I think we need to rethink not so much the car as our pattern of transport needs and facilities. Granted, it isn't something that one person can implement unless they've got some practical authority: but if we live in places that claim to be democratic, the people who have got some practical authority are susceptible to public pressure, at least in theory. It doesn't preclude rethinking the car, but it's another important process. And it's no use putting it off because I can't build a city on my own. If the process doesn't begin somewhere it just won't begin at all.
So, one of these days I'm going to have a battle on my hands to get the City of Cape Town to allow me to build a house suitable for a pedestrian way of living (or at least if a few of my neighbours see the point and do the same) in a neighbourhood and a city designed to be barely accessible except by car. It's another way. But greasy-fingered EVs are cool. -D ----- Original Message ---- From: Darryl McMahon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Sent: Wednesday, 23 May, 2007 5:36:42 PM Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Fwd: US Gasoline Prices Hit All Time Historical Highest Level - Adjusted For Inflation Ah, yes. Wildman Rod rides again! The Ford coupe is a beauty, if a tad impractical for most applications. I think we need to rethink the car before we try to open source it. My idea for a plug-in electric hybrid (biodiesel) has been picked up by someone else with more resources and I hope to see the initial results on Saturday. Rumour has it a book will also come from the exercise (not by me). However, we do need to revisit what we really need from a car today, because I don't think the Ford Excursion fits the bill. How about quadricycles that can travel at urban speeds (up to 50 km/h), utilizing a combination of human and electric power? Or the Twike? Lot's of other light-weighting options. Less resources to construct and operate, no toxic emissions in operation (well almost; there will be some CO2 GHGs from the breathing of the operators). By comparison, the Smart is a fuel-guzzling pig boasting excessive performance. I have my vintage motorcycle operational again, thanks to my son's efforts. A 1973 Aurenthetic Charger. (http://www.econogics.com/ev/auranthe.htm) Factory original electric mini-motorcycle. Gets almost 50 km to the kWh. Much better than the road-racer 1973 electric Porsche 914 that pigs out at 5 km to the kWh. (If I did the math right, that's about 185 mpg, so the motorcycle is getting well over 1500 mpg. According to this article in Grist <http://evco.ca/electrathon/index.html>, walking gets about 75 mpg equivalent. An electric-assist bicycle would get about 3000 mpg equivalent.) Tilled the garden on the weekend with an electric tractor. Just bought a small, cordless electric rototiller for my mother - she loves it. Gasoline is only expensive if you use it. Go electric and green your electricity. Buy locally. We know the answers, the rest is rationalizations and convenience. Yes, it does take some effort to put it all into practice, and I'm still on the path and far from the goal. My advice, make the shift to sustainable practices while fossil energy is still cheap. Darryl Dawie Coetzee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hey Zeke, are you familiar with this one? > http://www.angelfire.com/ca4/renewables/wilde/sterfo1.htm -D > > > ----- Original Message ---- > From: Zeke Yewdall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org > Sent: Wednesday, 23 May, 2007 4:42:18 PM > Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Fwd: US Gasoline Prices Hit All Time Historical Highest > Level - Adjusted For Inflation > > Wha?????? I did have to replace the radio in my '91 VW because after I > replaced the battery, it went into security mode and wouldn't turn on again. > And I refused to go to the dealership to have them fix that. I suppose I was > supposed to take it there to get the battery replaced to begin with... > > This is why I am building my own electric cars. One from a 1974 pickup, and > one from a recumbent bicycle (if I lived on the flatland, the regular bicycle > itself would be fine.... but pedling up 4,000 feet in elevation gets tiring at > times and I'd like electric assist -- solar recharged, of course) > > Z > > > On 5/22/07, Mike Weaver <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Maybe an open source car? > The problem with new cars is that they can't be fixed. I knew someone > who got a new BMW 540 and it was replaced by insurance after the radio was > stolen. Wiring and electronics too messed up to fix. 80k disposable car! > > > > Dawie Coetzee wrote: > > > The problem I've got with the Smart is that it embodies the motor > > industry's kind of closed-technology, capital-intensive, > > disposable, owner-unfixable, economies-of-scale-sensitive approach as > > much any other new car: possibly even more. I've often wondered if it > > can be corrected by a few minor tweaks, but every time I've done that > > exercise I've found that I'd very early cast out every last vestige of > > the Smart and designed an Austin Seven instead! > > > > Also, the Smart's brief is to do the job that ought to be done by > > walking. -D > > > > ----- Original Message ---- > > From: Mike Weaver < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > Sent: Monday, 21 May, 2007 11:28:29 PM > > Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Fwd: US Gasoline Prices Hit All Time Historical > > Highest Level - Adjusted For Inflation > > > > Still, this morning as I went into the city in my relatively small VW > > Biodiesel Golf, I saw hundreds of single occupant SUVs > > pass me. Why don't we have smart cars in the US? I don't even need a > > VW most of the time. All I need to carry is a few computers and a > > tools. > > > > > > Keith Addison wrote: > > > > >If you put a bit more effort into it I'm sure you can hit $10 a > > gallon soon. > > > > > >http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/msg69797.html > > >Re: [Biofuel] Fwd: Gas Station Owner Told to Raise Prices > > > > > >Best > > > > > >Keith > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >>US Gasoline Prices Hit All Time Historical Highest Level - Adjusted > > >>For Inflation > > >> > > >>US average, self-serve, unleaded regular hits $3.18 > > >> > > >>This is a point we have been dreading. Before this, > > >>the all time highest US average gasoline (regular) price > > >>was during 1981 (March IIRC). Adjusted for inflation, > > >>we finally topped it, and