I've been to a few places that do this already. One doesn't actually block the (plentiful) plugs, but their official policy is battery only. Signs are posted saying so. It's OK to plug in to save and shutdown if your battery runs out. The other places simply have no plugs available.
I've read that it costs $8000 (of course in US dollars, you godless heathen!) to replace the batteries for electric and hybrid cars. And furthermore, they need to be replaced every three years.
If that is true, (please tell me it's not true) how in the heck are you ever supposed to sell them in a used market?! They would essentially all become scrap, sort of like a two year old iPod. How is that environmentally sound?!
It's not true. With the current hybrid cars, batteries are lasting over twice as long in tests as they're warranted for. And by the time these cars start needing new batteries (a few years from now), prices will have fallen considerably -- both from dealer/stealer/OEM, and the aftermarket too (which is bound to kick in).
The beauty of hybrids is that they employ standard, commodity battery technology, as used in power tools and flashlights. In fact the original Prius pack was a bundle of standard "D" cells. So there's no reason not to have aftermarket suppliers entering the market when the demand appears, nor would battery replacement be too difficult for a DIY'er.
One thing most people seem to forget about the EV1 is that by now it's over 10 years old. It was developed in the early 90s when cars in general were much cruder than they are now. More importantly, the NiMH battery technology was still in its infancy. In fact the first EV1 had crude lead-acids. Since then, battery capacity and longevity have tripled, and cost is a fraction of what it was then. Furthemore, the EV1 was the first electric car even talked about for decades, so it was completely alien to the public. So at that time the market was a lot smaller than it would be now, simply because the public has been exposed and the idea has had time to sink in.
So before you write off battery powered cars, quit thinking like it's 1995 instead of 2005.
Of course on the highways here in the NYC area, and in most metro areas, stop and go is the rule.
Exactly. So why have all those cars standing still with their engines running, creating a giant cloud of pollution? A hybrid switches to "golf cart mode" in stop and go traffic, with the gas engine kicking in only as needed. Strong hybrids, with, say, a 30 mile electric range, would be able to do most local trips under clean electric power.
...all this does is shift the pollution elsewhere......to a healthier place, at least in CA, where most of the EV1s were leased. Most electricity in CA is from relatively clean burning natural gas (relative to a gasoline powered car). A minor percentage of CA's electricity is nuclear, with a little hydro and wind thrown in too.
In the East, where there's more electricity coming from coal, the situation may be different.
This is what the PZEV (practically zero emissions) cars are all about. Their emissions are equivalent to that of an electric car powered from a clean burning power plant. PZero cars include both hybrid and conventional models, such as the Prius and the Focus.
Yeah, they probably don't actually use MSG in all the restaurants over there.
Fat chance! Where do you think the idea came from? They use piles of it, literally. There's often a mound of it next to the stove, where a Western chef would have his salt/pepper/herbs/spices.
You speak as if getting these degrees automatically "qualifies" you for a career in patent law. The fact is this is just a foot in the door. Many people get that foot in the door, only to fall on their face because they lack the *talent* it takes to be a patent lawyer worthy of the kind of pay you're hearing about.
OpenACS is my favorite content management and collaboration suite. At openacs.org, there are links to campaign sites, etc., built with OpenACS software.
It's true taxes are higher in Canada, but for most people -- the middle class -- they're not that different. And while you may get taxed in one area you might make out better in others -- such as unlimited capital gains exemption on your primary residence, vs. $250/500k in the US.
Cost of living is generally lower too, especially in the cities. Vancouver may be expensive, but it's more affordable for its citizens than NYC, DC, SF, or "the OC" are for theirs. I'm always amazed at how many young (30) Vancouverites with average jobs I meet who own their own houses and condos. In any major metro area in the US nowadays, this is limited to the extremely successful or the already rich.
Higher taxes or not, I believe Canadians actually have a higher standard of living than Americans -- even if the standard measures don't show it. The real challenge for most Americans in Canada would not be taxes, but long, cold, dark winters.
