tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32292502215023239982024-03-13T04:54:04.148-05:00GoLoco BloggerRoy Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17388781908140388210noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-921024664593472602009-04-06T07:02:00.002-05:002009-04-06T07:23:56.611-05:00The goodwill of strangersHow far and where could you travel in 30 days relying only on the kindness of strangers reading your Tweets asking for a ride? <br /><br />Turns out you can get from England to New Zealand! Which is pretty amazing. Here is Paul Smith's <a href="http://www.twitchhiker.com/">blog</a>. It makes for some fascinating reading. He went without any money or plans -- and he worried quite a bit about what would happen if he got stranded or if his project didn't work. How did he manage? How did he actually get across those enormous expanses of water for free?<br /><br />You'll have to read the blog. Oh, this was a fund-raising as well, for water.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-27641447958942953172009-02-24T11:11:00.003-05:002009-02-24T11:18:11.329-05:00Tips for Driving Low CO2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyE-bPQvLkl9-LElImhmmX7E0tMo4fFzkviKRCZ4lmBiKZvfSIPWRn5V0n1zjW2tNJFbQ3okXteLWWbD46LQJ3B3HNdr_1POmbshDdRPtBZqTkhMzr1GGxetDNAtYIsyUbOswOJlt-nVc/s1600-h/460806594_5e9966f1bd_m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyE-bPQvLkl9-LElImhmmX7E0tMo4fFzkviKRCZ4lmBiKZvfSIPWRn5V0n1zjW2tNJFbQ3okXteLWWbD46LQJ3B3HNdr_1POmbshDdRPtBZqTkhMzr1GGxetDNAtYIsyUbOswOJlt-nVc/s320/460806594_5e9966f1bd_m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306398546865518546" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Drive Less.</span> The average American drives 15,500 miles per year, which is double what we drove 25 years ago. Think twice before you run that errand. Could you bundle it with another trip? Could you accomplish the task another way? Do you have to go at all? Reducing your miles will give you more time, more money, and a healthier future.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Drive Full.</span> The average American car gets 22 miles per gallon and most of those miles we consume alone in our cars. Sharing those miles with others results in the most fuel efficient of all car travel. Driving with 3 people in a car is like getting 66 miles per gallon -- that's better, faster, cheaper, smarter than buying a fuel-efficient car. <a href="http://www.goloco.org">GoLoco!</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Drive Calm</span> (like a Sunday driver?). Most of us get behind the wheel and suddenly act as though every minute matters. We accelerate quickly, brake often, and go as fast as we think we can get away with. We can get as much as 20% higher mileage just by driving like we've got plenty of time. It might reduce blood pressure and add months to our lives as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Buying? Think Twice.</span> Don't be fooled. Look for fuel efficient cars. There are many traditional engine cars that get many more miles per gallon than those labeled. "Hybrid" and "Flex Fuel." And while you're thinking, think about whether you need a new car at all. If you really want to reduce CO2 emissions you'll buy fewer new cars in your lifetime. Keep the car you have for a longer period of time, and reduce the number of cars your household owns whenever the opportunity arises. In addition to saving CO2, it'll save you about $8000 a year in car costs.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-47307996666516306632008-11-13T09:31:00.004-05:002008-11-13T14:18:54.578-05:00Canadian Nonsense, and it could happen here"Canada Has Spent Billions On Carpool Lanes, But The Courts Are Now Forbidding Their Use By An Online Ridesharing Website." is the <a href="http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/11/12/canada-fines-company-for-advocating-carpooling/">article</a> headline that explains the situation well.<br /><br />In Ontario there has been a long running lawsuit by a bus company against a ridesharing website for going against that province's definition of ridesharing/carpooling which was made back in the '70s. The court just ruled in favor of the bus company, and has given the ridesharing company fines and restrictions on its service.<br /><br />So what is the right answer? <br /><br />We demand that government establish safety and environmental standards that protect the people, as well as provide a level playing field for businesses to thrive. In this particular case, companies that transport people for a fee have safety, vehicle, insurance, and environmental standards they have to adhere to, all of which come at a cost which effects the price of the service to consumers. Yet individuals who share their own cars for a fee aren't required to comply with all those laws, and therefore can offer up a cheaper service. And theoretically, this leaves passengers at risk and the environment unprotected.<br /><br />One likes to imagine that governments serve "the people" as a whole, and not particular interest groups. So where should they stand on this issue?<br /><br />We typically give small businesses exceptions to all sorts of regulations because it just too much time and money involved for their small revenue stream and small volumes to comply. Michael Pollan has argued this same point in his book, <a href="http://www.michaelpollan.com/omnivore.php">An Omnivore's Dilemma</a> when it comes to slaughterhouses (it is impossible to raise livestock on small local farms anymore because of these restrictions). For consumers, it is buyer beware when dealing with small local providers. And as Pollan points out, this is acceptable because we can know, see, and complain about the actual provider in a very direct way, that we can't do with big business. And therefore small businesses need to maintain high quality services if they want to remain in business.<br /><br />From an environmental perspective, I really believe that we have to start enabling every resource to be used to its maximum capacity and efficiency. (See my personal blog <a href="http://networkmusings.blogspot.com/2008/11/time-for-cooperative-capitalism.html">entry</a> on this.) Filling up cars that are making the trip anyway can only be a good thing. And if I had to predict the effect of this on bigger formal transportation services, I say that this can increase demand, not diminish it. As ridesharing becomes more popular, more people will feel that they can actually get to where they need to go without the need to own a personal car. Once you get rid of your personal car, your consumption of and reliance on public transportation in all its incarnations will rise dramatically.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-82906566049361634592008-08-07T09:07:00.000-05:002008-08-07T09:08:15.227-05:00Rock Band Tours by Bike<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWRJnxyVtoAIiKgkiNk0Kf6vSj998mGRbH398nipBho3FHRx9Ut3kwnd0tTO4kR1eseIZYjy0wE9VK68mTWu1hOwwrKPGqBAVCy_CD4GAWk4XaQxyqXSPakK4jyffWm7LC4PE_aS4A-sr/s1600-h/brock+bike.