I almost expected to see you in the newscast vid :D

I almost expected to see you in the newscast vid :D

Thanks, but it's time for the teachers to stand up for themselves - seems like they're suddenly motivated to protect their right to collective bargaining! ;) Maybe this is the start of a movement in the U.S. to take back our country from the oligarchs?

18 years ago, GM had the answer!

 

All GM has to do is make this a production vehicle - use a more modestly priced composite material (no big deal if one settles for an added couple hundred pounds vehicle weight), add the necessary crash protection, tweak things a little bit:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yxaV8zdEu4]YouTube - 1992 GM Ultralite running concept car[/ame]

 

Back to the Future!:cool:

We've been living life, inside a bubble... [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv6F5aZU34I]YouTube - High Speed - Coldplay[/ame]

At the intersection of earth's life sustaining systems & our anthropogenic centered networks is a crossroads. To choose sensitivity and sensibility, peer into human nature deeply, & seek higher ground, and to choose the best path forward is essential. What is it that makes us want something, what are the real reasons. Go deep. What are the higher purposes? What makes us tick, where are we headed, what is it that we truly want, how can we feel good about our choices in light of the truth we all share and are now aware of?

Some say we can do one thing very well, but not all things in concert - yet a concert has individuals in harmony, all fine musicians playing beautifully together with no difficulties, written, orchestrated, and conducted with mastery of the movement. So, to know what it is that we truly want, to be conscious of our choices, and to choose things that encompass the qualities we desire in all aspects, both for our own desire and for collective wellness, and of Earth's biotic systems, which we are fully integrated into, we would find the greatest good and enjoy the best of all possible outcomes.

So, with that in mind, we all must choose - one cannot sit still on a moving train, or stall at an intersection. Let creativity, compassion, science, reason, ethic, art, and life blossom.

I get a good 57.3 MPG average from my car at the moment, which is rather good for a 9 year old 1.9 diesel

I get a good 57.3 MPG average from my car at the moment, which is rather good for a 9 year old 1.9 diesel

> That really is good mileage David! Converting to U.S. volumes, that works out to roughly 47 MPG, and yes, for a 1.9 L Diesel that sounds good to me too.

Perhaps though what we think of today as good mileage is really maybe half of what is possible with improvements with engine efficiency - since even the Diesel is somewhere in the 30 to 35% efficiency range, where Carnot theoretical maximum with conventional fuels may be in the 80 - 85% range. So doubling the fuel economy of the engine is quite possible, perhaps even being achieved in labs right now.

I would have to say we often defer to the familiar readily when what is possible is quite nearer than one imagines and achievable with today's technologies. Fuller had no troubles in the 30's getting excellent mileage with his designs, so I often wonder what is holding us back.. It certainly can't be our technological ability, nor engineered materials, so it has to be something else.. And that is more human nature and cultural in nature.

I get a good 57.3 MPG average from my car at the moment, which is rather good for a 9 year old 1.9 diesel

keep hold of it as long as you can!

Ah yes, high petrol prices are back! :laugh3: I'll second that - keep that beauty of a car David! ;) Even my ancient cavalier get's around 40 MPG English / 33 MPG American, burning gasoline, so I still wonder how slow change can be when 26 years have passed, and CAFE standards here in the U.S. aren't even up to the dinosaur I drive..

Interesting how the Prius uses variable intake and exhaust valve timing to mimic a little of the Atkin's cycle, gaining 15% efficiency in the process. Which bumps the gasoline engine up into current Diesel efficiency, although still a long ways off of what is possible today though.

Lightening up the vehicles dramatically is another part of the equation, since it requires about as much energy to make a car today as it consumes in fuel over it's lifetime. I took a look at a Chevrolet recently at a local dealership, and while it's good, it's still mighty heavy, weighing in around 3,860 pounds - about the same as my antique, with only a little better MPG rating.

But we Americans have the answer when gas prices spike and our economy is in neutral - just drive less! Basically, most of the driving is for ridiculous things like going 50 miles to buy tacos, and with the economy the way it is, perhaps the environment gets saved in the process.. somehow we will have to marry a strong economy based on quality of life with an honest approach to our shared ecology and eco-conscience... We will always make the right choice, once we have tried everything else first :laugh3:

Which makes me wonder if, as master marketers of addictive consumer culture, will we be able to reign in those behaviors before it's too late... or at least steer them in a positive direction.

or at least steer them in a positive direction.

 

I see what you did there. Most impressive!:P

11.9 in traffic earlier:cry:.

