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German Rail website showing environmental impact

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[quote user="n012944"]   <blockquote> <div><img src="/TRCCS/Themes/trc/images/icon-quote.gif" /> schlimm:</div> <div>     You also claimed that the DB statement of using electricity from 100% renewable sources was hype, again without any evidence that it is. <div style="clear:both;"></div>   </div> </blockquote>   They have plans on running 100% on renewable sources, however they are a long way off... "Germany has made many remarkable strides towards sustainability in the past few years – they were the first nation to announce the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/germany-to-completely-phase-out-nuclear-power-by-2022/" target="_blank">abolition of nuclear power</a>, the entire country already runs on 20% renewable energy, and now <a href="http://www.bahn.com/i/view/index.shtml" target="_blank">Deutsche Bahn</a>, Germany’s national railway operator, has announced plans to run all of its trains on 100% renewable energy by the year 2050" Read more: <a href="http://inhabitat.com/german-trains-will-run-on-100-renewable-energy-by-2050/deutsche-bahn-renewable-energy1/#ixzz1rJahBcgo">German Trains Will Run on 100% Renewable Energy by 2050! deutsche bahn renewable energy – Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building</a>  <a href="http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/germanys-road-to-a-100-renewable-railway/8209">http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/intelligent-energy/germanys-road-to-a-100-renewable-railway/8209</a> <a href="http://www.cooladelaide.org/articles/2011/08/trains-powered-by-sun-and-wind-all-aboard/">http://www.cooladelaide.org/articles/2011/08/trains-powered-by-sun-and-wind-all-aboard/</a> [/quote] The articles are informative.  Unfortunately, renewable electric energy is a long way from prime time. Whether the Germans or anyone can get there by 2050 is problematic. According to one of the articles, the German rail operator has signed a 15 year contract for renewable energy to meet eight per cent of its needs. Good! Where does the other 92 per cent come from? Most if not every form of renewable energy requires fossil fuel or nuclear back-up for when the wind stops blowing, the cloud cover is too thick for solar, and the water stops flowing. Water stop flowing? Yep, in the case of severe droughts, hydro-plants have to shut down. In fact, given the drought in Texas, if we don't get at least half of our average rainfall by June, we will have to shut down some of our steam electric stations irrespective of their fuel source. The operative word in electric energy is steam. No water; no steam. No steam; no force to turn the turbines. No turbines; no electricity. No electricity in Texas in the summer; no air conditioning. Not a pretty picture. Could it happen? You bet!   In February 10 the wind stop blowing in west Texas. It switched off quickly.  And before the fossil fueled generators could be synchronized with the grid, which turned out to be a photo finish, we came very close to seeing the whole system fall over. If he state grid operator did not have any fossil fuel and nuclear plants to fall back on, it would have been Katy Bar the Door.     According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the Toyota Prius base model gets 51 mpg in the city and 48 mpg on the highway for a combined average of 50 mpg.  The only diesel in the U.S. that comes close to the Prius, according to the energy department, is the VW Passat, which is rate for 31 mpg in the city and 43 mpg on the highway for a combined average of 35 mpg.  The Golf and Jetta come in at a close second with 30, 42, and 34. I don't know anything about the cars in Germany, but I presume that the Golf and Jetta are reasonably popular there.
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