START:
1) We just elected the man who has said these things:
The biggest problem with our energy policy has been to lurch from crisis to trance. And what we need is a sustained, serious effort. Now, I actually think the biggest opportunity right now is not just gas prices at the pump but the fact that the engine for economic growth for the last 20 years is not going to be there for the next 20, and that was consumer spending…
And what that means is that just from a purely economic perspective, finding the new driver of our economy is going to be critical. There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy.
I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen [sic] about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector…That’s just one sector of the economy. You think about the same thing is true on transportation. The same thing is true on how we construct our buildings. The same is true across the board.
For us to say we are just going to completely revamp how we use energy in a way that deals with climate change, deals with national security and drives our economy, that’s going to be my number one priority when I get into office.
And:
One of, I think, the most important infrastructure projects that we need is a whole new electricity grid. Because if we’re going to be serious about renewable energy, I want to be able to get wind power from North Dakota to population centers, like Chicago. And we’re going to have to have a smart grid if we want to use plug-in hybrids then we want to be able to have ordinary consumers sell back the electricity that’s generated from those car batteries, back into the grid. That can create 5 million new jobs, just in new energy.
And:
Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 858, the Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act of 2007, which expands the tax incentive now available for public transit and drivers also to bicycle commuters. I believe the Bicycle Commuters Benefits Ace is sound policy and thus I have added my name as a cosponsor of this bill.
The benefits of commuting by bicycle is almost an endless list - reducing harmful emissions, reducing congestion, reducing petroleum consumption, promoting personal health - but our public policies have evolved to where smart and sustainable transportation uses are discouraged. Roads are designed without pedestrian or bike paths, office and shopping parks are designed around the automobile, and even the best transit systems may be incompatible with bike use. It is time to revisit all federal policies to better accommodate the energy and environmental health priorities of the 21st century.
Again, thank you for writing. Please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator President-Elect
I feel like a great roadblock has been cleared. We have a new leader. No longer will our work towards a better country be crushed by an unmentionably horrible administration. While Our President may not solve all of our problems on his own, he will provide the leadership and encouragement that this nation needs to build itself back up. I believe there's no country better at the bootstrap revolution. Now that we've decided to START, I know that we can pull it off.
I am inspired to write a letter. A rough outline:
My President Barack Hussein Obama,
Thank you for going above and beyond...
I hope you will re-prioritize the national budget. Please spend less on war, and more on education.
It is common economic wisdom that investment in infrastructure is the best tool available to help pull out of a recession. Please invest in a new energy infrastructure, and in teacher salaries. Education is not currently a desirable career for America's best and brightest. What if teachers were paid as much as munitions designers?
kthxbye
2) I just opened up a high-yield savings account in an interesting bank. They donated $25 to Green For All when I signed up.
3) Come plant trees with us on Sunday Saturday!
4) Hydraulic Hybrids:
Batteries are environmentally unfriendly, and I'm much more fond of mechanical devices. If I had a garage right now, I might consider:
-removing the rear differential and halfshafts from my Subaru wagon
-replacing them with a hydraulic pump/motor attached to the rear driveshaft, plus an accumulator and some control valves.
-keeping the car in locked 4wd mode full time (which would connect the pump/motor to the transmission full time)
-ending up with a front wheel drive hydraulic hybrid with regenerative braking
Hybrids make the most sense for stop-and-go driving. Most of my driving, at least 75%, is on the highway. So maybe this isn't a worthwhile project. Until, perhaps, I have a place with a garage, and another car, and I only use this one for in-town trips.
Maybe I'll start doing the design work & sizing just for fun :) I'd lose 4WD, and it wouldn't help my highway MPG (the regen might offset the pump drag - or I could just disconnect the pump w/ the 4wd switch).
5) Buying a new car? Get a VW TDI Diesel.
A couple weeks ago, Aussies John and Helen Taylor smashed the World Record for “lowest fuel consumption on a U.S. nationwide drive,” completing their 48-state, 9,419-mile tour in 22 days. Their overall fuel efficiency came in at 58.82 miles per gallon, well above the earlier record of 51.58 mpg. Their vehicle: a 2009 VW Jetta TDI Diesel.
