World running out of time for oil alternatives (hydrogen, plug-in hybrids?

[papau]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20050818/ts_nm/energy_dutch_ecn_dc;_ylt=ApxTj4pFnP96kDCsJw_F0mRZ.3QA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl


World running out of time for oil alternatives (hydrogen, plug-in hybrids?)
By Anna Mudeva

PETTEN, Netherlands (Reuters) - The world could run out of time to develop cleaner alternatives to oil and other fossil fuels before depletion drives prices through the roof, a leading Dutch energy researcher said on Thursday.

Ton Hoff, manager of the Energy Research Center of the Netherlands, said it could take decades to make alternatives affordable to the point where they can be used widely, although high oil prices were already stimulating such research.

"If we run out of fossil fuels -- by the time the oil price hits 100 dollars or plus, people will be screaming for alternatives, but whether they will be available at that moment of time -- that's my biggest worry," Hoff said.

"That's why we need to use fossil fuels in a more efficient way to have some more time to develop these alternatives up to a level where the robustness is guaranteed and their price has come down ... This could take decades for some technologies."

Stubbornly high oil prices have renewed worldwide interest in sustainable energy sources, such as solar, wind and biomass as well as biofuels.

But the world currently covers just some two percent of its energy needs with renewables as high costs and mixed policy initiatives hinder a wide-spread usage.
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[skids]

1. Question to anyone -- the 2% figure...

...When an article cites a statistic like this, 2% of power comes from alternative sources, are those estimates based solely on the number of wind/solar power stations on the grid, or do they count off-grid private power systems?

I mean, a lot of people have solar hot water these days. Is that included? It might be a stretch to include passively heated solar houses since that is a grey area between conservation and generation, but I get the sense that the number might be a sconch higher.

[pop goes the weasel]

2. 2% seems reasonable

Perhaps where you live, there is all sorts of new conservation-minded renovation going on, but where I am, people are too poor to make any changes other than doing without. Insulation and solar water heating and all would be great and would be feasible, but people making $20,000 a year can't pay for the improvements without a lot of help. Shoot, in this little town, not even any of the wealthier folks have solar panels. What's sad is that the town used to be energy self-sufficient with hydroelectricity, back in the early 20th century.

[phantom power]

3. The author messed up right in the title.

Hydrogen is not an alternative energy source, and neither are plug-in hybrids.

It takes effort to remain hopeful, when even the people who write these articles don't understand the basic issues.

[papau]

4. But plug-in Hybrids buy us time to get to an alternative source - while

Hydrogen may - or may not.

[phantom power]

5. If we can make them fast enough.

And if people can afford to buy them fast enough.