The real problem with most new houses isn't not enough insulation, but sloppy construction with too many air leaks and drafts. Make sure your builder knows how to build a "tight" house, and bothers to do it. Specify this in the contract, that the house must pass an energy audit, or the contractor will fix the problems.
The same thing happened in DC. All the government contractors and tech companies moved into the farmland along what is now the Dulles corridor, resulting in the worst sprawl in America. All the disadvantages of city life with none of the advantages. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I hope Portland is able to control this.
Nuclear has been competing with traditional electric generation for decades. We know we can generate nuclear power at a relatively low cost.
This is a bunch of BS. We, the public, don't know a damned thing about the true cost -- nor does anyone in the nuclear industry, or government for that matter. The true cost of nuclear power is unable to be determined, because it's so enmeshed with secret weopons programs and other government slush.
Nuclear power does not, and cannot exist without heavy government subsidy. The question is how much, and whether this money would be better spent elsewhere -- solar cell research, improving grid technology and moving toward distributed power, etc. The problem is we'll never know. Unfortunately, many people in government and industry like it this way.
* American
* Continental
* Delta
* Northwest
* United
...who normally try to play their cards close to their chests. They see too much information as a threat. Best of luck to them in today's world. They're already going down the tubes, as more forward thinking airlines eat their lunch.
...as tourist attractions. In fact the actual light and other equipment has been automated for years. Many navigational beacons are solar powered, and almost maintenance free.
Slashdot Mirror
I've been to a few places that do this already. One doesn't actually block the (plentiful) plugs, but their official policy is battery only. Signs are posted saying so. It's OK to plug in to save and shutdown if your battery runs out. The other places simply have no plugs available.
I've read that it costs $8000 (of course in US dollars, you godless heathen!) to replace the batteries for electric and hybrid cars. And furthermore, they need to be replaced every three years.
If that is true, (please tell me it's not true) how in the heck are you ever supposed to sell them in a used market?! They would essentially all become scrap, sort of like a two year old iPod. How is that environmentally sound?!
It's not true. With the current hybrid cars, batteries are lasting over twice as long in tests as they're warranted for. And by the time these cars start needing new batteries (a few years from now), prices will have fallen considerably -- both from dealer/stealer/OEM, and the aftermarket too (which is bound to kick in).
The beauty of hybrids is that they employ standard, commodity battery technology, as used in power tools and flashlights. In fact the original Prius pack was a bundle of standard "D" cells. So there's no reason not to have aftermarket suppliers entering the market when the demand appears, nor would battery replacement be too difficult for a DIY'er.
One thing most people seem to forget about the EV1 is that by now it's over 10 years old. It was developed in the early 90s when cars in general were much cruder than they are now. More importantly, the NiMH battery technology was still in its infancy. In fact the first EV1 had crude lead-acids. Since then, battery capacity and longevity have tripled, and cost is a fraction of what it was then. Furthemore, the EV1 was the first electric car even talked about for decades, so it was completely alien to the public. So at that time the market was a lot smaller than it would be now, simply because the public has been exposed and the idea has had time to sink in.
So before you write off battery powered cars, quit thinking like it's 1995 instead of 2005.
Of course on the highways here in the NYC area, and in most metro areas, stop and go is the rule.
Exactly. So why have all those cars standing still with their engines running, creating a giant cloud of pollution? A hybrid switches to "golf cart mode" in stop and go traffic, with the gas engine kicking in only as needed. Strong hybrids, with, say, a 30 mile electric range, would be able to do most local trips under clean electric power.
Solar cells take almost as much energy to make as they put out over their lifetime.
BULLSHIT!
...all this does is shift the pollution elsewhere... ...to a healthier place, at least in CA, where most of the EV1s were leased. Most electricity in CA is from relatively clean burning natural gas (relative to a gasoline powered car). A minor percentage of CA's electricity is nuclear, with a little hydro and wind thrown in too.
In the East, where there's more electricity coming from coal, the situation may be different.
This is what the PZEV (practically zero emissions) cars are all about. Their emissions are equivalent to that of an electric car powered from a clean burning power plant. PZero cars include both hybrid and conventional models, such as the Prius and the Focus.
