Miko2D:
"Angus: Burning diesel in a power plant ... STILL beats the energy converted by a normal car engine running on gasoline.
The only places I've seen that cared to provide numbers contradict your statement. It's currently about equal efficiency."
Well, you're right. Its actually about equal, with the Hydro car in its infancy though. Had to provoke some responce though:D
For your info, a fuel cell car converts 80% of they Hydro's energy to electricity, and 80% of that electricity into motional power. A normal car running on gasoline converts about 20% of that energy into motional power. Gives a base to calculate from...
Also, static power plants use multiple power sources, while the car as it is demands particularly one.
Also:
"Internal combustion engines and hybrid systems can improve efficiency without radical change to the society.
And storing liquid fuel is much easier now than storing hydrogen and electricity. "
I don't get this. This IS the current efficiency, we are running on gasoline as it is. Its gonna change whether we like it or not, cos we're gonna RUN OUT OF IT. That's gonna be one radical change, and the sooner we do something about it, the softer the blow.
Also, Hydrogen IS one way to store electricity.
And finally:
1. Solar energy
1.1 Biomass - growing stuff and burning it (as wood, alcohol, oil, etc.) - requires a lot of land, which destroys ecosystems.
I have a comment on this. This is a part of agriculture, and agriculture in both Europe and the US is in a bit of a depression. It has been estimated that Europe's agriculture alone could cope with producing the energy to power itself completely without adding that much land. The magic is there is crop rotation, better utilization of goods already there (surplus biomass) and the Land which the EU is substitizing for being UNUSED (because of other products overproduction). Now Europe has more population than the US, and the US and Canada are Vastly better off regarding landzise than Europe.
Besides, the polluting manners of mankind ARE destroyng ecosystems.
1.2 Solar cells/reflectors - requires a lot of land, which destroys ecosystems.
Yeah, like powering your house with a cell on the roof destroyes a lot?
1.3 Wind (caused by sun) - my favorite
Windfarms are noisy, but they work well. NB: All three can be combinable, Crops, Wind energy and Solar energy.