How backward IS the US of A?

[Mike]

This article is suggesting that that new cars should do an amazing 35 miles to the gallon by 2020. Oh dear they really are not with the whole green environmental policy are they?! To put it in perspective manufacturer's can now use technology available TODAY to get 50-75 miles per gallon and in Europe and the Far East manufacturers are aiming towards the 188 miles per gallon and more.

The article goes on to say that incandescent light bulbs will be phased out over the next decade which, to be fair, is a very goo thing to aim for.

[Mike]

A more thorough article on the subject

[mr_e]

Regardless of what complete dipshits the American government seem like, they've got to start somewhere. It does beg the question why there hasn't been higher demand for fuel efficient cars anyway: surely if you're running a car fleet, you'd want the maximum fuel efficiency possible (even if fuel does cost less in the USA)?

[The bill] doubles the use of corn-based ethanol -- despite criticism that corn-based ethanol is driving up food prices, draining aquifers and exacerbating fertilizer runoff that is creating dead zones in many of the nation's rivers.

This is part of the reason why biofuels aren't the answer: biofuel farming is too intensive soil-wise, and we'd have little space for actual food crops. Prediction for the USA: huge subsidies to big corporations involved in the biofuels industry, and smaller farmers being screwed over.

The federal government is supposed to make all of its buildings carbon-neutral through energy efficiency and clean energy use by 2030.

This, however, is quite encouraging.

Overall it's a bit of a mixed bag, but the low targets in comparison to Europe show that the car and oil industries have huge lobbying power. Money does still equal power in some cases: it sucks, but it's true.

[Mike]

Very well thought and reasoned there mr_e! I also find it disturbing their targets are so low, however, I wonder if their targets are achievable when compared to ours which seem to be a little bit optimistic in some areas.

[BarcelonAl]

The article goes on to say that incandescent light bulbs will be phased out over the next decade which, to be fair, is a very goo thing to aim for.

I know the country is a lot smaller, but Ireland have just announced a ban on the sale of incandescent light bulbs by 2009...wonder how long it will be before Gordon Brown's government steals, sorry...borrows the idea?

[Mike]

I don't know why they are not banned immediately! Lets be honest you can get CFL for about £1.50 - £4.50 (depending on the quality and life of the bulb you want). They last massively longer and the normal bulbs are not cheaper really.

The only problem I can see is they do not work with dimmer switches (at the moment). Thusly I am aiming to remove all the dimmer switches from my house (stupid previous owner!) and replace them with normal switches.

[johnriley1uk]

I quite like the new energy saving bulbs, but apparently they contain Mercury, so the environmental improvement overall is debateable.

One interesting thing I heard recently was that fossil fuels will not run out. The reason is that apparently there is five times the amount of fossil fuels over and above the amount that, if burned, would asphyxiate us all. And that's the reserve we know about.

I think one answer to all this is to trap the CO2 emmissions and treat them to turn them into something less harmful.

It's ironic that Carbon based life forms should have such a problem with excess carbon. Perhaps on some other far-flung world there is a Silicon-exhaust-gasses problem.

[Mike]

Somehow the idea of burning all the fossil fuels and causing the asphyxiation of the entire population does not thrill me in the slightest!

[Mike]

X-Prize for super efficient car. The prize is for a car that can achieve 100 miles on a gallon of fuel. The prize money is from the same organisation that prompted the space travel plane earlier in 2007. VW should just enter their 188mpg car and scoop a bonus of $10million dollars for their good work.

[johnriley1uk]

Somehow the idea of burning all the fossil fuels and causing the asphyxiation of the entire population does not thrill me in the slightest!

An eminently sensible point of view.

[Mike]

An eminently sensible point of view.

I thought so!

[Claire]

I'm sure the lightbulb thing is already happening in this country. I think i remember hearing about it early this year, while Blair was still at the helm. In fact, i think it's something i had a rant about on this forum and then they did it!!!

[johnriley1uk]

In some specialised areas, incandescent bulbs of various types will still be needed. Specialised bulb companies currently supply bulbs for items going back to the early part of the 20th Century. For example, vintage slide projectors use all sorts of strange fittings and ratings.

In dentistry, and probably medical areas as well, operating lights use very small, ultra-powerful bulbs. Even the light that cures the white filling materials, although these are being rapidly replaced by lights using LEDs.

In fact, rather than the new energy saving fluorescent=type bulbs it may well be that LED replacements will ultimately be the way forward. Very low consumption, very little wasted heat generation and extremely compact as well.