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Feb 1, 2006View in Crawl 4
Wind farms aren't the answer. They will always be a marginal source of power - they are simply too inefficient to ever fully take over from higher yield power sources (eg, coal, nuclear). And believe it or not, filling up open greenspace with thousands of windmills is not exactly environmentally friendly. For example, I read about one wind farm in Cali. they are trying to shut down because hundreds of birds, some endangered species, are killed by the windmills. All in all, hydro and solar hold far more promise than wind.
I'm very liberal and environmentally-conscious, and am all for alternative energy, but I can't help but feel that hybrid cards are hypocritical. Like others have pointed out, you pay a PREMIUM for hybrids up-front, then are also faced with the environmental impact of not only the manufacture of the batteries, but their eventual disposal. And NiMH batteries don't last forever... don't they wear out sooner than most cards? Do people factor in the cost of a whole new set of batteries in 4-5 years?
I say go solar for the most part.Even though the solar panels are expensive, I have managed to get 4 large solar panels along with 6 huge deep cycle batteries that weigh about 150lbs each, with some chargers. The panels charge the batteries during the day and also produce enough power to feed some lights. The setup was mainly for power outages but we now use it to power all outside lights, emergency lights and a few appliances in the house. When the power goes out the batteries (on full charge) can power all three refrigerators and our deepfreeze for about 2 days without additional charging. With the panels they can run up to 4 to 5 days along with our lights. If the Prius had an option to charge it, it wouldn’t be any problem to hook it up as well.For that reason I say solar power and wind farms need to be brought into consideration. There is way to much pollution from everything to keep going like this any longer. Fuels will run out so what are we gonna do then? Think of the future now and do what you can.
""People aren't buying Priuses for good gas economy, they're buying it for image."{sigh} why would anyone have this sneering, derisive attitude towards the Prius and their owners? Oh yeah, I remember now: monumental ignorance and a strong preference to believe what they think to be true, rather than a propensity for wanting to know what IS true.The reasons for our purchase were:1. it gets 45MPG (real world) vs. the Honda Passport we traded for it which used to get maybe 20MPG on a good day.2. After trade-in, the cost of the Prius was $18k. After trade-in, the cost of an EQUIVALENT Camry (with the same optionals) would have been $16k - that's two thousand dollars difference.3. We got that $2k back in our tax return as an EPA clean vehicle credit.4. The Prius is quieter, roomier and drives nicer than the Camry (or the Corolla)5. Even if (4) wasnt the case, we're still saving significantly in gas over time. At $3.20 a gallon (local price here in the last week), we still save several hundred dollars a year over the Camry, and thousands over the Passport.6. resale values of hybrids are higher than for non-hybrids, no matter how "small" the gas savings are.7. The warranty on the Prius' battery is longer than the typical product life of a Camry.8. We're "doing our bit" for the environment.And someone thinks we buy these things for "Image"? Puh-leeze.
Multiple studies done by the state of California have shown that less emissions are released that way, and it's cheaper for the driver (Imagine getting 106 MPG if gas is at $3, or if gas cost $.66 a gallon as the equivalent efficiency). The only area it pollutes more is in sulfur dioxide, and I believe by the end of 2007, it will be federally mandated for those emissions to be contained at the power plant. The tailpipe is longer, but there's less emissions coming out.
jahutchFeb 1, 2006
Wind farms aren't the answer. They will always be a marginal source of power - they are simply too inefficient to ever fully take over from higher yield power sources (eg, coal, nuclear). And believe it or not, filling up open greenspace with thousands of windmills is not exactly environmentally friendly. For example, I read about one wind farm in Cali. they are trying to shut down because hundreds of birds, some endangered species, are killed by the windmills. All in all, hydro and solar hold far more promise than wind.
apache2Feb 1, 2006
f**k the "hack" s**t! demeaning to the word :(
trogdoorFeb 2, 2006
<a class="user" href="http://wiki.ehow.com/Override-Toyota-Prius-Navigation-Gray-out">http://wiki.ehow.com/Override-Toyota-Prius-Navigation-Gray-out</a>to use nav while driving.
sremickFeb 2, 2006
I'm very liberal and environmentally-conscious, and am all for alternative energy, but I can't help but feel that hybrid cards are hypocritical. Like others have pointed out, you pay a PREMIUM for hybrids up-front, then are also faced with the environmental impact of not only the manufacture of the batteries, but their eventual disposal. And NiMH batteries don't last forever... don't they wear out sooner than most cards? Do people factor in the cost of a whole new set of batteries in 4-5 years?
cool4u2viewFeb 2, 2006
How about sonofusion in a form that produces enough energy for a car...
energyhogFeb 23, 2006
I say go solar for the most part.Even though the solar panels are expensive, I have managed to get 4 large solar panels along with 6 huge deep cycle batteries that weigh about 150lbs each, with some chargers. The panels charge the batteries during the day and also produce enough power to feed some lights. The setup was mainly for power outages but we now use it to power all outside lights, emergency lights and a few appliances in the house. When the power goes out the batteries (on full charge) can power all three refrigerators and our deepfreeze for about 2 days without additional charging. With the panels they can run up to 4 to 5 days along with our lights. If the Prius had an option to charge it, it wouldn’t be any problem to hook it up as well.For that reason I say solar power and wind farms need to be brought into consideration. There is way to much pollution from everything to keep going like this any longer. Fuels will run out so what are we gonna do then? Think of the future now and do what you can.
kapstaadAug 16, 2006
Maybe, maybe not. We own an '05 Prius, and Digg it big time!
kapstaadAug 16, 2006
Sweet!
kapstaadAug 16, 2006
""People aren't buying Priuses for good gas economy, they're buying it for image."{sigh} why would anyone have this sneering, derisive attitude towards the Prius and their owners? Oh yeah, I remember now: monumental ignorance and a strong preference to believe what they think to be true, rather than a propensity for wanting to know what IS true.The reasons for our purchase were:1. it gets 45MPG (real world) vs. the Honda Passport we traded for it which used to get maybe 20MPG on a good day.2. After trade-in, the cost of the Prius was $18k. After trade-in, the cost of an EQUIVALENT Camry (with the same optionals) would have been $16k - that's two thousand dollars difference.3. We got that $2k back in our tax return as an EPA clean vehicle credit.4. The Prius is quieter, roomier and drives nicer than the Camry (or the Corolla)5. Even if (4) wasnt the case, we're still saving significantly in gas over time. At $3.20 a gallon (local price here in the last week), we still save several hundred dollars a year over the Camry, and thousands over the Passport.6. resale values of hybrids are higher than for non-hybrids, no matter how "small" the gas savings are.7. The warranty on the Prius' battery is longer than the typical product life of a Camry.8. We're "doing our bit" for the environment.And someone thinks we buy these things for "Image"? Puh-leeze.
tvarmyApr 12, 2007
Multiple studies done by the state of California have shown that less emissions are released that way, and it's cheaper for the driver (Imagine getting 106 MPG if gas is at $3, or if gas cost $.66 a gallon as the equivalent efficiency). The only area it pollutes more is in sulfur dioxide, and I believe by the end of 2007, it will be federally mandated for those emissions to be contained at the power plant. The tailpipe is longer, but there's less emissions coming out.