The biggest problem with our energy policy has been to lurch from crisis to trance. And what we need is a sustained, serious effort. Now, I actually think the biggest opportunity right now is not just gas prices at the pump but the fact that the engine for economic growth for the last 20 years is not going to be there for the next 20, and that was consumer spending…
And what that means is that just from a purely economic perspective, finding the new driver of our economy is going to be critical. There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy.
I was just reading an article in the New York Times by Michael Pollen [sic] about food and the fact that our entire agricultural system is built on cheap oil. As a consequence, our agriculture sector actually is contributing more greenhouse gases than our transportation sector…That’s just one sector of the economy. You think about the same thing is true on transportation. The same thing is true on how we construct our buildings. The same is true across the board.
For us to say we are just going to completely revamp how we use energy in a way that deals with climate change, deals with national security and drives our economy, that’s going to be my number one priority when I get into office.
And:
One of, I think, the most important infrastructure projects that we need is a whole new electricity grid. Because if we’re going to be serious about renewable energy, I want to be able to get wind power from North Dakota to population centers, like Chicago. And we’re going to have to have a smart grid if we want to use plug-in hybrids then we want to be able to have ordinary consumers sell back the electricity that’s generated from those car batteries, back into the grid. That can create 5 million new jobs, just in new energy.
And:
Thank you for contacting me regarding S. 858, the Bicycle Commuters Benefits Act of 2007, which expands the tax incentive now available for public transit and drivers also to bicycle commuters. I believe the Bicycle Commuters Benefits Ace is sound policy and thus I have added my name as a cosponsor of this bill.
The benefits of commuting by bicycle is almost an endless list - reducing harmful emissions, reducing congestion, reducing petroleum consumption, promoting personal health - but our public policies have evolved to where smart and sustainable transportation uses are discouraged. Roads are designed without pedestrian or bike paths, office and shopping parks are designed around the automobile, and even the best transit systems may be incompatible with bike use. It is time to revisit all federal policies to better accommodate the energy and environmental health priorities of the 21st century.
Again, thank you for writing. Please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Barack Obama
United States Senator President-Elect
I feel like a great roadblock has been cleared. We have a new leader. No longer will our work towards a better country be crushed by an unmentionably horrible administration. While Our President may not solve all of our problems on his own, he will provide the leadership and encouragement that this nation needs to build itself back up. I believe there's no country better at the bootstrap revolution. Now that we've decided to START, I know that we can pull it off.
I am inspired to write a letter. A rough outline:
My President Barack Hussein Obama,
Thank you for going above and beyond...
I hope you will re-prioritize the national budget. Please spend less on war, and more on education.
It is common economic wisdom that investment in infrastructure is the best tool available to help pull out of a recession. Please invest in a new energy infrastructure, and in teacher salaries. Education is not currently a desirable career for America's best and brightest. What if teachers were paid as much as munitions designers?
kthxbye
2) I just opened up a high-yield savings account in an interesting bank. They donated $25 to Green For All when I signed up.
3) Come plant trees with us on Sunday Saturday!
4) Hydraulic Hybrids:
Batteries are environmentally unfriendly, and I'm much more fond of mechanical devices. If I had a garage right now, I might consider:
-removing the rear differential and halfshafts from my Subaru wagon
-replacing them with a hydraulic pump/motor attached to the rear driveshaft, plus an accumulator and some control valves.
-keeping the car in locked 4wd mode full time (which would connect the pump/motor to the transmission full time)
-ending up with a front wheel drive hydraulic hybrid with regenerative braking
Hybrids make the most sense for stop-and-go driving. Most of my driving, at least 75%, is on the highway. So maybe this isn't a worthwhile project. Until, perhaps, I have a place with a garage, and another car, and I only use this one for in-town trips.
Maybe I'll start doing the design work & sizing just for fun :) I'd lose 4WD, and it wouldn't help my highway MPG (the regen might offset the pump drag - or I could just disconnect the pump w/ the 4wd switch).
5) Buying a new car? Get a VW TDI Diesel.
A couple weeks ago, Aussies John and Helen Taylor smashed the World Record for “lowest fuel consumption on a U.S. nationwide drive,” completing their 48-state, 9,419-mile tour in 22 days. Their overall fuel efficiency came in at 58.82 miles per gallon, well above the earlier record of 51.58 mpg. Their vehicle: a 2009 VW Jetta TDI Diesel.