The Illusion of Miles Per Gallon - Wheels - Autos - New York Times Blog
Have ypou noticed that the MPG listed on most cars are highway miles? That is because it is the better one to list and most people drive in stop and go traffice and the MPG are lower.
Of greenhouse gases and greenbacks - Los Angeles Times
It always comes down to the economics, right?
Drought has crippled some spots in the US. Georgia, Central Alabama, California are among some of the troubled spots, but not all. Northern Calif. has implemented a water rationing policy. Could this soon be the way of the future in most of the states? Water rationing went into effect Tuesday for East Bay residents after water managers unanimously passed a drought management program aimed at preserving the system's deteriorating water supply. Residents of single-family homes throughout much of Alameda and Contra Costa counties are required to immediately reduce water use by 19 percent; golf courses face 30 percent cuts; refineries and manufacturers must trim 5 percent. Tuesday's action by the East Bay Municipal Utility District set out reduction goals, prohibited water uses and declared a water-shortage emergency across the district's system, which serves 1.3 million residents between Oakland and Danville and Crockett and Castro Valley. But questions swirl about the plan's enforcement, how the targets are calculated and how it will affect water rates - both for those who already conserve, and for those who use large amounts of water.
What a magnificent con job this is! It is to help save energy and to assist people with more time for family activities. Do you buy this?
I am posting this on several of my many blogs. I just want to try and help the movement as much as I can. Since the media is ignoring this silent protest, I thought I would try and get it out there a bit.
The World Wildlife Fund said millions of people in the United States and around the globe will turn off or dim their lights Saturday in support of Earth Hour.
The event, designed as a statement about climate change, will roll through 14 time zones at 8 p.m. Saturday night, starting in Christchurch, New Zealand, and wrapping up in San Francisco.
Some of the tallest buildings in the United States, including the John Hancock Building in Chicago and the Bank of America Plaza in Atlanta, will turn off their lights. The Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants and Arizona Diamondbacks will turn off select non-essential lighting on the exterior of their stadiums and arenas and McDonald's will turn off its golden arches in the Chicago area, WWF said in a release.
Help them as much as possible, there is already enough people ignoring the fact that the planet is DYING!
Never thought that I would be on the same page as Libertarians, but on the issue of governmental subsidies for the construction of nuke plants we are. It seems that the Senate is willing to pass out billions to the companies that will construct the nuke plants. They want to give these companies taxpayer money to build. why? Because NO investors will give a dime of money without governmental guarantees. All the government should have to do with the construction of nukes is to be sure that all the permits, paperwork, safety regs and fair wages. The government has no right to guarantee the safety of the investors money. Yes, it is risky, but that is their risk not the taxpayers. If the government wants to be that involved in the situation then the money should be used for more earth friendly alternatives.
This appears just another way that the government is trying to control the technology and using taxpayers money without them having a say as to where the cash will go. time for a change, sports fans.
CHUQ
WHAT A CORNY STORY
Ethanol! Ethanol! Rah! Rah! Rah!
The cheer go up we can finally end our dependence on foreign oil. Now that is a one pound bag of manure, which they are selling to the people. Guess what!? They are buying this crap (pun intended). As long as we allow the oil companies to make obscene profits, you will NEVER be weaned from foreign oil. Why is that? Ethanol cannot be transported through pipelines, for it will pick up impurities like water. So, the only way to transport it is in trucks. Now guess what? Trucks use diesel and that is another pollutant. Ethanol IS NOT the answer, sports fans.
Let us talk about how environmentally friendly ethanol is, NOT! A Stanford study showed that ethanol is at least as polluting as gasoline and could be more so. The burning of ethanol produces more lung damaging ozone than the burning of gasoline. Another polluting factor of ethanol is that farmers will use a nitrogen based fertilizer which will enter into the water supply, killing marine life and such. This alone should make it unwise to push the use of corn as an alternative. But who cares, it is all about who makes the profits, not what it will do to the environment.
