Again, sorry for the delay. Hopefully things will get back on track now, at least until the end of the tournament.
Bikes
Positive News Stories (20 out of 30)
Hm! I'm really surprised at what I found when I started searching for 'bike' in the news search. There are actually some pretty interesting things going on with bikes. While many of these news stories are really nothing groundbreaking, the fact that they continue to make headlines shows that there is continued interest in biking, at least in the US.
I read stories about bike taxi companies, stories about teaching kids with developmental disabilities how to ride bikes, stories about bike cops, and stories about bike summits. All in all, I'd say people are pretty interested in biking still and I don't see this as a trend that will be ending any time soon.
Negative News Stories (-3 out of -30)
I really can't say much bad about biking. I searched and I searched, but the worst stories I could find were about people stealing bikes. I did, however read an article about the same biking summit that I mentioned in the previous paragraph, except this story was told from a negative point of view. Check it out here. It's pretty interesting to see the other side of the same story. Regardless, I couldn't find too many people that were all that upset with bikes or any negative environmental consequences of the increased use of bikes in this country.
User Comments (4 out of 20)
Bikes. Word. In that I mean that 'Bikes' is a single word.
Tomorrow we'll continue to explore the world of Hybrid Vehicles. Can another #1 seed be knocked out by an underdog?? We shall see...
Showing posts with label hybrid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hybrid. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Tournament Round 2, Match 4 - (2) Electric Vehicles vs. (3) Hybrid Vehicles
Happy Independence Day, everyone! Let's celebrate by discussing something that Japan is doing much better than the United States! Making Hybrid Electric and Electric Vehicles. But which is better? It's time to find out!
Electric Vehicles
I just want to remind everyone of the differences between Hybrids and Electric Vehicles. Hybrids run primarily on gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines but they also have electric motors that are charged while the car is running, typically while the car is breaking. Electric Vehicles are the cars that you plug in at night and can run for a certain number of miles before they need to switch over to a gas motor or just die on the side of the road. Get the difference? Sounds great, let's move on to the good stuff! First up is Electric Vehicles (EV).
Green Pride (18/20)
People looooooooove EVs. Most of the time, they're ridiculously expensive and gas would need to be something like $10 a gallon or you have to drive a couple hundred miles a day (beyond the range of the EV) for it to be financially worth it. So the people that buy these cars are usually very proud of how good they are for the environment. When you meet someone that has one of these cars and don't know what to talk about, bring up their car and you've got your conversation covered for that entire night. If you need to get out of that conversation, all you have to do is suddenly remember that you forgot to plug in your EV and you're off the hook.
Green Guilt (5/20)
People like to read about EV and the newest models that are coming out, but deep down, they know that they probably won't own one of those any time soon. The guilt would be a lot higher, except that everyone has an amazing way to overcome that guilt without making too much of a sacrifice. And I'll mention that amazing way in just one minute.
Reader Comments (0/10)
I couldn't decide either. Maybe next time!
Hybrid Vehicles
Green Pride (12/20)
That amazing way is for people to buy a Hybrid Vehicle. HVs are marginally better for the environment than regular cars and marginally more expensive. They're a great way for people who are eco-lazy to be eco-friendly without changing their lifestyles in a single tangible way. Even though they didn't do anything other than write a slightly bigger check when they were paying for their cars, they're really proud of their slightly smaller carbon footprint.
Green Guilt (12/20)
I'd say that out of every 20 people, at least 12 realize that they should spend the extra money upfront and do what's right for the environment. If they don't they'll be plagued with some eco-guilt every time their friends are bragging about their EVs.
Reader Comments (0/10)
They're worth double now, so make sure you comment!
Time to tally the scores!
Electric Vehicles: 23
Hybrid Vehicles: 24
I promise you that I don't know the scores ahead of time until I tally them at the end. I don't modify things so that they come out really close. I really am unbiased (except for some really rare cases) so these really close results are genuine. I hope you didn't have Electric Vehicles and forgot to comment, because that would have made all the difference!
Next time is (1) Wind Power vs. (5) Offshore Wind Power. What's up with all these really similar concepts going head to head?
Electric Vehicles
I just want to remind everyone of the differences between Hybrids and Electric Vehicles. Hybrids run primarily on gasoline or diesel internal combustion engines but they also have electric motors that are charged while the car is running, typically while the car is breaking. Electric Vehicles are the cars that you plug in at night and can run for a certain number of miles before they need to switch over to a gas motor or just die on the side of the road. Get the difference? Sounds great, let's move on to the good stuff! First up is Electric Vehicles (EV).