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZWRJnxyVtoAIiKgkiNk0Kf6vSj998mGRbH398nipBho3FHRx9Ut3kwnd0tTO4kR1eseIZYjy0wE9VK68mTWu1hOwwrKPGqBAVCy_CD4GAWk4XaQxyqXSPakK4jyffWm7LC4PE_aS4A-sr/s400/brock+bike.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231776367809232786" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbak2pSV_nZVVImPUGrEtCofoBiWfSIo3B_98ffXxpTp6DrrpH3aeMZR4RhlKRnR1gjJedbtITBSY7PqUl2sC4rZ_4oImRWRK0eZo-1nbcCtUj2Lv7uY8W18ET-IL2xl-dn2fcntsxeC0/s1600-h/ginger+ninjas.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDbak2pSV_nZVVImPUGrEtCofoBiWfSIo3B_98ffXxpTp6DrrpH3aeMZR4RhlKRnR1gjJedbtITBSY7PqUl2sC4rZ_4oImRWRK0eZo-1nbcCtUj2Lv7uY8W18ET-IL2xl-dn2fcntsxeC0/s400/ginger+ninjas.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231776277393354898" /></a><br />Great music, great idea, and great execution. Check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZbAIiTZ9bk">4 minute video</a>. As Kipchoge Spence, the person behind this idea, wrote me:<br /><br />"In 2007, the Ginger Ninjas became the first band in the history of rock and roll to tour by bicycle, unsupported by automobile. On a 5000 mile odyssey from their home in Northern California to the pyramids of Southern Mexico, they promoted transportation cycling while also exploring the frontiers of pedal-generated electricity, using their own bikes to power a hyper-efficient sound system. The audience took turns getting on stage to pedal the bikes to make the sound, taking crowd participation to a new level. Originally conceived as a one-time adventure/statement/experiment, the band became addicted to low-impact touring, and now does so exclusively.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />The Ginger Ninjas' mobile human-power stage is the first of its kind in history. Coupling super efficient digital amplifiers, lightweight components, and generators attached to working bicycles (as opposed to purpose-built stationary bikes), the system allows a band to play off-grid anywhere, wall outlet or no, and to also carry the system to a gig on the same bicycles (Xtracycle sport utility bicycles). This enables a new kind of completely self-sufficient bicycle touring, sans automobile support. On the band's most recent tour, the system and touring style enabled them to avoid generating close to 60,000 pounds of CO2, or 95% of what a similar sized band creates in a similar tour."<br /><br />We're hoping <a href="www.goloco.org">GoLoco</a> can partner with them on their next tour in the U.S.<br /><br />http://www.gingerninjas.com/<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZbAIiTZ9bk">great 4 minute video describing 2007 tour </a><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-48076456948168486072008-07-08T08:00:00.004-05:002008-07-08T10:54:57.821-05:0010 Things to Like about $4/gallon GasWow. I am so impressed with Amanda Ripley, who wrote <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1819594,00.html">this story</a> for Time magazine. She offers sympathy about the suffering and expands on this list:<br /><br />1. Globalized jobs return home<br />2. Sprawl stalls <br />3. Four day workweeks<br />4. Less pollution<br />5. More frugality<br />6. Fewer traffic deaths<br /> "If gas remains at $4 per gal. for a year or more, expect as many as 1,000 fewer fatalities a month, according to professor Michael Morrisey at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and associate professor David Grabowski at Harvard Medical School, who calculated that estimate for TIME. That means annual deaths could be cut by almost one-third — a public-health triumph."<br /><br />7. Cheaper Insurance<br />8. Less Traffic<br />9. More Cops on the Beat<br />10.Less obesity<br /> "A permanent $1 hike in prices may cut obesity 10%, saving thousands of lives and billions of dollars a year, estimates Charles Courtemanche, an assistant professor of economics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro."<br /><br />To read it yourself, see the <a href="http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/0,28757,1819594,00.html">full article</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-71175828255815254662008-07-07T15:27:00.000-05:002008-07-07T15:28:03.030-05:00Should Brave Men Die So We Can Drive?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDevlyaKXrCRpo_DbG52oWAPuY4plBEw_QTcvz97qiWkyOB9xx1G5qgBo6rPKgTkfkKRMZanzdUC8_FJEjXEXRiLfGXincKr_yErNPpwCF5XAfSbURoTIKKj_e7_mx4NJGDj8oeHBr_Uko/s1600-h/should+brave+men+die.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDevlyaKXrCRpo_DbG52oWAPuY4plBEw_QTcvz97qiWkyOB9xx1G5qgBo6rPKgTkfkKRMZanzdUC8_FJEjXEXRiLfGXincKr_yErNPpwCF5XAfSbURoTIKKj_e7_mx4NJGDj8oeHBr_Uko/s400/should+brave+men+die.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220370706962640850" /></a><br /><br />This is one of the headlines used on public service announcement posters during World War II to encourage conservation of fossil fuel. This <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIlQJg1kSvk">2 minute compilation</a> shows how times and values have changed. While we look back at old tobacco ads with horror "Doctors agree that smoking BRAND NAME is the healthiest choice," these ads generate some nostalgia for doing the right thing.<br /><br />Other headlines include:<br />"oil is ammunition"<br />"all fuel is scarce...plan for winter now"<br />"have you really tried to save gas by getting in a car club?"<br />"Is <span style="font-style: italic;">your</span> trip necessary?"<br /><br />This group of ads shows how energy conservation is patriotic. In this election year, and in the next administration, we would do well to encourage Americans to think about their most deeply held values -- a safe, secure, and sustainable future for us and our children. It is high time to push out a new round of PSAs to complement policy at the state and national levels.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-15106087127202390892008-07-01T13:37:00.008-05:002008-07-02T09:33:45.100-05:00How much does it cost to drive?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpU_Ng40KJ-dLzFLPM8x6nHnIZSHceqI70I1oA5uTkwSvTQ0GIYYglSnPs2o229Oy8frM-VoEmoUOpYYJK-TXHUTTOtJy4loGagxRPPncoYrLZVdedNS0jTZNM5oG8DpV3wNfz9NwHu9S/s1600-h/2007+aaa+costs.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpU_Ng40KJ-dLzFLPM8x6nHnIZSHceqI70I1oA5uTkwSvTQ0GIYYglSnPs2o229Oy8frM-VoEmoUOpYYJK-TXHUTTOtJy4loGagxRPPncoYrLZVdedNS0jTZNM5oG8DpV3wNfz9NwHu9S/s400/2007+aaa+costs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218124636628241378" /></a><br />The <a href="http://www.vvdailypress.com/news/irs_7205___article.html/increase_mileage.html">IRS formally increased</a> the number it uses for cost per mile car travel, from 50.5 cents per mile, to 58.5 cents per mile. The question for drivers is -- are you sharing that cost or sucking it up all by yourself?