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While I do not think they are related to farming but on my last visit to GC, AZ, I noticed signs that cautioned one against the wild animals as CAN carry Hunta Virus and the plain old PLAGUE vectors. (aka the same plague that wiped out 1/3 of Europe.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Beware those with an agenda, they will get you every time.
Let me ask this question. If asthma rates are linked to auto and factory pollution how come they weren't worse back in the 60's when autos and trucks put out 50 times more pollution? Also, where are these factories that the article speaks of? We have killed off any real industry in this country. You can't tell me there are more smokestack industries today than 40 years ago.
A few years ago a company was trying to sell ultra-clean diesel engines to all the local school districts. Their sales pitch sounded an awful lot like that article. They even threw in "the children" getting asthma from sitting on the school bus for an hour. Our local leftie newspaper plastered their claims on the front page without checking any of the facts.
I wrote to the paper asking one question. If the children are getting asthma from sitting on the bus for one hour, why don't all the bus drivers who spend as much as 15 hours a day on those buses have asthma too?
Evidently someone started to use their brain for something other than a paperweight because no one bought those new diesels.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
In other GW news:
"Transportation accounts for almost a third of the country's greenhouse-gas emissions, noted Margo Oge, an auto-emissions expert at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. That's a problem of such scope, she said, that even the sweeping legislation aimed at reducing emissions 80 percent by 2050 that failed in the Senate this year wouldn't have made much of a dent."
Experts Say Toughest Proposed Emissions Laws Won't Solve Climate Problem
And, not really related, but you gotta love the street sweeper photo accompanying the story:
China Reportedly Cool To Clean Diesel
That is not what the consensus of the scientific UN report said. If memory serves me, it claimed transportation was 15% of all GHG. All the hand wringing over something they know mortal man has no control over is mind boggling. They want more taxes and try every scheme they can think of to stick it to the working man. We will get EVs and plug-in hybrids as soon as the technology is perfected. Raising gas taxes will not rush the technology. It will only hurt the little guy at the bottom of the food chain.
"In the USA, the rise in transport related emissions is officially projected to be as much as 46% within the next 20 years . In the emerging economies of China and India, the growth in transport related pollution has only just begun."
Deutsche Welle
Passenger cars account for 17% of U.S. emissions. WSJ
A surreal scientific blunder last week raised a huge question mark about the temperature records that underpin the worldwide alarm over global warming. On Monday, Nasa's Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), which is run by Al Gore's chief scientific ally, Dr James Hansen, and is one of four bodies responsible for monitoring global temperatures, announced that last month was the hottest October on record.
This was startling. Across the world there were reports of unseasonal snow and plummeting temperatures last month, from the American Great Plains to China, and from the Alps to New Zealand. China's official news agency reported that Tibet had suffered its "worst snowstorm ever". In the US, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration registered 63 local snowfall records and 115 lowest-ever temperatures for the month, and ranked it as only the 70th-warmest October in 114 years.
So what explained the anomaly? GISS's computerised temperature maps seemed to show readings across a large part of Russia had been up to 10 degrees higher than normal. But when expert readers of the two leading warming-sceptic blogs, Watts Up With That and Climate Audit, began detailed analysis of the GISS data they made an astonishing discovery. The reason for the freak figures was that scores of temperature records from Russia and elsewhere were not based on October readings at all. Figures from the previous month had simply been carried over and repeated two months running.
The error was so glaring that when it was reported on the two blogs - run by the US meteorologist Anthony Watts and Steve McIntyre, the Canadian computer analyst who won fame for his expert debunking of the notorious "hockey stick" graph - GISS began hastily revising its figures. This only made the confusion worse because, to compensate for the lowered temperatures in Russia, GISS claimed to have discovered a new "hotspot" in the Arctic - in a month when satellite images were showing Arctic sea-ice recovering so fast from its summer melt that three weeks ago it was 30 per cent more extensive than at the same time last year.
