Date: Fri, 6 Aug 1999 12:04:53 -0700
Reply-To: Otmar Ebenhoech <Otmar@EVCL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Otmar Ebenhoech <Otmar@EVCL.COM>
Subject: Re: [vanagon] Re: Exhaust Deal / Smog
In-Reply-To: <98b6c71f.24dc1c15@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>From: KENWILFY@aol.com
>
>Steve, not saying that cars don't pollute. Just saying that I believe that
>the whole car pollution thing is basically designed to take our minds off of
>the real polluters. I think that car pollution should be regulated (Honda
>has an engine now that is so clean it's emissions are breathable air!) but
>that we shouldn't let this distract us from the fact that there is still alot
>of pollution going on out there that isn't being properly regulated. I mean
>the whole push toward electric powered cars shows very plainly that people
>don't really understand what is going on.
>Ken Wilford
>Van-Again
>John 3:16
Ken,
Take a look at this quote from Scientific American
http://www.sciam.com/1196issue/1196sperling.html (the artile is good but
most of the links are outdated)
"Cars account for half the oil consumed in the U.S., about half the urban
pollution and one fourth the greenhouse gases. They take a similar toll of
resources in other industrial nations and in the cities of the developing
world"
Reading this, I would have a hard time not considering cars "Real
polluters". Vanagons are not the worst of the old cars because they do have
closed loop systems with catalysts but I still feel we have an obligation
to do what we can to keep them burning clean.
I also don't understand where you see the problem with electric cars. I
have worked in the electric car industry for nine years now and I still
think that they are a big step in the right direction. No, they are not the
holy grail of transportation, but they have the super advantage that the
user doesn't have to do anything to upgrade the air quality. As Ron has
pointed out, it's easy to clean up a few power plants in comparison to
cleaning up millions of personally owned autos. Take a look at the article
above and tell me what part of it you don't agree with.
I personally wouldn't mind laws requiring all cars to meet pollution
standards that are no more than 10 years old. Yes, it would cost a lot for
the user, but if we really want to drive our classic cars then we should do
so responsibly.
-Otmar-
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Otmar Ebenhoech Electric Vehicle Components Ltd.
"I wish I die sleeping peacefully like my grandfather,
not screaming in terror like his passengers"
Otmar@evcl.com http://www.evcl.com (650) 494-9255
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
