jschmit’s Recent Comments

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  As a new dad

  I've learned a lot in the last 7 months.  I highly recommend bottles if you plan on leaving a breast-fed baby in her dad's care.  Once maternity leave ends, breast pumping is key.  Dr. Brown's turned out to be the best bottle we used.

  Great suggestion putting the diaper service on the gift list.

  Our gift list had many lovely eco-products on it and almost no one bought them for us.  We included another registry on Target and that's where most everything came from.  I wasn't a fan of that scheme.  But as with anything, people seem to want to buy a gift object rather than give you money.  I let it go in the end.  The poly-yuk stuffed toys abounded and they were donated to worthy causes.  What can you do.On Umbra on baby gifts posted 2 years, 7 months ago 14 Responses

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  MP3 music doesn't necessarily = MP3 player

  I don't disagree with the conclusion Umbra reaches in her response.  However, she assumes that downloading music will then require an MP3 player.  If you're downloading music, you're already at a computer.  Said computer will play back the music.  No short-lived portable MP3 player required.  Attach speakers to the computer and you have eliminated the need for your CD player.  OR select the songs you want to listen to and burn your own CDs to play in all your existing players.  On Umbra on CDs and MP3s posted 3 years, 3 months ago 3 Responses

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  Better Escalade Than Never

  Nothing surprising here about the weak fuel economy standard for SUVs.  But damn, that headline made me laugh.  Thanks, Grist!On Bush admin unveils meek new fuel-economy standards for light trucks posted 3 years, 7 months ago 1 Response

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  Habitat For Humanity eco-friendly?

  If you've ever seen Judith Helfund's documentary, "Blue Vinyl" you'll wonder why Habitat for Humanity was included in this list of eco-friendly organizations to help rebuild the devastation down south.  In the past (and especially down south) HFH has included a heck of a lot of vinyl materials in their building--including homes built completely out of vinyl 2x4s.  I hope they've stepped away from that since the production of vinyl is known to have contaminated surface and ground water down there--and hurt many of the people who work in the plants. Check it out at http://www.bluevinyl.orgOn Umbra on rebuilding the Gulf Coast posted 4 years, 1 month ago 1 Response

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  Prius is a joy

  Last summer I decided to move on from my 2wd Nissan truck that got about 20mpg and didn't handle great in our frequent west Michigan lake-effect snows.  I looked at hybrids and fuel-efficient compacts.  The hybrids were just way out of my price range and there weren't any on the used market.  Then out of nowhere I saw an ad for a '01 Prius.  I did a test drive and loved it.  It was such a thrill.  Still thinking $11k was too much, I passed on it and checked out the new Toyota Echo and some used Corollas.  None of them matched the refinement and joy of the Prius so I took out a loan and just went for it.  I haven't had a single regret.  

  Since it already had 56k miles on it I've had to sink more money into some things.  New tires were not cheap since they must have a stronger side-wall to support the heavier front end--and low resistance tires add to the premium you pay.  Regular 60k maintenance also cost another $300.  Recently the front rotors needed to be re-machined due to the salt corrosion of our awful winter roads.  Other work has been covered by Toyota's special maintenance bulletins (battery work and stearing column).

  During the summer my average mpg was about 48 but as soon as winter kicked in it was about 38.  I'm not exactly sure why.  It just started warming up here (40!) and I'm noticing an improvement.

  One of the joys with the car is its performance.  My guilty pleasure is occasionally leaving campus amidst the 2 lanes of traffic and turning out onto the highway.  When I floor it, both engines kick in (ICE and electric) and it takes off, leaving many of the slower, polluting cars in the dust.  It's pure geeky/ego fun.

  Overall I don't know how much money I'm really saving since I could have bought a much cheaper used compact and not have to pay interest on the loan AND still get close to the same mpg.  But the mpg comparison with conventional cars doesn't factor in one of the most important aspects of how a hybrid works.  During acceleration (the most polluting part of driving) a lot less pollutants are emitted by a hybrid compared to conventional cars because that's when the electric engine is helping out the most.  The other important difference is simply demonstrating forward-thinking technology and sharing that with others.  On Gristmill to hybrid drivers, calling all hybrid drivers posted 4 years, 7 months ago 13 Responses