Future of cars? ‘Electrics’ projected to roll out en masse soon, rendering gas vehicles obsolete

By JOHN NORTH

Energy and climate issues will determine the future of civilization, according to Dr. Arjun Makhijani, who spoke on June 1 in UNC Asheville’s Owen Conference Center.

In an address titled “Carbon-Free, Nuclear-Free: A Roadmap for U.S. Energy Policy,” Makhijani offered his analysis on why civilization should choose to end its reliance on fossil fuels.

Makhijani, who has assessed the technologies and crunched the numbers, said that by starting now, the U.S. can reach a net-zero CO2 economy by 2050 at reasonable cost and without new nuclear power.

A packed room of about 100 people attended the lecture, sponsored by the World Affairs Council of Western North Carolina.
Makhijani’s topic was the same as that of the book he published in 2007 and was promoting. He spoke for 50 minutes and fielded questions for 30 minutes. His book was offered for sale at his talk.

Arjun Makhijani

His latest book is billed as the first analysis of a transition to a U.S. economy based completely on renewable energy, without any use of fossil fuels or nuclear power.

Makhijani  is the founding president of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, based in Takoma Park, Md. He holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering (specializing in nuclear fusion) from the University of California at Berkeley and is the principal author of the first U.S. energy-conservation study ever done in 1971. He was born in India, where he graduated from the University of India.

Preceding his talk, a dinner was held in Makhijani ’s honor, followed by an auction of autographed copies of his newest book.
While Makhijani bills himself as a pioneer in energy-efficiency, he credited fellow Californian S. David Freeman as “the real father of energy policy in the United States.” Freeman was active in advising the White House in the 1960s and his book “became the foundation of President (Jimmy) Carter’s energy policy.” (Freeman, known as “The Green Cowboy,” published “Energy: The New Era” in 1974.)

Two years ago, Freeman gave a speech in which he said “the planet is in intensive care,” Makhijani  asserted.

“And it is,” he stressed. The projection in the model was a melting away of glaciers in the 21st century by 2070.

However, in referring to what he termed “The Great Arctic Ice Melt of 2007,” the worst-case scenario is now in three to eight years — 2010 or 2015, Makhijani said, noting this constitutes “a dramatic change” in the worst-case model.

He pointed out that “Dave said get rid of oil, coal and nuclear and we should go to solar” in his speech.

As an initial skeptic of solar power, Makhijani said he devised the following standards that must be met to make it feasible:
• It should be reliable — whether or not the sun shines.
• It should be affordable.
• Carbon emissions must be controlled in the entire process involving solar power.

He said solar power can meet those standards.

Suddenly shifting from heavy issues to light-heartedness, Makhijani prompted laughter when he quipped that, “as a good Hindu,” someone once asked if he was “a practicing Hindu.” In response, “I said, ‘Well, if you’re a Hindu, you don’t have to practice!”
Returning to the topic, Makhijani said, “Why not nuclear — let me dwell on that for a while.”

“First, everyone says, ‘France has nuclear’ and ‘Do it like the French.’ I know the French (nuclear) system — and those who say that, don’t know.”

Makhijani noted that the French decided in 1973 “they’d go nuclear and eliminate oil from their energy system ... They did it in 35 years.”

He also said that, in some circles in the United States, many have the belief that the French even recycle spent fuel rods.
After a pause, Makhijani smiled and declared, “There can be fractional truth,” stating that only 1 percent of spent fuel rods in France are run through the recycler for plutonium.

He said the French pay 2 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity from the nation’s nuclear energy system, which he noted is 85 percent government-owned.

“When somebody says, ‘Let’s do it like the French,’ well, should we nationalize the (U.S.) energy system?”

“The French government has one hand in the energy company’s pockets and one hand in the rate-payers pockets,” Makhijani noted, in favoring keeping the U.S. nuclear energy system privately owned.

“Why do you want to follow the French in a bad thing? If you want to follow the French, follow their health care system,” which, Makhijani contended, offers better medical care at a cheaper cost than the American system.

Again, taking a humorous tack that had the crowd laughing, he added, “I know (about the French) — because I have a French wife.”

Makhijani noted that the massive radioactive discharge from France’s nuclear system goes into the English Channel, wreaking much environmental harm.

He added that “the 95 percent of the waste that’s now contaminated with plutonium is just piling up” in France.

“And you know what — the nuclear waste is just sitting there” with no solution for its disposal in sight. “So, I don’t think the France have an answer to the question” of providing an efficient energy alternative that is environmentally sustainable.

“Wind energy is cheaper now than nuclear energy,” Makhijani contended. “Why do you want Excedrin headache No. 4,835 with nuclear energy?”

“We’ve got a climate problem and there are a number of countries that want nuclear power. Lots of countries want it. Ninety percent of this ‘wanting’ it is to demonstrate” that if they want to make nuclear bombs, they could, “but they wouldn’t say that.”

He cited Robert Oppenheimer of The Manhattan Project saying in 1946 that if the U.S. signs agreements with countries that claim they want the technology to launch nuclear power plants, it would be easy for countries to convert from energy generation to bomb-making.

Makhijani also noted that the U.S. has “a limited amount of money to solve the problem” of converting to an efficient and environmentally sustainable alternative energy source.

He then said the average house in the U.S. uses 58,000 BTU per square foot per year, which Makhijani termed “a pretty leaky house — and not well-built.”

He added that it now costs about $111 per square foot to build what he termed “a high-energy-use house,” which, in turn, uses one-seventh of the energy of the average American home.