A GISS spokesman lamely explained that the reason for the error in the Russian figures was that they were obtained from another body, and that GISS did not have resources to exercise proper quality control over the data it was supplied with. This is an astonishing admission: the figures published by Dr Hansen's institute are not only one of the four data sets that the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) relies on to promote its case for global warming, but they are the most widely quoted, since they consistently show higher temperatures than the others.
If there is one scientist more responsible than any other for the alarm over global warming it is Dr Hansen, who set the whole scare in train back in 1988 with his testimony to a US Senate committee chaired by Al Gore. Again and again, Dr Hansen has been to the fore in making extreme claims over the dangers of climate change. (He was recently in the news here for supporting the Greenpeace activists acquitted of criminally damaging a coal-fired power station in Kent, on the grounds that the harm done to the planet by a new power station would far outweigh any damage they had done themselves.)
Yet last week's latest episode is far from the first time Dr Hansen's methodology has been called in question. In 2007 he was forced by Mr Watts and Mr McIntyre to revise his published figures for US surface temperatures, to show that the hottest decade of the 20th century was not the 1990s, as he had claimed, but the 1930s.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2008/11/16/do1610.xml-
When are we going to strip Al of his awards, tar and feather him along with his accomplice Hansen? Their misrepresentation of climate data will cost tax payers billions of dollars.
Resources are probably a problem for Hansen because he works for the current administration. :P
The incorrect figures came from NOAA, but the GISS should have cross-checked them. GISS has updated the graphs; maybe you can figure out what they say and let me know.
2008-11-12: It seems that one of the sources sent September data rather than October data. Corrected GHCN files were created by NOAA. Due to network maintenance, we were only able to download our basic file late today. We redid the analysis - thanks to the many people who noticed and informed us of that problem.
Why do we pay these guys to give US accurate results, when they are continually being caught giving false information? I don't believe these are honest mistakes. I believe it is a case of shuffling data to create a favorable end result for the GW theorists.
I just would like to see honest data and debate with NO politicians drawing conclusions.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I am getting a bit excited about your i-MIEV coming to America. I think the Feds will screw it up like they did the Smart. I don't know about your situation wanting a vehicle for crossing the desert to shop in Tucson. That may be a real push for any EV. To me it is strictly a commuter for less than 60 miles round trip. You have to expect in any Urban location to be sitting with the AC keeping you cool. That is the big unknown with the EVs. Will Congress back down on the Tax Credit if they see them all going to foreign built cars? From the earmark thrown into the Bailout it was obvious they only thought of the Volt to help GM out of the mess they have gotten themselves into. A $40k Volt for running errands would not tempt me in the least.
Pininfarina B0 is a 4-person 4-door compact electric car, with a maximum speed (electronically limited) of 130 km / h. Batteries last for up to 250 km and located at the bottom of the platform between the two axles, lowering the center of gravity machine. Roof and hood have solar cells that will supply energy to electrical equipment.
Next week, car will be presented to the French president Nicolas Sarkozy, who is a personal friend of Bolore. Sales of new models will begin in mid-2009. Planned output is 10 thousand units per year.
This is an Italian bird. Exporting to the U.S. does not seem to be firmly in their radar yet, though they have mentioned it. If Pininfarina-Bollore would export this car to the U.S. and price it for around $19,995, and we could use our $7,500 Obama rebates on it I'd cling to it like a warm, raspberry donut and a tall mug of Taster's Choice with Hazelnut creamer and 4 scoops of sugar.
What'd'ya think, San Diego dude?
Hey, I just found some more juicy news on this little pup.
