If Only We Had Cars That Ran on Magic
By Ben Domenech Posted in ANWR | Biofuels | Energy | ocs | oil | Oil Prices — Comments (17) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I had the pleasure of participating in a BBC debate this afternoon on the World Newshour show with Daniel Weiss of the Center for American Progress. We had an extensive discussion with the host on the President's announcement today in support of offshore drilling and other energy initiatives. Feel free to listen, and then a few points after:
Ben Domenech on BBC Radio (6:00 Minute Mark)
First: I love the BBC. Such pros. I covet few things about the UK, but BBC Radio has to be one of them.
Second: Longterm energy solutions are being pursued, and should continue to be pursued. But we also know what we can do here, and do cleanly, and do responsibly. McCain's call today for 45 new Nuclear Reactors by 2030 is a fantastic one, but it's only a start. We need to be looking at everything now.
Third: Yes, I booted the global warming question, because I believe that it's happening, but that the man-made portion of it is negligible and impossible to stop. I also believe it's impossible to prove that in a handful of minutes on a radio show - you need the hard numbers. For more, read this Corner post, which I agree with entirely.
Fourth: I think that Mr. Weiss, who seems quite bright otherwise, is a bit off his rocker when he essentially suggests that "The cheapest oil we can get is oil that we don't need to use."
This is sheer lunacy. It's as if you were dying of thirst, slowly, out in the desert, and you've got a nice big keg of Guinness on your back. And everyone around you says, "uh, dude, if you're thirsty, why don't you tap that keg?" And your response is, "but see, that'd take a while, and some of it would go to waste, and anyway I wouldn't get to drink it until after I'd unstrapped it and set the whole thing up...I think I'm better off not drinking at all until I find a new pub."
You need that Guinness, and you need it now, or you're never going to find that bloody pub. "Just don't drink anything" isn't a solution (unless you're suicidal). So tap it, drink it, and keep on looking.
Ahh the days when Dick Van Dyke made disney movies. Mary Tyler Moore was Laura Petrie, and nobody though anything sexually askew about leave it to beaver.
Sue me I long for the 1950s.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
I like this idea.
http://aptera.com/
Actually I like the version that is electric + gas with an estimated 300mpg
That car is screaming for me to drive it. Why don't we have Ford, Chrysler and GM making these things by the thousands yet?
Don't bother answering that. I already know.
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people."
A. Lincoln
I know this car as it sits at the curb is impractical.
My question should have been more along the lines of, "Why the heck haven't our big three been striving to make cars that do what this one does and for less money?"
Instead of learning from the 70's oil episodes, we allowed auto manufacturers to continue to sell us bigger, bigger, bigger and very little real fuel economy improvement and now complain because gas is so expensive we can't afford to fill up our 24mpg cars and 15mpg suv's.
Don't bother answering, I already know the answer.
"Government of the people, by the people, for the people."
A. Lincoln
There are some people who think your questions have answers that involve elaborate conspiracies, rather than simple matters of practiciality and personal choice.
Americans favored safety in a wreck over efficiency for a long time, but now we're changing our mind again, but we haven't changed it yet as much as it takes to want THAT fancy motorcycle.
You could get a motorcycle with a sidecar and put the 25,000 in bonds and have your gas for free.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
You are right it does cost to much.
I imagine it could be made for a lot less if a bigger company was involved.
I like some of its features though, the solar panels on top that runs the air during the day to keep the car cool is pretty neat.
I am sure this vehicle has its drawbacks, like getting around in snow for one.
Motorcycles will have that problem plus I would rather stay dry when its raining, not to mention the damage to your body if hit by a car.
Maybe would should have the Gov't do it...there big right....snark!!
"Land of the Free and Home of da Whopper" Peter Griffin...Family Guy
conform and celebrate diversity....or else!!!
Well, here's what a decade or two of heavy Swiss gas taxes to raise money for "alternative energy" research have produced:
Note not only that it's the size of beer can, but that it has to haul around a trailer carrying the solar panels.
They'd have been better off with little gas tax, and letting those funds be directed to other innovations....
I would think that a company already in the business of making cars would be able to shave some off that price, with having production lines and a bigger r & d team and all that.
To answer your question, no sir I do not have proof that anyone can make it any cheaper and if I led you to believe I had proof of that then I apologize.
I'll just point out that Detroit doesn't really make cars like this much, so they'd probably have to retool a bit to start producing cars like this. How much, I'm not sure.
Toyota and its Japanese plants, on the other hand... maybe.
I've always been of the mind that we can increase our mileage quite a bit if we got rid of much of the safety equipment.
Let's be real, if you're driving while eating cereal, talking on the cell phone, putting on makeup, changing your shirt AND fiddling with the radio, perhaps you shouldn't survive the wreck.
India has a car that gets over 50mpg and it sells for 3 to 5 grand (after you convert currency).... but you can bet that it'd be ALOT more expensive and ALOT less efficient when you include all the heavy safety equipment.
Thanks Nader.
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Dependence is Slavery.
I like it.
Now also found at The Minority Report