Climate Change Concerns: The E-car is not the way to help

The following statement about E-cars concerns me.

“...the range of electric vehicles that will soon be on the Canadian market will have something for everyone.” (‘Electric Empire’, London Free Press, Sept. 25)

Why? Does everyone need or want an E-car?


["E-cars for everyone? Don't you believe it"]

Should we continue to focus on the needs of the individual regarding transportation?

(I say, no. As mentioned in an earlier post, the ‘I must have vs We need’ issue requires a serious rethink.)

And if the upcoming offerings of E-cars are anything like the current models then the concept of ‘something for everyone’ needs real work.

Consider the following:

The Mitsubishii-Miev, a four-seater, is 100% electric and has a range of 120 km. Price (estimated) - $30,000 - 40,000.

News flash - it’s definitely not for everyone.

How many Canadians will be attracted by the price tag for what would essentially become a second car or in-town car?

As well:

The Chevy Volt, at $41,000 US, may not be for everyone either based on its price.


["The Volt is definitely short on volts"]

And though it’s called an electric hybrid, the range of 64 km electric plus 400 km with gas makes it more of a gasoline hybrid (86% gas hybrid to be exact).

Next:

The Tesla Roadster, a 100% electric two-seater, has a range of 257 - 483 km range and lots of horsepower (248), but the price tag is $120,000.

For everyone? Not a chance.

Finally:

According to the article, “the Canadian winter will impact both the range and performance of battery-powered electric vehicles. The colder the temperature, the poorer the performance.

“In addition, while gas-powered vehicles use the heat of combustion to provide interior warmth, electric batteries will have to provide additional energy to ensure passenger comfort.”

I’m already uncomfortable enough with the E-car concept.

Not only are current offerings are off the mark, but feeding the appetites of the individual consumer (business as usual, is it not?) isn’t really the way to show real concern for climate change and peak oil prices, though E-car manufacturers would like us to believe that it is.

Their bottom line depends on our naivety.

Don’t plug in for their sake.

***

G. Dyer said it best:

“...seven billion human beings cannot all live the current lifestyle of the billion richest without causing an environmental and ecological catastrophe. It is inherently unsustainable.”

Please click here to read more Climate Change Concerns.

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Verse 2: Deck the Hills with Prorogation...

Fah la la la la... la la la phooey.

By now you all know what prorogation means to a parliamentarian in Canada. (And it's important stuff).

However, you may not know how the discussion about proroguing parliament initially started in the PM’s office.

In my humble opinion (and I could be wrong but not very darn likely), I think it started with the following words from Conservative Finance Minister Jim Flatulence:

“My new box of pencils just arrived from China.”


Then the PM said, “Excellent. I’ll phone the Governor General.

"Let's see. Where's her number? And what’s her name again?” he asked before dialing.

After a brief but crucial exchange, the finance minister left the PM’s office and set to work.

And if you listen closely (by turning a sharp ear toward Parliament Hill in Ottawa after your kids have gone to bed), you’ll hear the sound of someone (I think you know who it is) feverishly sharpening a gross of pencils from a far off land.

And what’s Jim going to do with 144 sharp and sturdy pencils?

Stay tuned.

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It Strikes Me Funny: Judge the Highland by the example they set

In this week’s column I describe the Highland Country Club 1963 tax deal, and a rent deal in the mid-1970s that I shook hands on, as the best in London’s short and fairly illustrious history.

“Why, back in the 1960s and ‘70s, tax and rent deals may have been as common as eggs over easy at Harry’s Open Kitchen (a lovely eatery on Wharncliffe Rd.), just a hop, skip and short putt from my house or the Highland,” I wrote.

“So, don’t judge the Country Club harshly, or me for that matter, for being in the right place at the right time many years ago.”

Then I asked readers to judge us according to the following scenario:

“Suppose I paid low rent for 25 years, saved money each and every month, and never said a word to the landlord about my family’s relative needs as my annual salary increased almost 10-fold over that time period? Would you think of me as an honest, kind-hearted or generous person, an advocate of fair play?”

Oh, I bet you’d think I was a bit of a twit.


And I bet you’d have an interesting definition for ‘twit.’ (I'd like to hear it. Feel free.)

And what about the Highland Country Club?

It’s paid low taxes for almost twice as long as the above rent scenario, saved $2.4 million, knows how salaries have increased during that time (many would have left teachers’ salaries in the dust), and has stated it has “no plans to revisit (the tax) arrangement.”

Sound at all fair?

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Next column: Do I go with two emails or a possible threat to national security?

Two days ago I mentioned an email from Alex L. and yesterday my reply.

I think I handled things pretty well, didn’t blow my stack or tear a strip off the guy etc., though for a second or two I really wanted to... just once!

I think I might use the little back and forth as fodder for my next column because there are a couple of things Alex said about me that still stick in my craw.

First, he mentioned that at the age of 10 he “knew the adults were crazy [and] willfully blind to what was obvious to any child 40 or 50 years ago, that the path our society was on was unsustainable.” 

His words stung.

When I was 10, not only did I not know an unsustainable path from a hole in the ground, if someone had asked me about the path society was on I would have pointed to Highway 59, the main route out of town.

And I was way too busy playing catch, delivering papers or cutting our huge lawn with a stupid push mower to look up ‘unsustainable’ in the dictionary.


I did know, however, that adults were crazy. The clothes they wore were not rad at all. Not even neato.

Second, Alex laid one on me about the title of the piece, that in it I was “telling everyone else NOW we should get ready to act ("get ready" to act - ?!).”

Hey, my editor picked that title, not me.

The original was something like “Got five minutes and seven bucks? Have I got a deal for you.”

Not too exciting, I admit.

Maybe I should go with a completely different story.

If I can prove Tim Horton’s recent decision to use self-serve coffee machines is a threat to national security, maybe even mass insecurity, I may have a winner.

gah

It Strikes Me Funny: What’s the big deal? Even greybeards can change

Recently an email arrived that lumped me in with (David) “Suzuki and other hypocrites” which is pretty good company as far as I’m concerned.

[See yesterday’s post: It Strikes Me Funny: email re my hypocrisy and golden pension]

If I get gobsmacked for encouraging people to read Gwynne Dyer’s recent column re climate change or buy The Little Green Handbook re seven critical global trends that’s the least of my worries.


To the sender I replied:

Hi Alex,

You were a little wiser than I was at 10 and 18 years of age; I didn't think much about sustainability (other than inside my own house) until much later in life.

You make some good points.

I did commute to work for a good number of years, and apart from a few years on the bus, a few more on a bicycle and many on foot  (during 15 years at Aberdeen P.S. I usually walked to work), I put a lot of inner city miles on cars (a VW bug, Toyota Corolla, Ford Escort, 4 cylinder Caravan and 2 Civics).

Also, now I do sit at home and write a column (after I've counted all my money or motorcycled to Port Bruce on my '84 Yamaha; 8 bucks includes gas and coffee at the Sand Kastle), in which I occasionally remind people to be more earth friendly.

And because I'm not the brightest penny in the jar I thought it a great idea to encourage folks to buy an inexpensive book that provides excellent insight into the reasons why we should (be more earth friendly).

Though this greybeard is guilty as charged in some areas, I think I am not alone in coming to the table late, and to others like me I hope to offer a few helpful words.

So, while you toil away, telling the young about the hypocrites and preparing them to be tough enough to survive, I'll keep plugging away in my small corner too.

I think the problems are so immense a steady effort is required from both of us.

GH