A major step backward

I'm sorry to say, but this month we took a major step backward in our quest to green our lives.
We found the perfect property on a lake in Minnesota, priced right. We wanted this for our family. Our kids are at a great age, and they are growing up so fast. So, now we live on a lake.

The downside?

We're now 45 miles from our jobs (90 mile round trip).
No more biking to work.
Recycling has become a major inconvenience because there is no local recycling station.
The house is smaller than our other home, so we will need to expand it by at least bedroom.

I'm living up to my "gasaholic" name, because now I will be consuming more gas than ever.

So what am I to do? Shall I just accept this setback, say "screw going green?"

No. We're going to pick ourselves up and start all over again.

Our current plan is to improve the efficiency of our fleet. I've been waiting years to buy a Chevy Volt, however I may need to get a Prius or some other small car that gets great mileage. This would replace our Mercury Mountaineer (we would keep it, but just use it for hauling and pulling).

We will also be shifting the kids to local schools.
I will close my office and shift it to the town where the kids will be in school.
My wife is interested in finding a job closer to home, although that may be difficult for her.

Currently we are all commuting together, rather than taking two cars in.
We will get our composter going again.
We will continue to buy recycled paper products.
This house is full of lights that we can replace with CFL's.
And on it goes.

We really love living out here, literally on an island. The nature is just gorgeous, and we look forward to enjoying this new home.

Shopping for a green car

I've been holding out to buy a Chevy Volt or some other kind of PHEV vehicle.

My wife's car is starting to need to be replaced, so I went shopping for vehicles yesterday.

First stop was Ford, where I was interested in a Fusion hybrid. So far, the 2010 models are not in. The dealer informed me that they will only be getting two of them, and that one is already sold. Of course, they tried to steer me toward a non-hybrid vehicle. I was disappointed.

Next stop was Honda. They had some new 2010 Inisight hybrids in. I got to drive one, and I liked it. The ride is a little "sporty", and the back seat headroom is limited, but I liked how the seats folded down to create a nice cargo space. When I sat down to discuss price with the dealer, he informed me that they have zero ability to negotiate price; "there are no incentives offered by Honda." They didn't want my trade in. Basically, I was told to gfm.

However, they could negotiate on the higher priced Civic hybrid. But that's not what I wanted so I left disappointed.

It sounds like auto dealers are willing to negotiate on their gas suckers, but not on the green cars that I want to buy.

I was also told that the hybrid 'tax credit' dropped from something like $3400 to $1700 on April 1. So it sounds like the government isn't willing to continue providing an incentive to buy highly efficient hybrid vehicles.

This whole experience just underscored my frustration with trying to buy a greener vehicle. With sales of automobiles dropping by half on a year-over-year basis, I would have hoped that I would have been treated differently, and that they would have offered me a car that I want to buy.

I've decided that now is apparently not a good time to buy a new car. I'll just continue driving the 2000 Dodge Caravan Sport another two years or so, and save the money. I won't be saving the economy or the automobile industry, but I'll happily be returning their "gfy" attitude.

Will the Chevy Volt suffer from the "Osborne Effect?"

Way back around 1980 Adam Osborne, founder of Osborne Computer Corporation, the maker of the world's first "portable" computer, announced that he was planning a more poweful version of their highly successful Osborne 1 computer. That announcement was the beginning of the end of Osborne Computer, as people stopped buying the Osborne 1, content to wait for the next machine.

Is that what will happen to GM's Chevy Volt electric car, now promised for 2010?

Speaking for myself, I don't want to buy another low mileage gas powered vehicle; I would much rather have an electric car, or at least a high mileage hybrid, or phev. Sure, gasoline prices have now fallen to $1.82 in my Minnesota town, but I won't be fooled again. I know that if I buy another SUV, I'll soon see $5 gasoline.

So here I sit, driving my 2004 Mercury Mountaineer, still pissed off from being gouged this year by expensive gasoline. The car is paid for now, and as a trade-in vehicle it has approximately zero value. So I see no compelling reason to ditch this vehicle today (especially now that gas is cheap again) for a new one and then have to assume car payments again. No, the rational decision to me appears to be to simply drive my old SUV for two more years and then buy the electric or phev vehicle that I really want.

General Motor's stock is now at a 65 year low. Its a shame they didn't move on their early advantage with electric cars. I hope they live long enough to realize the tremendous success that I see coming their way with the Chevy Volt. Lets hope they won't be done in by the Osborne Effect.

Gas falls from $4.00 to $2.09

In the town that I live in, I have seen the price of gas fall from $4/gallon in late September to $2.09 today. My feelings on this are mixed. I'm glad that families are getting a break, but I'm fearful that they will return to gas guzzling ways.

Interesting how this seems to always, always happen right before a U.S. political election.

Anyway, I hope Americans will not be fooled. The reprieve will certainly be temporary, just long enough to try and derail the momentum gathering behind alternative energies and electric vehicles.

Even with lower gas prices, I'm still adamant that my next car will be a PHEV or better. Although I'm still driving my '04 Mercury Mountaineer, I have my eye on the Chevy Volt for my next car (that is, if GM lives long enough to bring it to market).