And lastly, why not pick a public sponsor ?. Someone like IBM could sponsor this whole thing without a dent in the budget.
Umm... CONFLICT OF INTEREST?
Yeah, they probably don't actually use MSG in all the restaurants over there.
Fat chance! Where do you think the idea came from? They use piles of it, literally. There's often a mound of it next to the stove, where a Western chef would have his salt/pepper/herbs/spices.
The only way to make money in the PC biz is by selling directly to consumers, bypassing the supply chain of stores, merchants, etc.
I dunno, Apple seems to be doing pretty well.
You speak as if getting these degrees automatically "qualifies" you for a career in patent law. The fact is this is just a foot in the door. Many people get that foot in the door, only to fall on their face because they lack the *talent* it takes to be a patent lawyer worthy of the kind of pay you're hearing about.
...where you can learn manners, grooming, and human interaction.
...with the Hollywood-producer-slimeball beard, and smarmy expression. Good job Forbes photo editor.
OpenACS is my favorite content management and collaboration suite. At openacs.org, there are links to campaign sites, etc., built with OpenACS software.
It's true taxes are higher in Canada, but for most people -- the middle class -- they're not that different. And while you may get taxed in one area you might make out better in others -- such as unlimited capital gains exemption on your primary residence, vs. $250/500k in the US.
Cost of living is generally lower too, especially in the cities. Vancouver may be expensive, but it's more affordable for its citizens than NYC, DC, SF, or "the OC" are for theirs. I'm always amazed at how many young (30) Vancouverites with average jobs I meet who own their own houses and condos. In any major metro area in the US nowadays, this is limited to the extremely successful or the already rich.
Higher taxes or not, I believe Canadians actually have a higher standard of living than Americans -- even if the standard measures don't show it. The real challenge for most Americans in Canada would not be taxes, but long, cold, dark winters.
John Dvorak has been in the computer industry about as long as Univac ...and he hasn't learned much since.
Dvorak is the biggest blowhard ever. I hope he's laughing all the way to the bank. Otherwise I don't know how he could sleep at night.
The real problem with most new houses isn't not enough insulation, but sloppy construction with too many air leaks and drafts. Make sure your builder knows how to build a "tight" house, and bothers to do it. Specify this in the contract, that the house must pass an energy audit, or the contractor will fix the problems.
The same thing happened in DC. All the government contractors and tech companies moved into the farmland along what is now the Dulles corridor, resulting in the worst sprawl in America. All the disadvantages of city life with none of the advantages. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. I hope Portland is able to control this.
Will Skype be the next dotcom sensation?
In a perfect world everyone should check their spelling, typing, and grammar too.
Here in the land of grownups, most of us do.
Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I'll pay it happily -- I've been using their free service for a year or two.
* Cost effective.
Nuclear has been competing with traditional electric generation for decades. We know we can generate nuclear power at a relatively low cost.
This is a bunch of BS. We, the public, don't know a damned thing about the true cost -- nor does anyone in the nuclear industry, or government for that matter. The true cost of nuclear power is unable to be determined, because it's so enmeshed with secret weopons programs and other government slush.
Nuclear power does not, and cannot exist without heavy government subsidy. The question is how much, and whether this money would be better spent elsewhere -- solar cell research, improving grid technology and moving toward distributed power, etc. The problem is we'll never know. Unfortunately, many people in government and industry like it this way.
It is interesting to note (table 1 in the report) that the energy density (kW/m^2) that can be achieved is much higher than wind or solar.
Yeah, but what about what really matters -- kilowatt hour per dollar.
Orbitz is owned by a group of 5 major airlines:
...who normally try to play their cards close to their chests. They see too much information as a threat. Best of luck to them in today's world. They're already going down the tubes, as more forward thinking airlines eat their lunch.
* American
* Continental
* Delta
* Northwest
* United
...as tourist attractions. In fact the actual light and other equipment has been automated for years. Many navigational beacons are solar powered, and almost maintenance free.
ggg