I support R&D in any direction, even the craziest sounding ones. Effective marketing (or federal "pushing") have left out some details about the alternative energies being used in vehicles currently.
These batteries are not efficiently recycled nor are they environmentally safe to dispose of.
Ethanol never was, is or will be a viable solution. Lots of braindead sheep following that course. How about we just plant corn on every square acre of land in the U.S.?
Plugging your car in at night so you don't use any environmentally destructive oil? Makes sense...because coal doesn't result from tearing up the earth to mine and, duh, it's right in the name, clean coal.
I wholly support all of these technologies but it seems like most people are looking for the next "one" energy to replace oil. I don't see that happening. I don't think oil CAN be entirely replaced.
The real problem I have is the false sense of "going green." None of these technologies are "green" in any stretch of the imagination. I don't even believe that any one of the current technologies is even significantly, if at all, more environmentally safe than oil.
I want turbo diesel engines in my vehicles. I don't want to sacrifice power, fuel efficiency, or comfort. I think we can get all three from our vehicles using turbo diesel engines. If somebody comes up with another technology that does, I'll be right there to buy it.
I think we can power major cities with whatever is available. Where there's water, use water. Where there's wind, use wind. Where there's sun, use solar. Where there's nothing, go nuclear. Where there's multiple sources, use them all.
It's really all economics, not a Earth-saving-initiative, though. I've said it before and I will repeat it until I'm proven wrong. It is incredibly arrogant of men to think that we could destroy the Earth. We may destroy our ability to survive on Earth, but the Earth will keep on spinning, sprouting new life and adapting to changes. We cannot save the Earth any more than we can truly destroy it. We may change it so profoundly that we destroy ourselves, but not the elements of life.
So, when I look for a new vehicle, I consider three things. What can I afford? What will serve my purposes? What looks good? I am never so arrogant to ask, what will save the planet?
