[Terrapreta] Fwd: News Alert: Tentative Deal Reached onRaisingFuel Economy Standards

[Duane Pendergast]

Sean

 

The lack of improvement in automotive fuel economy helps illustrate why
efficiency improvements will not be effective in reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Car makers have been very effective at improving the extraction
of energy from fossil fuels. At the same time cars have been growing ever
larger and more luxurious. I owned a 1974 Honda Civic. It weighed about 1700
pounds and had good fuel economy, although I did not record precise figures.
It fit your description of a little box of a car. I looked at a 2008 Honda
Civic the other day. It is luxurious in comparison but weighs about 2800
pounds - and I'd bet it gets better mileage than the original. Improved
efficiency and coincident monetary savings have has thus been translated
into a more desirable product - not improved fuel economy.  Improving
efficiency has also resulted in an expansion in house size as they become
more affordable to operate.  The nature of this "paradox" was documented by
William Stanley Jevon back in 1865.

 

As long as humans focus on their own survival and comfort, and one can
hardly blame them for that, improving efficiency of energy use will not lead
to overall reductions in greenhouse gases. Environmentally oriented
organizations seem to have difficulty grasping that concept as they come up
with ineffective plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

 

If it is really imperative to manage atmospheric carbon dioxide, concepts
like Terra Preta need to be the object of research and development. Since
Terra Preta has potential promise far beyond the greenhouse gas issue I do
hope you enthusiasts stay on track and demonstrate its efficacy.

 

Duane

 

-----Original Message-----
From: terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org
[mailto:terrapreta-bounces at bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of Sean K. Barry
Sent: December 1, 2007 8:47 AM
To: Terrapreta; Michael Bailes
Subject: Re: [Terrapreta] Fwd: News Alert: Tentative Deal Reached
onRaisingFuel Economy Standards

 


Photo E-mail 

 

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Hi Michael,

 

Yes indeed, pathetic as best, self-serving in reality.  The Corporate
Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) Standard has been stagnant for at least 20 years
...  

 

with your friends and family using MSN Photo E-mail,
<http://g.msn.com/0PHenus1/29> join MSN. 

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