I have a friend who is a car nut, who goes by the name "Tintoy" on the Internet.
Tintoy and I are both pretty green (environmentally conscious) so one day we decided to buy "green" cars. Tintoy found a dealer who would sell him a "hybrid" with a great incentive - his first 100 gallons of gasoline were included with the car! I found a dealer selling "Sparrows," a little three wheeled electric car. There was no incentive available, so I had to create one myself.
I surfed the Internet a bit, and found that it takes the energy in around 100 gallons of gasoline to create 1000 watts of Solar Panels (the kind that generate electricity). Feeling like I deserved the same "energy bonus" Tintoy got when he bought his "hybrid," I bought 1kW worth of Solar Panels and had them installed.
Six months after we had bought our cars, I happened to see Tintoy in a gas station, filling his tank. I pulled in next to him.
Me: How do you like your "hybrid," Tintoy?
Tintoy: Love it!
Me: Is this part of your free 100 gallons of gas?
Tintoy: No, I have driven 4,500 miles and I am paying for my first tank of gas! The first 100 gallons is all gone. (Tintoy looks over his shoulder as he pumps at the SUV driver next to us, points to his "hybrid" and says proudly "It's electric!" The SUV driver scowls.) Tintoy finishes filling his "hybrid" with gas, and gets back in to drive away. He rolls down the window and points to the Sparrow.
Tintoy: What's it cost to drive that thing? (He does not know that much about pure electric cars, but he knows enough not to ask "How much gas does it use?").
Me: (I see that the driver behind Tintoy is impatient, so I just give a quick answer...) You know that first 100 gallons of gas you got with your car? I set aside the same amount of energy when I bought my car. I still have all of mine.
Tintoy looks startled, then confused. The driver behind him toots his horn, so Tintoy just waves and drives away.
Three months later, I saw Tintoy at the same gas station, filling up. I pulled the Sparrow in beside him again.
Me: Hi!
Tintoy: Howdy! Good to see you again. Hey, I wanted to ask you, what did you mean last time we spoke when you said you "still had all your energy?" Are you not driving your car? I also poked around on the Internet a bit, and I read that electric cars get about the same "gas mileage" - I think that is what they meant - as "hybrids," at least as far as energy goes. What "gas mileage" does your Sparrow get? (Tintoy smiles at the driver of a Diesel pickup as Tintoy clicks the last few ounces of gasoline into his "hybrid." "I get close to 55 MPG" he says to the truck driver. The truck driver scowls.)
Me: Well, Tintoy, to answer your second questions first, I have driven about 4,500 miles, and I am getting the equivalent of 45 MPG.
Tintoy: (grinning) I thought so. My electric car gets better "gas mileage" than your electric car!
Me: Yes, Tintoy, you are correct. Today. Let's check our "mileage" the next time we meet! You may be surprised.
Once again, Tintoy looks confused. With the line of cars behind him inching relentlessly forward, though, he has no time to ask what I meant. He gets into his car, starts the motor, waves, and drives off.
Months went by, and on Labor Day weekend I spotted Tintoy once again, at the same gas station. The price of gas had gone up about 30% during the past few months, and the TV news stations all said it would continue to go up. I pulled up silently next to Tintoy's "hybrid" and said hello.
Me: I'll bet you are glad you have that "hybrid" now, with gas prices going up!
Tintoy: Absolutely! I am paying MUCH less than them (he gestures with his free hand to the other drivers pumping gas) for gas and I have learned how to drive my car carefully to get even better mileage! My last ten gallon tank took me 650 miles! That is 65 MPG! (Tintoy looks with disdain at the other drivers in line, all filling up for the holiday weekend.)
Me: That is great news, Tintoy. However, I have a surprise for you. I told you to check with me on my "gas mileage" the next time we met. I have driven my Sparrow 7,000 miles, and I am now getting the equivalent of 70 MPG.
Tintoy: (looking shocked) What? How can that be? Are you driving slowly and carefully like I am? Have you inflated you tires to 60 PSI like I have? (Tintoy's gas tank fills, and he puts the nozzle back in the gas pump, I notice he has added a "Drive Electric!!" bumper sticker to his car.)
Me: I will tell you all about it next time. I also still have all the 100 gallons of "gas" energy I started with when I bought my car.