<br /><br />I recently did an analysis of <a href="www.aaaexchange.com/Assets/Files/20073261133460.YourDrivingCosts2007.pdf">AAA 2007 cost data</a> for driving. I wanted to understand how much the rising cost of gas is actually changing the real costs of driving. [These aren't quite real costs since they don't include any of the externalities associated with driving like global warming, protection of oil resources, asthma, car accidents, among others.] AAA numbers are averaged over five years, assuming you own the car for the first five years of its life.<br /><br />Today, with gas at $4 a gallon, looking at the two extremes of car types, it costs<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />$18.60/day for a small sedan ($6,795/year)<br />$31.00/day for an SUV or pickup truck ($11,309/year)<br /><br />This covers travel of 41 miles per day (15,000 miles per year), average for Americans.<br /><br />When -- not if -- gas goes to $5 a gallon, it'll be<br /><br />$21.66/day for a small sedan ($7,906/year)<br />$33.32/day for an SUV or pickup truck ($12,161/year) <br /><br />What was particularly interesting to me is how the rising price of gas has transformed the variable costs of driving. When gas was $1/gallon, it was only 9% of the total cost of owning and operating a small sedan. Today, at $4/gallon, gas ranges between 28 and 30% of the cost of operating a car. When it is at $5/gallon, that'll be 32-35%. With such high variable costs, people are really having to think twice and three times about when and how they drive. [see <a href="http://networkmusings.blogspot.com/2008/06/4gallon-gas-may-be-magic-number.html">blog entry</a> on changed driving behaviors]<br /><br />This is so much money!!! <br /><br />Back in 2006, 17% of household income went toward cars. I ask myself: if the median household income in the US is $48,000/year, what percent of income is going to car transportation today? A <a href="http://www.autospies.com/news/Study-Finds-Americans-Own-2-28-Vehicles-Per-Household-26437/">recent study</a> found that in households with cars, they own on average 2.28 cars per household. Now comes some very murky and suspect assumptions, just to get it into the ballpark. Those households are unlikely to have 2.28 new cars, so what if we just round down and say 2 cars that are 0-5 years old are going to stand in for 2.28 cars of unknown age. And that households will have one big car and one little car, which is kind of like saying they have 2 average-sized cars.<br /><br />OK, if we accept these bad assumptions, the answer to the question:<br /><br />What percent of household income is going today to car transportation when gas is $4/gallon?<br /><br />[drumroll]<br /><br />38%<br /><br />wow. <br /><br />Another way to look at this is to use a <a href="www.consumerfed.org/pdfs/CFA_REPORT_The_Impact_of_Rising_Prices_on_Household%20Gasoline_Expenditures.pdf">a report</a> written in September 2005 by Mark Singer of the Consumer Federation of America. His estimates of gas prices for 2005 were about $1.80/gallon. For prices found between 1995-2003 (his baseline) he found little elasticity in demand. Here is his table:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjcoqiDBreq5UpftPnY1joLreB-uoRxTnhJ05BX8thsI7a0HqF6BF5jem3XdBiESRmosKWdTahGmLXbWC6OLWCB1GPFULF91Dmq0kVkgUg17fyO4O6AaOw-pcZxuE1U0JF3rHrEKTIZlx/s1600-h/percent+income+on+gas.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjcoqiDBreq5UpftPnY1joLreB-uoRxTnhJ05BX8thsI7a0HqF6BF5jem3XdBiESRmosKWdTahGmLXbWC6OLWCB1GPFULF91Dmq0kVkgUg17fyO4O6AaOw-pcZxuE1U0JF3rHrEKTIZlx/s400/percent+income+on+gas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218421352984610002" /></a><br /><br />We know that $4/gallon seems to have been a tipping point for demand. And $4 is more than double $1.80. But what if we imagine that people today are spending about double on gas, taking into account some reductions in demand? That would put low income groups spending 20% of their incomes just on the gas.<br /><br />Washington, I think we have a problem. <br /><br />Americans need options to traveling around by car all by themselves. Some of those options can happen fast (<a href="http://www.goloco.org">GoLoco</a>! and for those lucky enough to live in cities feet, bike, transit, train); some will take longer (changing where we choose to live, work, shop, creating dense mixed use communities, adding more transit of all kinds, reducing fossil fuel dependence on all motorized modes).<br /><br />Next Mr. President: are you listening?<br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-88304356738995015602008-06-27T20:45:00.002-05:002008-06-27T20:47:37.554-05:00The Most Important Thing to Read on Global Warming<a href="http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/">James Hansen</a>, the US’s leading climate scientist, to whom I turn for climate science, spoke to the House Select Committee on Energy Independence & Global Warming, and the National Press Club on June 23 2008. His entire talk is only 4 pages. <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/">Read it.</a> If you don’t think you'll get to it -- or maybe to inspire you to do the reading -- I’ve excerpted some of the high points.<br /><br />These are Jim Hansen’s words:<br /><br />I argue that a path yielding energy independence and a healthier environment is, barely, still possible. It requires a transformative change of direction in Washington in the next year…Elements of a “perfect storm”, a global cataclysm, are assembled.<br /><br />In my opinion, if emissions follow a business-as-usual scenario, sea level rise of at least two meters is likely this century. Hundreds of millions of people would become refugees. No stable shoreline would be reestablished in any time frame that humanity can conceive. <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Animal and plant species are already stressed by climate change. Polar and alpine species will be pushed off the planet, if warming continues. Other species attempt to migrate, but as some are extinguished their interdependencies can cause ecosystem collapse. Mass extinctions, of more than half the species on the planet, have occurred several times when the Earth warmed as much as expected if greenhouse gases continue to increase. Biodiversity recovered, but it required hundreds of thousands of years….<br /><br />Carbon dioxide amount is already 385 ppm and rising about 2 ppm per year. Stunning corollary: the oft-stated goal to keep global warming less than two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) is a recipe for global disaster, not salvation…<br /><br />Solution of the climate problem requires that we move to carbon-free energy promptly… If politicians remain at loggerheads, citizens must lead. We must demand a moratorium on new coal-fired power plants. We must block fossil fuel interests who aim to squeeze every last drop of oil from public lands, off-shore, and wilderness areas. Those last drops are no solution. They yield continued exorbitant profits for a short-sighted self-serving industry, but no alleviation of our addiction or long-term energy source….