Peter Fusaro is right, "science doesn't cut it" on Wall Street (it never really did). Look at hybrids and coal and CO2 sequestration. He is "positive about hybrid vehicles" and "clean" coal.

First, hybrids. The energy recovered during braking is just about compensating for bigger weight due to batteries and electrics. Only about 25% of kinetic energy of the vehicle can be recovered during braking. In highway traffic at constant speed, there is just penalty from rolling resistance due to extra weight. Also, comparing hybrids with ordinary cars is wrong, as hybrids (generally) have much better Cd (drag coefficient) to improve highway driving performance (0.25/0.36 ~ 30% better). Official test are proving that results of hybrids are generally ~30% off the official figures. Why is the US pushing hybrids, when in Europe they flopped?

Hybrids would make a lot of sense if the batteries had much better energy density (one day they will), and if they were recharged from an external source (not a car engine, that is just a range extender) which would get energy from clean and renewable sources (wind, solar etc.). In this case, a small IC engine could be used, and complemented by electric motors in the first stage. The second stage will be pure electric car (BEV) with electric motor for each wheel, but not in the wheels, on board (with brakes as well) for reduction of unsprung masses. Charging the batteries from IC engine on board (which we blame for low efficiency) just does not make sense.

Clean coal? I agree the impurities can be cleansed before coal is burnt. But CO2 is still the problem. Who will supervise that CO2 was capped, sent to "sequestration" sites and kept there? With all the cheating going on all around us, someone may pocket money for doing it, without doing it. Very difficult to enforce.

The right solution is to reduce consumption of energy (ultralight and superefficient cars, homes, rail and waterway freight) and use of renewable energy sources. I know that the US has 300 years (or more) of coal supplies, and is also counting on nuclear power. But that is not the way to go. We have to stop using fossil fuels as the way to make money. The government should step-in, it is about time!

Mark Kmicikiewicz
CKE TECHNOLOGIES INC.