Pininfarina and Bollore have partnered up to build an electric car that will go into production and be available in the U.S. in late 2010. The vehicle is called the B0 and it made its debut at the Paris Motor Show this week. The car is an automatic hatchback four-seater with four doors. Its powered by an electric motor and a lithium polymer battery that’s made by Bollore. This car can travel 153 miles on a full charge and it has a top speed of 80-mph. The car can go from 0-37-mph in 6.3 seconds. But a really cool feature the vehicle has are the solar panels on its roof and hood that help recharge and keep the car’s power. Pininfarina states that the battery has a lifespan of 125,000 miles and doesn't need any maintenance. Pricing info hasn’t been released yet but as soon as we know we’ll pass the info on to you.
http://www.dubdaily.com/?p=4914
Very, very cool news. So, there you have it. This little pup is being built to compete with Mitsubishi's i-MIEV directly. Right down to the same availability time in the U.S., late 2010. Actually, I am not certain that Mitsubishi is saying "late" 2010, just that they are saying "2010" for the i-MIEV. These are the two finalists vying for my potential purchase in 2010. I would probably get a decent trade-in value on my '08 Lancer GTS, or, just keep the '08 Lancer GTS for trips to Tucson, Phoenix, and on.
If these cars are the right price I will lobby to my wife as one proposal to keep the '08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS and buy an i-MIEV or B0. But if they get over $20,000 it will need to be a direct trade-in for an i-MIEV or B0. Exciting news-Pininfarina is going to export the little B0 to the U.S.! Whoo-hoo! :shades:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
You guessed it! It's so sunny around here, even in the winter, that my Pininfarina-Bollore B0's motor system would re-charge as I drive, or, even as my B0 sits outside a Tucson movie theater, concert hall or shopping center. I will attempt to learn more as time goes on, but I'll bet you dollars to glazed Winchell's donuts that that will be the case. I'll find out more about the solar panels and how strongly they will re-charge the system.
It's nice to find out so early what my next car will probably no doubt be. I mean, two years till it gets here, one can never be too certain what new car he should buy next, now can he? :P
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
That to me is much more exciting than the Volt for twice the price. My take is GM has lost site of the future and wants US to support their failed venture. With a $20k price for a little 4 passenger runabout and a $7500 tax credit the Feds should be all over these EVs like stink on doo doo.
Offer some of that bailout money to establish the automakers of the 21st century, instead of throwing money at the losers from the last century.
This of course is predicated on the assumption that Congress and the Federal agencies are truly interested in weaning US off of fossil fuel. I am very skeptical. Even CA with all its rhetoric has done NOTHING to encourage a practical EVs. All pie in the sky Tesla crap. The people do not need a $100k EV sports car with 6000 AA time bombs on board. The BO and the i-MIEV will be what we need.
If it prices in at around $19,995-$22,995 it will be my choice. If they ask something around $30,000, that will pop me over to the Mitsubishi i-MIEV camp to shop. Gonna be fun researching these two little pups in the coming two years.
I think it will just fall in to place as far as which one to buy. But what's going to be interesting will be the mass media/mass public and mass Guv-Mint(Obama)reaction and numbness or wake-up to this car.
I can just see it now..an all-electric car? I want my huge pickup with Toby Keith music blaring out...surely you don't put value on an all-electric car? New England Patriot's for ya! Power! Big engines! Dumb brains! We will tariff it at 30%(like rockylee wants)and then just see how many they will sell here in these United States. Ha-huggghhhhmmmm. Make sure your thinking caps are screwed on straight before you answer, please. :sick:
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I feel the same as I do about diesel cars. IF the government agencies are truly concerned about the environment and using up all the fossil fuel, there are options. All I see is obstacles to those options.
Hey, I am fine running around town in a gas guzzling car or SUV. I sure as heck am not going to squeeze into a small car to save a couple bucks worth of gas a month. Give me incentive to compromise my comfort and I will buy into it. And hybrids to me are just an overly complex solution to nothing. The Volt is a slight improvement in thinking. Only slight in my opinion. PURE EV would handle all but my vacation driving needs. I could rent except you only get crap cars in the rental pools. Unless you want to spend $200 a day for a nice ride. I usually fly and rent anyway.
link title
It would seem the ultimate strategy is to make this once "tech golden triangle" a tech SOLAR R& D and proto type manufacturing area with the same drill- world wide manufacturing (aka cheapest place to locate plants). (Goal of 25,000 new jobs) Till then, a 100k Tesla will strictly be boutique sales.
For the same monies, I would druther have the new Corvette ZR-1, Carbon fiber MONSTER.
