Thinking green...

[aku]

Hiya all. Didn't really know where else to put this.
I'm not claiming to be an expert or anything, kinda just venting here
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I just got a hold of Top Gear Philippines' August issue yesterday, which, following suit from the UK edition, is "The Green Issue." They're focusing on environmental awareness this month, and after reading it, it got me thinking. Is it just me, or is the whole global warming thing just getting way overblown? Don't get me wrong, I think it's good that more people are keen on taking care of the environment, but the kind of "green" people are into now doesn't really seem to be the kind that will really do much good. Take hybrids for example: the concept is great, but the end result isn't exactly a miracle gas saver. Toyota claims you can get 25+ km/l from a Prius (oddly enough, Honda says my EK3 can do that much too, but I'm struggling to hit 12...). But I doubt there is a single daily-driver Prius out there that can regularly get that kind of mileage. Maybe in one of those fuel economy runs in the dead of night with police escorts to make sure you can keep a constant speed (ala Petron and their trips from Pagudpud to Sorsogon), you could. But based on postings by owners on the Internet and long-term tests, 16-18 km/l is about the average. And you don't need to spend P1.5++ million on a car that looks like an oversized worm for that - just look at the new diesel Focus, or even an old Mini (same mileage, less price, infinitely cooler). But the Prius is still the hot item, the icon. Not because it doesn't hurt the sky, but because driving around in one screams, "Look at me - I'm environmentally conscious. You're not. Haha." Maybe that's why it looks nothing like a normal car - so no one will ever mistake it for one. And that pretty much describes the modern "green" movement. Ever since Al Gore and his inconvenient truth, being environmentally friendly has become marketable (Studies have shown that people are willing to pay more for a product if they think it's good for the environment, so it's not that difficult to imagine). And therefore profitable. Which means everyone will want to have a go. It's not about caring for Mother Earth anymore. As always, it's down to prestige and profit. The big oil companies don't seem bothered much by the whole affair, because they're posting record profits, and if and when the oil does run out and they get their way, we'll all be driving fuel cell cars, filling up on Shell H-Power or Caltex HCS or something. Even SM has these new reusable "green bags" for their grocery stores (and you know something is all about profit once SM starts getting into it). Studies have shown that global warming may be a natural phenomenon, but the "new environmentalists" won't let that news get out, because their funding is on the line. And even besides profits, there are other consequences to going green. Migs Zubiri and his Biofuels Act may sound great for an agricultural country like us, but look at what's happened in the States: the demand for E85 (85% corn-based ethanol, 15% petrol) has driven up the prices of corn both there and in Mexico, where it's gotten to the point that people are protesting because tortilla flour is getting too expensive. Now if that's the story in America, what do you think will happen here if Congress decides to go green and starts buying ethanol for their Suburbans and Expedizzles? The poor people of the country have a hard enough time competing for food with the other half, and then we pit them against their cars too?


Basically what I'm trying to say is, no matter how noble it may seem to jump on the environmental bandwagon, stop and think first. Learn to see what's there to really help clean up our Earth, and what's there just to relieve you of the contents of your wallet. Please feel free to leave your comments, I'd love to get a good discussion rolling.

[oldblue]

the law of nature is the absolute law. meaning wag labanan. If Al gore and his green men forecasted that the coastlines of Shanghai, New York and parts of California will be submerged in water 10 years from now ...

There's nothing they can do to stop it.

good thing Bush is the leader of the free world and not this doomsayer.

Bush Philosophy is like this. If Washington DC or New York is the favorite target of nuclear warheads of China, Russia, Nokor or even Iran. then move the true capital secretly in the inner parts of the north american continent and expand US interests in western parts of russia, in the borders of Iran, China & Nokor. so by the time warheads destroy the top two US cities, America is still functioning.

Al Gore will just try to defend or to delay what's inevitable. either way, he still loses everything ...

[aku]

the law of nature is the absolute law. meaning wag labanan. If Al gore and his green men forecasted that the coastlines of Shanghai, New York and parts of California will be submerged in water 10 years from now ...

There's nothing they can do to stop it.

The thing is, we CAN do something about it. It's all in his movie. Or perhaps you weren't listening to the parts that don't involve doomsday predictions...

And the rest of what you're saying is just way out of topic. But let me just say that the chances of ANY country actually deploying nukes against another in today's world are next to nil. Modern nukes aren't meant for bombing anymore, just for shows of force.

[Jun aka Pekto]

I'm no tree-hugger myself. But, I have nothing against anyone buying a Prius. It's their money. it's their perogative. Who am I to tell them otherwise? Hybrids aren't ideal. But, neither are diesels. Here, diesels have a stigma of being smoky with choking fumes. It may be an exaggeration. But, that's probably why they're not very popular here even though they're bound to have very good fuel mileage.

Here, even in the worst rush hour scenario with bumper to bumper traffic, it's almost guaranteed I can roll down all 4 windows and not get a whiff of smoky fumes on my face. In fact, I do that often on the way to work. I credit that to strict emissions for regular petrol engines.

I don't think there's any single solution that's ideal. There's the hybrid crowd. There's the diesel crowd and there's the everyday petrol engine crowd. My personal preference is the regular petrol engine with strict emissions that's already in effect here.

If diesels can pass the emissions standard for petrol engines, then I might consider it. And that's not even taking engine refinement and hp into account.

[oldblue]

The thing is, we CAN do something about it. It's all in his movie. Or perhaps you weren't listening to the parts that don't involve doomsday predictions...

how sure is he that he or we can do something about it. nangyari na nga last Thursday eh, kung kelan ki-nut ang classes at all levels, dun pa hindi umuulan ang init pa

And the rest of what you're saying is just way out of topic. But let me just say that the chances of ANY country actually deploying nukes against another in today's world are next to nil. Modern nukes aren't meant for bombing anymore, just for shows of force.

that is true if your only idea of deploying nukes is thru the air. what about smuggling nukes?