Thanks to reader Dr. A. R. Wallace for the story.
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in California has reported that the average total operating cost of the agency’s three hydrogen fuel cell buses is a whopping $51.66 per mile, 32 times the average total cost per mile over the conventional fleet at the cost of $1.61 per mile. You can read more details here.
Responsibility for this debacle lies with the legislature and governor of state of California. As part of state emissions reduction regulations, transit agencies on the diesel path with 200 or more buses were required to implement a Zero Emission Bus demonstration program.
My conclusion? Investment in green technologies is great. But by implementing prematurely, we waste money that could be used to improve these technologies. It is absolutely vital that the quasi-religious fervor that follows the environmental movement be matched with fiscal discipline and a good dose of common sense. Every green politician in the US and elsewhere should read into the Lomborg school of thought on environmental policy before blowing taxpayer money (or forcing consumers to waste cash) because of feel-good environmental policies with minimal positive benefit.
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dj added these pithy words on 06 Mar 08 at 9:47 amThe “Green industry” is just a multi-million dollar industry with huge upside if they can get useful idiots to get governments to pass laws REQUIRING ADOPTION of it.
Pray that it does not happen, that new bill is already passed outlawing INCANDESCENTS. Yes, that means all your attractive light fixtures will be uglied up with CFLs
!
Someone is making money of this scam.
Chief Wiggum added these pithy words on 06 Mar 08 at 9:08 pmDamn the cost– do the right thing!
From the March 5, 2008 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said Tuesday he still wants to submerge giant turbines below the waters of the Golden Gate Bridge as a way to generate energy for the city, despite a study that recently concluded the idea would cost tens of millions of dollars and is not financially feasible.
A study paid for by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission found that the turbines would cost as much as $15 million each and $750,000 a year to maintain. Though the technology would make it possible create power by harnessing tides in the bay, the small amount of power the turbines would generate does not make paying the hefty price tag worthwhile, the report concluded.”
Newsom, however, said the findings won’t deter him from pushing ahead with the idea. On Tuesday, he said, “I am going to find a way to make it happen.
“I’m committed to it and am going to fight for it,” Newsom said. “I don’t care about the arguments against it. I care about the arguments for it.”
TDL added these pithy words on 06 Mar 08 at 9:55 pmSince I just had to flush my low flow toilet three times in a row (saved a lot water there!) I can’t help be irritated by the incessant desire the “greens” have to force people to act against not just their interests, but against their stated goals of the environmental movement itself. You can only fleece people so long.
Regards,
TDL
dj added these pithy words on 07 Mar 08 at 12:46 amYeah, the low flush toilets suck. I have plugged them up a lot. The trick is to flush part way through your session or in between turds. Or go to a old house selling and take the old toilet, fix it up. Or go to Nevada, buy one and take it home.
So a old 5 gallon toilet could flush it all at once. But the new 3 gallons take 3 flushes (Only one flush for urination).
so that is 5 gallons on average versus ~4.5? Results may vary.
*Sorry for the graphic explanation.
Manuel R. Ferreira added these pithy words on 07 Mar 08 at 4:17 amHydrogen buses – and cars – can be run almost for free.
If is used solar power to run the hidrolisation systems that separates water in hydrogen and oxygen, that are already in use in Norway and I saw in New Jersey (www.advancedsolarproducts.com), there are not those stupid costs.
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