Holden in Oz no more

[flybyknight]

No it is not. This is physics 101.

 

You are taking energy from a fossil fuel (coal) and transforming it (burning it). Energy can never be created or destroyed but only transformed and with each transformation energy is lost from the system, so the more you transform it, the less efficient. So, you take coal (chemical energy), transform to heat, transform to kinetic, transform to electrical, tranform to, transform to a mix of potential and mechanical, transform to kinetic. Petrol (chemical energy) - you transform to heat, transform to mechanical, trnaform to kinetic. Petrol is moe efficient and will require less energy

 

 

your explanation takes no account of efficiency

 

coal plants may pollute but for the fuel in = energy out they are actually pretty efficient.

even the best internal combustion engines convert well over 50% of the fuels calorific value into heat.

good on a cold day... maybe not so good as a motive force.

[The Fisheys]

Come on, hydrogen is absolutely the way forward. Using solar power, desalinate seawater, using solar power, split it into hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen burns to dihydrogen oxide, also known as water. You can burn it to generate electricity, which you can use to pump the water inland to irrigate the whole country, or you can export it like the Arabs do with oil.

yes there is a few Bob to be spent on infrastructure, but you know 150 years ago there was no infrastructure for oil, and we seemed to find the money for it, so living on an island, surrounded by seawater, bathed in sunlight, I am sure we can get it going.

And, and, there is enough sunlight in the UK as well, that's why trees grow in Scotland!