KTM Electric motorcycle on sale in 2010

[CatatonicBug]

IMHO, the only good fuel is one that doesn't burn ANYTHING. No coal, alcohol, gas (liquid or gaseous), wood, plant matter or anything like that will work. We MUST come up with the technology that will capture the energy around us and utilize it in a way that is efficient enough to supply the demand.
Solar is a good idea, but still is not efficient enough.
Wind power is great, and is actually rather efficient, but not effective in all geographic regions.
Geothermal is great for some applications, and actually works very well for residential heating, as long as you are living where the crust of the earth is thin enough.
Hydro-electric works to a certain extent, but ruins ecosystems, and must be within proximity of a flowing water source.
What else is there that does not create carbon exhaust? We need to work on these and other alternatives if we want to preserve the planet for our posterity.

[DGXSER]

Interesting concepts

Catatonic, Not to be overly picky, but as an HVAC and former Power Plant engineer somethings just nag at me

Geothermal, is really about storing energy for later use. You take the heat from your home in the summer and store it in the earth to be pulled back out for use in the winter months. That is why it is really great in the middle regions of the USA, but not so useful in the extreme areas. In the south you never get to pull the heat back out, and in the north you never get to put it in. It is still very efficient and better than air to air, but the cost of the wells or piping is pretty high. I have ran the numbers in several areas of the country. I am interested in the effect of the thickness of the earths crust on the system, never heard that as a factor before.

The key to hydroelectric is height more than flow. Which is why you will always see the stations at a dam or a falls of some sort. Need the pressure (feet of head) created by the height of drop to turn the turbine, along with flow as you stated. Very limited areas where this can be acomplished.

As to taking our food supply for fuel, well, how many farms are still being paid NOT to grow crops? Alot less than it used to be for sure, but still some I believe. It is less about being able to grow it as it is what price they will get to sell it for fuel rather than for food and therefore driving the prices crazy IMHO.

[latexeses]

madmax-im

...and it isnt part of the food chain...it isnt corn..

You are right. Here in the Republik of Kalifornia I hear kids talking about turning "Corn into Fuel" It's like some weird mantra they have been taught. So many things that can reduce a need for foreign oil, that don't mean a shortage of something else.
I am reminded of an exchange between a lady who was proposing some new gun control measure that was directed towards law abiding Citizens and the News man ask in a stunned sort of voice "Do you really think that will acomplish anything? The response was "No, but we have to do something".....
Let's just hope that what ever fuel we wind up with is based on science not hope...