The Other Inconvenient Truth - We could have ended Climate Change and Didn't

They think we're stupid. I mean, flat out meat-with-eyes dumb.

And maybe they're right.

Why is it with all of our technical know how and engineering ability, America is still wedded at the hip to the gasoline engine? For years we've been hearing that alternative fuels and electric vehicles are the stuff of Buck Rogers fantasies and Disneyland Rides.

But that's a load of crap.

The truth is that the Future has been here for quite some time - it was yesterday and it's already passed us by.

In the early 90's after years of stage 4 smog alerts in Los Angeles, the California Air Resources Board required all auto manufacturers in the state to provide zero emission vehicles as an option on 4% of their vehicles by 1998, and 10% by 2003. Electric Cars began appearing at dealerships and on the streets in 1996. These far more than mere than golf-carts, these were cars with full amenities and crash test rated. The General Motors EV1 had a range of 200 miles and top speed of over 130mph (when run without a governor which would normally limit the top speed to 70mph). Toyota made their popular mini-suv the RAV4 available with an EV option as did Ford with the Ranger, and Nissan with it's Altra EV. Even Chrysler Epic minivans were available. The cars could be leased but not bought (except for the Rav4 which for a few weeks was sold and bought by about 80 people), meanwhile the car companies and oil industry began a quiet campaign to have the ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle) mandate lifted.

A few years later there wish as magically granted, the mandate was reversed and the cars started to disappear from the road the leases expired. Nearly every car was reclaimed and then taken to Arizona where they were destroyed as shown in the new documentary "Who Killed the Electric Car?".

Several Electric Car owners have fought back to keep their cars from being crushed.

Currently myself and a few others lease Ford Ranger Electric Trucks from Ford. However, Ford is refusing to sell us the vehicles. They want to take them back and crush them. We have had our Electric Vehicle (EV) Ranger 3 ½ years with no major issues, no breakdowns, and no maintenance. It is a standard Ford Ranger pickup body, able to haul 1200 lbs and attain freeway speeds. (e-controlled to 78 mph). Its range is from 60 miles in the hills to 80 miles in flat areas. This is more than enough to go to town from my ranch and back, plus have plenty left over to use around the ranch. After its use, I just plug it in, and in the morning there is a full charge! It uses NO gas or oil – just electricity. In fact, because we have solar panels and sell power back, it costs us ZERO dollars to run our truck!

The film "Who killed the Electric Car" looks at the situation as a murder mystery. It's clear and obvious why the oil industry would oppose electric cars, but why would car manufacters? Why would politicians in Sacramento? The answer may lie in the comment made above by the Ranger-Ev owner.

"We have had our Electric Vehicle (EV) Ranger 3 ½ years with no major issues, no breakdowns, and no maintenance."

Nearly 40 percent of automanufacters profits come from repairs and mantenance - but with electric vehicles this type of wear and tear is virtually non-existent. Yeah, sure - you have to change and rotate the tires, but there's no transmission, no radiator, no spark plugs, no head gasket to blow when you've been running without oil for too long. That's a major hit in the pocketbock for Ford, GM and Toyota. Major.

Still there are new companies such as Telsa Motors which are releasing brand new types of electric cars even without a government mandate. They offer an electric sportscar that can challenge a Ferrari, with an acceleration rate of 0-60 in 4 seconds and a range of 250 miles per charge. Newer Electric Car models from Mitsubishi

Although these car wouldn't be suitable for long distance trips, and in some cases the battery packs are subseptible to damage from extreme temperatures and conditions which would make them usable in either Alaska or Las Vegas - they still meet the needs of nearly 80% of the general public for day to day driving. Even if part of the electricity being used is being generated by coal fired plants the overall Co2 emission are significantly reduced.

Even though most of the original vehicles have been recalled, the electric car battle continues on today between the city of Pasadena and Nissan as the car company attempts to recall all of Pasadena's Hypermini fleet which had been used by the city for parking enforcement and other tasks. The city was actually forced into creating a blockade to keep the Nissan tow-trucks at bay.

From the Pasadena Star News.

PASADENA - Quick maneuvering by City Hall and two Pasadena Water and Power vehicles thwarted automaker Nissan from reclaiming its electric cars Tuesday from city yards.

Under a high-noon sun, two flatbed trucks sent to remove the zero-emission Hyperminis were met with little cooperation from the city, which said the unannounced move created logistical difficulties.

"We have a process for everything, and there is a process for this," city spokesowman Ann Erdman said.

