Tag: Green

We recently traded our fully electric Nissan Leaf for a plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt. Unexpectedly, the Volt sent me an email yesterday.

It let me know how well I was doing at driving it around (and compared me to others), how much air was in the tires, and some other interesting (to me) facts. I have never received an email message from my car before. We purchased a 2017 Chevy Volt about a month ago to replace the Leaf, which we had driven all electric for the last 3 years. The Volt has been shockingly good, a big leap ahead as a plug in hybrid. It is also a 4GLTE wi-fi hotspot, so it can communicate with the internet of things (IoT). So it makes sense that it would send me notes.

If you are a nerd like me, driving modes in the Volt gives you some mad-scientist tools to use to achieve maximum driving efficiency. In addition to the different driving modes meant to optimize distance and terrain, there is a paddle switch on the steering wheel that lets you apply regenerative braking. That uses the inertia of the car being slowed to slightly recharge the battery. Much more efficient than friction braking, and if done well allows you to almost drive with only the accelerator pedal alone.

Point being, I’m sure I can improve on the 159 miles per gallon we’ve gotten since we bought it with better technique. I’m not the only driver though, and my wife tends to drive it like any ordinary car, ignoring any efficiency options. Which you can certainly do. But where’s the fun in that? True fact, we have driven more than 1000 miles in this vehicle, and have not put a single drop of gas in it. We are still driving on what gasoline the dealer left us in the 9 gallon tank.
Cars have really changed over my lifetime, and now the changes promise to be rapid and breathtaking. Could this be the last car I’ll ever buy? I like cars, but I don’t see the idea of ordering up a self-driving ride on my phone as a bad thing. In fact, self driving car technology is coming up pretty fast into the mechanical world and it seems like they may become the new norm if all testing and maintenance come out perfectly and safely for all to drive.

Spotted this pastoral view in Bella Vista today. Goats taking shade under solar panels. A truly green scene.

I imagine there’s a lot of livestock around here that would enjoy some solar shades.

As noted by the editor in today’s Record Searchlight, you have only 2 days left to register your comments about the EIR for proposed large quarry at Moody Flats. I noted my opposition to the Project (as currently proposed) in a prior post. Here’s a quote from the EIR report Part 2 page 17:

“As a result, over the 100–‐year life of the Project the site would be transformed from wooded open space of high scenic and visual quality to views of mining benches, exposed dirt and rocks, industrial equipment, access and haul roads. Viewers travelling along the Interstate 5 corridor may experience views of a disturbed mine slope of 400 – 600 feet high, which would be visually prominent when compared to the surrounding hillsides. The existing quality and character of the site would be dramatically changed by the proposed Project. This is considered a Significant Impact.“

Emphasis theirs. Likely everyone reading can imagine what such a large quarry will look like.

“As shown above, maximum predicted 24—hour PM10 concentrations would exceed California AAQs (both scenarios) and federal standards (Scenario 1), even before consideration of appropriate background concentrations and therefore predict a Significant Impact.“

Emphasis theirs. PM10 is tiny particulate matter that gets in your lungs, and won’t come out. Readers should consider that we already have elevated PM10 in the basin from (among others) existing operations at the Lehigh HeidelbergCement Group quarry, and the Knauf Fiberglass facility in Shasta Lake City.

The draft EIR pulls few punches, but really doesn’t have to because chances are most of you probably won’t read it. Even so, I think the report is still inadequate.

1. No attempt is made to simulate the visual impact to Redding.
2. No alternative energy resource is explored except diesel electric generation. What about the potential for solar or wind power on the 1800+ acre site?
3. No contingency plan is explored for an extended drought. Water use is high.
4. Insufficient categorization of air pollution from other existing and expanding mines and manufacturers in the area compounding to the Project.
5. No contingency plan for possible bankruptcy of mine owner affecting reclamation completion. 100 years is a long time.

Resource exploitation corporations trade jobs for environmental impacts. Emphasis mine. We need the jobs and materials, but must judge carefully the balance. We are acting on behalf of our yet unborn descendants on a planet we do not own, but simply borrow. We have seen huge environmental impacts from mining operations in Shasta County, so have no excuse for glossing over another one.

You can read all 4 parts of the Moody Flats draft EIR report at the link. You can comment on the document until Dec. 18 at:
Written comments can be emailed to bwalker@co.shasta.ca.us or mailed to the attention of Bill Walker, AICP, senior planner, Shasta County Resource Management — Planning Division, 1855 Placer St. Suite 103, Redding, CA 96001.

We have had our Nissan Leaf over a year, and driven more than 15000 miles, or 24,000 kilometers, if you prefer. We like the Leaf very much.

You get used to driving past gas stations pretty easily. When I wake up in the morning, the car is fully charged.  Kind of like a smart phone. According to our Kill a Watt energy usage meter, the car takes about $5 a day to charge at a regular 110 volt plug.  But it’s only plugged in about half the time, so about $2.50 to drive.

The Nissan Leaf crossed a big milestone recently, and produced a nice video about it.

Produced for folks who think of distance in kilometers, evidently. It’s not a car for every driver, but if it fits your individual needs, it works very well. And is very pleasant to drive.