<br /><br />Cheap, subsidized fossil fuels engendered bad habits. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomcJ4zUyZsc04R8bJK-roTzsgdHEZmdhUVGMtsn3jb2U_LqljE8nFeX1GN3oCz398rON8FIlHpDU8i3JzYE8Bo68sd_Ma4Qjki_x6LIHxvBAdDdyGmoBbYW-cpIiD_jsJVWcty6qSk2LC/s1600-h/per+capita+co2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiomcJ4zUyZsc04R8bJK-roTzsgdHEZmdhUVGMtsn3jb2U_LqljE8nFeX1GN3oCz398rON8FIlHpDU8i3JzYE8Bo68sd_Ma4Qjki_x6LIHxvBAdDdyGmoBbYW-cpIiD_jsJVWcty6qSk2LC/s400/per+capita+co2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216712704835616402" /></a><br /><br /></span> We import food from halfway around the world, for example, even with healthier products available from nearby fields. Local produce would be competitive if not for fossil fuel subsidies and the fact that climate change damages and costs, due to fossil fuels, are also borne by the public. A price on emissions that cause harm is essential. Yes, a carbon tax. Carbon tax with 100 percent dividend3 is needed to wean us off fossil fuel addiction. Tax and dividend allows the marketplace, not politicians, to make investment decisions. <br /><br />Carbon tax on coal, oil and gas is simple, applied at the first point of sale or port of entry. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNO8ItIT5i2RM5jPTH2KVssW_SfJ0sRd3R0D2gAe4twZLxxxpiyxLeTp_Ecn-rN5OwAzwjlFz3z_xvcy0NKRDWxnNArX6BC8elPcPIQdMYhMDFw9ethvjZ1bSXlFtUAl5xnf6xf51GuUz/s1600-h/carbon+tax.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNO8ItIT5i2RM5jPTH2KVssW_SfJ0sRd3R0D2gAe4twZLxxxpiyxLeTp_Ecn-rN5OwAzwjlFz3z_xvcy0NKRDWxnNArX6BC8elPcPIQdMYhMDFw9ethvjZ1bSXlFtUAl5xnf6xf51GuUz/s400/carbon+tax.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216712143320524914" /></a><br />The entire tax must be returned to the public, an equal amount to each adult, a half-share for children. This dividend can be deposited monthly in an individual’s bank account. Carbon tax with 100 percent dividend is non-regressive. On the contrary, you can bet that low and middle income people will find ways to limit their carbon tax and come out ahead. Profligate energy users will have to pay for their excesses.<br /><br />Demand for low-carbon high-efficiency products will spur innovation, making our<br />products more competitive on international markets. Carbon emissions will plummet as energy efficiency and renewable energies grow rapidly…<br /><br />We must establish fair agreements with other countries. However, our own tax and<br />dividend should start immediately. We have much to gain from it as a nation, and other countries will copy our success…<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx1ekI-jHBtdD9bYALARcLTYLQnTfNu3zmEWvP5q6dCWLaP_nyPjm40K_itUxvoIMjN49y2-vIRbtctTkbSAyXuAgMoHezgd1UgxOIV4BgslUwBMbSHxm69PGMpLVbYNtYe3gtD9c1lzr/s1600-h/what+are+the+odds.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUx1ekI-jHBtdD9bYALARcLTYLQnTfNu3zmEWvP5q6dCWLaP_nyPjm40K_itUxvoIMjN49y2-vIRbtctTkbSAyXuAgMoHezgd1UgxOIV4BgslUwBMbSHxm69PGMpLVbYNtYe3gtD9c1lzr/s400/what+are+the+odds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216712397276597186" /></a><br /><br />Democracy works, but sometimes churns slowly. Time is short. The 2008 election is critical for the planet. If Americans turn out to pasture the most brontosaurian congressmen, if Washington adapts to address climate change, our children and grandchildren can still hold great expectations.”<br /><br />Robin’s words: We can’t get sidetracked by cap and trade agreements. They may be "politically acceptable" but won’t produce the results in the time frame required or redirect the economy as needed. We need carbon taxes “incentives” as fast as is politically possible. We should all do everything we can to make sure our next president understands this clearly. See <a href="www.350.org">www.350.org</a> for ways to make your voice heard and see what others are doing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_LWkXjn2rZi8Aeajv9Jpp0Z32DFq3-ZFyQBeR0G4kD9quZhNt_usL5Nu7iZ7MElgB4HRfG_XpawBUSYt0rP3fZ0x1Wr6nUFv9E5WhEjvNjq70l9rID_V85Rk8FeG6gDZdxKVjTTc6Z15/s1600-h/2007+%26+all+time+c02+emissions.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_LWkXjn2rZi8Aeajv9Jpp0Z32DFq3-ZFyQBeR0G4kD9quZhNt_usL5Nu7iZ7MElgB4HRfG_XpawBUSYt0rP3fZ0x1Wr6nUFv9E5WhEjvNjq70l9rID_V85Rk8FeG6gDZdxKVjTTc6Z15/s400/2007+%26+all+time+c02+emissions.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216712547492475218" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-36438759211726038232008-06-27T20:31:00.000-05:002008-06-27T20:32:09.196-05:00$4/gallon gas may be a magic numberAfter years of not caring, Americans are changing their ways, and quickly.<br /><br />1. Changed driving habits. From the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/business/25exurbs.html?ex=1214971200&en=4b16aa3ae6cfeb6c&ei=5070&emc=eta1">New York Times</a>:<br /><br />“In March, Americans drove 11 billion fewer miles on public roads than in the same month the previous year, a 4.3 percent decrease — the sharpest one-month drop since the Federal Highway Administration began keeping records in 1942.”<br /><br />2. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/business/business-outletcenters.html?ex=1213934400&en=c9ca6efaa859bc33&ei=5070&emc=eta1">Shopping closer to home</a>. Consumers are beginning to question the "savings" gained from driving long distance to malls.<br /><br />3.When buying cars, shirking the worst offenders. GM sales of SUV and trucks were <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/01/AR2008050103773.html">down 25% in April</a>, and <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080604/BUSINESS01/806040396">down 37% in May</a> over the previous year.<br /><br />3. Buying houses where driving can be reduced. David Stiff, an economist who <a href="www2.standardandpoors.com/spf/pdf/index/052708_Housing_bubbles_collapse.pdf">analyses housing prices</a> nationally found that "even as overall sales volume drops, relatively stronger demand for housing will limit price declines in neighborhoods with shorter work commutes, better schools, and easier access to parks, recreation, and retail centers...Prices for homes in outlying neighborhoods will continue their more rapid decline and will be slower to rebound when housing markets finally start to recover." This effect can be seen in New York, metro Washington, Detroit.<br /><br />4. And finally, choose jobs that are as close to home as possible, accessible by public transit, or can be walked, biked, or telecommuted to. These trends might be harder to spot in such a short period of time.