11-12-2018, 03:18 PM
(11-12-2018, 07:31 AM)Nick Wrote:(11-12-2018, 01:50 AM)boater sam Wrote: I remain unconvinced.
I think an electric seat is no substitute for a cabin heater, I hate them and what they do to my rear end.
When I see a battery powered tractor pulling a 16 furrow plough through heavy clay soil for 10 hours a day without a break or a 30ft wide combine harvesting, then I will consider that there is a future for battery power.
That's rather "reducto ad absurdum", IMHO...
There are many steps on the way to change, and electric/hybrid driver-less cars & trucks are part of that process. We already have GPS-controlled, driver-less tractors.
There will come a time when combines & other heavy machinery will not be diesel, simply because they cannot be! Eventually, petrochemicals will become too scare or expensive (or both) to use for such tasks - necessity is the mother of invention - solutions will be found.
Hi Nick.
Yes indeed these changes are happening but only in developed countries. The problem in my mind is frightening, farming, building, goods delivery and other forms of transport at the present require a human driver, if we remove these jobs where are these people going to find work, not everyone can go to uni and land up with top jobs, so driving can be an important sector to employ people. Can you really see lorries and busses being driverless on the passes and unrecorded roads of Africa, South America and Asia? The whole world cannot embrace this change.
I have absolutely nothing against cleaning up the atmosphere for following generations, it has to be done but at times I wonder if we are going about things in a sensible way. To manufacture batteries we require huge amounts of energy, the carbon footprint of making batteries is very high.
https://www.industryweek.com/technology-...ive-carbon
So we are not solving the problem doing that, plus of course batteries need to be recharged, so the energy for that is drawn from the grid, gas is used and other fuels to run the power stations. wind just doesn't give enough power at best and at worst is a joke. Other sustainable sources are needed that are reliable, at the moment we don't have that, there is insufficient nuclear as well. The governments targets are unrealistic especially right now with political wrangling about the EU.
In some ways I see no real answer, we do need one and quickly but quick change brings its problems, employment or more like unemployment, living standards, freedom all come to mind.
Cheers.
Trevor
MM0KJJ. Member of, RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC.
Trevor
MM0KJJ. Member of, RSGB, GQRP, WACRAL, K&LARC.