How do solar cars, electric cars, and smokestack scrubbers help prevent global warming?

Question

How do solar cars, electric cars, and smokestack scrubbers help prevent global warming?

Answer 1

In theory, if a solar car lasted long enough, it would get its power from the sun directly, avoiding the need to burn gasoline or other carbon-based fuel.  This would mean that it doesn't release Carbon Dioxide, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.  In reality, one must consider the resources, pollution, and Carbon Dioxide released in making the solar car compared to a regular car.  Differences would include the addition of solar panels and batteries, and an electric engine instead of internal combustion.

An electric car has similar considerations, except that it would be plugged into the wall to charge, instead of charged by solar panels.  The idea is that a commercial power plant can generate energy more efficiently than a car's engine, and would release less (but not zero) carbon dioxide.

I'm not sure how smokestack scrubbers help global warming.  They generally remove particulates and oxides of nitrogen, which are pollutants, but do little to cut down the carbon dioxide.  The idea of sequestering (storing away safely) the carbon dioxide has been floated, but it's too expensive to be practical right now.

Answer 2

Electric cars are simpler & more efficent & much more pleasent to drive than infernal combustion:

easy to make, cheap to maintain, quiet, smooth, smell free, max torque from 0rpm from cold http://www.killacycle.com, refuel at home or work from the grid or your own micro-generator, regenerative braking, no power used when stationary...

and provide back-up power supply for home or local grid http://www.arabnews.com/?page=6&section=...

putting solar pannels on cars is not a very efficient as they don't have optimum position and add weight, best to fit to garage as optional with Tesla http://www.teslamotors.com

Centralised powersations constantly monitored and maintained, running at optimum load & temperature - and using advanced pollution control systems, using unrefined fuel close to source is much better than small infernal combustion engines dependent on long supply chains from remote politicaly or environmentally sensitive areas

Answer 3

they are not putting carbon in the air that we breath!

Answer 4

Mars is experiencing global warming too right now.  It is natural.  

One volcano eruption does more damage than 50 years of pollution.

Clean air, h**l yeah.  I'm all for it.

Answer 5

They DON'T prevent global warming.  The Earth has NATURAL cycles of warming and cooling.  Man cannot change that.....Period!!

BUT, if you're simply looking for cleaner air, then those things will help.