The back
Interior view
Looking up front from the back
Looking down on the car from up above...dig those glorious photovoltaic cells at work...they do work in a diminished role during cloudy conditions
The obligatory "flapper" shot, nonetheless it is kind of a cool view
the front grille from the side
A better one looking up front from the back of the little car
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
If I missed it, what is the range?
As two data point comparisons, corner store prices RUG: 2.59, D2: 2.89
04 Civic 38-42 mpg =.06475 cents per mile driven
03 Jetta TDI 48-52 mpg = ..0578 cents per mile driven
Off to the other side, if we the taxpayers are to BAIL out the BIG THREE, send us tax credits to buy !!!!
It has a range of 153 miles, to be exact. With the photovoltaic cells doing their job I should be able to go play in Tucson, which is 80 miles NW of us here in Willcox, and still get back after going shopping and what-not there in Tucson.
An Obama $7,500 rebate should be available on this pup, but, I am wondering what Pininfarina-Bollore is going to price it at. I'd say if they want more than $30,000USD for it(even with the Obama $7,500 rebate) I'm looking elsewhere.
I am going to guess that they'll price it about at $22,995 MSRP, to help recoop some of their development costs. This battery pack will last 120,000 miles with no maintenance required. It is a well-thought out operation and I haven't found anything yet that would dissuade me from looking at it any further.
At only 29,348 miles on my 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, it would be hard to say I need a new car any time soon, though.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Basically I am also saying taxpayer tax CREDITS to buy the BIG three's miscalculations!!?? (aka F 150's, etc., etc's,).
To absorb the inventory perhaps part to most of the pay packages and exit packages can be the MSRP of the products that no one is willing to buy. So for example if a biggy wig likeNardelli (old Chrysler CEO) or Waggoner (current GM)makes 6 M per year give em 6,000,000/30,000= 200 ea 30k cars they manufactured.
Look at that, I'm starting to use the possessive ownership form in describing the little Italian import now! Grammar lessons!
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
...""03 Jetta TDI 48-52 mpg = ..0578 cents per mile driven "...
as economical as the above is (relative to gassers), that is literally almost 10 x (9.9365641) the (GREATER) cost.
So in effect, the average driver 12,000 to 15,000 miles yearly (before the current economic crisis) would pay 70 up to 88 dollars per year for "power!?"
I think you have the answer why less than .001 percent of the passenger vehicle fleet population is EV.
I mean, isn't that something worth looking at? $70-$88 dollars a year to power your vehicle? It's something worth lobbying for, eh?
I just read here http://blogs.internetautoguide.com/6300851/auto-news/pininfarina-bollore-electri- c-car-concept/index.html that the car can be charged up in a matter of hours. Have to stay tuned on charge-up time. It looks like it's gonna be faster than any other all-electric car.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
"As two data point comparisons, corner store prices RUG: 2.59, D2: 2.89
04 Civic 38-42 mpg =.06475 cents per mile driven
03 Jetta TDI 48-52 mpg = ..0578 cents per mile driven "
OK they LITERALLY hate diesel, and that is only because it is (per example) 11% cheaper per mile driven. They have banned it, to constantly changing the standards so it is uneconomical to come on the market with anything less than hundreds of thousands and the logistic systems still controls the number of diesels that can hit the market?
BTW-I just found out that it will only take 5 hours to fully re-charge the 2010 Pininfarina-Bollore B0. A 25km re-charge will only take 5 minutes. What's 25km's, about 16 miles, give or take a cactus patch or two?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
You don't think the Obama Administration is being lobbyied hard right now by the domestic carmakers, do you? And they don't have anything near as appealing as the Pininfarina-Bollore B0, do they? Let's just patiently watch and see how this thing blows up to Smithereens. Great rock band, The Smithereens, BTW.
No, what d'ya think? Does this little car stand a chance coming to the U.S. I personally feel that it does stand a very good chance. I think the Obama Administration will handle this right and not overly tariff the Italian-French made all-electric car. Penny for each of your thoughts.
