Comments jcwinnie has made

  • They will be back for more

    "Baghdad Bob" Lutz' comment is indicative that the auto companies again believe that they can walk away from a commitment after they get the money. And, he probably is correct. After all, Washington Theater makes Hollywood fairy tales seem positively Cinéma vérité.On Bob Lutz: Fuel-efficient cars, like global warming, a crock of sh*t posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago 7 Responses

  • Maybe Ford Should Improve.

    Like make a car that Consumers Union likes?

    The Focus platform was supposed to compete on the global market. They seemed to succeed with the design. Unfortunately, they made crap... after promising not to do so, so many times before.

    The other thing about, but not limited to Ford, is the idea of making the cars in a cleaner way while refusing to improve the carbon footprint by design and marketing of their product. Rather, the companies have committed resources to strategies that resist such improvement.

    Goes off humming 21st Century Schizoid Man...On Ford drops hydrogen while GM remains confused about ethanol posted 12 months ago 9 Responses

  • Astute Newt

    Newt is astute with his political savvy observation that "People don't elect presidents who tell them to sacrifice. They elect presidents who solve problems so they don't have to sacrifice."

    That his observation is so spot on indicates why future generation will damn us for our short-sightedness.

    Sometime in the not-so-distant future...

    "How could they just keep doing what they were doing when they had such overwhelming evidence of the consequences?"

    "They just didn't give a damn."On Gingrich shills for Republican energy policy under bizarre guise as energy guru posted 1 year ago 2 Responses

  • Another reason for resistance to decentralization

    Nuclear.

    I know, I know, y'all were 'spectin me to say kudzu.On A UN Dispatch-Grist collaboration posted 1 year, 5 months ago 13 Responses

  • Surprisingly Small Margins

    Given the American publics disaffectation with the current administration, the margins reported seem surprisingly small.

    Do the metrics indicate an essential distrust that even exceptional rhetoric by the democratic canditate will have difficulty overcoming?

    As The Naib http://www.blog.thesietch.org/2008/06/07/obama-or-mccain- ... has pondered, "Obama Or McCain: Who Cares?" On Public trusts Obama more than McCain on gas prices, global warming, energy posted 1 year, 5 months ago 4 Responses

  • Plugin

    The reward for schlepping batteries around all the time comes from having a kinetic energy reclamation system.On Toyota may have something up its sleeve posted 1 year, 5 months ago 27 Responses

  • BAU/AAE

    The suggestion that Congress take note is predicated upon the assumption that Congress is concerned about the public welfare rather than special interests.

    BAU = Business As Usual
    AAE =     Above All ElseOn New study: Ordinary soot second biggest driver of climate change posted 1 year, 8 months ago 14 Responses

  • Belief Systems

    Maybe, it is wishful thinking, Joseph, i.e., a religious zealot would be more easily manipulated than a scientist.

    The error, of course, is assuming that denial need to make sense, whereas it is a univesal defense mechanism that appears earlier in development than sense making.On Roger Pielke Jr. defends his absurd delayer post ... by quoting a global warming denier posted 1 year, 8 months ago 6 Responses

  • Coincidences

    Interestingly, the scandal occurred with governor of the state from which one of the senators currently is running for President of the United States.

    Apparently, it was an excellent job of law enforcement, since the evidence was so compelling.

    Even more coincidentally, the subject matter of the scandal resonates to a prior scandal that involved the senator / candidate.On A quick history of N.Y.'s incoming governor David Paterson and his environmental record posted 1 year, 8 months ago 7 Responses

  • Naivete

    Those tar heels are being a bit starry-eyed, eh? If the present administration has such disregard for basic civil liberties or sanctions against retroactive immunity in the constitution, it would seem naive to expect them to respect some environmental protections.On A cascade of news shows that coal is on the ropes posted 1 year, 9 months ago 12 Responses

  • Hm

    David,

    Would it not be a menage de trough, David?On Massey incest redux posted 1 year, 9 months ago 2 Responses

  • Unleash the Enviro-Accountants

    It's a small thing and certainly won't lessen Pangolian outrage, nor should it. A bare minimum, Harry & Nancy, would be Explicit Carbon AccountingOn Delay makes environmental catastrophe more likely posted 1 year, 9 months ago 25 Responses

  • Thanks, Barton

    You climate denying, Republican lemming, you

    Hey, Joe, I like the sound of that, thanks!On House energy committee not primed to rush through climate bill posted 1 year, 10 months ago 11 Responses

  • One Thing Missing from the Chart

    A column that list mega-joules of energy. It could be difficult, which may be why it is missing, but it would be useful to know the energy demands for each of the choices.

    Speaking of choices, only the hypothetical Chevy Volt offers 100 gms CO/2 equivalent per km or less in 2010. None are 50 or below for 2017. This is inadequate, but won't much matter if we are unable to stop GHG from coal-fired electric power plants.On Hybrid emissions: Facts and numbers posted 1 year, 10 months ago 34 Responses

  • Khosla for Energy Czar

    While I may disagree with his politics, rarely do I have an issue with the clarity of thought that went into a particular initiative.

