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Talk About Tulsa => Other Tulsa Discussion => Topic started by: sgrizzle on March 29, 2007, 10:18:26 AM

Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: sgrizzle on March 29, 2007, 10:18:26 AM
I just finished a survey asking how much I would be willing to pay to make my vehicle carbon neutral. (In my case that would be one heck of a trick)

I tried researching prices online for similar services and found a lot of t-shirts, stickers, and one site declaring the statement I used in the subject line.

Like Lance Armstrong's cancer foundation (livestrong,) it is important, but is it also going to spread out because it's trendy?
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 29, 2007, 11:45:24 AM
http://www.terrapass.com/
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: sauerkraut on March 29, 2007, 12:20:14 PM
Be like Al Gore and have your own carbon company and pay yourself. Al Gore pays himself whenever he flys around in his private jet that burns 450 gallons of fuel per hour. That's the ticket. Invest in yourself. Al Gore also refuses to take a pledge to cut back his fuel use. That's the way to go... talk the talk, BUT don't walk the walk... or so it seems to me, thanx.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: sgrizzle on March 29, 2007, 12:47:21 PM
The trees around my house consume more CO2 than my car puts out, do I get a free pass?
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: sgrizzle on March 29, 2007, 12:50:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588

http://www.terrapass.com/



I was looking at carbonfund.org but terrapass seems a lot cheaper for buying your way out of hell.

Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: AMP on March 29, 2007, 02:48:00 PM
This is what Terapass told me:

Your car emits 4,598 lbs of CO2 per year.
You should get an Around Towner Terrapass.

Is there a market for CO2, why not collect it from the exhaust pipe and recycle it?
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: AMP on March 29, 2007, 02:49:57 PM
I'm reminded of the movie Kidco where the kids lived at the Country Club and recycled horse poop into composte and ferterlizer.  The tax man wanted them to charge tax on their product which was a by-product of the Feed the horse ate, and the Country Club had paid sales tax on prior to the horse eating the feed.  

Is that double taxation?
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: AMP on March 29, 2007, 02:54:13 PM
New Use for CO2

http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/14574/

Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: YoungTulsan on March 29, 2007, 03:52:37 PM
I remember when Gore used to be Calorie neutral.  He used to be so svelt
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: Conan71 on March 29, 2007, 04:41:15 PM
quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle

I just finished a survey asking how much I would be willing to pay to make my vehicle carbon neutral. (In my case that would be one heck of a trick)

I tried researching prices online for similar services and found a lot of t-shirts, stickers, and one site declaring the statement I used in the subject line.

Like Lance Armstrong's cancer foundation (livestrong,) it is important, but is it also going to spread out because it's trendy?



Hey millions saw the big parade at the Oscars, so it's gotta be fashionable.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: inteller on March 29, 2007, 06:12:38 PM
get a Civic GX.  cost to drive one is 7 cents a mile.  in comparison, gas powered cars are 10 cents a mile.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 29, 2007, 06:40:53 PM
My Insight costs less than 5 cents per mile. That's at current gas prices ($2.49).
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: inteller on March 29, 2007, 07:59:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588

My Insight costs less than 5 cents per mile. That's at current gas prices ($2.49).



what about batteries?  in order to operate less than 5 cents a mile you would have to run your tank dry and always get the hwy mileage of 66mpg.  i find that highly unlkely.  a Civic GX can operate at 5 cents per mile too if you dont take into account the total operating expenses.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 29, 2007, 11:29:53 PM
So what about the batteries? It self-charges as it cruises down the road. It's not like I have to charge it.

I've averaged 58 miles per gallon, mostly with in-town driving, since owning the Insight. That's 4.3 cents per mile at $2.49 a gallon for regular unleaded. I've beaten the EPA estimate many times on two-lane roads, hitting in the 70s.

