LETTER- NY TIMES

Dear Editor:

Re: The Riddle of Electric Cars (Opinion by Joe Nocera,

NY Times, Feb.10) 

There is a clear solution, and it does not lie in the 

quest for a magic battery. 

Ordinary batteries are good enough and in modest capacity

- not more than what would be required for short range

commute.The approach is wrong  in seeking to produce

electric cars with long range mileage and the ingrained

concept  of charging batteries off the grid runs counter
to efforts to mitigate climate change.This is because 

about 50 per cent of grid power is produced by coal 

burning plants. All but two states have such plants, so

the odds are many electric cars will be coal burners, at

thermodynamic efficiencies at about half that of modern 

motor cars. 

The solution is on-board power generation. which would be

the case if fuel cells were to be successful.
The truth is that car manufacturers are already backing 

into a technology that has been around for a hundred 

years  - the Diesel Electric locomotive. 

Chevrolet Volt II is almost there. It features on-board 

power generation,with a gasoline engine powered generator

keeping a modest bank of batteries charged. It offers 

little to improve emissions quality. But change the 

engine to a biodiesel engine, and now GM can offer a car

with near zero carbon footprint. Germany is already on 

track to produce such vehicles. 

We don't need magic batteries. Just common sense in 

applying on-board power generation.

Sincerely,

Edward Hujsak 

LETTER TO CONGRESS

  This letter was sent to Senators  Feinstein and Boxer,Congresswoman Susan Davis and Congressman Scott
Peters. Copy freely.    



The massive flaring of natural gas from the oil fields in North Dakota can easily be spotted from space.That is only part of the emissions because much natural gas (methane), a product of oil drilling, is simply vented to the atmosphere. Methane is worse than carbon dioxide in the context of climate change.
      Someone, or perhaps many, are not doing their job, and that includes members of Congress and the EPA, who by default, by inaction, are responsible for one of the largest carbon footprints of all.
      Someone has to be brought up short for this greedy behavior on the part of drillers, who  are not required to capture and conserve natural gas emissions.
      This reckless activity, wasting energy reserves and polluting the atmosphere is nothing short of criminal and you should do something about it. There is a limit to which going for the extra buck should be allowed, especially when the future of the planet is at stake.