I think that we have to pull our heads out and think about the future a little more intelligently. We can't pollute like we have and we can't depend on foreign oil like we have. This car is great, it answers those concerns and looks to be well-thought out in every detail. It is being built with a monitoring system watching over the battery packs, and the batteries are encased in steel. They've already thought out the safety issues with a battery-powered car, like a prudent car manufacturer should.
It is expected to become available in Europe, Japan and even here in the good old US of A by late 2010, starting with an initial run of 2000 vehicles. In 2011, that number is targeted to increase to 8000 units, 11,000 in 2012 and 15,000 in later years.
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
I do believe that Obama is beholden to the UAW as well as the other Unions in the Country. If they think it is a niche vehicle they may let it slide.
I have gotten so used to disappointment with the EPA, nothing will surprise me. By contrast they let the Xebra in because it is not considered a car without 4 tires. So you can have the most unsafe vehicle on the road if it is considered a motorcycle. I drove the Xebra and I can tell you it is not a comfy quiet ride. It is about as basic as you can get. Crude would better describe it. And not cheap at $14k.
Safety looks to me to be an area of concern, but, upon reflection, look at cars like the Chevy Aveo, similar size, heck, look at the SmartCar! Huhh-huh...I just verified that the Pininfarina-Bollore B0 should make it in to the U.S. just fine. Look at how small the SmartCar is, it is, however, very well designed for safety, from what I've read.
So, crash-testing is going to be interesting on this one. I put a lot of merit in that testing. BTW-only 2,000 B0's are coming in late 2010. I am going to research this thing to the hilt, gagrice. Stick with me on this one and we'll learn together. Your input is very much respected by me and valued greatly. Thank you!
I've got that kid-in-a-candy-store feeling about this car, but my wife is going to be a very difficult sell on this. But, she didn't want our 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS, either, and I think she would admit that it's been a great compact car for the both of us.
I can be a feisty Norwegian/English mix, oh yes I can. :shades:
If I want something I usually get it. Within reason, of course. This little car is well within reason. Humm...a Pink Floyd song just popped in to my head. Over and out, for this minute, anyway. Come on back now, ya hear?
2021 Kia Soul LX 6-speed stick
Yes, I admit that this is, to some extent, simplistic and I'm sure we can all think of circumstances where you'd only survive a crash by being in a main battle tank or similar. However, I believe modern car design and materials have improved survivability rates in smaller vehicles tremendously.
EU testing regimes certainly point to this.
A question : What is the max permissable GVW, (i.e. fully laden weight), of standard American trucks ? Here in Europe it's 60 Tonne, (120,000lbs), but UK has deemed a national limit of 44 Tonne, (88,000lbs), to be appropriate for our islands roads and towns. From travels around USA I always regard your trucks as "huge" but that's mainly because mose seem to be of the "conventional" layout with all the mechanical gubbins under a bonnet, (sorry, hood), out front rather than the European norm of "cabover" style. This is all down to our strict overall-length limits which would preclude your long chassis tractor units from hauling anything but the shortest of trailers.
Would be interested in seeing what the figure is.
..."The D.O.T. has established vehicle limits of: 102 inches wide, 13.5 feet in height, and 80,000 lbs gross weight. [2] These limits can be exceeded as individual states have the right to issue temporary oversize and/or overweight permits."...
But wait:
..."The United States also allows 2-axle tractors to tow two 1-axle 28.5-foot (8.7 m) semi-trailers known officially as STAA doubles and colloquially as doubles, a set, or a set of joints on all highways that are part of the National Network. The second trailer in a set of doubles uses a converter gear, also known as a con-gear or dolly. This apparatus supports the front half of the second trailer. Individual states may further allow longer vehicles (known as "longer combination vehicles" or LCVs), and may allow them to operate on roads other than those part of the National Network.
LCV types include:
Triples: Three 28.5-foot (8.7 m) trailers; maximum weight up to 129,000 pounds (58.5 t).
