Solving Our Enery Crisis - Free Enterprise and Competition

Solving Our Energy Crisis - Free Enterprise and Competition

The United States is poised to solve its energy issues quickly if it shifts the drain on res0olves to the Middle East and redirects it into clean energy alternatives. We already have extra industrial capacity to begin mass producing new products quickly once promising alternatives are found. It should feel free to offer prizes as DARPA has already proven to be an effective strategy. As energy prices increase a premium will be put on fuel effeciency for various jobs. It should encourage completions in schools and communities to raise people's individual awareness. When viable alternatives are found the free market should determine their use and the inventor should retain their royalties. While government regulation is necessary for safety's sake, it is imperative that Governments across the country begin to rethink their traffic systems. Often it might be possible to begin to allow a lane system based on half lanes. Some roads might be open to half lane vehicles only. Consider a mini would be a half lane car, about the biggest. I’m sure Escorts and Corollas would soon be adapted. Depending on the size of the Road, more lane configurations are possible as is the possibility of separate highways for lighter traffic:

Light Walkway, non polluters only:

Pedestrian High speed walkways with benches that move. Along the Lake, Walkways move progressively faster as you move inside. (Electric Moped and lighter friendly) 15 MPH in the fast lane though, however that speed is guaranteed until you step off onto the 10 MPH path then to the 5 mph path to the sidewalk. (Relegated initially to commercial and tourist areas)

1 Half lane each way: Bike Path Expresso 20 MPH


Mini or lighter Skyway light polluters:

3 half lanes each way, on and off ramps, limited access 35 MPH speed limit in inner lane, 25 in second and 10 minimum in slow lane.

2 Half lanes each way. Middle lane 25, slow lane 5 min. Density every other street, excluding major streets which would remain unaltered.

Meanwhile, some traffic would require 2 and some time in the future, even 3 lanes.

Air Traffic:

Even a modest town should boast an ultralight Airport, and Chicago should be no exception installing 7 within the city inself and 27 More in collar counties, inculding Indiana.

Hydrogen and electic powered Lighter than Air (or Lighter than half) vehicles should be allowed to land in even more areas.

Solving Our Enery Crisis - Giving America a New Backbone

In order to secure our energy independence it is critical that America have a High Efficiency Electronic Backbone, this could be used to allow communities and individuals to sell electricity across our country preventing the need of communities to create greenhouse gases with inefficient power generation. The current Internet Backbone Map would be a good starting point. International connections at least to Canada would probably be needed. Wind power from the shores of Lake Eire could be sold to New York City. The Sun's power could to captured in Arizona and the wave action of the Pacific could be harnessed and used to power Los Angeles. Further, as we have already gone down the nuclear road, and are left with spent fuel rods it makes sense for us (U.S.) to develop the breeder reactor under a joint government - private utility company project in association with Canada and with the aide of French advisers. (the French already have developed and are using breeder reactor technology. The idea of this venture would be to develop one example smaller size breeder reactor in the southeast (which would still be the largest reactor in the country) and then build 2 larger reactors in the Midwest and western parts of the country, all on our new backbone, this would give the whole country access to dependable electricity which will be needed as we continue to see fuel prices rise. This power can be used to create hydrogen or to power electric and hybrid plug in vehicles. Finally nuc

lear batteries are already being developed which could be buried to power outlying communities at reasonable prices and quite safely, though the Department of Energy still need to develop rules for thier use as this is new technology. These two uses for spent fuel rods will help reduce, but not completely eliminate America's need for a Nuclear Storage Facillity.

Photos courtesy of http://www.cameco.com/uranium_101/fact.php, OSHA and Natl. Geo. Soc.