While it is defintely true that the mass of the vehicle contributes greatly to the amount of energy required to move it, I sure hope the statement "you will never get people out of their cars" is not true. If it is, even smaller cars will not solve the problem. There is a large amount of embodied energy in the production, distribution, maintenance, repair, and disposal of vehicles. If we just replace them with smaller ones that burn less gas, that will improve the efficiency some and reduce consumption (although one can make a strong argument that efficiency does not in fact lead to demand destruction, it just expands the population of the demand), but it will not solve the problem. We need to provide alternative transportation, convince people to walk more, and stop producing so many cars.
> What is needed is very small cars with little mass, as the first cars > were. > Small cars use a fraction of the fuel required by even a Prius. It is > car > size and mass that determines the amount of fuel, and until you cut the > mass > significantly, you will still get a polluting vehicle. You will never get > people out of their cars but you can cut the size of them and get very > significant fuel savings, just as the first Model T did. > > On Fri, Jul 18, 2008 at 5:33 AM, Tony Del Plato <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: > >> I was taken aback by the this thought and wondered if anyone on the TC >> Sustainability list has a take on whether a Prius, if plugged in to >> re-charge its battery, could indirectly pollute more than and is less >> efficient than a gasoline fueled car. The article below sounds >> compelling >> in >> light of the coal industry trying to get into the transportation market. >> Tony Del Plato >> >> http://www.betterworldclub.com/articles/DC_Case_Against_Electric_Car.htm >> >> -- >> >> "Justice is what love looks like in public." >> ~ Dr. Cornel West >> >> >> -- >> >> "Justice is what love looks like in public." >> ~ Dr. Cornel West >> _______________________________________________ >> For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, >> please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ >> >> RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: >> [email protected] >> http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins >> free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org >> > _______________________________________________ > For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, > please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ > > RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: > [email protected] > http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins > free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org > _______________________________________________ For more information about sustainability in the Tompkins County area, please visit: http://www.sustainabletompkins.org/ RSS, archives, subscription & listserv information for: [email protected] http://lists.mutualaid.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainabletompkins free hosting by http://www.mutualaid.org