appear to be still climbing at a > > >>steady pace. It was announced on the news yesterday > > >>(Sunday) on PBS. > > >> > > >>CNN verifies it, today: > > >>http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/21/news/economy/record_gas_monday/ > > >> > > >>Here is a webpage, anticipating it, but not being able > > >>to anticipate what the number would be, or when it > > >>would get reached: > > >> http://www.answers.com/topic/oil-price-increases-of-2004-2006 > > >> > > >>We got close in 2006 > > >>http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/07/gas_prices_allt.html > > >> > > >>We got closer, earlier this month: > > >>http://www.informationliberation.com/?id=21867 > > >> > > >> http://zfacts.com/p/35.html > > >> > > >>This website that was set up to say "gasoline is cheap" > > >>now shows that today it has gotten expensive, by their > > >>standards. http://www.nationalreview.com/moore/moore082803chart.asp > > >> > > >> http://infohost.nmt.edu/~armiller/gasprices.htm > > <http://infohost.nmt.edu/%7Earmiller/gasprices.htm> > > >> > > >>This one will give you an idea of the kind of misleading > > >>verse that we were being fed by Washington, and that > > >>some propagandists still spout, even in the face of reality. > > >> http://www.cted.wa.gov/energy/archive/Indicators99/Indicator24.htm > > >> > > >>Here is a radical, George Will, trying to make fun of > > >>the concern about gasoline prices, just last month. However, > > >>since then, the pump price has gone up 18% (since last month) > > >>and is now at the highest price in history, both in actual dollars, > > >>and also in inflation adjusted dollars. > > >>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR200 > > >>7040402251.html > > >> > > >> http://jalopnik.com/cars/gas-prices/never-mind-the-4-per-gallon-heres > > >>-the-summer-road-trips-61124.php This one would be funny, if it > > >>weren't so sad: from last month: Quote: "says Tom Kloza, chief oil > > >>analyst for the Oil Price Information Service, an energy consulting > > >>firm. "The reality is that we're nearing the highs of the year, and > > >>within 30 days there will be more gasoline on the market The article > > >>was dated 4/25/2007, twenty six days ago, and the quote was from > > >>before that. Those prices better drop fast. Instead they have > > >>climbed about 15%. Here is an other quote from the deceptive > > >>"experts:" "The most recent Energy Dept. forecast, released Apr.10, > > >>predicted retail regular gasoline prices would average $2.81 per > > >>gallon in the summer of 2007 (April-September)." We are already > > >>nearly 40% through that time, and prices are still climbing. Here is > > >>another one: ""We expect to see prices flatten around where they are > > >>now," says Douglas MacIntyre, senior oil analyst for the f > > >>ederal Energy Information Administration, part of the DOE. "More > > >>refinery outages and higher crude prices could push it to $3 Since > > >>then the price has climbed about 18%, to $3.18, the highest price in > > >>history. More: "experts say consumers are actually getting a bargain > > >>at the pump, as prices are still lower than in the early 1980s, > > >>adjusted for inflation." Since then the price has climbed about 18%, > > >>to $3.18, the highest pump price in history. Another: "On a national > > >>average, gasoline prices actually decreased for the week of Apr. 23, > > >>falling 0.7 to $2.87 per gallon" > > >>http://news.yahoo.com/s/bw/20070426/bs_bw/apr2007db20070426139334Since > > >>then the price has climbed 11%, to $3.18, the highest price in > > >>history. Also the old record year 1981 only averaged $2.64 (adjusted > > >>to 2006 dollars) while 2006 averaged $2.81, and this year is looking > > >>to set a new record average, not just the highest price records. . > > >>http://www.swivel.com/data_columns/spreadsheet/2690244 However, > > >>gasoline is > > >>still a lot more expensive in other countries. And another curious > > >>fact. Adjusted for inflation, the cost of oil was around $90 a > > >>barrel, back in 1981. It is hanging at around 2/3rds of that today. > > >>The difference is going to the oil companies, not for the purchase > > >>of oil. They are currently, with two oil men in the White house, > > >>reaping the largest profits of any companies in the history of the > > >>human race. -Laren Corie- Solar Building Design Since 1975 > > >>www.LarenCorie.com <http://www.larencorie.com/ > > > >> > > >> > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > >Biofuel mailing list > > >Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > >http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > > > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > > >Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > > messages): > > >http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Biofuel mailing list > > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 > > messages): > > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > New Yahoo! Mail is the ultimate force in competitive emailing. Find > > out more at the Yahoo! Mail Championships > > < > http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/mail/uk/taglines/default/championships/games/*http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/evt=44106/*http://mail.yahoo.net/uk/>. > > Plus: play games and win prizes. > > > >------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > >_______________________________________________ > >Biofuel mailing list > >Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > > >Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > >http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > > >Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): > >http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > > ___________________________________________________________ > Yahoo! Answers - Got a question? Someone out there knows the answer. Try it > now. > http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/ -- Darryl McMahon It's your planet. If you won't look after it, who will? The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy (eBook and trade paper) http://www.econogics.com/TENHE/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ ___________________________________________________________ Yahoo! Mail is the world's favourite email. Don't settle for less, sign up for your free account today http://uk.rd.yahoo.com/evt=44106/*http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/mail/winter07.html
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