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Re: population growth & physics ed





On Wed, 24 Jul 1996, Tom K. McCarthy wrote:

What if the world's automakers converted their engines over to hydrigen
and oxygen combustion. With the by-product being pure water, would the
increase in water vapor have a worse effect than carbon dioxide? Also,
with many utility companies converting their trucks over to propane, why
don't they go all the way? The volatility of hydrogen vs. propane does
not seem to be that significant with regards to safety concerns. And,
even if it is, the amount of hydrogen placed on board could be proportioned
to the energy released if an explosion were to occur. And, the nice
thing about hydrogen use is that is could be produced by the same oil men
out in the desert using solar power to electroyze water - this would
solve the tremendous greed issue.

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Not to be too cynical, but I've often thought that a major
obstacle to conversion to other types of engines is the enormous economic
sturcture devoted to the gasoline internal combustion engine. This
includes not only the oil industry, but also the auto parts and repair
industry. How many people stand to lose a lot of money if such a
conversion took place? I would love to see fuel cell powered cars now.

Mike Monce
Connecticut College