    And, tarnation if is he is willing to have a dialogue.On Prius: Green or greenwash? posted 1 year, 10 months ago 36 Responses

  • Campaign Cap and Trade Rhetoric

    I don't get. The Grist Donkey Mill is endorsing the pea under the walnut shell that is cap-and-trade. So, is the Romm-dom.

    The rationale is that a carbon tax is politically infeasible. An interesting measure to use, makes one wonder about the basis for such infeasibility and the corresponding "realistic assessment by the front runners."

    Sounds like feedstock from the donkeys for the gasifier. On Obama puts the 100 percent auction idea into the mainstream posted 1 year, 11 months ago 22 Responses

  • Easy Solutions

    Unsure how easy, a possible solution is Direct Injection conversion kit from Orbital, similar to a successful project in the Phillipines. A way to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions of two-stroke engines.On As personal transportation becomes cheaper, the poor benefit and the climate suffers posted 1 year, 11 months ago 13 Responses

  • No Water Necessary

    "Let me be the last in the greenosphere"

    No, no, no, Roberto! Let you be part of the early buzz, buzz, buzz.

    You know like bees buzzing around a hive in Spring. You remember bees, yes?

    And, like me, probably are thinking of Spring. In Upstate New York a temperature of 54F on December 24.On New developments in solar power make 'clean coal' look even dumber posted 1 year, 11 months ago 35 Responses

  • Re: Shamelessness

    O.K., O.K., but I thought Roberts said he wanted coal in this stocking.On C'mon, kick in some dough to keep this blog running posted 1 year, 12 months ago 4 Responses

  • Doomed, I Say

    (Burp) Pass the ketchup, please.On Civilization ... posted 2 years ago 7 Responses

  • Happy Halloween

    When they came for the pumpkins, I said nothing.On Extreme weather wipes out pumpkin crop posted 2 years, 1 month ago 2 Responses

  • Kinda Kool

    Might be a round table and on the table a "lazy susan" with three sections. The three main guests, who could hold their own with the questions would be Gore, Lovins and McDonough. So then, you get your toughest questions, no softball pitches, for each of the three sections: environment, profit and equity, and have it. Vinod Khosla could be moderator. Make sure the supernumeraries get strict, short time limits for a response to each question.On Introducing an ongoing series on the most undercovered aspect of climate change posted 2 years, 1 month ago 16 Responses

  • The Dingell Gambit

    I am wary of the rhetoric of your post: "not broader CAFE standards, not a national Renewable Energy Standard, not a massive biofuels push, and certainly not a new generation of subsidized nuclear power plants." I may agree with the latter two and disagree with the first two policy initiative, in any case, was not this what observers described as the Dingell Gambit, i.e., to forgo the policy intiative that raises CAFE, in lieu of a tax policy destined for failure?

    Dingell is counting on the general selfishness of the American people, plus a natural disinclination to raise taxes (tax cuts for the rich are ever so much more popular in Congress these days).

    I agree, too, with item #6 of the critique by A. Siegel for the very same reason. I may disagree with the alternative funding target, since it would seem a bit simplistic, yet I would applaud the rationale and urge Congressional staff to consider like thinking.

    We see so much concern about positive feedback occurring in the environment at present, e.g., the Albedo Flip, permafrost melting, etc. It sure would be a refreshing change for American think tanks to consider how they might multiply the effect of policy to mitigate climate change.

    For instance, the hanging on for dear life two in Detroit make a big deal about building cars more cleanly. Yet they still are building cars that pollute, continuing to contribute to the fastest growing segment for carbon emissions. Would it better for life on the planet, if they continued to improve (cradle to cradle) how they build the cars and built cars that polluted less?

    The gasoline tax is just extra insurance to see the policy initiative fail. Yes, we need a carbon tax to stop coal (and give Big Oil pause for thought). We need CAFE to slow the increase in carbon emissions from the transportation sector. Let the revenue go for green employment.On Rep. John Dingell introduces his hybrid carbon tax posted 2 years, 2 months ago 12 Responses

  • All in the Timing

    I think the choice of timing in airing the series is worthy of note. It occurs right at a time, when public opinion for ending American involvement in the Iraq civil war is at an all time high.

    Methinks the revival of WWII analogies is a strategy by public propaganda television to create a different atmosphere, to wit, "Let's all pull together at this time of great national challenge and help the cronies of George and Dick get the oil from those "other people". On Is global warming the moral equivalent of World War II? posted 2 years, 2 months ago 27 Responses

  • Not Entirely True

    Think of the sub-prime mortgage lenders. Think of the corporations. You're missing the Big Picture, here, Dave.

    P.S. The above was a facetious remark, for those, who might be unable to grasp the sarcasm.
    On For mitigation over adaptation: the argument from cynicism posted 2 years, 2 months ago 4 Responses