[Kevin Sharpe]

http://left-lane.com/electric-vehicles-vs-hydrogen-fuel-cell-vehicles/

 

[Eunicholas]

Good read

 

[Paul]

But yet, they push ahead and spend a lot of our money developing the tech. Weird huh?

 

[Eunicholas]

hydrogen is a waste of time.

 

[RickMGoldie]

"No such thing as pointless research." Oh how I wish that were true!

 

[cjm_2013]

I think it appeals to some companies because it fits into the traditional model of commodity supply (a bit like fossil fuels).
But why chuck $$$$s at the generation and infrastructure when we already have a highly developed and proven grid system for shoving the electrons into our cars?

It doesn't make any sense.

 

[Paul]

You have seen those various diagrams of who's in and advises the governments and their commercial and industrial concerns have you not? Speaks volumes to me.

 

[cjm_2013]

You have seen those various diagrams of who's in and advises the governments and their commercial and industrial concerns have you not? Speaks volumes to me.

No, but I can probably guess.I've been reading a lot of the conspiracy theories about EV technology & patenting. It gets incredibly weird. Governments retain taxation, oil companies get to keep us in their pockets forever..... it's pretty scary.

 

[Bart]

Where can I find those diagrams, Paul?

 

[Paul]

I'll have to do some digging as I've seen many flowing on my twitter feed, will post them if I find them. Generally it's the whole "this person is on the board of this company which is the major stakeholder in this other company..." nothing legally wrong in any of it, but it just shows who pays the piper in many cases, and helps explain the tunes they play.

 

[Bart]

Sounds a lot like what you see in the video "Who killed the Electric Car".

But surely interesting!

 

[Paul]

Here's an example, quite telling these things (if accurate)...

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/423029837553729537

 

[cjm_2013]

I'm trying not to think about fracking too much. It's making me very angry.

In fact, I can't remember the last time I got so wound up over governmental stupidity. The absolute LAST thing we need as a society is yet more dependence on a finite, polluting energy source.

It kind of makes me want to emigrate.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

It kind of makes me want to emigrate.

Just don't go to the USA

 

[LK13]

The absolute LAST thing we need as a society is yet more dependence on a finite, polluting energy source.

I don't get this absolute rejection of the UK getting its own source for fossil fuels. There has to be a balance.
While I too am pro green energy, I also understand that we are not an affluent nation and therefore unable to invest to become 100% green in the near future. Fossil fuels will be with us for some time, so surely it would be better to have our own source than continue to make the Middle East, Russia and the USA richer to the detriment of UK's economy. Reducing the outflow of cash from the UK will hugely impact our balance of payments and allow us to become a green society more rapidly. We need new technology to reduce/eliminate the emissions from fossil fuel facilities, while we aggressively migrate to Green Energy as rapidly as our economy will allow.

 

[Darren Griffin]

I have to agree LK13. Whilst I don't want us to rely on fossil fuels, we can't afford to ignore them entirely in the short term and to rely on supplies from other countries is shortsighted at best and positively dangerous in the worst case. It shouldn't be about 'more' dependence, it's about security of supply to give us breathing space to plan for a move to greater use of renewables.

I would however like to see some of the money that could be made from shale gas directed towards investment in renewables and incentives for home owners to add pv. I'd also like to see renewable energy technology mandated on new builds. Why are we not demanding every new home has solar panels?

 

[Kevin Sharpe]

I don't get this absolute rejection of the UK getting its own source for fossil fuels.

Because we don't need it and even if we did we can't afford to exceed a 2˚C rise in temperature (which is inevitable if we continue burning stuff).

My little semi near Bath generates enough electricity from solar to drive the Tesla Roadster 19,336 miles a year if we assume 60kWh at the wall produces 200 miles range (which is my rule of thumb across all temperatures and driving styles). My friend Mark Tebbutt in Lancashire has disconnected from the gas grid and runs his home completely on renewable electricity. We both live in 'old' houses not super efficient eco homes.

If the UK committed to renewables we could not only generate all our own energy but become a net exporter... think about the impact that would have

Read this - Zero Carbon Britain: Rethinking the Future

Watch this;

 

[cjm_2013]

I have to agree LK13. Whilst I don't want us to rely on fossil fuels, we can't afford to ignore them entirely in the short term and to rely on supplies from other countries is shortsighted at best and positively dangerous in the worst case. It shouldn't be about 'more' dependence, it's about security of supply to give us breathing space to plan for a move to greater use of renewables.

I would however like to see some of the money that could be made from shale gas directed towards investment in renewables and incentives for home owners to add pv. I'd also like to see renewable energy technology mandated on new builds. Why are we not demanding every new home has solar panels?

Unfortunately, only a small minority of people will see any sort of benefit from the proceeds of the gas recovered. I doubt any of it would be directed to the general population, either in the form of renewable tech investment or a reduction in bills....