It certainly seems pie-in-the-sky, but certainly worth keeping an eye on.It could just be some latent bias, but something about this seems not likely to work out (the part about the hydrogen and chlorine alone being valuable enough to offset the cost - which not sure if that already factors in some value of lithium or not so that might be why I'm a bit skeptical, if it does then interesting, if not then it sounds too good to be true). It could be a game changer for the world if true though. If it could scale, it basically makes desalinization and possibly cleanup of the ocean a money making endeavor that could fuel a less polluting shift to electric transportation.
Electrics are a part of the solution, but we're going to have to get people to shift their modes of transit out of personal automobiles and into things like buses, rail, bikes, and walking.
I was thinking that might as well combine this with desalinization, and maybe some D2 capture. Lithium is also a chemical involved in more than just batteries. Maybe part of the cold fusion revolution.It could just be some latent bias, but something about this seems not likely to work out (the part about the hydrogen and chlorine alone being valuable enough to offset the cost - which not sure if that already factors in some value of lithium or not so that might be why I'm a bit skeptical, if it does then interesting, if not then it sounds too good to be true). It could be a game changer for the world if true though. If it could scale, it basically makes desalinization and possibly cleanup of the ocean a money making endeavor that could fuel a less polluting shift to electric transportation.
It certainly seems pie-in-the-sky, but certainly worth keeping an eye on.
However, we're not going to buy our way out of climate change with 1:1 replacement of ICE vehicles with electrics. Electrics are a part of the solution, but we're going to have to get people to shift their modes of transit out of personal automobiles and into things like buses, rail, bikes, and walking. It won't happen overnight, but it's where the most substantial gains on reducing pollution & traffic congestion can happen.
This is tech bro fantasy garbage. We already have viable technologies for mass transit, both with existing light and heavy rail, and with buses. We don't need to reinvent the wheel here.Further, some technology I think will make trains more viable. I'm honestly surprised Musk hasn't been trying to partner or develop electric trains with Boring Company, with him focused on offering high speed electric commercial rail service that would be less limited by weather.
I was thinking that might as well combine this with desalinization, and maybe some D2 capture. Lithium is also a chemical involved in more than just batteries. Maybe part of the cold fusion revolution.
This is tech bro fantasy garbage. We already have viable technologies for mass transit, both with existing light and heavy rail, and with buses. We don't need to reinvent the wheel here.
I've lived in the northeast and midwest for all of my life and can attest that trains and buses work fine in the cold weather and the snow, for the most part. And we don't even need HSR - just improving the intercity rail connections we have could allow for higher speeds with existing rolling stock and would work wonders for cutting travel times with passenger rail. We also can add electrification and could adopt some of the shipping models used in Europe, where freight is shipped on shorter, electrified trains. No reason those things can't be adapted for use here, if applicable.K, bro. Its like you don't think weather is a thing (are you from Texas or something?). And high speed rail has a shitload higher chance of becoming viable by going underground (plus it opens up the potential for vacuum which will help speed and efficiency). It doesn't even need to be very high speed and it'd be an improvement, and electric trains will be more efficient already. That would displace a LOT of our current emissions (trucking) whilst recognizing that industry dying already. Plus it'd cut down on shipping, and cutting into air freight (another high energy use).
Further, I think they could use it as a defense initiative (meaning they can get the cost passed by making it a defense budget item) by making the same argument as they did for the interstate highway system (which incidentally, build it under the interstates), which also needs work in plenty of areas. Plus it could open up improvement to the national electric grid and a hardened communication/internet backbone that would be protected against the dreaded EMP or solar flares, etc. Also potentially building a national water grid (which we could use to funnel seawater inland and refill acquifers, create recreation areas that we use the wind, solar in the region to process into clean water, which can then be sent into another pipe to keep transportation centers and agriculture from getting starved by droughts.
Musk has the same conflict of interest in public transportation, that GM has.I've lived in the northeast and midwest for all of my life and can attest that trains and buses work fine in the cold weather and the snow, for the most part. And we don't even need HSR - just improving the intercity rail connections we have could allow for higher speeds with existing rolling stock and would work wonders for cutting travel times with passenger rail. We also can add electrification and could adopt some of the shipping models used in Europe, where freight is shipped on shorter, electrified trains. No reason those things can't be adapted for use here, if applicable.
Furthermore, Musk seems to hate public transit, so I don't see him doing anything to further the goal of expanding public transit, beyond his stupid dreams of inventing a shitty version of subways and buses that carry less people at a time.
This is tech bro fantasy garbage. We already have viable technologies for mass transit, both with existing light and heavy rail, and with buses. We don't need to reinvent the wheel here.
The development didn't happen overnight, and the fixes will also not happen overnight. We can take steps to reverse sprawl trends with more infill development and policies that improve mass transit (such as bus lanes, appropriate service frequencies, and reducing the convenience of using a car by eliminating free parking).Problem is (around here at least) is that development has just sprawled outward like crazy. Things are not centralized enough for trains to actually serve that many people, and any bus ride takes ages (not to mention the bus stops here in sunny, thunderstormy FL are often not even covered or even have a bench...). Should things be this spread out? No! But they are and it's not easy to undo that mistake. Basically most things here were built in the age of the freeway.
Other things that can help:
* working from home *raises hand*--I doubt I've driven more than 1000 miles in the past year other than one long vacation trip.
* reducing shipping - afaik, shipping accounts for a big chunk of emissions. All those handy Amazon packages come from somewhere.
That said, perfect is the enemy of the good. Whatever we do it has to be economical though, because if covid has taught me anything (that I already knew but whatever) it's that people are selfish shitheads that only think of them and theirs. There will be people rolling coal into the rising ocean waters just because it triggers the libs.