Originally Posted by
Turbosina
....From Columbus's expedition of 1492 (which was derided and rejected by his native Portugal as an impossible dream)......
Pssst!! Pssst!! (He was Italian; born in Genoa. His expedition was financed by Spain, but he
sailed from Portugal.....)
This.
I'll make a not very brave prediction here--petroleum won't be replaced in transportation in this century. Oil has too much of a lead in energy density over any foreseeable electrical source. It's something like 20 times more energy-dense than any electrical power source.
The energy density of jet fuel is 12,000 Wh/kg versus the best current rechargeable battery is about 250 Wh/kg. It will take a major breakthrough or nuclear power to replace oil.
GF
Electric may become a viable form for intra-city transit, and for rail, inter-city.
But air travel? You need energy density, and that seems unlikely to jump 400 orders of magnitude.
Here's an interesting article on the false eco-economy of windmills. It cites a lot of numbers that I have not personally researched to verify, but a quick perusal (with an engineering background) says "plausible and in the ballpark."
I believe the UK "Spectator" is a reputable magazine similar to Esquire.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/2017/05/...global-energy/
70 years ago, almost no homes had air conditioners, yet almost every home had a solar-powered clothes dryer, and a carbon-free washing machine.
It was a hand-cranked wash tub, and a clothes line.
I wonder how many climate-warrior homemakers would give up their front-loaders and "spring-fresh" fabric softeners to do things the old-fashioned way.