felixkramer’s Recent Comments

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  To get more background on the story

  Thanks, Adam, for the pointer. To see CalCars' backgrounder and a draft of what we'll say to the California Air Resources Board next week, as well as our "Sacramento Address" modelled on the most famous speech ever given in America, see http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/1039.html

  -- Felix Kramer, Founder, The California Cars Initiative (Calcars.org)

  Felix Kramer Founder, California Cars Initiative (CalCars.org)

  On Who's killing the plug-in hybrid? posted 10 months, 1 week ago 12 Responses

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  Yes but NOT looking for volunteers

  The worthy new UC Davis program will give 100 families over two years the opportunity to drive Priuses converted to PHEV for 6-8 weeks -- but you can't volunteer. It's an academic research project whose subjects will be selected from AAA's 4.5 million Northern California households.

  Davis and AAA have already received hundreds of inquiries from potential drivers, which shows how strong the interest is. And the CalCars.org page "How to Get a Plug-In Hybrid (which mostly answers "you can't" unless you're in a fleet or a very dedicated Do-It-Yourselfer, gets very high traffic. Stay tuned. (We'll have a longer report and explanation about the Davis program soon at the CalCars-News Archive.

  Felix Kramer, Founder, CalCars.org

  Felix Kramer Founder, California Cars Initiative http://www.calcars.org

  On 100 households to test out plug-in hybrid Pruises in California posted 2 years ago 3 Responses

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  Here's link to the story and resulting statements

  At  CalCars News, we've posted links to the full text of the NYTimes story, Google.org's official statement in response to article, as well as the nonprofit CalCars' statement (of delight) and some further comments.

  Felix Kramer Founder, California Cars Initiative http://www.calcars.org

  On And possibly sell them posted 3 years, 2 months ago 4 Responses

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  Can we afford to debate how bad it will be?

  There's no controversy anymore in scientific circles, just among those whose goal is to sow uncertainty. As the insurance industry is starting to realize, if even the  best-case scenarios look bleak, it's time for the end of business-as-usual.

  I'm not sure if Lovelock's alarms will help or not, but that's not really the point. I think it's up to every person on the planet to start doing something about this. My own choice is to try to get cars off carbon--if we do that we've addressed over 1/4 of the CO2 problem. I've put together some of my top resources at http:///www.calcars.org/globalwarming.html and I suggest http://www.realclimate.org for those interested in the science.

  Felix Kramer Founder, California Cars Initiative http://www.calcars.org

  On Gaia theorist says we're all doomed posted 3 years, 10 months ago 34 Responses

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  Another view on how to wake people up

  Here's the OpEd I wrote that just went up at AlterNet (they've OK'd it appearing elsewhere):

  The author encourages others to freely reproduce this article (in its entirety, including a link to the AlterNet version, where it originally appeared on February 14, 2005).

  Kyoto and Beyond

  by Felix Kramer

  On February 16, 2005, the Kyoto Protocol on Climate Change goes into effect to begin a global rescue mission. It's a historic first step, but the U.S., the top greenhouse gas producer hasn't signed on. And developing countries, including China and India, are exempt.

  Still, every country in the world meeting Kyoto's goals wouldn't save our children from the catastrophes a consensus of scientists predict. Meeting the Climate Challenge, a report from the International Climate Change Task Force, warns we're approaching a point of no return. If we don't act decisively, average global temperatures could over decades rise almost four degrees Fahrenheit above 1750's levels. They're already up over one degree. We'd face agricultural failures, diseases, droughts and floods. Some experts forecast a 10 degree jump, much higher sea levels and possible abrupt, runaway changes to ocean currents.

  Europe's 30,000 heat wave casualties in 2003 and four hurricanes battering Florida may have been statistical flukes. Yet, especially for billions of coastal residents, these images, along with the earthquake-generated tsunami, are horrifying harbingers of future disruptions.

  Concerned citizens and leaders worldwide may now be more inclined to think about the unthinkable and our closing window of opportunity.

  But how do you wake up a planet divided and mesmerized by political, social, economic, religious and cultural conflicts?

  H.G. Wells and Ronald Reagan both said only an external threat could motivate humanity to see beyond our differences to common goals. In films like Armageddon and Deep Impact, unlikely personalities team up to avert collisions with asteroids -- life-ending million-megaton warheads. This June, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds remake will show us uniting against space invaders.

  What if we redefine global warming as an asteroid barrage, hitting earth with deadly impacts through this century -- and decide to defend ourselves? If enough of us become convinced that's our future, would that change global priorities?

  If so, we still have time to conserve far more energy and find substitutes for most uses of coal, oil and gas. Unfortunately, we can't stop climate change entirely. But we can slow it way down.

  I spend my days working with a growing coalition to bring to market new vehicles known as "gas-optional" or "plug-in" hybrids. This missing technological link can triple gasoline efficiency and pave the way to zero-carbon cars. When skeptics warn me how long it takes industry to introduce new automobiles, I remind them what happened after Pearl Harbor. When the War Production Board ordered tanks and aircraft engines, Detroit's factories re-tooled in under a year.

  We can apply our abundant resources strategically and with similar determination. We can harness existing technologies, without awaiting R&D. Wind and photovoltaic power, improving batteries, a modernized electricity grid and conservation can take us very far. So can cellulose biofuel plantations and reforestation.

  What would this transformation cost? A few percent of the gross global product for many decades -- along with institutional and political changes giving us enormous economic and social benefits.

  Today, fossil fuels seem cheaper than renewables only because we subsidize them. We pay their hidden costs with wars, diminished health and environmental damage. And who can estimate the full price our children will pay for climate change?

  What's the cost of business as usual? Ask Californians to envision life with no Sierra snow pack for reservoirs, flood control -- or winter sports. Ask Central Valley farmers to feed the world from salt water-soaked fields. Ask people living on coastlines that will become uninsurable, then uninhabitable. Then ask the Pentagon how often droughts, famines and epidemics fuel political instability.

  What sounds like the better deal?

  #  #  #

  Felix Kramer is a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and founder of the California Cars Initiative.
  

  Felix Kramer Founder, California Cars Initiative http://www.calcars.org http://groups.yahoo.com/group/priusplus/

  On It's too late to stop climate change posted 4 years, 9 months ago 2 Responses