Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 7, 1991 TAG: 9103070466
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FRANK C. MILLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
He cites advances in our knowledge of producing more food but ignores the fact that water is necessary for crops to grow. A dry-weather pattern, not fully defined, is causing water problems in the Western United States and in other parts of the world.
In stating that nuclear energy costs less than either oil or coal, he ignores the billions of dollars it will cost to devise safe and suitable means of disposing of nuclear waste, if in fact it can be done. These are not theoretical problems of the future. They are with us now.
Concerning the efficiency of the steam locomotive, Mr. Simon uses the figure of 1 percent. The Norfolk and Western Railway designed, built and operated steam locomotives for years that had an overall efficiency of 6 to 7 percent. The first diesel-electric locomotives purchased by NW in 1955 were 1,600 to 1,750 horse power each, and had about 25 percent overall efficiency at the rail.
Three diesel locomotives were required to pull the same tonnage as one of the large freight steam locomotives. Other things aside, I fail to see the factor of 30 Mr. Simon talks about (perhaps a factor of about four).
Mr. Simon's utopian view of our future energy supply includes developing exotic processes with high price tags. The last frontier of aviation, using planes with Mach-3 speeds and flights above 100,000 feet altitude, has been effectively closed due to high costs and other problems. (These were planes such as the B-70, SR-71 and YF-12A.)
It is difficult to lump our environment, food crops and energy supply into one category, but they are related. We do not have an infinite source of these. And along with each problem are the extremely high costs to make even modest improvements.
Mr. Simon should recognize, as many in Washington apparently do not, that money is not one of our infinite resources. That being true, our ability to develop exotic processes is limited.
by CNB