Tintoy: You don't expect me to believe that, do you? That is impossible! That would mean your car uses no energy at all! (he gets into his car and prepares to drive away).
Me: (waving) Details next time!
Tintoy pulls into traffic and slowly drives away.
A few more months passed, and I spotted Tintoy just as he pulled into line at the gas station. I pulled in silently with the Sparrow, and parked out of the way. I walked over to Tintoy's "hybrid" and said hello.
Me: How's it going!
Tintoy: Great. It sure is nice not to have to do this very often.
Me: (smile)
Tintoy: So, hotshot, tell me how you are getting 70 MPG in your car. I can't believe it.
Me: Well, Tintoy, actually, I have driven 10,000 miles, and I am now getting 100 MPG.
Tintoy: (looking clearly frustrated) Are you telling me that you keep getting better and better mileage out of that thing? (he gestures over to the Sparrow, then pulls up a space as the SUV in front of him finishes taking on 50 gallons of fuel).
Me: Yes. Exactly. Every time I drive another 100 miles, my "gas mileage" goes up by one mile per gallon.
Tintoy: (now clearly confused, disbelieving, and a little frustrated) Ok, Einstein, tell me how you do the impossible. (he pulls up to the pump, and starts to fill his gas tank.)
A young girl (around ten years old) gets out of the Minivan next to us and comes over to where we are standing. She points to the Sparrow and asks me "Is that your electric car?"
Me: Yes!
Tintoy: Mine is electric too! he says, as he pumps it full of gas.
The girl stands there listening to the conversation.
Me: Like I said, Tintoy, I am now getting the equivalent of 100 MPG, and I have all the energy I started with. The reason I have all my original energy and am getting more to drive the car is that I used the first 100 gallons worth of energy to acquire Solar Panels, and they are providing the power to run my car.
The young girl smiles brightly. "That means you can drive forever on the first 100 gallons of energy, right?"
Tintoy: (looking stern) It's too complicated for you to understand, little girl. I think your Mom is ready to leave. Run along.
Me: (I smile at the girl, wink, and mouth the word "bingo" - she smiles back and leaves) Tintoy, it's not that complicated. (I struggle to think of an example that makes sense. From the look on Tintoy's face, I know I have little chance of explaining anything to him at this point, but I have to try)
Me: Imagine you take 100 dollars to a bank. You can put it in a checking account with no interest and spend it as you need it until it is gone. That is like the first 100 gallons of gas you put in your hybrid. You could also invest the money in a CD, for example, and only spend the interest you earn. That is like what I did with my first 100 worth gallons of "gas" energy when I bought Solar Panels. After you spend your 100 gallons, it is gone for good, but I can keep on spending the "interest" energy my Panels create forever, and I always have the energy I started with.
Tintoy: (looking hopelessly confused) So you put your money in an "energy bank" somewhere? And you are getting "energy interest" and driving your Sparrow with it? Come on! (the gas nozzle clicks off, and Tintoy gets back into his "hybrid" to prepare to drive away)
Me: Sort of. Well, yes. My Solar Panels are the "energy bank" and the energy they produce is the "interest."
Tintoy: Well I have to go. It sounds like you are getting something for nothing. You can't get more energy out of gas than it has. My next car will have fuel cells, and it will come closer than ever to using 100% of the energy in the gas. I will get over 120 MPG!
Me: And by that time I will be getting over 200 MPG. You see, you can't get more energy out of gas than it has in it if you burn it to drive your car! But if you use that energy to make Solar Panels, you can then use them to produce many times more energy than what you started with! The secret is to not burn the gas to move the car!!
Tintoy does not say anything. It is clear he does not believe a word of it. He waves and slowly accelerates into traffic.
As Tintoy started his motor and drove away, I walked back to the Sparrow. I thought back to the young girl who was able to grasp the concept so easily. Her mind had not yet been programmed that there was only one choice, that the only way vehicles could be powered was by directly consuming petroleum.
I realized that our generation may not ever "get it" - that we would just keep writing energy "checks" until the account ran dry, because we failed to see the leverage in using the petroleum to create energy "collectors and concentrators" like wind farms and Solar Panels instead of burning it directly.
I thought back to the young girl and smiled. My generation might not get it, but maybe hers would. She was off to a good start!
I started my Sparrow, and sped silently, cleanly down the road, getting 100 MPG and climbing, thinking about the future and smiling.