<br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Employers, retailers, developers, planners, governments take notice. Lifestyles that reduce dependence on costly gas – producing even more costly CO2 emissions – are in demand. Those who have been able to make changes quickly, have done so, and more and more people will make these changes as the opportunities present themselves. <br /><br />If you think you can't afford to make these changes, do the math. It'll cost more to not be energy efficient when gas prices reach $5, $8 and $10/gallon. We all - individuals, companies, and governments -- have a huge budget to work with: the impending increases in fossil fuel prices that they will have to suck up, if we don't reduce demand for it now. <br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.gca.ca/indexcms/index.php?board#collins">Keith Collins</a> who made this case beautifully clear in his presentation at the <a href="http://http://www.architects.org/massimpact/">MassImpact symposium.</a><br /><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-40191496317756565632008-05-12T12:31:00.002-05:002008-07-03T14:08:13.825-05:00Which cars get the best mileage?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXf8DO5CSyCk70AqQOW6_spGBYmX7KLdFk_NfXdZwOuvQDLyBmZcclDM8tIfnd0lcWb8xDco1yva-0CsGLiP2MJoMCFqjsuGekuxL1pTFRowet_a-A_11F0M9EGMcjmMefdK_jerZcERr/s1600-h/pontiac_vibe_gt_pre.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXf8DO5CSyCk70AqQOW6_spGBYmX7KLdFk_NfXdZwOuvQDLyBmZcclDM8tIfnd0lcWb8xDco1yva-0CsGLiP2MJoMCFqjsuGekuxL1pTFRowet_a-A_11F0M9EGMcjmMefdK_jerZcERr/s400/pontiac_vibe_gt_pre.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5199544429708789698" /></a><br /><br />We all use the Prius (45 mpg highway) as the short-cut reference for a fuel efficient car. The folks at Honda must be ripping their hair out at the relative silence yet equal performance of the Civic (also 45 mpg). And the Mini Cooper, with its award winning ad campaigns, should surely be taking advantage of its incredible mileage (36-40 mpg). And for me, the fact that the Pontiac Vibe, a car I know little about, is in the top ten was a revelation.<br /><br />Note to policy makers and car buyers, as <a href="http://networkmusings.blogspot.com/2007/09/never-confuse-words-hybrid-dual-fuel.html">I've said before</a>, don't give special treatment to "hybrids." More than half the cars on this list have regular engines. Fuel efficiency is the key, and even more relevant is passenger miles per gallon. More than seventy-five percent of car trips carry only one driver. The most expedient way to improve fuel efficiency is to move more people per gallon consumed. [I have to reference <a href="http://www.goloco.org">GoLoco</a> here, our best-in-class ridesharing site.] It takes 25 years to turn over the US fleet of passenger vehicles to get the full benefits of the new CAFE standards. But we could get those benefits this week if more people would share rides.<br /><br />Here is the <a href="http://www.autobytel.com/content/research/top10/index.cfm/action/mileage/vehicleclass/all/listtype/3">top 10 list link</a> from AutobyTel.<br /><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-79124743641495027192008-02-24T10:17:00.004-05:002008-02-24T10:31:27.884-05:00How to reduce US CO2 emissions by 10% this month<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RgXcM2kgKBhZU9por4cRv_OPPO9V8sDx8SALHjgXw2HkGfSSyRsAxNvmfUcHKDbLrItvVxLWi5uW05twmy2XJ-gCwE-etP2X07O2PZMRogai6bK87IezGstrBuMd4GM_FPNpb3vf0i3G/s1600-h/gasprice.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-RgXcM2kgKBhZU9por4cRv_OPPO9V8sDx8SALHjgXw2HkGfSSyRsAxNvmfUcHKDbLrItvVxLWi5uW05twmy2XJ-gCwE-etP2X07O2PZMRogai6bK87IezGstrBuMd4GM_FPNpb3vf0i3G/s400/gasprice.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5170569368441827122" /></a><br /><br />There was an article in the Boston Globe today about <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/24/gas_costs_forcing_drivers_to_cut_back/?page=1">Gas costs forcing drivers to cut back</a>.<br /><br />"Until then, Stone said, she hadn't thought much about gas prices or filling the tank of her Acura, which she did a least twice a week. Now Stone, 55, a teacher, limits her gas budget to one fill-up or no more than $25 a week. She carefully plans her travel, sticking to the shortest route and avoiding spur-of-the-moment side trips.<br /><br />When she fills a prescription, she shops for food at a supermarket around the corner. Other times, rather than driving across town, she walks to the small grocery store near her home. When she needed light bulbs and other items recently, she stopped at a hardware store along her route and spent a little more, rather than driving farther to a supermarket where prices were lower."<br /><br />In just a matter of weeks, not only has Ms. Stone got her household budget under control, she has also halved her CO2 emissions. If everyone in America followed her example, we would reduce US CO2 emissions by a whopping 10% ! This month. We would also reduce the trade deficit, dramatically improve our “energy security,” and eliminate the endless debate over drilling in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge.<br /><br />What I found interesting in the article was that there was no talk about how cutting back had required difficult sacrifice. Rather, those interviewed talked about adjusting their habits to take efficient travel into account. <br /><br />"Towle, 44, now limits herself to one fill-up a week. She puts off buying more milk until she needs a bigger shopping trip. She used to drop her 13-year-old daughter off at basketball practice, make the 15-minute drive back home, then return to pick her up at the end of the 90-minute session. Now, she waits at the school."<br /><br />Ridesharing, <a href="http://www.goloco.org">going loco</a>, is another tool for the adjustment, and a pleasant one at that. I know my 14-year-old finds the carpool to and from her rock-climbing practices a valued part of her social life.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-33171745886818529412007-09-16T16:31:00.000-05:002007-09-17T13:36:52.492-05:00The Face-off: Prius vs GoLoco<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jYgZoytfrc4czw1pMX-RdFNww0RWUlb3fnezeYy0nNMKSHhvluJTagztpi9m7MvCGS7h55r_Jicd_hBQMsdNbZesW9uWUZEoD2D6XmjuxVb-JdqXeEPlXnsCZyuPg49ml2T_fGUUM-T5/s1600-h/boxing.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jYgZoytfrc4czw1pMX-RdFNww0RWUlb3fnezeYy0nNMKSHhvluJTagztpi9m7MvCGS7h55r_Jicd_hBQMsdNbZesW9uWUZEoD2D6XmjuxVb-JdqXeEPlXnsCZyuPg49ml2T_fGUUM-T5/s400/boxing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5110923856741496562" /></a><br />And the winner is, GoLoco!*<br /><br />When you drive a hybrid, sure you get more miles to the gallon, but it turns out most people drive more miles since it costs them less. The net reduction in CO2 emissions is about 3% for every 10% better mileage the vehicle gets.<br /><br />In contrast, when you GoLoco, you:<br /><br />• dramatically reduce CO2 emissions<br />• dramatically improve passenger miles per the gallon<br />• reduce congestion<br />• reduce road wear and tear<br />• reduce demand for parking<br />• reduce the number of car accidents (fewer cars means fewer accidents)<br />• reduce sprawl<br /><br />GoLoco!