At Exxon’s Can’t-Miss Meeting

At Exxon’s Can’t-Miss Meeting

Author Nocera argues that it’s not Exxon’s job to be a steward of the environment and that their business is to find and sell oil. Until there is sufficient demand for them to change their business then they generally shouldn’t care about global warming. I think he’s right.

Businesses are in the business of making money, it’s not their job to be socially conscious. Businesses are socially conscious for image reasons (there are exceptions) but they’re not in the business of doing things that don’t help them make money. For Exxon, spending money now on alternative energy while fossil fuels are resulting in massive profits now and in the near future is ridiculous (Note: Sometimes I feel like spelling it rediculous because I find it hilarious that people misspell it this way so much).

It’s the government’s job to create a climate that encourages changes in behaviour that they are seeking. It’s their job to apply taxes to behaviours they want to discourage like applying massive taxes to cigarettes. If citizens want to see action on global warming, don’t ask companies to change – they’re not here to surrender profits (while their competitors take it instead), ask their governments to take appropriate action. Get them to apply carbon taxes, enact cap and trade regulations that encourage good behaviour.

That reminds me, the regulations should be targeted at people, not companies. If the government enacts legislation that changes your behaviour then business will have to follow suit to get your business.

Why doesn’t this happen more often? Cause you’re stupid and so is the guy sitting next to you and the guy sitting next to him. When governments want to change your behaviour you and your interest groups whine about how governments are hurting consumers and letting businesses off scot free. Screw you. You’re the reason for demand, businesses are simply meeting that demand, it’s not their fault that you use too much gas or you won’t pay for free range eggs or that you don’t save any money. It’s your fault. And so the government should penalize you (or provide incentives) to get you to act in a way that’s rational or good for society.

Good legislation? Tax deductions for saving. Saving is good (to some extent) and the government wants you to be able to take care of yourself when you retire (cause they don’t want to).

Bad legislation? Requiring automakers to build cars that meet a certain fuel consumption level. Automakers are being forced to make cars that no one wants. If you want to decrease fuel consumption tax it! The US government is too cowardly to do the right thing, they’re a bunch of pussies.

So change how you buy and you’ll see businesses follow inline. Don’t ask them to change, ask people to make them change via their dollars.

They're having too much fun.

Long-Term Road Tests – 1984 Ferrari 308GTSi Quattrovalvole

The folks at Edmund’s Inside Line have bought themselves a Magnum P.I. Ferrari, the 308 that Tom Selleck used to drive on that lovely show and have been having a ball of a time with it. For $30k they picked it up and over the past few months they’ve fixed it up with a few thousand more bucks and are enjoying the hell out of this classic.

Sure, old Ferraris will eat your sparkplugs and will require checkups all the time but a Ferrari is always a Ferrari meaning the motor sounds amazing and fun is at your beck and call.

$200 for a barrel of oil

Gas in Canada has gone from $1 a liter to about $1.35 a litre in the last 12 months. If you drive a 2008 Honda Accord with the 273hp V6 about 20,000km a year your gas bill has gone from $1820 to $2450. If you drive a 2000 Honda Accord with the 200hp V6 your gas bill has gone from about $1970 to $2650. The 2.4 cent carbon tax that starts shortly in BC would have added $45 to your bill. Whoop-de-do.

Neither amount is really that significant and that’s why you’re not trading in your SUV for a smaller car. Most people don’t drive that many clicks, if they do, it’s being written off for their business so they don’t care that much. That gas going up 35% in a year isn’t really that big a deal to your gas bill shouldn’t be a surprise nor has it been a surprise that so many people are acting irrationally (at least to their wallet but not the environment) and are trading in their cars. If you trade in your 300hp SUV for a 120hp Honda Fit you’ll cut your gas bill in half but a probable reason why you have that SUV is that you actually need some room of some sort and a Fit is probably too small for you even if you love the environment.

What’s really amazing is that a 2008 Accord that has 35% horsepower than it’s 2000 Accord predecessor gets BETTER gas mileage despite the engine being bigger, the car being a couple hundred pounds heavier and the car being classified as a large car now instead of a mid-size. In fact, if you trade in your 2000 200hp Accord for the 2008 190hp Accord your gas bill goes from $2650 to $2270. So for 10 less horsepower, you save yourself nearly $400 a year in gas (~15% improvement) but get yourself a bigger car that’s a lot nicer than your 2000 Accord.

