>Tom,
>
>>Perhaps a Clipper Ship? :)
>
>Not when you compare how much wind energy it takes to push a ship through the water. Wind energy isn't free either when you consider the cost of what it takes capture it.
>
>Rail is a lot more effiecent, but I think it's a bigger issue in that those rails don't cover quite as much geographic space as roadways. Another factor is te point-to-point transport time trucks are better at that. Unfortunately most people value time higher than energy use.

But then, the decision to build roads everywhere and not tracks everywhere is another political decision.

I figure with the next oil crisis, the price of transportation will simply force the people to switch a few things to railways.