Comments on Next Big Future: Energy efficiency and substitution

Yes it is 36 billion gallons per year being conver...

2008-01-15T08:50:00.000-08:00

Yes it is 36 billion gallons per year being converted to barrels per day

> calls for 36 billion gallons [2.4 million barrel...

2008-01-15T07:13:00.000-08:00

> calls for 36 billion gallons [2.4 million barrels per day]

There must be an error in the above, as it would seem to indicated that 36E9 gallons equals 2.4E6 barrels, which would make a barrel 15,000 gallons, which it is not.

Are you changing both units and time periods on us, without mentioning that? ie, are you converting billions of GALLONS per YEAR into millions of BARRELS per DAY, or is something else wrong?

If you would master something, the first thing you...

2008-01-14T22:24:00.000-08:00

If you would master something, the first thing you should do is measure it. So perhaps we should mandate that all new vehicals have a gauge showing the current rate of gas consumption.

Some, seeing their consumption rate double when they speed up from 50 to 70 mph, might take it a little bit easier. And that in turn might force others to slow down.

As noted in my article: The Argonne National Labor...

2008-01-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

As noted in my article: The Argonne National Laboratory analysis is that this new process reduces carbon dioxide emissions by up to 84 percent compared with a well-to-wheel analysis of gasoline.

It is not ideal but if we need to do something temporarily in the face of peak oil, then this may be necessary.

The main thing in terms of air pollution deaths is what the particulate and other pollutants are when using this process.

While turning old tires into fuel is an amazing te...

2008-01-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

While turning old tires into fuel is an amazing technology, I'm not sure how it's better than (say) burning coal as far as the atmosphere is concerned. Currently locked-up carbon is liberated into the atmosphere... sounds pretty climate unfriendly to me.

Obviously the biomass applications may be better, although the EU has recently realised that that particular option is not risk free either.