Green Pride (18/20)
People looooooooove EVs. Most of the time, they're ridiculously expensive and gas would need to be something like $10 a gallon or you have to drive a couple hundred miles a day (beyond the range of the EV) for it to be financially worth it. So the people that buy these cars are usually very proud of how good they are for the environment. When you meet someone that has one of these cars and don't know what to talk about, bring up their car and you've got your conversation covered for that entire night. If you need to get out of that conversation, all you have to do is suddenly remember that you forgot to plug in your EV and you're off the hook.
Green Guilt (5/20)
People like to read about EV and the newest models that are coming out, but deep down, they know that they probably won't own one of those any time soon. The guilt would be a lot higher, except that everyone has an amazing way to overcome that guilt without making too much of a sacrifice. And I'll mention that amazing way in just one minute.
Reader Comments (0/10)
I couldn't decide either. Maybe next time!
Hybrid Vehicles
Green Pride (12/20)
That amazing way is for people to buy a Hybrid Vehicle. HVs are marginally better for the environment than regular cars and marginally more expensive. They're a great way for people who are eco-lazy to be eco-friendly without changing their lifestyles in a single tangible way. Even though they didn't do anything other than write a slightly bigger check when they were paying for their cars, they're really proud of their slightly smaller carbon footprint.
Green Guilt (12/20)
I'd say that out of every 20 people, at least 12 realize that they should spend the extra money upfront and do what's right for the environment. If they don't they'll be plagued with some eco-guilt every time their friends are bragging about their EVs.
Reader Comments (0/10)
They're worth double now, so make sure you comment!
Time to tally the scores!
Electric Vehicles: 23
Hybrid Vehicles: 24
I promise you that I don't know the scores ahead of time until I tally them at the end. I don't modify things so that they come out really close. I really am unbiased (except for some really rare cases) so these really close results are genuine. I hope you didn't have Electric Vehicles and forgot to comment, because that would have made all the difference!
Next time is (1) Wind Power vs. (5) Offshore Wind Power. What's up with all these really similar concepts going head to head?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tournament Round 1, Match 7 - (3) Hybrid Vehicles vs. (6) Walking
(3) Hybrid Vehicles and (6) Walking. Go!
Hybrid Vehicles
While I didn't specify it, I am referring to specifically Electric-Hybrid Vehicles. There are also Hydraulic Hybrids, but the electric ones are by far the most popular, so we'll go with that. Hybrids work by charging a battery whenever the brakes are applied. Thus, starting and stopping a lot is somewhat good for your fuel efficiency. The funny thing is this "new" technology has been around for around 100 years. How about that?
Impact on the Environment (8/15):
I mean yeah, it does increase the fuel efficiency of cars without drivers changing their driving habits. But ultimately, it's only something that will slow down our dependence on foreign oil. Even if we all switch to Hybrids, we're still going to need a lot of oil. Oil that, when burned, releases carbon emissions. This will only slow the inevitable, not stop it.
Practicality (10/10):
When Hybrids were becoming popular again a few years back, the cost of the additional Hybridity (don't question my vocabulary) usually didn't offset the savings from using less gas. At least not for quite a few years. Then two things happened, gas prices went way up and the cost of making Hybrids went down as the technology matured further. This made Hybrids very very popular. It may come to the point when Hybrids are the standard for all cars and non-Hybrids are the exception. Sort of like manual cars versus automatic.
Sustainability (7/10):
Like I mentioned in the last paragraph, Hybrid technology is so innocuous (as in nobody would notice too much if all cars were Hybrids) that it may become the standard for all cars. This would be a good thing, because there would be little to no resistance to everyone switching to Hybrids.
Awesomeness (6/10):
Hybrids are a really savvy marketing technique because they have such an evocative connotation. Buying Hybrids is the way that lazy people can show that they care about the environment without doing anything strenuous like recycling or Walking to work.
User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!
Walking
When I say Walking, I mean Walking to something that you normally drive (or ride your bike) to, thus saving gas (or wasting time).
Impact on the Environment (15/15):
If we took all the cars off the road, we'd be set. As in, done. Our environmental problems would be over. Carbon levels in the atmosphere would drop back to normal levels and climate change would slow down. The polar bears would be saved. The coral reefs would grow back. Al Gore would have to find a new line of work.