John Hoffner, PWP's public benefits manager, said the city's mechanics are able to maintain the cars and have required little support from Nissan.

Lawrence said the cars would be taken to an Anaheim facility where a large "paddle-wheel" device would grind them down to component pieces for recycling.

"We won this round, now we go to round two," said Paul Scott, co-founder of Plug In America, which has campaigned for automakers to leave their electric cars on the road.

Auto manufacturers have been claiming that these cars are a marketing disaster, "Nobody wanted them", yet hundreds of former EV owners have been coming forward to contest these claims. While the cars were available for lease many manufacturers found that each and every car found an owner, and more were placed on waiting lists. Depending on price, many would certain have been willing to purchase the cars if they had been allowed to do so.

The importance of this Zero Emmision Vehicles to our economy, national security and even the future of the planet can not be understated. Although these vehicles were intially mandates to alleviate air pollution concerns, the Co2 emmisions have been a far graver concern.

The recent Discovery Channel Primer on Global Warming covers a great deal of the subject in depth.

In 2005, scientists announced major discoveries about Earth’s climate. Multiple Greenland glaciers suddenly leaped into retreat, spilling larger and larger amounts of ice into the sea. A similar pattern has been seen on the Antarctic Peninsula. Studies of the past 50 years of hurricanes were made public and revealed the storms have been steadily getting more intense and destructive. Hurricane Katrina brought that point home to the U.S. by nearly wiping New Orleans off the map. Scientists also announced the record retreat in Arctic sea ice, and a measurable slowing of the thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic – the deep ocean current that drives the Gulf Stream, moderates temperatures worldwide, and keeps Europe from having a climate like that of Alaska.

All of these changes are modifying our weather in a variety of ways, larges swaths of former farmland in China have turned into desert. But most frighteningly, the Amazon Rainforest appears to be in extremely grave danger after suffering the worst drought in decades. After years of extensive deforestation - and stealth logging - the shifting patterns of precipitation have left much of the forest in drought for the past two years. Some studies indicate that a majority of this forest would be able to survive much more of this.

Amazon rainforest could become a desert

And that could speed up global warming with 'incalculable consequences', says alarming new research. Studies by the blue-chip Woods Hole Research Centre, carried out in Amazonia, have concluded that the forest cannot withstand more than two consecutive years of drought without breaking down. And that process, which would be irreversible, could begin as early as next year.

Next year begins the third consecutive year of drought in the Amazon. Tests run by some concerned scientist have shown that during the second year of drought, the tree dig deep roots in search of moisture - this has already occured in much of the forest -- in the third year - the trees begin to die.

By the end of the year the trees had released more than two-thirds of the carbon dioxide they have stored during their lives, helping to act as a break on global warming. Instead they began accelerating the climate change.

... the Amazon now appears to be entering its second successive year of drought, raising the possibility that it could start dying next year. The immense forest contains 90 billion tons of carbon, enough in itself to increase the rate of global warming by 50 per cent.

If the rainforest begins to die, it could arguaby begin an irreversable cascade effect which would dramatically accelerate the current rate of climate change to a catastrophic degree. All of the negative effects we've already seen, from flooding to wildfires and increasing powerful oceans storms would grow worse and more deadly.

This is serious people, deadly serious.

The car manufacturers, oil companies and politicians have failed us. They've protected their profits and their own asses while leading us directly to the brink of global disaster. Brazil has already managed to completely convert away from oil burning vehicles, yet most of us are still completely unaware of what decades old technology has already made available.

It might already be too late to avert slidding past the tipping point, but I think while we still have breath we have life and we should fight for every inch of it.

And make sure those making the key decisions in our society, from the automakers to the politicians know exactly how hard we can punch. Here's some tips on who to contact from PluginAmerica.com

Toyota (800) 331-4331

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. 19001 South Western Ave. Dept. WC11, Torrance, CA 90501

Ford (800) 392-FORD
Ford Motor Company, Customer Relationship Center, PO Box 6248, Dearborn, Michigan 48126

GM / Saturn (800) 553-6000
Customer Assistance Center , 100 Saturn Parkway, MD-371-999-S24, Spring Hill, TN 37174

Read more about what you can say to the Automakers

You can also contact The California Air Resources Board
Headquarters Building
1001 "I" Street
P.O. Box 2815
Sacramento, CA 95812

Phone: (800) 242-4450 or (916) 322-2990| FAX: (916) 445-5025

The Congressional Switchboard can be reached at : (888) 355-3588. The operator will forward your call to the Office of any House Member or Senator.

Vyan