<br /><br />*Individual results may vary depending on percent of trips taken solo versus loco.<br /><br />Source: Todd Littman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute<br />"Efficient Transportation Versus Efficient Vehicles" ( http://www.vtpi.org/cafe.pdf )Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-27025279910996289232007-08-09T17:03:00.000-05:002007-08-10T10:09:20.799-05:00GoLoco on FacebookBy now you may have heard that we're running GoLoco on Facebook Platform (for some weird reason the PR people at Facebook insist on the absence of the word "the"). We're excited about the opportunities this provides, and, as engineers, we are having a lot of fun working on the GoLoco on Facebook Platform.<br /><br />Why Facebook? We've been watching them for a while, and we've been impressed with how well they manage the whole online social network thing. Rather than build a whole parallel social network just for GoLoco, it just made sense to build on theirs.<br /><br />From the developer's point of view, Facebook Platform is well designed with an intuitive API that provides just what we need. And from all we can tell, they've only just begun. Since they introduced the platform barely two months ago they've had regular weekly updates and the features just keep coming. A recent update enabling javascript support will mean that we can make some performance and usability improvements, so stay tuned.<br /><br />And we're looking forward to scaling more easily now -- with their investment in robust systems for handling millions of users we can concentrate on making GoLoco easy to use and adding features.<br /><br />But what about all those people who aren't using Facebook yet? Yes, there are quite a lot of them, but not for long by my calculations.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Facebook Singularity?</span><br /><br />According to <a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/articles/art0134.html?printable=1" target="_blank">Ray Kurzweil</a>, the computing power of the human brain will be matched by PCs by the year 2020. However, long before then, if current rates of growth continue, we will reach the Facebook Singularity by January 2011. "What's that?," you ask. And how did you calculate it?<br /><br />According to the <a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/xx.html" target="_blank">CIA</a> (isn't this where everyone gets their facts?), the world population is growing at 1.167% per year. If growth continues at this rate then the world population will be 7 billion by January 2011.<br /><br />Facebook <a href="http://static.ak.facebook.com/press/facebook_statistics.pdf" target="_blank">reports</a> adoption is growing at the rate of 3% per week. If adoption continues at this rate then the number of Facebook users will be 7 billion by January 2011.<br /><br />You can calculate the point of singularity yourself if you like. When does World Population = Facebook Population? Facebook's weekly growth rate of 3% is an annualized 1.03 to the power of 52 (don't you love the magic of compound growth? Ben Franklin would be all over this), 1.03^52 = 4.65.<br /><br />If you plug in the current populations and growth rates we get:<br /><br />6,600,000,000 * 1.0167^N = 33,000,000 * 4.65^N<br /><br />where N is the number of years.<br /><br />Take the log of both sides and solve for N and you get:<br /><br />N = (log(6,600,000,000) - log(33,000,000))/(log(4.65) - log(1.0167))<br /><br />Put the right hand side of that equation into <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%28log%286%2C600%2C000%2C000%29+-+log%2833%2C000%2C000%29%29%2F%28log%284.65%29+-+log%281.0167%29%29&btnG=Search" target="_blank">google</a><br />and you get N = 3.48 years, or around January 1, 2011.<br /><br />What does this mean? Well, you'd be able to "Facebook poke" every man, woman and child in the world by January 2011.<br /><br />I know what you're thinking, "no way will that happen because I know my mother's never going on Facebook." Guess again, Poindexter, if your mother isn't on yet, she will be soon.<br /><br />-- Roy [Russell]<br /><br />NOTE from Roy's wife and children: (yawn) ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzRoy Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17388781908140388210noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-35898656010414543882007-07-05T09:29:00.000-05:002007-08-01T07:35:39.979-05:00Al Gore is a Hero<div style="text-align: left;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8o_9fbJ1mBPBddlBkN0ERRVv6arJdSi0GLeAxGwpWTFe1wbrJLUuZe7f_w1pdBXfXytxj_8bn5IyOZ-pz0hWc8ZbxYqOHoSUu__f2_Ud78QFM1dagFa7tn6X3wYFNwx8VR0PPJb1Nd8Fs/s1600-h/batman-04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8o_9fbJ1mBPBddlBkN0ERRVv6arJdSi0GLeAxGwpWTFe1wbrJLUuZe7f_w1pdBXfXytxj_8bn5IyOZ-pz0hWc8ZbxYqOHoSUu__f2_Ud78QFM1dagFa7tn6X3wYFNwx8VR0PPJb1Nd8Fs/s320/batman-04.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5083728183472976850" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />And it's not because he looks good in blue spandex wearing his underwear outside his pants. That would actually be disturbing. He is a hero because <a href="http://www.google.com/trends?q=global+warming&ctab=0&geo=US&date=all&sort=0">Google’s trend line for US searches on the term “global warming”</a> shows a doubling in 2006. It proved to be a watershed year for American’s awareness of the issue. Suddenly, it appeared on the covers of Wired, Vanity Fair, Business Week, and Time Magazine. I think Al’s movie (can I call him Al? Super Al perhaps?) “<a href="http://www.climatecrisis.net/">An Inconvenient Truth</a>”, which was released in May, had a lot to do with it. And it looks like this trend will double again in 2007.<br /><br />Last September, <a href="http://ksgfaculty.harvard.edu/John_Holdren">John Holdren</a>, Director of the Woods Hole Research Center and Chairman of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, told me that we had about five years to start on the downward path of CO2 emissions worldwide if we wanted to prevent the current “severe” effects of climate change from becoming “catastrophic” ones. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Hansen">James Hansen</a>, NASA's Director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies was in the news giving a “less than ten years” time frame. Here is an excerpt from <a href="http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070507/hansen">his talk</a> to the National Press Club in February, 2007:<br /><br />“<span style="font-style: italic;">If we do follow the “business as usual” path, even for another ten years, it guarantees that we will have dramatic climate changes that produce what I would call a different planet… It's likely that a large fraction of the species could go extinct</span>.”