May 17, 2008 by Rob.

It’s unbelievably frustrating for me to see our 43rd president once again grabbing our collective ankles for the Saudis.  This pathetic pleading to increase production to help our economy is weak and misguided.  The response, “we’ll increase production if you increase demand” provides all the illumination we need to see their objectives.

Dear President Weakling Bush,

Here is what a strong leader would do.  Thank the Saudis for giving us the incentive to wean down our dependence on resources from sponsors of terrorists.  Tell Big Oil that they have a choice: dump their record profits into funding efficient and alternative energy or have the government direct the research by taxing all of it.  Provide significant incentives for energy efficiency.  For example 10% of price tax credits for >40MPG, 20% for >50, etc up to 60 MPG.  Fund this with tax penalties for gas guzzlers (10% < 30 MPG, etc).  We have the technology, we can make it better.

America is a strong country with amazing capital, business, and intellectual resources.  Give us a mandate to become energy independent and we’ll restore our leadership.  Personally, I’m tired of watching you be a Saudi lap dog.

As yourself, what would Steve Austin do?

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May 7, 2008 by Rob.

I was re-ranting to Laura, my EV enduring spouse, about that kitten killing Hummer driver from our trip to Breed Hardware.  She said that the driver was buying compact florescent light bulbs (CFL).

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May 7, 2008 by Rob.

<pet peeve>Why do all these SUV drivers leave their engine idling when they leave their car!  I was at Breed Hardware yesterday and someone left their Hummer spewing CO2 all over the parking lot while they went inside to buy kitten maiming equipment.  Is turning the car on and off really that much effort?  It’s not even summer so what’s your excuse?  Gas still too cheap?</pet peeve>

So on Cinco de Mayo I was talking to an environmentally minded friend over lunch at Maudi’s and chewing on weighty problems.  He suggested that the Free Rider Problem from Game Theory may be part of the struggle for conservation movements to get rolling.  The FRP states that when a populate is large enough members can easily opt out of paying their share.  By assuming that the majority will contribute they get a free ride.  If enough people do this then the market collapses or fails to advance.

I look at all these Hummer drivers and can’t help but think that they are using up MY SHARE OF THE GAS!  It seems like we have plenty, but it’s going to run out.  Well first it will get really really expensive and then it will run out.  These drivers are Free Riders!  They are not playing along with people who conserve because the population is large enough that they can opt out without people noticing.

And on nearly completely unrelated rant.  My friend also was talking about WWII.  He said that Nazis preemptively invaded Russia to ensure their supply of fuel and the Japanese preemptively attacked US because we threatened their supply of fuel.  It seems like world war and controlling the supply of oil may be preceded by a preemptive attack.  Good thing there have not been any preemptive military actions lately (excluding our invasion of Iraq, of course).

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March 30, 2008 by Rob.

I’ve been floating an idea with my friends (and mother-in-law) that has passed the sniff test for posting here.  I propose that we connect the costs of the war in Iraq directly with the price of gas.  This is logical because (at least some of) the need for the war is to protect crude oil supplies.  This is not a new tax because our taxes are currently financing the war - it is simply a different path for our tax dollars to flow from our paychecks into the military complex.

My specific proposal is that American should have 1% of the war cost paid by increasing the gas tax for 1 month.  After that it should increase by 1% each month.  This relatively a small ration but highly symbolic amount that directly connects the American people with the currently hidden true costs of the war.

Disclaimer: It is true that I don’t pay gas taxes on my electric car miles.  Sadly, >70% of my families miles are still powered by hydrocarbons.

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March 23, 2008 by Rob.

I was enjoying my family vacation at Copper Mountain this year when I was assaulted by some amazingly bizarre typically American marketing double think. Chevy signed up as a major sponsor and got to spray their “gas friendly to gas free” (GF2GF) marketing tag line all over Copper Mountain’s trail maps and signs. Chevy has some right to make this claim based on their (shipping) Aveo and (in development) Volt products.

That’s all well and good until they park a sample of their “GF2GF” products at the mountain base. The Suburban and Avalanche may be some of Chevy’s best selling vehicles, but they are not remotely gas friendly even burning unethical E85. How typical for Americans to want a green feel good marketing headline so we can keep buying those gas guzzlers!

