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Across the Fence:  Who Killed the Electric Car  |
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
 Posted - Mar 06 2007 : 10:33:32 PM
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Hiya Farmgirls,
Fella and I just finished watching a great eye-opening documentary called "Who killed the Electric Car?" I'm not sure if it's been brought up here before, I searched but to no avail.
The doc looks at all the possible suspects: consumers, car corporations, big oil, fuel cell technology, the government and its lobbyists.. They whittle away at the reasons the cars were taken off the roads, and offer some very interesting answers, some that just make you shake your head in wonder. They debunk myths about electric cars like how they are not slow or need to be charged after every few miles, how they are incredibly efficient, how maintenence is minimal, how inexpensive they can be, etc.
I just want to recommend watching the doc. It really made me think about my values versus those of big car corporations and oil companies. GM had created a perfectly good electric car- like really good, and then decided to refuse to renew the leases or sell the thousands of cars that were being used by very happy consumers. Instead they crushed, yes crushed, not recycled or used for teaching etc. etc., all the almost-brand-new, perfectly-in-good-working-order cars! When we all work so hard to reduce our footprint on the earth, it makes my blood boil to see such waste. And yet, when you make 60+ billion dollars worth of profit a year I guess you can afford to waste things.. 
Well one thing is for sure when I finally live far enough out in the country to justify a car- fella's converting it to electric for me. And we'll put in solar panels on the house roof to charge it!
*sorry for the bit of a rant, I'm not normally the soapbox type but I thought there might be some gals interested in watching! Thanks for listening 
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
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Marybeth
True Blue Farmgirl
6418 Posts
Mary Beth
Stanwood
Wa 98292
USA
6418 Posts |
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 05:11:26 AM
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Meggie, it is a topic worth ranting about! It does make us crazy when you try so hard but we can't give up, eventually we will get the message out & people will care more then the govt. will HAVE to listen to the people. I have to believe that!
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
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MustangSuzie
True Blue Farmgirl
634 Posts
Sarah
New London
Missouri
USA
634 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 06:35:31 AM
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By all means rant about it, not only here but to your senators, congressmen, governor, the white house. It is the all mighty dollar that speaks in our country the most. When we as consumers stop supporting these companies until they change they will change. They make what people will buy/consume.
You can also buy conversions for diesel engines so that they will run on vegetable oil. And in Mary Jane's book, wasn't there a piece about an alternative fuel source for a car? I need to go to the library and get her book again and reread it.
I am so glad to hear comments like this thread. This is awesome! In my digging and surfing about recycling and natural living I've found a few sites you may be interested in. www.nrdc.org is the natural resources defense council. You can put your email addy on a list to get updates about natural resource legal issues going on in your state. And there is good info there. www.thegreenguide.com has info about what is going on in the consumer world. And you can get product reports there, about what is good and green and what is not.
I could go on and on with this, this has become my new passion.
Blessings....
Sarah
"In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." -From The Great Law Of The Iroquois Confederacy.
REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!!!!
http://mustangsuzie.wordpress.com
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Sweet Harvest Homestead
True Blue Farmgirl
279 Posts
Lindy
Stanfield
NC
USA
279 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 07:31:02 AM
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While I have not seen the documentary that you spoke about, I did hear G. Gordon Liddy talking about this subject one day on the radio. It is exactly what you all have said so far. The big money makers in this country could smell their proffits going away so they nipped that baby in the bud. Corporate Communism is what it is.
The Electric Car is only one of many things that corporate america gets their hands on. Think of all the unnecessary drugs that are being pushed on us, the hybrid seeds, the well you get the picture....... Whoever makes the biggest bucks, makes the rules.
www.sweetharvesthomestead.typepad.com |
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shelle
True Blue Farmgirl
404 Posts
Shelle
oklahoma
USA
404 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 09:33:48 AM
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I just know that with all the technology we have now that there has to be a way to make an energy efficient electric car. They only thing that makes sense is that someone like the government or big oil companies are holding it back. I think it is irresponsible of whoever is the problem on this.
Shelle
http://janzenfamilyjournal.blogspot.com/ |
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Love-in-a-Mist
True Blue Farmgirl
367 Posts
Shannon
Independence
Oregon
USA
367 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 10:19:38 AM
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Well I for one can't wait. We have stock in the stuff they make the electric car batteries with. We bought into it 4 yrs ago, thinking it would be a good investment since the electric cars were getting more popular. Now this. Figures.
My stall cleaning helpers
http://shannon-love-in-a-mist.blogspot.com/
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blueroses
True Blue Farmgirl
1323 Posts
Debbie
in the Pandhandle of
Idaho
USA
1323 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 11:07:06 AM
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We saw the movie recently and feel the same way. We want to buy an electric car, but the only ones avail aren't exactly safe looking. Could you believe how the company came and confiscated all the leased cars (they wouldn't sell them) and then sent them to a junkyard?!? Despicable.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
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sweetproserpina
True Blue Farmgirl
535 Posts
meg
Vinemount
Ontario
Canada
535 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 12:25:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by blueroses
Could you believe how the company came and confiscated all the leased cars (they wouldn't sell them) and then sent them to a junkyard?!? Despicable.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe
Yep, that was the kicker for me. Fine, if the car companies decide that it's not profitable enough for them if that's their m.o., but to take back perfectly good cars from people who are happy with them and willing to pay money for them.. just despicable indeed.
The one great thing I learned from the doc was that any car can be refitted to be an electric car for 8000$ bucks. I'd have to do some more research on it, but since fella's a mechanic it would be no problem to say get an older safe car like a volvo, and convert it. We're also interested in biodiesel as well. I remember reading in MJ's book about how she grows the fuel for her car! Now that's cool 
"Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world."
http://theprimroseway.blogspot.com/ |
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blueroses
True Blue Farmgirl
1323 Posts
Debbie
in the Pandhandle of
Idaho
USA
1323 Posts |
Posted - Mar 07 2007 : 4:29:59 PM
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Meggie,
Let us know when you find where to look for the info. Of course, my dh is not mechanically inclined whatsoever, but still $8K to fit our cars would be worth it.
"You cannot find peace...by avoiding life."
Virginia Woolfe |
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Across the Fence: Who Killed the Electric Car |
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Who Killed the Electric Car
