“This is really about manufacturing threats”

No Comments »

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has approved the nation’s first tax on carbon use for businesses. It’s a quite modest tax, some businesses may pay less than $1 a year, but it does set a precedent.

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said he wants voters to decide on an additional tax in November that would charge more for carbon emissions, but lower payroll taxes on businesses that reduce emissions.

No Comments »

Personal carbon offsets are gonna look kinda twee and silly once we have gigantic, collective programs to drain carbon out of the sky. It’s not about the personal emissions of the living — we gotta remove the emissions that have been hanging over our heads since World War One.

It’s gonna take people a while to realize that we’ve got to forget “footprints” and live in a less-than-zero carbon handprint. But we’ll get to that realization, because there’s no other choice. This kinda stuff pretends that removing pollution is a personal, moral choice. It isn’t. It isn’t any more a personal moral choice than some monster Greenhouse firestorm threatening to incinerate San Diego.

Planet-wide problems require planet-wide solutions. We should, of course, try to cut our carbon footprint, but such efforts can be illusory.

An example: We just moved from a 2100 sq ft house in Connecticut heated by heating oil and with air conditioning to a 750 sq ft apartment in the Bay Area with no air conditioning and mass transit across the street.  Our carbon footprint has dropped dramatically, but since someone bought the house from us, the net carbon footprint probably remains the same.

DJ at AsymptoticLife has documented how they’ve dramatically cut their carbon emissions, which is all to the good. But Sterling is correct, we need to remove the carbon that has been in the atmosphere for decades too. And that can’t be done on a personal basis.

4 Comments »

Ford continues its downward spiral, slashing production as they, duh, realize that gas hog SUVs and trucks are no longer selling well.

Check this piece of PR fluff and evasion.

Ford now expects to be about break-even companywide in 2009 on a pre-tax basis, excluding special items, as North America Automotive profitability is delayed.

Well gosh, if you ignore taxes and writeoffs, then of course the financials will look better. Translation: Ford will lose money in 2009, probably lots of it, but is pretending it won’t.

Chrysler is in near-terminal condition and Ford isn’t doing much better. Will they make it? And what happens to Detroit and the Michigan economy if they don’t?

Wayne Kramer wrote “Back To Detroit” about growing up there. Hasn’t changed much, has it?

It’s a hard wind blows through the buildings and empty lots
as the corner of Michigan and 31st waits in ruin.
And the echoes of happy shoppers faded long, long, long ago
back when Chrysler, GM and Ford went mad with greed.

Oh, how we hoped it would turn out right
going back to Detroit

One reason that Japanese carmakers are doing well is because companies there take a much longer view of things and don’t live or die by the next quarter’s projected earnings. Thus, they are somewhat less ruled by short-term greed and the necessity to boost the current stock price to keep investors happy and instead can focus more on long-term objectives - like building hybrids.

1 Comment »

It’s impossible to sell a laptop on Ebay. Not hard - impossible. Nigerian scammers and abysmal customer support are among the reasons why.

No Comments »

Each inspired live/work unit is hand-crafted, and capable of magnificent views. The loft-like Cubist floorplan allows convenient interior access and customized storage solutions. Green construction and copious natural lighting and ventilation support ecologically responsible living.

Check it out!

No Comments »