Now let us talk about corn prices. Ethanol refiners use huge amounts of corn and with that food prices will go up and up. Corn is used in food production from feed for the cattle that make out steaks to the syrup for our soft drinks. As the demand for ethanol rise, so will the price of our food. The more corn that is planted the less other crops are raised and this will also add to the price of food. Nothing about ethanol is a good.
Corn is not even the best source of ethanol. Sugar cane is and it produces 8 times more energy than it uses to make. Corn, however, the ratio is 1.3 to 1. This basically means that corn produces a little more energy than it consumes in the refining process. Not an efficient product.
The
Ethanol is nothing new! It was used in Ford’s original Model T and it was considered in the 1970’s during the oil embargo. If ethanol is inefficient and costly why is it even being considered? That is the easiest question to answer—PROFITS! No one in the oil business wants to eliminate out dependence on foreign oil. Why would they shoot themselves in the ass? Answer—they will not cut off their supply of profit.
This is not an answer to dependency, it is however an answer to oil companies retaining their profit margin, for an additive will still need a supply of the original product and that translates into continued exploitation by the oil companies.
I am always amazed that the American consumer will pay $60,000 for an SUV, but will not spend $5 on a light bulb that will use less energy. The American consumer wants others to do the sacrifice, not them personally. There is the problem Americans are shallow little toads, that think a tax deductible donation will solve the problem and all they have to do is sit back and enjoy the ride.Yet another feature I thought my readers might appreciate. From time to time I will be posting some trivial stuff that I think is interesting.
My first installment.
Since we all go shopping in one form or the other how about this:
Americans throw away about 100 billion plastic bags, every year. Since most of them are made from petroleum, that is the equivalent to dumping 12 million barrels of oilo into the environment. Feel better about your part in the extinction of our environment?
Here some stuff to be proud of (sarcasm intended)
Characteristically, Cheney left no tracks.
The Klamath case is one of many in which the vice president took on a decisive role to undercut long-standing environmental regulations for the benefit of business.
By combining unwavering ideological positions -- such as the priority of economic interests over protected fish -- with a deep practical knowledge of the federal bureaucracy, Cheney has made an indelible mark on the administration's approach to everything from air and water quality to the preservation of national parks and forests.
It was Cheney's insistence on easing air pollution controls, not the personal reasons she cited at the time, that led Christine Todd Whitman to resign as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, she said in an interview that provides the most detailed account so far of her departure.
The vice president also pushed to make Nevada's Yucca Mountain the nation's repository for nuclear and radioactive waste, aides said, a victory for the nuclear power industry over those with long-standing safety concerns. And his office was a powerful force behind the White House's decision to rewrite a Clinton-era land-protection measure that put nearly a third of the national forests off limits to logging, mining and most development, former Cheney staff members said.
The US Senate has approved a bill that would require vehicles sold in the US to burn 30% less fuel by the year 2020.
Fuel efficiency will have to be 35mpg. The measure is part of a wider draft law on conserving energy and promoting alternative fuels.
As reported by the BBC. But come on--let us look at this realistically! It is still away to postpone the implimentation of alt fuel vehicles. This is a stop gap thing to appease the people while leaving the oil companies the resource to continue massive profits. I guess the American peoploe are as uninformed as I think they are.
Come on people--look at this plan--it is a band-aid for a gunshot wound!
The price of gas--everyone is just chomping at the bit because the price of gas has gone down a few cents. Life for the SUV culture is becoming more tolerable. OK ask yourself these questions--Is there a real scarcity of oil or is it being constructed by the oil companies? Why is not the maintance of the refineries done when demand is low? Would running refineries at a reduced rate enhance profits? If you find the answers to these questions, then you have the larger picture--a handful of companies can control the people and at the same time make obscene profits.
Let me begin with--WHATA JOKE! Bush does not have a plan!
He went on TV and announced his new plan and from what I have heard it will start when the Kyoto Protocol lapses in 2012. Is this a plan? His thing calls for all countries in the G8 and Australia, to come together and work out a plan to save the environment. Why now? The only answer one can give is--POLITICS! AGAIN!
