[Sosfbay-discuss] EV forward

[Drew Johnson]

Kalmran,  It just so happens that last night the East Valley Greens (a new
Local we are building in Santa Clara Co) showed "Who Killed the Electric
Car" at the San Jose Peace Center.  It was well attended (I forgot to
count, but would estimate about 30+ attendees).  In addition to paying
back the Peace Center for the use of the center and raising people's
consciousness about EVs it also raised about $60 for the Green Party of
Santa Clara Co!

Rob Means was our Facilitator for a discussion afterwards. Rob is
extremely familiar with the whole EV movement.  He's a Green who sells EV
bikes and scooters (see his fabulously detailed informational web site at
http://www.electric-bikes.com/betterbikes/wheretobuy.html ).  Also he is
leading a 'World Cafe'-style gathering he's dubbed 'Democracy Cafe' early
next year in Milpitas.

Rob brought up some interesting info about the Personal Rapid Transit
(PRT) movement also last night.  I hope he might do a program on it
sometime that would bring our more detail about this move to use small,
light vehicles on automated elevated rail.


Green is Connection!

Drew


On Sat, September 22, 2007 02:24, Kalmran Alavi wrote:
> I recommend the movie "Who Killed The Electric Car" for all who have not
> seen it.
>   It would also be a good one to take your, non-green friends and family
> to see.
>
>   I have an electric pedal assist bicycle and it is excellent.
>   But the bottleneck, to its becoming a real commuter vehicle, does happen
> to be the weight of cumbersome batteries. Mine are 26 pounds; they feel
> heavier than the bicycle they are on (an old Fuji mountainbike, I don't
> know the weight). Add to that, the fact that they would tempt thieves
> and that I would scare myself more than anyone else if I carried them
> with me into any store or office, to prevent theft... I am discouraged
> from using it more than I have. When I started with it, I would get 30
> miles on a charge. But because using it made bicycling so easy (it is
> only 600 Watts; a horsepower is 748 watts) I got into better shape and
> can go mcuh longer on a charge. A small solar panel, charges it in 3-6
> hours. But you can also charge by pedalling.
>
>   But as the movie shows there are present technologies, shelved and
> locked, than can give electric cars a much higher range (distance
> traveled on one charge) than a tank of gass of equivalent weight.
>
>   I'll grant you though, lead acid, cumbersome, heavy, and polluting as
> is, can be employed usefully, to reduce some of the present pollution.
> Besides the Electric Vehicles developed now, and operated on lead acid
> batteries will easily take other more advanced batteries as they become
> available. I am anxious to get better batteries for my bicycle. there is
> a guy here who has the same motor I have, on a recumbent bicycle. He has
> made a trailer to carry 3 deep cycle batteries (the motor is 36 volts).
> so he can drive to eternity on one charge.
>
>   There also cars that run on compressed air.
>   aircompressors are very simple machines. Just lke a bicycle pump, they
> can be one cylinder, one piston and the motive force can come from a
> windmill or any alternative source that is locally available.
>
>   A regular gass station, in windy areas, can be retrofitted to have a
> windmill and compress air. Refilling your car would be as easy as adding
> airpressure to your tires.
>
>   If you are interested in such issues, please consider joining Green
> Issues Working Group.
>   The topics discussed can be wide ranging from alternative energy, to
> alternative building methods, to restorative justice and racial and
> gender equality....
>

SNIP

>   Kamran
>
> garden beekeeper <gardenbeekeeper at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> GM Vice Chair Lutz won't allow anyone to ask the hard questions, such as
> why not use lead acid
>  batteries in the supposed Chevy Volt.
-- 

JamBoi
http://www.greencommons.org/blog/63
"Peaceable: the ability to interact peacefully.  A skill set similar to
social or emotional intelligence that is unfortunately rare in today's
American culture, but can be developed by all.  The Green Parties need to
lead the way in Peaceableness."