Stop wasting our gallons first!

If we state that the use of fossil fuels are only bad and endanger our planet, we think rather one-dimensional. Probably more important is HOW we use our resources! For example, a big 'hidden' controversy between traditional and alternative energy is, that we could reduce CO2 emissions in the transport/automotive sector with 500%, while still using petrol!

LET ME EXPLAIN HOW:

If we drive our traditional cars and burn a gallon of petrol in a traditional combustion engine, we throw away about 90% of the possible energy in useless heat (and air pollution), never to be used again. And this 10% efficiency might be even less, if there are traffic congestion and within cities, where motion is constantly broken by traffic lights.

NOW TRY TO IMAGINE THIS: YOU THROW AWAY 90% OF EVERYTHING YOU BUY ON A DAILY BASIS: YOUR BREAD, YOUR SHAMPOO, YOUR PERFUM, YOUR BRANDY, YOUR TOILET PAPER, YOUR MILK, YOUR NEWS PAPER...... HOW LONG WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THIS WASTE FINANCIALY?

Yet, when we step into a traditional car, we do EXACTLY this with the precious petrol!

But... if we would burn the same gallon of petrol in an efficient power plant, which re-uses the heat for other purposes, like production industry or house warming etc, we would get about 50% efficiency; that is to say 25% in electricity and 25% in useful heat. Also it is much simpler to clean gasses from a sole power plant then from millions of individual combustion engines.

SO 1+1=2 - If we would use the electric generated by the same gallon of petrol to charge batteries and drive around electric cars AND use heat generated for production processes, or building heating, for this gallon

WE COULD SUSTAIN AN EFFICIENCY INCREASE OF 500%, REDUCE CO2 EMISSION IN THIS SPECIFIC AREAS WITH 500% AND SLASH AIR POLUTION IN OUR CITIES.

Since the traditional car manufactures teamed up with the oil barons over 100 years ago, nothing has changed significantly. Every traditional car big or small, wastes about 90% of the precious fuel put into it. I would suggest to get this enormous efficiency increase, a new coalition should be made: between modern car manufactures who produce electric cars and power companies.

Also: when we start to acknowledge and really understand the principles of 'waste' and 'efficient use of resources', only then we are able to fully appreciate alternative energy solutions, because then we deserve them!

And what about oil companies? Don't worry, they will still sell there precious products, luckily not for inefficient cars, but for prime energy production and more likely for of all kinds of lasting and/ or recycable consumer goods.

Kees Augustijn