The Accord isn’t the only car that has seen itself improve its fuel mileage dramatically while growing in size, power and comfort. The 2000 Hyundai Sonata with a 150hp motor is now a much bigger 2008 175hp Sonata that has seen it’s fuel bill go from $2640 to $2270 (~14% improvement). The Mazda 3 is nearly 20% better than its ancestor, the Protege5 and it’s one generation apart. Car after car has seen these type of improvements over the past 8-10 years as car makers have realized that the last major innovations result in improvements in fuel economy.

How it is possible that cars can get more powerful, bigger and heavier while getting better gas mileage? Technology!

Transmissions with more gears, improved variable valve timing and direct fuel injection have all helped. Not all of these have been implemented but it’s becoming more and more common. At the same time other technologies like electric pumps that replace power sapping hydraulic pumps are moving the needle significantly (to the detriment of steering feel). You’re also seeing cylinder deactivation which adds another 10-20% in savings. Improvements in valvetrains like pneumatics or magnetic systems will also help dramatically as will better combustion technology like lean burn and modifications to the Otto cycle (eg. use the Atkinson or Miller cycle).

These incremental changes are all adding up to real big gains, I don’t know if these improvements will keep pace with fuel prices but they sure are minimizing the penalty of driving larger cars.

R.Kelly is so screwed

Chesty LaRue: http://www.nerve.com/CS/blogs/scanner/archive/2008/05/23/r-kelly-is-so-screwed.aspx
Ron – Feenin’: Eh, he won’t be touched in prison. Black people love R. Kelly.
Ron – Feenin’: *lol*

Girl, (You laugh cause) you know it’s true.

Ooo ooo ooo, I love you.

Shurvon Phillip, The Sergeant Lost Within

Shurvon Phillip, The Sergeant Lost Within – Iraq – Brain Injuries – Roadside Bombs – NYTimes.com

It’s tragedies like this that are the real cost of the war. It’s not the trillion plus dollars spent on war, the lack of an energy policy, the massive debt, or the lost international influence, it’s the lost soldiers.

The body count may not rival Vietnam’s because modern medicine and improved protection mean higher survival rates but the brain injuries, the stress disorders, the lost productivity of these soldiers which could have been put into tasks that would help build a nation will cost the United States for the next 30-40 years.

A nation’s most valuable asset are its citizens and the less you have to spend to keep them healthy and productive and the more you’re able to spend on allowing them to succeed the more likely your nation will be strong. Instead the US is going to be spending billions on taking care of injured soldiers for a long, long time.

Man vs. Bear

ESPN – Man vs. Bear – Hashmarks By Matt Mosley

I’m betting on the bear if the bear starts at his own goal line and can build up some speed. Too much wingspan and the direction change is too good. No way a kick returner could juke his way past with that kind of wingspan.

Also, it’s no contest if it’s Man vs. Giant Feline.

2009 Mazda 6 First Drive

2009 Mazda 6 First Drive

I find it amusing how the early previews of the new Mazda 6 consistently slam the old version as being underpowered, too small, too noisy and too cheaply built. The previous Mazda 6 was a former 10-Best by Car and Driver magazine and a winner of numerous other smaller awards – a claim most of its competitors were never able to make (only the Accord has received more awards). Most of the time the reviews will say how the old one has aged etc but the treatment of the previous 6 has been pretty harsh, perhaps it’s somewhat weak sales numbers are to blame.

In any case I can’t help but be a bit disappointed by the growth in size of the modern midsize sedan in North America. More correctly, it’s growth caused by Americans as it’s not Canadians who are asking for the larger cars.

Time was (10-15 years ago) the mid-size sedan was about 185-188 inches long and it was powered by a 140-150hp base engine. Today the benchmark is the 194 inch Honda Accord with a 177hp base engine and a 273hp optional engine. It’s just insane and it’s because Americans are eating too many hormone rich foods and are getting so big that cars have to get bigger to accommodate them. The NY Times even had a story about seat belts having to be extended because so Americans are increasingly not wearing belts because they’re too fat.

To me (and many Canadians), the perfect sized mid-size is something like the 186 inch long Acura TSX or the 186 inch long Euro Mazda 6 or Ford Mondeo stuffed with a small 4 cylinder motor that sips fuel.

Next time: I discuss the amazing advances in fuel economy over the past 10-15 years, the fattening of these cars are not making cars less fuel efficient on paper.

West Virginians Think Obama is Scary

West Virginians Think Obama is Scary

Thank goodness for West Virginians. It ensures that I’ll never qualify for most racist or most stupid.

West Virginians Think Obama is Scary

West Virginians Think Obama is Scary

Ah, good old racism!

Missing Woman

Maple Ridge woman missing since Monday

Before her disappearance, she was wearing blue spandex pants and a white shirt with “who needs boobs” written on the front and “with an ass like this” on the back.

The shirt to wear when you go missing.