There are plenty of people at Insightcentral.net who get 80, 90, even 100 miles per gallon. It's not like I'm doing anything special.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: inteller on March 30, 2007, 10:56:32 AM
quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588

So what about the batteries? It self-charges as it cruises down the road. It's not like I have to charge it.

I've averaged 58 miles per gallon, mostly with in-town driving, since owning the Insight. That's 4.3 cents per mile at $2.49 a gallon for regular unleaded. I've beaten the EPA estimate many times on two-lane roads, hitting in the 70s.

There are plenty of people at Insightcentral.net who get 80, 90, even 100 miles per gallon. It's not like I'm doing anything special.



the batteries are only warrantied for 6 years.  after that, people get the nasty sticker shock of their eventual replacement.  the batteries dont last forever.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 30, 2007, 11:14:53 AM
No, the batteries contain a warranty of 150,000 miles. That was recently extended.

Find any auto part that's warrantied that far, including the engine.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: Conan71 on March 30, 2007, 11:19:51 AM
I'm all for better gas mileage, however most cars that will approach 60 mpg just don't strike me as safe in a shoot-out with a larger vehicle.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 30, 2007, 11:30:47 AM
It's four-star crash-rated.

Besides, with its superior cornering, you can *avoid* accidents instead of being *in* them.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: sgrizzle on March 30, 2007, 12:41:25 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588

It's four-star crash-rated.

Besides, with its superior cornering, you can *avoid* accidents instead of being *in* them.



Just FYI, the rating goes to 5.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: Conan71 on March 30, 2007, 01:45:52 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588

It's four-star crash-rated.

Besides, with its superior cornering, you can *avoid* accidents instead of being *in* them.



My brother was killed in a 4-star vehicle (Dodge Intrepid), anti-lock brakes, air bags, yada, yada, yada.  Crash ratings don't mean much in the real world with real cars and idiot drivers who use them.

Small cars don't ride as comfortable as I like and they seem to get blown around out on the turnpike, especially passing the big rigs.

Larger vehicles usually come out better than smaller ones in collisions, at least that's my paradigm and I'm sticking to it.  I like the comfort of my truck, it's like driving down the road in a LaZ-Boy. [;)]
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: inteller on March 30, 2007, 04:31:12 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Conan71

quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588

It's four-star crash-rated.

Besides, with its superior cornering, you can *avoid* accidents instead of being *in* them.



My brother was killed in a 4-star vehicle (Dodge Intrepid), anti-lock brakes, air bags, yada, yada, yada.  Crash ratings don't mean much in the real world with real cars and idiot drivers who use them.

Small cars don't ride as comfortable as I like and they seem to get blown around out on the turnpike, especially passing the big rigs.

Larger vehicles usually come out better than smaller ones in collisions, at least that's my paradigm and I'm sticking to it.  I like the comfort of my truck, it's like driving down the road in a LaZ-Boy. [;)]



thats what the laws of physics say too.

sounds like that extended warranty is so the word wont get out that it costs $5000 to replace the batteries out of warranty.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 30, 2007, 05:09:17 PM
Word's already been out. Besides, the battery pack doesn't cost THAT much. More like $2,500.

Again, how many auto parts are warrantied to 150,000 miles? I can't think of any.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: inteller on March 31, 2007, 01:40:23 PM
quote:
Originally posted by rwarn17588


Again, how many auto parts are warrantied to 150,000 miles? I can't think of any.



better question is how many HAVE to.  oh, and I saw several people reporting $5000 on the web site you quoted.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 31, 2007, 02:12:00 PM
They got ripped off, then. Joe Marina Honda does it for $2,500.

That dealership told me it's only replaced one, and that battery pack had more than 230,000 miles on it.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: sgrizzle on March 31, 2007, 03:51:59 PM
insightcentral says $2,500

still, most cars are neering an engine overhaul/replacement around that same mileage and same price.
Title: Carbon Neutral is the new black
Post by: rwarn17588 on March 31, 2007, 04:22:24 PM
^Yep.