You have heard of the exponential factor. That there is a great wealth to be produced through applying technology to an old process. As it will generally produce an exponentialy increased ability.

I had been toying with the idea of changing highways into a form that respected the ability to maintin specie diversity. I was specifically looking for a visional way to change highways into a form which did not fragment habitat.
What is a hghway? If not, a 2,000 year old Roman Road, with improved surfaces.

Seems our present petroleum problems were well realized decades ago. About the time of the 1973 Arab Oil Embargo. A wealthy individual convinced by geologists about petroleums inability to provide the whole of humanity with its increasing energy needs, Gathered together the top engineers of that time. To see if they could figure out how we could accomplish transport in a manner which was petroleum independent. They very soberly proposed the use of 1950’s structural and technological abilities. That we convert the materials of todays highways into a supporting network of permanent structure along which electric carriers would transport anything one would care to attach to them. Car, truck, bus, or cargo container. Highly transitional.

They figured that the structure would have a similar cost in mplementation as do highways. Yet after doubling speeds to 150mph there would still be a 80% energy efficiency. Of course an automated system, with out accidents, congestion, much easier to use and far more convenient.

No one was interested enough to support its developement. Though it did suggest a lucrative profit.

Today however with enclosure the same process with the addition of transporting in a vacume. Transports energy efficiency would exceed that of our current transmission processes. And its speeds would be limited to comfortable G-forces. Again with out accidents and congestion. And in an unprecedented ease of use and convenience.

Go figure. The permanent structures cost may be considerable but it still suggest itself to be about 1/20 of what is being spent today.

Basicaly an investment in primarily permanent structure which then allows these transport processes to remove nearly all of there energy and resource consumptions.

The real innovation here is the accomplishment of the controlled environment. As then all of those distribution processes can then become opened to the application of many waiting technologies. WHich cannot be reliably applied in an open environment. Not one technological application and exponential gain but a whole multitude of them which can then be applied in a myriad of ways. Transport, water, electricity, and even telecommunications.

Considering that this capability has existed for decades now. it leaves me to wonder if it will ever become recognized and acted on by the considerable interest’s it will take to bring to a speedy reality.