They generate electricity from it with gas turbine engines. Many older
landfills are being converted. They produce a tremendous amount of
methane and it's a potent greenhouse gas. A good sized landfill can
power most of a small city, something on the order of a Worcester
Massachusetts. And, landfills can be "speeded up" by injecting air into
them so they produce much more methane.

I recently had a similar discussion with a scientist friend. We are
surrounded by abundant energy. There is zero need for oil pumped from
the ground. We just have to adapt a little bit and realize what's
available.

A careful calculation of the requirements for 100% soybean oil
conversion from fossil fuel showed that a beanfield equivalent to a
square 500 square miles on each side in size could replace all our
fossil fuel needs.

There is abundant coal in the ground. Burning coal is unattractive, but
it converts to a liquid fuel pretty easily, and I've heard the liquid is
clean burning. It also converts to a gas (probably methane) and was used
extensively this way in the early part of the 20th century.

There is also grain alcohol. Municipal waste (garbage) converts to
alcohol easily too.

There is also lignite (a rather unattractive burner, but abundant).

There is slash from forestry operations. A plant in the next town from
me burns slash (branches, stumps, scraggly trees and forest floor
litter) and generates steam for turbines to drive electric generators.
They get their fuel for *free*, since forestry laws require slash to be
removed for fire prevention.

There's CDW (construction & demolition waste). Separate the wood and you
have a lot of fuel (needs exhaust scrubbing since it contains paints and
cyanide, but it can be done).

Solar lens boilers are efficient and produce a lot of output for a small
amount of sunlight.

Speaking of solar, I just saw a news item about a guy who solved the
solar "storage" problem. I've always wished there was a good way to
store solar energy for use overnight and in storms. During sunny days he
uses the electricity to separate hydrogen and oxygen from water. When
the sun isn't available he burns the hydrogen in a variety of ways,
including in his hydrogen fuel cell car. As a byproduct, you could also
sell the oxygen, since it should be very pure.