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Below is a photo of a magnificent, iconic steam locomotive named “The Flying Scotsman”. It is akin to this website administrator: old, past its sell-by date, Scottish and produces far too much greenhouse gas emitting pollution.
If you have not yet spotted the ironic nature of this picture below, just look closely for the wind turbine. There is a modern, zero pollution electricity generator right above that majestic plume of steam, currently powered by lethal, planet-killing coal being fed by the ton into the locomotive. The solution?
The Solution? Plug That Wind Turbine Into The Overhead Train Cables.
A remedy to climate change is remarkably simple and summed up in this one photograph!
Yes, of course steam engines are obsolete (in first world countries), but the networks are literally railroaded into using highly polluting diesel locomotives. Just look at this Tesco train picture. More irony…
Tesco CO2 – Half Way To Helping Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Photo attribution with thanks to Jamie Stevenson
Tescos supermarket have been working hard to reduce hundreds of thousands of lorry-road-journeys and moving millions of tons of freight onto less harmful railway networks.
We need to get off of the diesel addiction and stay on track. Go the whole distance and become 100% zero pollution for rail freight and passenger networks.
Our proposed solution and in fact the whole purpose of our efforts are to pragmatically remove vast amounts of pollution by turning coal/diesel locomotive transport systems into WIND-TURBINE POWERED ELECTRIC FREIGHT TRAINS.
A] We start by sponsoring a Ph.D student with a £3,000 bursary to study this proposal and produce a fully researched thesis.
B] We search out wise counsel and expert advice as to structural and financial methodology to achieve our goals.
C] We seek to assemble an international forum where national leaders who are in a position to put such projects into place can hammer out an ecological zero emission transport protocol.
D] We have already received a commitment of £50,000 subject to “matched-funding” in order to purchase a test railway track bed and produce a modest proof-of-concept “wind powered train” in physical form to accumulate real-world research data.
Fortunately, since starting this endeavour, others are progressing similar systems. In Holland, they are making great advances. Though the systems there lose a great amount of energy in the distribution grid. Unseen, but the massive volumes of inefficiency need to be addressed. We aim to help in that direction too.
During the progression of achieving all four of the above “phase 1” elements and providing the potential is proven objectively in all other pertinent respects, we move onto the second phase…
Photo (C) A. Anderson
Phase 2 is literally encapsulated in the photograph above. To secure moral and logistical support from rail industry leaders who care about the planet and are prepared to help roll out a trial effort. For example, Sir Richard Branson and Sir Brian Souter are two UK transport supremos with a decent philanthropic and social conscience who would be perfect to join in with this Ecotrains initiative. Ecotrains admin., Russ McLean (here) has been fortunate to have been invited by one of these knights and intent on meeting the other when diary schedules allow for detailed discussions.
There is also a need to secure transport expertise from all around the world. For example, Mr Lance Fritz, President of Union Pacific Railroad in America (plus several other railroad leaders: here).
Crucial to this type of NGO initiative are major eco-business leaders such as Elon Musk (here) in America and that is already in train. Apologies for the pun. But we need to get as many good people on board the research and development as soon as is humanly possible for obvious climate change reasons.
Also, and this cannot be overstated: because of compatibility mismatch between nations on railway gauge + operating voltages + power systems and industrial electronics/microelectronics etc., harmonisation and standardisation are vitally important. Economies of scale plug into this and require fine-tuning. The mindset of saving power has to become second nature.
It is essential that an international standard on 100% non-pollution powered rail transport systems is adopted, in a similar dynamic to the internet and its relationship with ICANN (here).
An international zero pollution locomotive + network organisation with the finest minds needs to be established. Soon.
Photo (C) David Sharenberg
Phase 3 of our UK base initiative is to locate suitable tranches of rail track where wind turbines can be “plugged into” the electric rail system. A major problem with distribution of electricity from where wind farms are located, to the major consumers in cities far away, is a “spine” or electrical cable infrastructure (example here). Good fortune shines on our project in that railway lines already have these land corridors and many are already electrified with the requisite overhead cable systems.
There will still be some major and sophisticated power grid electrical engineering, but if our phase 1 “proof-of-concept” can be completed, this is scalable and a fast way to reduce greenhouse emissions.
There is a vast amount of freight that currently contributes to a planet-killing amount of pollution.
Photo (C) Terry Campbell
We can change this horrendous polluter into a massive planet saving system
If we can remove 25% of that in the next 5 years and make 50% of worldwide freight ZERO EMISSION then humanity ad the Earth stand a decent chance at stabilisation and recovery.