[clue-talk] the recent "green" fads - or "Stupid Green"

[Brian Gibson]

> It's funny you should mention that.  Solar energy is easily the most 
> neglected piece to this entire puzzle IMO.  There is so little research 
> and development put into this in the US and it has some of the best 
> potential and results.
> 
> But your point about the math is well taken.

Photovoltaics is getting there especially if the new thin sheet manufacturing techniques scale to bring the unit costs down.  Solar water heating however is here.  What really sucks are HOA rules that limit green initiatives even if you are in position to a) want to install them and b) have the money to do so.

> So what's going on here?  Are these hybrid cars any improvement?  Or did 
> the car companies purposefully decide they weren't going to improve gas 
> efficiency for 20 years until it became a marketing tool to have "hybrid 
> cars" and somehow get the mpg to where they had it in the 80's?

Mandatory safety systems and standard features add weight.  The 2008 ULEV Honda Civic (29 mpg) has a curb weight of 2700 lbs.  The original Civic (40 mpg) was 1500 lbs.  It doesn't take a genius to realize less weight equals better fuel economy, but at the same time I find newer vehicles a safer and more enjoyable driving experience than older vehicles which tend to be noisier, have higher maintenance costs, have higher noxious emissions, and don't feel as safe.  Of course the negatives of an older vehicle are offset by lower initial costs and by extracting more use out of it before it gets recycled.

It would be nice if we had an option other than scooters and motorcycles. What we need is a personal commuter vehicle (which is what most vehicles are used for anyway) that isn't weather dependent and can carry a small but reasonable payload or second person.  Some are in the works.  Also it would nice to have multiple options for power trains that make sense for the location where it's driven.  Gasoline and internal combustion engines aren't going away, but it would nice if they weren't the only cost effective solution right now.