He wants to include India and China who were left out of the original Protocol, not a bad thing, but to wait another 5 years before the US enters into these talks is just plain stupid and very generous to the industries that are doing most of the polluting.
This is just an opportunity for the Pres to appear to be doing something about something that he has ignored for 7 years. It also gives the industrial sector an extended timeline before they actually have to do anything to save the environment. Before they have to spend some of the profits they have been making for the last 20 years.
Also it will give the Repubs something to use in the elections--they will then have a plan they can start building a case for and finding scientists that will help them sell the idea. That should not be too dificult, because money will talk for them.
CHUQ
Recenly, the Japanese PM visited his old buddy, Bush and at a press conference Bush stated that the Us would pursue ethanol and Nuke energy, for they were emission friendly. How nice! Nukes! They can be emissions free but what to do with the by-product? Why do the people never mention what the by-product is capabale of and its half life and its storage?
Noticeably missing from his diatribe on the environment is the use of renewable resources like wind and solar. Why is that? Good question, Professor! The answer? (waiting...waiting....)
These resources are not a resource that can be exploited by big business No one would control the manufacturing or the distribution; in essence no one could make big profits by manipulation of the resource.
Now ask yourself, why have the congressmen/women not jumped onto this? They owe their political life to the ones who control the resources. All programs are minor programs and they want to stretch them for 10-20 yrs. Why is that?
If you have an answer--please go for it!
CHUQ
I would like to talk to the class today about the environment. Iknow, I know, you have heard all the arguments about warming and yada yada. I want to talk about honey bees. For you city dwellers that is those little orange and black flying insects that irritate you on a picnic.
Recently a report was issued that said whole hives across the US were dying leaving few alive. Why? here is where it gets good--warming has been blamed, pesticide and now, the best cel phones. The EM pulse emitted by cel phones supposedly interfers with their systems. Personally, I do not give a SH*T which theory you may want to believe. The simple fact is they are disappearing. Why would you care? IMO, the honey bee is one of the most important speicies on the planet. Without the bees there will be few crops, without crops there will be hunger, with hunger there will be deaths. So you see bees are VERY important to mankind.
As one who grows some of his own food, this year there have been few bees, not a good sign.
As I have said, you may choose to belief whatever theory or conspiracy you choose, but it will make no difference for without the bees mankind will suffer and die.
Once it becomes an epedemic and you seat quietly and listen--you will hear Mother Nature saying--"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW"?
CHUQ
21/04/07
Environmentalism
Everyone, except a few paid opponents, see that the environment is in danger and that something must be done to preserve our way of life. Not bad! But the American people want the corporations to come up with the ideas for the survival of the planet. Laziness! It is everyone but their responsiblitiy to save the planet. They want alt energy so that they can continue their lifestyle. They do not want to be bothered with the problem. Unfortunately, dipsticks, YOU ARE the problem!
I mean they can come up with fuel additives and such, but if the American people continue down the path they are now on, they will be the reason that the planet craps out.
Just as in Iraq, no one wants to sacrifice. Nobody is willing to give up the inefficient vehicles or anything else that would effect them directly. They want the indirect method--let someone else find the problem and fix--they are just too busy being self-centered and lame. Americans give lip service to the problem of global warming, but that is about it. They say it is a problem that needs fixing, but they want someone elese to fix it.
I say make it hurt everyone, through taxes and such; once everyone begins to feel the pressure you can bet that something will get done. Make ALL pay, indivuals, corporations, etc. Higher axes on gas guzzlers, boats, emmissions of all types. This will ensure the American people will demand that a solution be found.
If everyone cannot get on board with helping save the planet, then I suggest you just sit back and observe the planet slowly expiring. God forbid that any of the people should have to sacrifice one iota to help the world.
The planet is dying, sports fans and YOU have a hand in the demise. Are you proud of yourself now?
CHUQ
13/04/07