Even more rant: Copper Mountain has signs everywhere falsely claiming to be 100% wind powered. It took me a while to find a brochure with small print explaining that they buy wind power offsets. They may be able to stretch the truth and make this claim, but I think it’s misleading. On the upside, they consider that their customers value green power enough to put it on hundreds of signs.

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February 2, 2008 by Rob.

Laura and I had an interesting conversation about my story of stuff post.  I was trying to explain it to her and started with how the cheap radio used metal from Brazil mined by people who are destroying the rain forest.  That sent her over the edge - not because it was sad, but because she thought it is futile to change it.

So the challenge is how do average individuals make a different in our consumer driven society?  It’s a battle of ant bites.  If each of us works to make a small difference then the overall effect is huge.  What are small differences?  Here are some ideas:

1. Recycle deeply including batteries, electronics, and other toxic trash that should not be thrown away
2. Extend the life of your goods by actually keeping them until they wear out.  For example, don’t replace your dryer if your washer breaks.  Keep your car an extra year.
3. Save money.  Living deeper in debt as a country makes us less self sufficient.
4. Spent your time outdoors with other people instead of buying things and consuming things.
5. Turn off the lights when you’re not home.
6. Downsize your lifestyle.

Most importantly - talk about the issues and get a discussion going.

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February 1, 2008 by Rob.

I was catching up on my friend’s blog, MetronetIQ, and was very glad I took the time to follow one of his links.  He advised checking out the story of stuff site and I want to pass on the recommendation.

This video is especially relevant considering our government is about to “rescue” our economy by borrowing money from China (bonds) to issue a tax rebate so we can consume more Chinese goods.

Even if you already “get it” about sustainability, this video is worth the 20 minutes.  Let’s give ourselves a collective kick in the ass.

Posted in Rants, Green Tech | 1 Comment »

January 16, 2008 by Rob.

Showing off spectacular logic, the President encouraged the oil producing Arab countries to boost production and lower prices. Failure to do so would lead US to reduce demand! Oh no!

Their response was essentially, “US who? Our main customers are China and India.”

Here is the simple reality. The US per capita oil consumption is already so egregiously high, that we really don’t have anywhere to go but downward.  That’s especially true if you score it per average family income. However, per capita consumption in China and India has the potential to surge dramatically.

This is underscored by the recent $2500 car announcement from Indian car company Tata motors. They are one of several companies vying to be the Model-T for the developing world.  They hope to enable every PacRim family to dramatically increase their per capita consumption.  It may be fuel efficient by our standards, but they are being sold to people who currently don’t own cars!   To contrast, new cars in the US typically replace other cars.

Did you feel it?  The world stage is shifting.

PS: Tata just bought Jaguar and Land Rover.

PPS: Hang on to those SUVs. You may not be able to afford to gas them up, but the steel in their bodies is going to worth a lot of $$$ in the future.

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December 15, 2007 by Rob.

My family skis and boards at Aspen Snowmass every year. It is an awesome 4 mountain resort and a true leader in running as a green operation. Even though I knew their reputation for putting their money behind their words, I was completely astounded by what they just mailed to me!

They sent a small box with the words “Save Snow” written on the outside and inside was a single CFL blub. There was no extra card, no brochure, no letter from the CEO. It was not needed because the message was SO SIMPLE AND DIRECT: install this bulb and you can start making a global difference. Small local changes DO have global impacts.

Bravo Aspen Ski Company! You have my business.

Posted in Rants, Green Tech, EV Tech | 1 Comment »

December 13, 2007 by Rob.

Hearing the news of the massive oil spill in South Korea felt like a punch in the gut.  There seem to be an upwelling of Oil spills lately while the fines from the 1989 Exxon Valdese spill are apparently still unpaid.  The grim reality is that the environmental devastation from spills are a sad part of the price we continue to pay for oil.  The more we use, the greater the risk.

I can’t imagine any American willing to pour a gallon of oil into their local lake or ocean, but that is the ultimate effect.  Maybe spills in places like Alaska and South Korea are just too remote for us to feel any urgency.

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