of physics….

I don’t think people understand the laws of thermodynamics. There is talk (mainly by the republicans who are paid off by the Coal Lobby) of burning coal in such a way that the Carbon released by that process, which would normally be spewed out as Greenhouse Gas CO2, is somehow pumped back into the ground where it will stay forever and everything will be fine.

This is not going to to work. Do you know why? The CO2 will get out. “Ah,” you say, “there must be a way to make it not get out!” Yes, there is! Turn it into coal or oil! That’s pretty much the only way to do it. There may be a way to sap off a little energy by turning inefficiently packaged carbon (in coal?) into more efficiently packaged carbon (in _____?_____). I very much doubt it, and the difference (and thus the gain) would be tiny. So, the claim that there is 250 years of coal in reserve (which, to George is “a lot of coal”) … much of which is in Canada, so we’ll have to invade them, but that should not be too much of a problem … will have to be adjusted. If we simply move the carbon from one level of efficiency of storage (coal or oil) to another (some unknown substance) we’re unlikely to get better than a few percent of the energy, and it will take energy to do that. So, the two and a half centuries of coal may be good for … let’s see …. swoosh swoosh (that’s my slide rule working) … swoosh.. about four and a half months. Don’t be a moron, George. Oh, sorry, ok… you are a very special president, yes you are.

This story:

New Jersey highways to be used as a power source, Governor made an offer he couldn’t refuse

might be similar. They are going to replace the Jersey Barriers along the New Jersey turnpike with turbines that will pick up energy from the turbulence caused by cars wooshing along the highway.

But this may just slow the cars down causing them to use more fuel. Or, get this: They want to use the energy to power a light rail. But you must realize it will take something like (swooosh swoosh swoosh) 2,976 cars traveling an average of 56.4 miles (the average communizing distance in that part of the world) for the light rail to transport one medium sized person (and there are VERY FEW medium sized people in New Jersey…). So, if the light rail is very attractive, actually goes somewhere, and is heavily used, New Jersey will have to import people from Pennsylvania and New York to drive back and forth on the highway in order to generate the energy. (See, the New Jersey people … they’ll be on the light rail, right?)

Surprisingly, the Governor of New Jersey is not a republican.