Practicality (1/10):
There are very very few cases when you can justify Walking everywhere you go. Unless of course you go to college, but you know from Green Tip #72 that's not the best idea. Even living in a big city, you still have to take the bus or taxis. And what about moving? Are you really going to carry that couch all the way across town or to another state?
Sustainability (5/10):
Well, people will always need to Walk a little bit around the house or to the mailbox. But it's a gamble if people will be Walking more or less to places. It depends a lot on if people continue to expand outwards to the suburbs or if people in the suburbs move back into the city that has been abandoned by the people who moved to the suburbs in the first place.
Awesomeness (3/10):
Okay, so at first it would be pretty awesome. Never paying for gas? Sounds awesome! Ha! Wait until winter. Or when it's raining. Or late at night. Okay, I think you get the point. Walking everywhere would get pretty darn un-awesome.
User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!
Alright, let's tally those scores!
Hybrids: 31
Walking: 24
Hybrids will move on to face another foe. Who will it be? Find out Saturday when (2) Electric Vehicles takes on (7) Carbon Offsets.
Hybrid Vehicles
While I didn't specify it, I am referring to specifically Electric-Hybrid Vehicles. There are also Hydraulic Hybrids, but the electric ones are by far the most popular, so we'll go with that. Hybrids work by charging a battery whenever the brakes are applied. Thus, starting and stopping a lot is somewhat good for your fuel efficiency. The funny thing is this "new" technology has been around for around 100 years. How about that?
Impact on the Environment (8/15):
I mean yeah, it does increase the fuel efficiency of cars without drivers changing their driving habits. But ultimately, it's only something that will slow down our dependence on foreign oil. Even if we all switch to Hybrids, we're still going to need a lot of oil. Oil that, when burned, releases carbon emissions. This will only slow the inevitable, not stop it.
Practicality (10/10):
When Hybrids were becoming popular again a few years back, the cost of the additional Hybridity (don't question my vocabulary) usually didn't offset the savings from using less gas. At least not for quite a few years. Then two things happened, gas prices went way up and the cost of making Hybrids went down as the technology matured further. This made Hybrids very very popular. It may come to the point when Hybrids are the standard for all cars and non-Hybrids are the exception. Sort of like manual cars versus automatic.
Sustainability (7/10):
Like I mentioned in the last paragraph, Hybrid technology is so innocuous (as in nobody would notice too much if all cars were Hybrids) that it may become the standard for all cars. This would be a good thing, because there would be little to no resistance to everyone switching to Hybrids.
Awesomeness (6/10):
Hybrids are a really savvy marketing technique because they have such an evocative connotation. Buying Hybrids is the way that lazy people can show that they care about the environment without doing anything strenuous like recycling or Walking to work.
User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!
Walking
When I say Walking, I mean Walking to something that you normally drive (or ride your bike) to, thus saving gas (or wasting time).
Impact on the Environment (15/15):
If we took all the cars off the road, we'd be set. As in, done. Our environmental problems would be over. Carbon levels in the atmosphere would drop back to normal levels and climate change would slow down. The polar bears would be saved. The coral reefs would grow back. Al Gore would have to find a new line of work.
Practicality (1/10):
There are very very few cases when you can justify Walking everywhere you go. Unless of course you go to college, but you know from Green Tip #72 that's not the best idea. Even living in a big city, you still have to take the bus or taxis. And what about moving? Are you really going to carry that couch all the way across town or to another state?
Sustainability (5/10):
Well, people will always need to Walk a little bit around the house or to the mailbox. But it's a gamble if people will be Walking more or less to places. It depends a lot on if people continue to expand outwards to the suburbs or if people in the suburbs move back into the city that has been abandoned by the people who moved to the suburbs in the first place.
Awesomeness (3/10):
Okay, so at first it would be pretty awesome. Never paying for gas? Sounds awesome! Ha! Wait until winter. Or when it's raining. Or late at night. Okay, I think you get the point. Walking everywhere would get pretty darn un-awesome.
User Input (0/5):
Get those comments in, everyone!
Alright, let's tally those scores!
