I think we must try

[InfiniteNow]

Watch.

 

YouTube - Updated Highlights of Al Gore's Challenge http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9cllAiXImg

 

 

Discuss.

:cup:

[C1ay]

Here's a start:

 

TBP Home Live

[InfiniteNow]

Here's a start:

 

TBP Home Live

 

I think the funniest part is that Boone Pickens and Gore's plans are not that far away from each other. The only difference is that Pickens wants to put us onto another gas related fuel, which itself will run out and continue environmental impact. He agrees that solar and wind are hugely important, but simply delays their full implementation by arguing natural gas. I agree with Gore when he says that, if we're going to make the effort to make a change, let's do it right and only do it once (in essence, if we're going to change, let's go all the way).

 

 

Content Related to this thread: NBC: Meet the Press - Segment from July 20, 2008 http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25763861#25763861

 

 

 

A guy I work with likes to say, "We never have enough time to do it right, but we always seem to have enough time to do it again." I think that applies here as well. Let's do it right.

[C1ay]

The only difference is that Pickens wants to put us onto another gas related fuel, which itself will run out and continue environmental impact. He agrees that solar and wind are hugely important, but simply delays their full implementation by arguing natural gas.

 

You make it sound like you didn't even watch Picken's plan. Pickens doesn't advocate putting us on another gas, only using gas that we're already using for electricity as an interim fuel for transportation. Gore's plan doesn't even address transportation energy at all. Pickens also isn't advocating any delay. They already have one community on wind power and construction on another wind farm is under way. Pickens is advocating replacement of electricity generation in under 10 years time with wind plus a 38% reduction in foreign oil consumption for transportation by switching some of it to natural gas.

 

Pickens is attacking the problem on two fronts and Gore is only proposing an attack on one. Further, Pickens is already in action doing something by actively investing and building wind farms. He has construction under way. How many megawatts is Gore currently producing and what projects is he breaking ground on?

 

Without the required battery technology that is currently an obstacle to enabling electricity as an option for transportation energy what else would you propose for transportation energy? In the short term it looks like we are stuck with internal combustion as the major player in transportation. Should we switch what we can to a cleaner fuel in the interim or just keep using what we're using now?

[InfiniteNow]

Okay, good. You seem to agree that we must try. :cup:

[C1ay]

Here's another interesting project that shows promise.

[InfiniteNow]

If we did move our automobile fleet to electric power, changing this would help.

 

Right now, through a subsidiary company, Chevron is sitting on a patent for NiMH battery technology that could give us a completely electric car practically overnight, improving on GM's EV-1 technology with a large format NiMH battery that would give it well over 100 miles on a charge, some estimates showing 8 hours worth. Chevron will only allow the large format NiMH technology to be used on gas / electric hybrids and refuses to sell to anyone building a completely electric car.

 

This strikes me as a violation of the spirit of the US Patent Office, and should be addressed concurrent with these changes we're discussing. Chevron is legally sitting on this technology but in this instance their suppression of one market to preserve their current market is helping to feed terrorism and give economic stimulus to questionable governments.

 

 

Note: I've learned of the above from a friend elsewhere and borrowed from him heavily in my presentation here.

 

 

 

 

 

Here's another interesting project that shows promise.

 

That's cool.

[C1ay]

There's one other problem with a large scale move to electric cars....the grid. As it is now many municipalities endure rolling blackouts because our electric power comsumption exceeds the supply. Various statistical sources estimate the current automobile population in the U.S. at 140-150 million. Even with enough power supply we do not currently have the means to distribute enough power to a fraction of those cars to charge their batteries. In the short term we can move toward wind and solar sources to help power the grid we have now but the whole infrastructure is going to have to change to move transportation over to electric, once suitable batteries are available.

[InfiniteNow]

You are absolutely right. That's definitely part of the puzzle. I still think we must try.

[Overdog]

I think that we do have the infrastructure in place to eliminate a lot of commuting to the office to sit in front of a computer and go to meetings, when we could do actually do this from home. There has been some movement in this direction, but I think there is a LOT of unnecessary commuting going on.

[freeztar]

I think that we do have the infrastructure in place to eliminate a lot of commuting to the office to sit in front of a computer and go to meetings, when we could do actually do this from home. There has been some movement in this direction, but I think there is a LOT of unnecessary commuting going on.

 

Indeed. If you could only convince my boss of this, I'd gladly work from home. Some of us have even offered to work the extra time we save by not sitting in traffic for 45 minutes (one-way) getting to the office. This would increase the company's profits, which they seem to be myopically tuned to in any other situation. :shrug:

 

But, we're still trying...

[Overdog]

If you could only convince my boss of this, I'd gladly work from home

 

We have to figure out a way to make the true cost of all the unnecessary commuting visible to the bosses, and at the national level.

[REASON]

We have to figure out a way to make the true cost of all the unnecessary commuting visible to the bosses, and at the national level.

 

Unless your company is paying for your commute, it is not going to be concerned with the costs. Any savings will be realized by the employee and...well...they don't really care about that.

 

If I could be equally productive at home, they would not be aware if it were possible to get more out of me because they wouldn't know how I'm actually spending my time. If they become aware that I am wasting time at work reading Hypo threads, they can give me more to do. If I'm at home, they can't.

 

Being able to physically monitor me seems to be important to their ability to determine if they are getting their monies worth out of me.

[Overdog]

Unless your company is paying for your commute, it is not going to be concerned with the costs. Any savings will be realized by the employee and...well...they don't really care about that.

 

If I could be equally productive at home, they would not be aware if it were possible to get more out of me because they wouldn't know how I'm actually spending my time. If they become aware that I am wasting time at work reading Hypo threads, they can give me more to do. If I'm at home, they can't.

 

Being able to physically monitor me seems to be important to their ability to determine if they are getting their monies worth out of me.

 

Well, obviously it won't work for everyone, I just think it could work for a lot more than those who are currently doing it.

[InfiniteNow]

Working from home and not commuting will definitely help. Every little bit, ya know?

 

My company actually has a whole program for it, where they pay for your broadband and phone, and they do an ergonomic review to make sure you have good chairs and desk at home, and will help fund them if you do not. It's pretty cool. While I keep my desk in the office, I work from home very often.

 

Either way, that's just a small piece in the puzzle. Good discussion. I think we must try. :shrug:

[Overdog]

There's other options too. Working at home just one day a week, for example, would help, or going to a 10 hour/day four-day work week.

[freeztar]

Working at home just one day a week, for example, would help, or going to a 10 hour/day four-day work week.

 

I've got an even better idea. Let's shift to a four-day 8hrs/day work week. :shrug:

 

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