About 10 years ago, or so, a national news program had an hour long show about the stopping distances for various cars. Virtually every one of them was able to stop within 150 feet from 55 mph, on a level, dry paved road. If you have 30 years experience, you know DOT's stopping distance for an 18-wheeler under optimum conditions. But with an LTL load, and the back half, to two thirds of the trailer empty, that can change because the ABS takes over. BRAKE, one, two, three, RELEASE, one, two, three, BRAKE... And the stopping distance can go up to, and over, 600 feet. Yet, every "Tom", "Dick", and "Harry" absolutely MUST drive in front of a truck. Some will even speed up to 90 and 100 mph just to stay 100 feet in front of the truck. But, as long as they remained alert to the movements of the truck, they would be (theoretically) safer to drive 3 feet BEHIND the truck because of the differences in the stopping distances. Not to mention the 17 to 25% they can save on fuel by following 200 feet behind the truck, depending on wind direction.
Now, please point out one of the "so-called experts" that is aware of that. What I think of when I hear "expert" is...
Quote:
March/April 2007 TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
In the context of the overall energy economy, a car like the BMW Hydrogen 7 would probably produce far more carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline-powered cars available today. And changing this calculation would take multiple breakthroughs--which study after study has predicted will take decades, if they arrive at all. In fact, the Hydrogen 7 and its hydrogen-fuel-cell cousins are, in many ways, simply flashy distractions produced by automakers who should be taking stronger immediate action to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions of their cars.
This comes from some of those "experts". Now, think about what they are trying to tell us. Fuels are hydro-carbons. Hydrogen has no carbon. Yet, by not putting hydro-carbons into the combustion process, you're going to put out more carbon dioxide than by introducing carbon into it. Somewhere, they've come up with a way to CREATE matter in the combustion process. You CAN NOT PUT OUT MORE CARBON than you put into the process.March/April 2007 TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
In the context of the overall energy economy, a car like the BMW Hydrogen 7 would probably produce far more carbon dioxide emissions than gasoline-powered cars available today. And changing this calculation would take multiple breakthroughs--which study after study has predicted will take decades, if they arrive at all. In fact, the Hydrogen 7 and its hydrogen-fuel-cell cousins are, in many ways, simply flashy distractions produced by automakers who should be taking stronger immediate action to reduce the greenhouse-gas emissions of their cars.
So, what I want to know is: "JUST WHO IS STUPID ENOUGH TO PAY THESE EXPERTS, and also, WHO IS STUPID ENOUGH TO GIVE THEM CREDIBILITY?