Hybrids: 31
Walking: 24
Hybrids will move on to face another foe. Who will it be? Find out Saturday when (2) Electric Vehicles takes on (7) Carbon Offsets.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Green Tip #92: Grapple
Let me begin this Green Tip as I do with many others: with a disclaimer. Typing this character: 'ā' is way more work than I want to do more than once a post. Whenever I refer to 'Grapples' know that there should be a long 'a' sound (think 'Grape-L'). I'm just too lazy for the accent. Here's free promotion for Grapples to make up for me misspelling their product.
With that said, those of you familiar with Grapples are wondering how they can be environmentally friendly and those unfamiliar with Grapples have probably used the link above and are now also wondering how they can be environmentally friendly. Well, to answer that, I'm going to have to delve into a subject that I've been avoiding for quite some time now.
Produce.
Sure, I've talked about food a bunch. Mostly fast food, but that's 90% salt, sugar and preservatives, so that hardly falls into the same category. No, I'm talking about things that actually grow from plants. The reason I've avoided talking about it is that the subject of organic food is notoriously controversial. For those of you wanting to know my opinion on the subject will just have to wait until some time in June when that match-up comes up in the May Madness Bracket (You still have two weeks to fill one out!!!).
No, what I want to talk more about is buying locally. I'm sure you've heard the phrase before but basically it says that you should buy things that are produced in your city, state, or country because it's good for your local economy and saves on transportation-related environmental impacts. For example, today I had the choice of going to either a Kroger gas station or a Sunoco. I happen to know that Kroger is based out of Cincinnati and Sunoco is based out of Philadelphia so I chose Kroger because my money will be going towards Ohio's economy instead of Pennsylvania's. (Makes up for all the money I had to pay to Pennsylvania in tolls when I was driving to Philly earlier this year!)
Anyway, what does all this have to do with fruit hybrids? (Ooo, Apple should team up with Chevy and make next year's Volt really cool!) It's simple. If I only bought food locally, one thing I'd miss out on is tropical fruit. Ohio's good for growing things like apples and to a lesser degree grapes, but I've never seen a banana tree plantation along State Route 2. So, sure I could just eat banana flavored candy, but it's just not the same. Here's where fruit hybrids come into play.
With that said, those of you familiar with Grapples are wondering how they can be environmentally friendly and those unfamiliar with Grapples have probably used the link above and are now also wondering how they can be environmentally friendly. Well, to answer that, I'm going to have to delve into a subject that I've been avoiding for quite some time now.
Produce.
Sure, I've talked about food a bunch. Mostly fast food, but that's 90% salt, sugar and preservatives, so that hardly falls into the same category. No, I'm talking about things that actually grow from plants. The reason I've avoided talking about it is that the subject of organic food is notoriously controversial. For those of you wanting to know my opinion on the subject will just have to wait until some time in June when that match-up comes up in the May Madness Bracket (You still have two weeks to fill one out!!!).
No, what I want to talk more about is buying locally. I'm sure you've heard the phrase before but basically it says that you should buy things that are produced in your city, state, or country because it's good for your local economy and saves on transportation-related environmental impacts. For example, today I had the choice of going to either a Kroger gas station or a Sunoco. I happen to know that Kroger is based out of Cincinnati and Sunoco is based out of Philadelphia so I chose Kroger because my money will be going towards Ohio's economy instead of Pennsylvania's. (Makes up for all the money I had to pay to Pennsylvania in tolls when I was driving to Philly earlier this year!)
Anyway, what does all this have to do with fruit hybrids? (Ooo, Apple should team up with Chevy and make next year's Volt really cool!) It's simple. If I only bought food locally, one thing I'd miss out on is tropical fruit. Ohio's good for growing things like apples and to a lesser degree grapes, but I've never seen a banana tree plantation along State Route 2. So, sure I could just eat banana flavored candy, but it's just not the same. Here's where fruit hybrids come into play.
All people need to start doing is flavoring their local fruits with exotic fruits they can't find in their area. So up here in the Midwest, we'd be eating local apples flavored like grapes (Grapples) or bananas (banapples) or pomegranates (pomegrapples) or kiwis (apkiwiples). The reverse would be true in other parts of the country. Californians would be eating apple flavored oranges (oranppgles), apple flavored kiwis (kiwapplies) and Floridians would eat apple flavored pomegranates (apppomlegranates). Get the picture? So get on this, weird fruit producers! And if you chose to use any of my names, don't forget to send royalty checks this way!
Figure 1. Granny Smith Apppomlegranates
Figure 1. Granny Smith Apppomlegranates
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