We just have to make these changes in our lives. There will little to zero impact on my daily life if I am driving an electric car versus a gas guzzler. I'll probably just keep my old Mountaineer to pull the sailboat the lake. But 99% of my daily driving is less than 25 miles per day, from home to work, from work to home, with a few stops between. I just don't need a V8 for that.

I will not soon forget how quickly gas prices can spike. I won't forget how much my budget hurt with $4 gas. I won't forget to buy an alternatively powered vehicle the very first chance that I get.

With a Minnesota Winter fast approaching (last Sunday we made a snowman here), I now must park the old '78 Sachs Moped. I look forward to taking it out of the garage next May. I managed to put on 300 miles on the old moped this summer. It reminded me just how quickly, fun and easily I can get around this town without a big V8.

No more SUV's. PHEV, here I come!

GM is bleeding like a crash victim

The newspapers are abuzz today -- GM posts $15.5 billion 2nd quarter loss. They are shuttering SUV plants.

"We are reacting rapidly to the challenges facing the U.S. economy and auto market, and we continue to take the aggressive steps necessary to transform our U.S. operations," GM Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner said in a statement.

Reacting rapidly? They have had many years, many crisis to plan for this "transformation."

Remember when GM made those little Geo's? I remember that Geo XFI, which got about 60 miles per gallon! Dust off those old Geo blueprints and start making fuel efficient cars.

For many years, as a consumer I have had only superficial choices to consider when buying a car. Everything ran on gasoline, and for the most part still does. I am very excited about GM's foray into electric autos. I see a great future for them if they have the courage and remaining resources to see this through. I would pick a small electric car over a huge gas guzzler any day.

So many of us are ready for change in America. REAL change. Transformation in the U.S. economy, and how we relate to each other and the environment. The capitalistic dogma about "everyone is in it for themselves, and no one gives a shit about the environment or anyone else," is a crock of lies. There is a new feeling, a new awakening that those of us freefalling together through space on this speck of dirt need to work together if 6 to 12 billion of us are going to survive.

Lets face it -- the nationstate as we know it is obsolete. Popular Religeon as its been manipulated to hasten the destruction of the world and enslave its people, is obsolete.

I'm talking REAL change.

Bring it on. And while we're at it, I'll be watching for GM to make my PHEV electric car.

Greening our weekend activities with a sailboat.

Here in Minnesota, spending our vacation time at "the lakes" is a century old tradition. My father, who is a well to do gentleman, lets us have the full run of his lake home complete with the power boat, the 30 foot pontoon, and the little outboard fishing boat. There have been weekends when the family is all together where we have gone through more than 20 gallons of gas in a single day as we tear up the water.

But guess which boat my nine-year old son prefers?

No, not the speed boat. He likes the paddle boat!

He and his cousin will spend the entire day peddling around the lake in the paddle boat. He likes it because its so quiet. He can sneak up on turtles easier that way.

Recently, I've been having some boat envy. I appreciate that my dad lets us use his toys, but I always feel a special responsibility with these boats, always self-conscious about keeping things clean and not using too much gas. If I ever bump into a log, panic sets in until I can determine that all is well

So when I saw a sailboat advertised for $200, I decided to check it out. I was skeptical; after all, what kind of boat can you get for that kind of money? It turns out, an elderly couple was downsizing and just wanted to get rid of it. It was indeed an older boat ( a 1959 Glastron fiberglass sailboat, 17'), but and it was in great shape! So I bought it and dragged it home.

This past weekend, rather than pontoon'ing around the lake, we quietly sailed around instead. The kids just loved it. They spent hours on the boat with me. It was wonderful being part of the wind. And the quiet you experience on a sailboat is just incredible. You hear things that you could never hear on a gas powered boat. Kids and dad, working together to bring the sail boat home.

Sailboats are not common on our lake, which by Minnesota standards is small at a mere 1,000 acres. On the weekend you will see many fishing boats, speed boats, pontoons and jet skis. But we were the only sailboat on the lake, and actually in all the years we have been on this lake I don't recall ever seeing a small sailboat.

We're enjoying the novelty factor of being the only sailboat on the lake. The powerboats have been very polite and yielding so far. When we came through a small channel, there were 3 other boats waiting patiently for us on the other side. They all had smiles and seemed to enjoy the "skills" it took to navigate the channel when there was absolutely no wind (I was using my arms!). I think they enjoyed the opportunity to just sit quiety, motors off, listening nature, while watching me flounder about.

Although I'm not ready to swear off ever using the other boats, it is my hope that this sailboat and the gas-free fun it provides will be come a family favorite for years to come, and that we will use less gas by having the option to sail. Afterall, the best fun is simply being on the lake, and the lake becomes even more fun when we are able to silently and cleanly take in its natural glory.

Paris to offer 4000 shared electric cars.

The city of Paris, France, is going to offer a shared electric car service. Drivers will pay for the minutes they use. Cool idea. Read about it here.

Meanwhile, I am still waiting to buy my PHEV. Where is it, GM?