All electricity production emits greenhouse gasses therefore electric driven cars will indirectly continue to contribute to the greenhouse gasses problem because they will require to have their electric batteries re-charged.
Nuclear generated electricity is practically carbon free but what is the end result of this type of production? The reality, exchanging carbon free air now for an expired nuclear reactor (life span 25-30 years ) which has to be decommissioned and cocooned away from the public for at least a hundred years, plus its bundles of radioactive fuel rods will need to be entombed for even longer in underground concrete facilities somewhere within our borders. who is going to be around then to find out if these sites are actually safe. Also decommissioning costs can far exceed the construction cost of a nuclear facility adding billions to the cost of the electricity produced.
Hydrogen fuel cars, one of the major problems involved with this fuel is its distribution and storage because it is either liquid or pressurized. This system loses out to electric cars as all you require to keep an electric car running is an extension lead to charge up overnight ( when economy rates apply) but having said that you are then back to square one - having to produce more electricity. There is also an overhanging safety problem with this method.
Hybrid (electric and petroleum) cars, are on the road at present and there is some good press written about them; however very little is said about the dangers built into these cars.Take the battery for starters (sorry!), most hybrid cars have new type batteries made of nickel and lithium.ion, both components are regarded as more environmentally friendly than the traditional lead based type, which constitute the majority of car batteries today. Although nickel and lithium.ion batteries are accepted as less toxic than the traditional lead ones they are known carcinogens and can lead to an array of other health problems.
Not a great deal of testing has been done on the human body but possible side effects include xencephaly, everted viscera, short and twisted neck, short and twisted limbs, microphthalmia, haaemorage and reduced body size. ( Source:- Teratogenicity and Embryotoxicity of nickel cadmium in Syrian hamsters, William F. Sunderma. Univ. of Connecticut ).
A further overhanging problem for the hybrid car is in the manufacture of their advanced electric motors. The rare earth element dysposuim is required in their production, the problem is that nearly all this rare earth element comes from China and Chinese home consumption is expected to take up the whole supply by 2012. There are only two other known sites where this rare earth element can be found, in Canada and Australia, but whether production in these countries will be sufficient and online by 2012 is questionable. A study by one of the green lobbies also contends that hybrids are not as fuel efficient as the latest diesels.
To sum up the above from the point of view of claiming to supplying environmentally friendly fuels we have:-
a).. Nuclear which admittedly is very near carbon free but the nuclear, potentially dangerous, footprint from each power station will be around for hundreds of years.(If any one of you has ever had the experience of living near a decommissioning nuclear facility as I have you will know this
is fact.)
b)..Hydrogen at the present time our technology is not sufficient to make this a safe viable option, and should therefore be ruled out.
c)..Hybrid here we have serious problems with the supply of scarce materials for the production of vital components and also medical dangers which could result in serious deformities of the human body following the use of certain raw materials.
We already have the answer to our vehicles providing a much cleaner carbon free environment via lower carbon gas emissions at the same time saving money with much improved m.p.g. in the low cost water to fuel conversion systems now on the market.
Author Resource:-
Bill is now retired but as a keen motorist has driven on most continents of the world and has a keen interest in environmental issues, these account for only a couple of his many varied interests. For further info on the Water4gas fuel conversion system please visit..http://www.the-car-hub.co.uk/
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