“Why don’t builders build energy efficient houses” or commercial buildings? Makhijani asked.

“Because they have no incentive” to do so,” he said. “Their customers don’t care — and (the customers) don’t realize the problem” of never-ending high operating costs as a result of shoddy construction “until later.”

“We should have efficiency rules for new buildings,” he said, “and current buildings” should be required to meet certain standards when they are sold.

“Without (energy) efficiency” in houses and commercial buildings, “all the problems ... become much more complex.”

Waxing humorous, Makhijani quipped. “The argument between Mr. (Dick) Cheney and Mr. (Jimmy) Carter will not be solved. Mr. Carter will continue to wear his sweater — and Mr. Cheney won’t.”

To that end, he said, “The proportion of virtuous people will remain the same” in the world.

In his search for the best alternative energy system, Makhijani said a key component should be that “you don’t have to change your habits, even if they’re bad.” For instance, he said he habitually turns off lights as he leaves rooms, but doesn’t worry if others leave lights burning — and pay the costs.

In speaking of wind power, “They say the Midwest is the Saudi Arabia of the United States — that’s wrong,” he said. “The Midwest has three times that of Saudi Arabia.

“The Midwest’s top wind-producing states have more energy power (potential) than all the current U.S. nuclear power plants combined.”

“Again, if you take seriously that the planet is in intensive care,” which he termed an accurate assessment, then wind energy is an option that is “cheaper than nuclear energy” — and safer.

Regarding the planet’s precarious condition, Makhijani said, “It’s already in the middle of climate change — and it’s faster than we thought and it’s worse than we thought. That (climate change) argument is over!”

“We need to have rooms for planet safety. We’re breathing that stuff. Our kids are having more asthma....”

At that point, he noted that “one of the bumper stickers coming out of my book is: ‘Parking lots are the answer!’”

As the audience appear aghast at his comment, a grinning Makhijani quickly explained that parking lots and rooftops “generate much energy,” which can be tapped to resolve energy needs.

In looking from a researcher’s viewpoint, Makhijani said, “If you don’t like coal, take nuclear because of the baseload.” However, he noted that “each reactor needs 10 to 20 millions of gallons of water per day” to operate, which constitutes a problem in contemporary America, where droughts are becoming ever-increasing problems in some areas.

“But,” he noted, “we don’t need baseload ... It’s a totally dumb system ... We’re into Ipods and who knows what. We’ve got a 1920s system,” Makhijani  said in reference to the electrical grid in the U.S., “where supply and demand don’t take care of each other.

“Now, supply and demand can take care of each other — it’s called the Smart Grid. You connect the micro grid to the macro grid ... That’s how modern electrical generation should be done.”

“It’s wrong to put future generations at risk with nuclear energy,” he said. “Nuclear is not prudent.”

Regarding American misperceptions about France’s progressive energy system, Makhijani said mockingly, “‘We’re the French — and we know how to do it’ ... Well, build a restaurant — that’s what they do well. When you’re guaranteed a 12 percent rate (of return) on energy, you get lazy.”

In the U.S., “We have plenty of coal, natural gas and nuclear — and we don’t need any more. We have many of these plants.
“We need to coordinate the wind and the sun ... The sun shines during the day and the wind often (blows) at night ... Coordination isn’t something that comes easily.”

At that point, Makhijani noted, “I haven’t talked about transportation — electric cars are right around the corrner” and gasoline-fueled cars will become quickly obsolete.

He said electric cars will cost 2 or 3 cents per mile to operate, versus 20 cents per mile for the average automobile in the U.S., based on $4 per gallon gasoline and 10 miles per gallon gas usage, the latter of which he said is the true average despite hype to the contrary.

He showed a slide of a sleek sports car, noting that it is the subject of midlife crisis for many Americans, but “my midlife crisis is the wooden box ... called the violin.” Specfically, he much enjoys playing – and collecting — violins.

Next, Makhijani said, “Just imagine a parking meter .... that works in reverse.”

Along with harnessing the energy from rooftops and parking lots, he said parking meter-type devices could tap energy from parked cars in the future.

“You match the shape of the demand curve with the shape of the supply curve,” the engineer emphasized. “You have storage to take care of situations where demand outstrips supply.”

Pausing again, Makhijani asserted, “People say there is no political will, but there is ... Now, Wall Street is very reluctant to invest” in energy alterantives.

“I say, ‘Make the political wind.’” To that end, aspects of “political wind” include votes and money, Makhijani said. “Those of you who have both, you can make a political hurricane!” The audience cheered and applauded Makhijani’s comments.

“The technology and economics will work ... We need the government to have plug-in hybrids or electrics as their standard cars” because “in 30 to 40 years, fossil fuels will be gone.”

“Okay, it will take the political wind to get this done.” To that end, he said politicians say, “‘If you don’t give us something, we won;t build more nuclear plants.’ Well, don’t!”

Makhijani said his reputation and credibility is highly important to him in his profession and that he is stepping out beyond most of his fellow experts by advocating an immediate — and complete — shift to wind and solar power and electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

“People refer to me as a messenger of hope,” he noted, adding that he is working closely with Utah on its energy systems.
“Wouldn’t it be a nuclear ‘shock and awe’ if Utah is the first state to adopt carbon, nuclear-free” energy policies?”

With a smile, he said evenly of a state known for its large Mormon population, “Utah — and I’m a Hindu!” The crowd laughed and gave Makhijani a sustained ovation for his address.