Waiting for What?

Read an interesting article in Time just now that's mainly about the 2008 Presidential race (and the politics thereto appertaining) but it makes some very relevant points for people everywhere.

I think most people would agree that we rely far too much on fossil fuel, that it damages the environment and that we're going to have to find a Better Way. Renewable energy sources like biodiesel and E-85 Enthanol are great ideas for reducing petroleum dependency (how far they go in addressing the emissions issue I can't say). Hybrids address both issues, and electrics go one step further still.

The problem with all of these solutions is that it will take generations to implement them. Never mind the holes in the current infrastructure that leave big questions about how to produce alternative fuels and get them to market. Even if we convert a percentage of the pumps at every gas station in the country to deliver bio-fuels or natural gas, the consumer still has to be able to use those fuels.

I believe (check me on this somebody) that every car and light truck built in the US since 2005 has had flex-fuel capability, but how many vehicles currently in service are older than that? Mine certainly is. Look around next time you're out and about and try to estimate how many of those cars around you were built prior to the 2005 model year. How long do you suppose those cars are going to remain in service? Probably quite a while. They'll change owners, being passed down to people further and further down the prosperity chain. People who will be the least able to correct the inefficiencies inherent in an older vehicle.

In short, as long as we have combustion, we're going to have emissions. It's simple chemistry. Even a complete burn of an organic compound produces water and carbon. And until someone finds a way to mitigate that natural law, the only way to reduce emissions is to reduce combustion. Even if we all drove around in EZ-Go golf carts, we aren't reducing combustion -- we're simply relocating it. There is still a savings there -- it's easier to control emissions from one power plant than it is to control them from the several thousand vehicles it could potentially provide the power for.

The problem of carbon emissions didn't develop overnight. Neither will the solution. We've learned -- the hard way -- to Just Say No to the things that kill us as individuals. But it took years -- generations even -- for that message to finally sink in. We don't have generations for the message to Just Say No to the things that will kill us as a species to take hold. The good news is that we don't have to wait for our governments to mandate conservation measures. We can do it All By Ourselves.

I can't afford to replace my 2002 Dodge. But I can afford a tune-up. I can keep my tires aired up. I can use a lower-viscosity synthetic motor oil that makes my engine work less hard. It's uncomfortable, but I can drive with the windows open and the A/C off. And I can do all of this without being ordered to do it by the feds or the state.

So can you.Stumble This!