Turnpike Doubles: Two 48-foot (14.6 m) trailers; maximum weight up to 147,000 pounds (66.7 t)
Rocky Mountain Doubles: One 40 (12.2 m) to 53 (16.2 m) foot trailer (thought usually no more than 48 feet) and one 28.5-foot (8.7 m) trailer (known as a "pup"); maximum weight up to 129,000 pounds (58.5 t)
In Canada, a Turnpike Double is two 53-foot trailers and a Rocky Mountain Double is a 50-foot trailer with 24-foot "pup"
Regulations on LCVs vary widely from state to state. No state allows more than three trailers without a special permit. Reasons for limiting the legal trailer configurations include both safety concerns and the impracticality of designing and constructing roads that can accommodate the larger wheelbase of these vehicles and the larger minimum turning radii associated with them.
Most states restrict operation of larger tandem trailer setups such as triple units, the "Turnpike Double" (twin 48-53 ft units) or the "Rocky Mountain Double." (A full 48-53 ft unit and a shorter 28 ft unit) In general, these types of setups are restricted to tolled turnpikes such as I-80 through Ohio and Indiana, and select Western states. Tandem setups are not restricted to certain roads anymore than a single setup. The exception are the units listed above. They are also not restricted because of weather or "difficulty" of operation.
The long-haul tractors used in interstate travel are often equipped with a "sleeper" behind the driver's cab, which can be anything from a small bunk to a rather elaborate miniature apartment.
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Looks like the length varies between 53 and 57' feet and that rule is left to the states to decide.
I was wondering how they handled the doubles and triples. I saw one of those Euro rigs intentionally "jack knife" on itself last year. The rig was made for little roads and tight turns I guess - the cab was able to turn so sharply, the front tires could almost touch the trailer.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
Student bonfire blamed for 1 of 3 Calif. wildfires
By SHAYA TAYEFE MOHAJER, Associated Press
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Seems they missed Campfire 101.
Drive your SUVs up here and rev them up, my feet are cold. I'll even give you my turkey dinner. I won't need it as I have won a bet with a friend and he's buying me steak.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
Hunters from the village of Pond Inlet on Baffin Island discovered the animals trapped near Bylot Island, about 17 kilometres from Pond Inlet, on November 15.
The local hunters are allowed to harvest only 130 whales each year for food, according to standards set by the federal department of Fisheries and Oceans.
But department spokesman Keith Pelley said: "It's unlikely the animals are going to survive the winter, so the hunters have been given authorisation to cull them."
The hunters have been on the ice slaughtering the whales since Thursday and are likely to accomplish their task over the coming days, he said.
Narwhal are found mostly in the Arctic circle, and are renowned for their extraordinarily long tusk, which is actually a twisted incisor tooth that projects from the left side of its upper jaw and can be up to three metres long.
"A couple of weeks ago, when the ice was still moving, there were quite a few narwhal seen out there in the open water," Jayko Allooloo, chairman of the Pond Inlet hunters and trappers organisation, told public broadcaster CBC.
"About a week later, they're stuck."
http://news.smh.com.au/world/over-200-whales-trapped-in-canadian-ice-20081122-6e- as.html
Fresh arctic air will spread over the East today, leading to more lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes. Record lows will be challenged across the South tonight.
A reinforcing shot of chilly air is pouring across the eastern half of the nation in the wake of a cold front. The cold will keep high temperatures below freezing over the interior Northeast and 10 to 20 degrees below normal across the South today.
Blustery winds over the mid-Atlantic and South will result in even colder AccuWeather.com RealFeel® temperatures.
We are still good here in San Diego. About 83 yesterday. Cooling off into the 70s today.
Off the narwhale topic, right now 40 degrees, forcasted 53 to a chilly 64 degrees in this neck of the woods. I think the furnance will come on this winter !!!
But weather isn't climate....
If your consumption has gone up, first I'd look at my own habits, and then start caulking.
I could also put a solar array up (permit process makes this all but impossible) and in effect change to electric heating and "get off the grid" so to speak: 30k !!??
Reminds me of that joke: how many ( whatever folks you want to dis) folks does it take to change a light bulb in a house........