<br /><br />These two men are among America’s leading climate scientists. When they talk, I listen. Unlike batman who responded to the bat projected into the sky, these heroes are projecting a call to arms for us, the people. Unlike batman who could stop runaway trains, these men realize that the problem is not one an individual can solve.<br /><br />Since then, every single talk I give has referred to this important 5 to 10 year window of opportunity. All of us need to transform the public’s awareness of global warming as one problem among many into one of highest urgency. Senate's energy legislation that all but ignored the number one issue – that all energy plans must be evaluated in the context of their CO2 output --illustrates the horrifying disconnect between scientists, the public, and therefore our public servants. It is a fantasy to imagine that tiny tweaks and innuendo can accomplish what is needed.<br /><br />This last Sunday, Al Gore wrote <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/01/opinion/01gore.html?_r=1&oref=slogin">an opinion piece</a> for the New York Times. It was beautifully done. Here are some excerpts:<br /><br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Our home — Earth — is in danger. What is at risk of being destroyed is not the planet itself, but the conditions that have made it hospitable for human beings...If we don't stop doing this [producing CO2 emissions] pretty quickly, the average temperature will increase to levels humans have never known and put an end to the favorable climate balance on which our civilization depends...To this end, we should demand that the United States join an international treaty within the next two years that cuts global warming pollution by 90 percent in developed countries and by more than half worldwide in time for the next generation to inherit a healthy Earth.</span>"<br /><br />I so admire the subtlety of his language with phrases like "hospitable to human beings" and "in time for the next generation" that let him give the hard truth in a not-quite terrifying, and not-quite time specific way. Perfect for the mainstream media and mainstream America. I'm inclined to directness: if we don't stop, and fast, the human species will be reduced to a shell of its current population, and what is needed here in the developed world is a 90 percent reduction in CO2 emissions within 15 to 20 years.<br /><br />Attend a <a href="http://liveearth.org/friends_of_le.php">Live Earth local event</a>, watch the 7 concerts on 7 continents <a href="http://liveearth.org/event.php#broadcast">broadcast live</a> on Saturday to be energized, feel the local and global embrace. Then start telling your friends and leaders that you are ready to do what is needed. It’s time for us all to become heroes. Hybrid batmobiles won't cut it; it's time to go loco in all the ways that matter.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-26369007354111397422007-06-04T08:41:00.000-05:002007-06-04T10:23:56.828-05:00Wimpy Calculus for Reducing CO2 emissions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR13GZ8VDegtZrZhpbdAab358DSYk_C9wGmR9rp19GPwPlNXixNKgl8FAsPNPqfoOls_dEt7eVe-HTrnLsJQ4VebLNSr9aOh8EZB9Gz-Epsq0bdaeNTFezhN0DSdKx4YmIq8dT6M3Y2Yo/s1600-h/tuesday2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJR13GZ8VDegtZrZhpbdAab358DSYk_C9wGmR9rp19GPwPlNXixNKgl8FAsPNPqfoOls_dEt7eVe-HTrnLsJQ4VebLNSr9aOh8EZB9Gz-Epsq0bdaeNTFezhN0DSdKx4YmIq8dT6M3Y2Yo/s320/tuesday2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072228379973363698" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aSmEoZMumgITlJenMUQ5FD0IX7EdB4OkknMZEa3gZNCa_rMDIdiC8RNbVbwNZJtUt_xs5hgT2BB8VrGq2ojbiWLF4g_hwcxVfek4hM440gxwjaC_oiehu5zKhr84LIX-6COY346QVzxV/s1600-h/Wimpy.gif"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0aSmEoZMumgITlJenMUQ5FD0IX7EdB4OkknMZEa3gZNCa_rMDIdiC8RNbVbwNZJtUt_xs5hgT2BB8VrGq2ojbiWLF4g_hwcxVfek4hM440gxwjaC_oiehu5zKhr84LIX-6COY346QVzxV/s320/Wimpy.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072206028963555298" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />“I’ll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.”<br /><br />The Conservation Fund has a <a href="http://www.conservationfund.org/gozero">Go Zero program</a>, I just stumbled across. They describe themselves as a fund that “pioneers a balanced, non-advocacy, non-membership approach to conservation, one that blends environmental and economic goals and objectives.” <br /><br />The gist: I’ll gladly pay you in 50 years for CO2 emitted today.”<br /><br />You use their calculator to figure out how many tons of CO2 you generate in a year, and then divide that number by 1.33 to figure out how many trees you should buy to offset that amount. They way they figure it, plant a tree today and over the course of its 70 year life it will absorb 1.33 tons of CO2. I can just see the graph of CO2 uptake: very close to zero for many years, with the significant payoffs once the tree starts to be an interesting size, say about 25 years from now. I wonder what fraction of trees planted actually make it to their 25th birthday.<br /><br />I like trees. Planting trees is good. Sending the Conversation Fund $4 a tree to plant a bunch to rid yourself of your CO2 guilt has just one negative side effect. It gives the impression that you are actually doing something about your CO2 emissions. <br /><br />The sad part is, the consume-now pay-later system is what we have been doing for the last 100 years and is what got us into this mess. When we do nothing, it takes about 100 years for the CO2 to be reabsorbed and if we plant that tree, it'll be reabsorbed in about 70. Right now we are reaping the effects of fossil fuel burned in the 1960s. Just imagine what it is going to be like when we start feeling the warming effects that result from today’s consumption levels.<br /><br />We need to change our behavior, we can't buy our way out. Sharing just one car trip a week (or eliminating one a week), can reduce our consumption of fossil fuel by 5% starting now. Just like Wimpy's endless burger-bargaining, planting a tree for tomorrow won't produce the results we want in the timeframe required.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-25922557059511718612007-05-28T21:49:00.000-05:002007-05-28T21:56:23.093-05:00The thrill of successSince I live in the city, and work a few blocks from home, I don't get many chances to go loco. So right after I had booked my plane trip to attend a conference last weekend and then a rental car, I posted the trip on GoLoco: National Airport to Loyola College, Columbia Maryland. The likelihood of actually sharing the ride and rental costs was incredibly low, but at least I was trying to share.<br /><br />I was shocked to see the GoLoco email 12 hours before my flight to DC: "Someone wants to join your trip." Incredibly low now modified to incredible.