November 2002
Posted November 5, 2002
Jon Sopel - Is President Bush's worst nightmare about to become a reality? September 25, 2002 -
In the wee hours of the night, what nightmares haunt the president's sleep? When the wind blows cold, what fear wakens him in a shivering sweat?
The specter of another terrorist attack on American soil? Osama bin Laden reaching out to strike? Ralph Nader winning in 2004? Or could it be a fate far more hideous and horrifying? One that would strike fear into every good ol' boy's heart?
The one thing that terrifies him beyond all reckoning or reason may be an inexpensive, non-polluting but zippy car that requires neither gasoline nor heavy battery packs, goes 65 miles per hour and has a range of about 120 miles:
"Engineers in France believe they have come up with the answer that environmentalists and economists have spent years searching for: a commercially viable, non-polluting car, which costs next to nothing to run."
While the big automakers have focused most of their efforts on refining the 19th century technologies of the internal combustion engine, or on moderate advances offered by hybrid technologies, M.D.I. has taken a completely different approach. One that uses compressed air to offer pollution-free transportation at a fraction of the cost of current cars:
"Our new technology has matured into an effective practical application after seven generations of prototypes. The very first application for our modern lifestyle: the urban vehicle running on air called the CityC.A.T® (Compressed Air Technology®) is now ready to be mass manufactured. The first "clean motor" - powered with compressed-air."
Widespread use in the U.S. of these vehicles would, quite simply, liberate Americans not only from dependence on all foreign oil, but would reduce our need for domestic oil, as well. It would be good for consumers, good for the environment, and even good for the chemical industry, which would benefit from lower prices of petroleum products. But it would be bad for oil companies and bad for President Bush's agenda.
Anybody care to speculate how hard Bush and his backers will fight to keep this new technology from reaching the American consumer?
- BBC News.
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