Had a challenging driving experience? It can be quite harrowing out there - what happened?

Had a challenging driving experience? It can be quite harrowing out there - what happened?

 

I was stuck in a traffic jam with an engine that was still hungry:embarrassed:.

ecology is only for those who can afford

anyway as a singer said I am not a man. the poors can not make ecology,

environmentally friendly homes, environmentally friendly cars etc etc. ..

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anp4zcjFrAE]YouTube - ZAZIE - Je suis un homme[/ame]

Ecology is for everyone, and provides the only hope for our future. Straw bale houses, stucco interiors, post and beam construction answers much of the questions here, other designs work well in other parts of the globe. Simple things like window insulator kits, sealants for cracks in homes, basic insulation made from common materials exists (such as shredded newspaper), and the list goes on..

And transportation is a matter of good design, so if cars are to be sold, they can be ecologically sound in design from beginning to end, and at less than current costs. In art, less is more, and so it is with autos too - smart design is the answer.

If I lived in a city, I would be delighted to take trains, but living in the country necessitates some auto transportation, though I plan on getting a bike for summertime use.

If we remove limits upon our minds, we might discover the true possibilities - population pressure is indeed a real issue I agree, but then the answer must be improved living conditions; improved standards of living in truly meaningful ways. For families often are large as an insurance policy in old age when economic instability exists; part of the answer is in education and opportunity for women, part of it is women's rights issues, if my understanding is correct.

So taken as a whole, the answer is multi-faceted for sure - from better economics and an end to corrupt government, fair market practices and social guarantees, access to food, health, education, clean water, meaningful work, smart planning and good transportation options.

But we will build cars, and cars are good, often essential in some places. The better we can make them, the better off we all will be - an we have a lot to improve upon! They will be bought, so if someone of more modest means cannot afford a new car, then at least if new cars are made the way they should be, then second and third owners will reap the benefits of better, ecologically conscious designs.

I kind of want a Citroen DS3:embarrassed:.

Why do you want a Citroen DS3?

They look good, my lease is up soon and I wouldn't mind something just a little more econonmical.

Any more?

Not really, and for me a DS3 is a big step in the green direction!.

Alright then - good to know that! But so many cars look good, which is subjective to what one perceives as good automotive looks, so what about the Citroen DS3 caught your eye?

If I were to venture a guess, I would have to say it is part of me as well perhaps - this pull towards something that has racing credentials, has some get-up-and-go in it, and a sleek look. Better than the average sports car efficiency-wise as well.. I suppose, in some ways, we like to race, we are runners. How then to incorporate that into an environmentally sound choice? hm..

I had looked here at the Tesla in that sense, and the Aptera as well for styling, wishing the Aptera had a bit more zip to it... It's not the engine displacement, nor the horsepower/kilowatts that makes a car fast off the line - it's a combination of mass and responsiveness, instantaneous power output - electrics actually have the edge there.. unless you enjoy the sounds an engine makes? there is something to that!

I don't know really, I like how it looks from the front and it's small and different looking:

 

 

Although most likely performance wise it will actually be slower than my car now?.

..can't click on that link - it's all white lettering for some reason..

alright, good looking from the front, will check that out. unique too - advanced styling then perhaps caught your eye?

Performance varies with these Citroens, but perhaps less performance than what you currently drive - may I ask what that is?

Actually, if the Citroen is lighter than your current car, and is geared and optimized for performance, it may be the same as or even sportier that what you currently drive in that sense. (some cars have modes to choose from, selecting performance mode for fun can provide a rush, then back to economy for normal driving)

Suspension and handling are other considerations as well, if you drive on windy roads, have a lot of obstacles to contend with on a daily basis (like here it would be the potholes on Parkway drive!).

A Range Rover Sport, the leasing on the Citroen is alot cheaper to start with and that's before fuel is considered, I like the Fiat 500 too.

ok, I typed all that in for the Citroen and got a look at it - very nice! sporty muscle car look then.. Yes, the Range Rover Sport is probably harder on fuel, given the 4WD option and general aerodynamics of the vehicle class, not to mention the heavy vehicle weight. It's between the Fiat 500 and the Citroen DS3 then..

So is it mainly the leasing cost and the fuel costs which made you decide to switch?

Yes the leasing and fuel is a big factor, plus thier far easier to park in town, I do like SUVs but really and honestly I don't need one at all and I really like these new little cars, the Citroen in particular looks like a really interesting design.