SOLAR/HYDROGEN Power and Our Future:
We've done everything possible to keep this site pure helicopter. However, don't you think it's time that everyone (no matter what our work, interests or hobbies are) needs to collectively think and promote solar and hydrogen power (and other clean ways to live) to make our world a better place for future generations?

As a futurist, I have two questions (below) for everyone, including but not limited to engineers, architects, contractors, building owners, manufacturers and consumers.

Solar & Hydrogen EnginE / sOLAR POWER cHALLENGE
Question 1. My question to all engineers and manufacturers of road & air vehicles: Is it not time to make solar only, solar/hydrogen, and hydrogen only cars, trucks, and flying machines?

Imagine all sides of cars (and trucks, etc.) such as side panels, hood, roof and trunk lid (boot lid), and including windows as solar panels.

For road vehicles, imagine not having to stop to purchase gasoline/petrol! Imagine a clean running solar powered car or truck. Cars and trucks would recharge all day long in the sun.

Would solar vehicles have less power? Yes, at first, but more efficient solar cells and better batteries will be manufactured. It will be worth changing over to solar powered cars as a cleaner earth (and less money at the gas station) is a much brighter and more promising future.

If someone needs a muscle-powered solar car, this, too, would eventually be designed by engineers. I dream of a car that recharges itself in the sun (due to solar panels on all sides of the car) and rarely needs to be plugged in. If we can think it, we can build it.

Hydrogen burns clean. Why not make hydrogen engines for flying machines? Why not drive and fly clean? Hydrogen cars would be favored in areas where there are more cloudy days than sunny days. Solar cars would be favored in areas of the world where there are more sunny than cloudy days.

Examples of current cars reducing the pollution on our planet.
Honda FCX Clarity Hydrogen Car
Honda is introducing the, FCX Clarity (photo, right), a hydrogen fuel-cell car, will be leased to Southern Californians starting during the summer of 2008. And I quote from the Honda website, “This amazing vehicle drives completely clean—emitting nothing into the air but water vapor.” The heat is on.

Honda also has a Civic Hybrid Sedan.

Toyota Concept Cars
Toyota has hybrid and hydrogen cars that will obviously take the world by storm, as well.

Toyota Camry. “The new Camry Hybrid has nearly 70% fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle and exceeds the Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) exhaust standard as set by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).” ~From Toyota.com

Toyota Prius. Estimated miles per gallon, 48/45/46 (city/highway/combined). It has a gasoline engine and a permanent magnet AC synchronous motor with High Solar Energy-Absorbing (HSEA) glass. ~From Toyota.com (Solar panels on a car!)

Aptera Motors, Inc., San Diego, California
An electric/hybrid car—averaging 130 MPG—made in Carlsbad, California. Carlsbad is located in San Diego County. Carlsbad is north of the city of San Diego in an area where the locals call it "North County." Aptera expects production of the car (licensed as a motorcycle) in the fall of 2008. Includes solar panels!

“The Aptera was designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle, and later as an extended range electric vehicle.” “We decided not just to meet many of the specs for passenger vehicles, which are set above and beyond the requirements for motorcycles, but we chose to exceed them whenever possible. Just a few of the many parts of the safety systems on the Typ-1 are airbag-in seatbelt technology, a front subframe and a firewall that redirect energy around the occupants.” ~from Aptera.com

High School students in Philadelphia (who made a 130 MPG car) are shaming American car manufacturers:
What else needs to be said about our collective values on our logcal and global responsiblity for the earth in our society? The Energy Crisis of 1973 and 1979 seems all forgotten. During the Energy Crisis, Americans were asked by the President to slow down on the road to save on gas mileage. (Air resistance affects loss in fuel economy when speeds are 40 MPG or greater.) America did save money while driving slower. But has been forgotten. Do we see our nation collectively driving slower on our highways and freeways in 2008?

During the Energy Crisis of the 1970's, The President also asked American car manufacturers to improve the gas mileage of their cars by 2-3 miles per year, so that by the year 2000, we'd be in a much better position as a nation. This seems to have been forgotten also. Shame on American car manufactures.

Here are some high school students—the West Philly Hybrid X Team—who are outshining American car companies by light years. These high schools students have made a car with 130 MPG.

See the popular mechanics story here:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4261425.html?series=19

See the West Philly Hybrid X Team website here:
http://www.evxteam.org/

Some random BICYCLE quotes:

“I don't need a war to power my bicycle.” ~unknown

“It would not be at all strange if history came to the conclusion that the perfection
of the bicycle was the greatest incident of the nineteenth century. ~Anonymous

“An engineer designing from scratch could hardly concoct a better device
to unclog modern roads—cheap, nonpolluting, small, and silent…” ~Rick Smith

“...the bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting calories into gas,
a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles per gallon.” ~Bill Strickland

“Whoever invented the bicycle deserves the thanks of humanity.” ~Lord Charles Beresford

“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.” ~H.G. Wells

“Imagine all the roads in the United States filled with bicycles. Less pollution, less stress, less people killed on the road, and a much healthier nation.” ~www.helicopterlinks.com

“I ride my bike to work, to the store, and for pleasure every day. I drive my car about twice (or less) a week and only when it's absolutely necessary.” ~Incoming email to helicopterlinks.com

“There is a website called carfreecity.us and carfree.com but why not push for that every city become a bicycle friendly city? For instance in Holland (The Netherlands) for many of their roads have bike lanes, even in their cities. You can travel throughout the entire country of Holland on a bicyle. Here is a such a website that promotes a bicycle friendly community: bicyclefriendlycommunity.org

Need a good bike manufacturer?
Specialized Bicycle Components company offers a wide variety of bicycles. The above photo is one of Specialized's bike models.