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

[lou gold]

Hi Everyone,

You all might enjoy this video spoof on green consumption

http://br.youtube.com/watch?v=Ft5SSIfmeKU&eurl=http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/13/video-challenges-green-shoppers-and-globalization/

There are serious concerns within the spoof. Jerry Mander gives a
devastating critique of the latest greatest fuel efficient vehicles. He
concludes that, once you factor in all the materials, production and
transportation costs, you would be much kinder to the earth if you bought a
good used car.

The advances offered by new cleaner and more efficient technologies (terra
preta and others) can be easily neutralized if they are harnessed to
ever-increasing consumption.

Something to think about.

lou



On Dec 1, 2007 5:58 PM, Sean K. Barry <sean.barry at juno.com> wrote:

>  Hi Duane,
>
> You make some very good points.  Car size, power, and amenities in model
> developments take of improved fuel use efficiency like air fills a room,
> like Microsoft software fills RAM and hard disk space.  The thing about the
> CAFE Standard is that it is an external impediment, which would force
> "rubber on the road" fuel economy and consequent reductions in the amount of
> fuel burned for the same number of miles driven.  Leaving the CAFE standard
> flat for 20 years has given the automotive industry the chance to seduce car
> buyers with amenities that bought them a global crisis in green house gas
> warming at the same time.
>
> I own a luxurious, small 2007 car, too, a Volkswagon TDI Sedan, seats
> four, which gets 54 MPG on the highway, running B2 diesel (2% bio-diesel is
> mandated in the State of Minnesota).  The car gets the best mileage with
> cruise control at the speed limits.  So, it makes a great training car for a
> new 16 year old driver who is also global climate nut (eventually it will be
> his car).  He prides himself on bringing the car home with a higher average
> mileage than he took it out with.  The average mileage is computed and
> displayed continuously on the dash.  That is an amenity I really like!
>
> Regards,
>
> SKB
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Duane Pendergast <still.thinking at computare.org>
> *To:* 'Sean K. Barry' <sean.barry at juno.com> ; 'Terrapreta'<terrapreta at bioenergylists.org>; 'Michael
> Bailes' <michaelangelica at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Saturday, December 01, 2007 10:46 AM
> *Subject:* RE: [Terrapreta] Fwd: News Alert: Tentative Deal Reached
> onRaisingFuel Economy Standards
>
>  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
>
>
>
> Play slideshow<http://photos.msn.com/Viewing/Album.aspx?PST=8nK2AN1B%211LmPLmC9HXTY9LVsn5oiMLNcNwcDMLfTqK4NUZZ5i4h6m8gy1hSPkrsVsovVdyJ9Z1bV5hPbswgYQ%24%24>| Download
> images
> <http://photos.msn.com/viewing/Photos.aspx?pi_Type=SlideshowTask&Task=Download&stppData=&pi_ImagesOnly=1&Folder=nBuRgwTGIGhKPWRvXLqz1Py2D6UuzwW4CEu6DTnPcU4%24&User=LJjObqfwa76VXbJZQ0kB*qDjg1qzizFW&pi_NoLogin=1>
>
> 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, join MSN<http://g.msn.com/0PHenus1/29>.
>
>
>
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>



-- 
http://lougold.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visionshare/sets/
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