<br /><br />I click through. His note says he is going to the <a href="http://www.cuwin.net/2007summit/2007schedule">International Community Wireless Summit</a> which is the same one I'm attending. So now I know he is one of about two hundred people. And note the "he." Just like most women out there, I'm not about to jump in a car with a man I don't know. I click through to his profile.<br /><br />Doesn't look like an axe murderer - whatever that might look like. And then I see that he belongs to the wri.org community. That's the World Resources Institute, a Washington-based non-profit. Then I see <a href="http://embarqblog.wri.org">his blog</a>. Hey! I know a number of people at Embarq and have had meetings there discussing wireless applications in the transportation sector. We obviously know people in common. I suppose I could have emailed them to double check. Instead, I choose "accept" and write him a note about the best place to meet up.<br /><br />Success #1: Hey, hey, hey! This works! Context, content, and social networks do what we had hoped they would do.<br /><br />But wait, there's more. Getting out of DC and onto the right highway to Columbia was nontrivial. I handed Rhys (my GoLoco co-pilot) the directions, kept my eyes on the road, and listened to him guide me through the quick series of lefts, rights, merges, on those blasted high speed parkways that DC loves so well. I absolutely positively would not have gotten to Loyola College without mistake without Rhys. The stress reduction probably added a couple of minutes to my life. Thanks Rhys. That was unexpected Success #2. <br /><br />Expected success #3 was that he paid for a quarter of my car rental (one half of half the travel I was doing with the car) and expected success #4 was that we had a great conversation in the car about transportation, developing countries, travel, and spouses. <br /><br />Now I have even more connections at WRI.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-52564190624969358082007-05-16T17:28:00.000-05:002007-05-16T20:27:04.096-05:00Photos, and lack thereof<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tLqU4gAEs5TNy4dt1BVwx9ltLBynewkTJ1gl8EZEoMm8X5qjkaANsqbJyVxEkHtLH49WX2VCzza0HhKbazDEo0PgiHRpsXUJLA4m1myhc_efWZ4K7oUVA_nvhypwm1UmAKXhZnaKNRFX/s1600-h/n1244580020_1188_1541.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6tLqU4gAEs5TNy4dt1BVwx9ltLBynewkTJ1gl8EZEoMm8X5qjkaANsqbJyVxEkHtLH49WX2VCzza0HhKbazDEo0PgiHRpsXUJLA4m1myhc_efWZ4K7oUVA_nvhypwm1UmAKXhZnaKNRFX/s320/n1244580020_1188_1541.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065289958690507890" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVoaoI8pj_976Vi3GdGR4ZUR6A8wEAZFCfRyPNNSdmh9tkeE6f7Q2BkILcBSK1BEdUmCfxXJvU2ZSR8Nirq3EuQWDGVDo-_e5CBjftFeYaY31o-iVDrLGDX-hLc18692b6vDNkSjIzaXV/s1600-h/cartoonbear.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVoaoI8pj_976Vi3GdGR4ZUR6A8wEAZFCfRyPNNSdmh9tkeE6f7Q2BkILcBSK1BEdUmCfxXJvU2ZSR8Nirq3EuQWDGVDo-_e5CBjftFeYaY31o-iVDrLGDX-hLc18692b6vDNkSjIzaXV/s320/cartoonbear.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5065289335920249954" /></a><br /><br />As we were building the website and talking to experienced experts (instead of the inexperienced ones), we heard some amusing strategies about what it takes to get people to upload a photo:<br /><br />Strategy 1: Offer up lame substitutes so that people would do anything to avoid having their name associated with that cartoon.<br /><br />Strategy 2: Tell them that other people are statistically way less likely to engage with them without a photo –true.<br /><br />Strategy 3: Remind incessantly. We could to do that. <br /><br />Strategy 4: Embarrassment. If you don’t have a photo, your profile gives your sex and age. We are actually doing that, really. <br /><br />Put in a photo! GoLoco looks so much friendlier when populated by diverse real faces rather than green and white oLos.<br /><br />I’ve been trying to see if there is a pattern to those who upload photos. More photos from university communities than geographical ones? More from men than women? Age specific? Hard to tell without a real analysis which is certainly not worth the time.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-6927841914350985902007-05-03T11:16:00.000-05:002007-05-03T11:40:55.614-05:00What's in a Name?Why GoLoco? <br /><br />It took longer to name this company than it took to name all three of my children put together. With them, I didn’t have to worry about whether I could register the domain name, or whether people could repeat and spell the name after hearing it said once. So,<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Go loco</span> with freedom and independence, enjoying your friends and your life on your own terms<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Go loco</span> from location to location, using local locomotion (yes, there’s a Latin root there)<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Go loco</span> -- low cost and low CO2 – a way of life.<br /><br />After so many months of work (which we’re already forgetting about), it is a thrill to actually see people use the service the way we intended. I imagine this is what a museum architect must feel like on opening day: “look! That person stopped right there, just as we had planned!” and “huh, they missed that cool thing entirely, what happened?”<br /><br />So we are seeing missed cues, and making the necessary changes as fast as we can, and relishing the perfect moves, like this one:<br /><br />David Slater posted his daily commute, every Mon-Fri, leaving around 6am, returning around 3pm with the informative note: “This is my daily commute. My hours are flexible and I would consider adjusting my hours for a daily ride share."<br /><br />Yes! David, you got it exactly right. We’ve only just started and we can’t passively await a connection. Like David, I’ve posted all my routine car trips, and I’m waiting for the pleasant moment when I see the email from GoLoco telling me that someone else actually wants to join my fascinating trip between Cambridge and Hammond Pond.<br /><br />And I’ve also stumbled happily across destination ideas. The Peabody Essex Museum? I haven’t been there in a year. The Crown Colony? Where in heck is that? And of course, who is going?<br /><br />And relevant to nothing but a great trip comment:<br />“The toddler *will* be in the car, price has been adjusted accordingly.”Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02127609476881611549noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3229250221502323998.post-85327853440278133082007-04-30T08:07:00.001-05:002007-05-03T11:41:46.724-05:00Welcome to GoLocoWe're as eager as a new litter of puppies to get going! Yes, we're not quite properly trained yet and we're kind of falling all over ourselves, but we're hoping that we're so cute and cuddly that you'll put up with all of that for a little while. Pretty soon we'll be obedient and faithful and much better behaved.Roy Russellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17388781908140388210noreply@blogger.com4