Massive Defense Budget in the US does not Increase Security -
The roughly $1 trillion spent on defense is eight times the defense budget of the Chinese. Ultimately, the biggest threat to national security is our debt and global warming. So, if we spend more on the military, and increase our debt, we get a negative security return for every extra dollar we spend on the military. It is time to look at every program the Pentagon runs, and make some cuts. I think we would do just fine on $500 billion, or a 50% reduction in defense spending.
A new study by the Cancer Foundation of China estimates that tobacco (aka drug) company profits are less than the costs to treat smoking related diseases in China.
Worldwide governments need to move to a free market approach to drugs. The price needs to be high enough to not only pay for treatment and education, but low enough so the black market does not thrive.
Mexico and other countries south of there have had a terrible spate of violence around drug traffickers. This is all thanks to the instatiable US demand. The US spend on this “war” has done nothing to change usage patterns in the US. Time to end that and go to a market based system that keeps more capital in the consumer countries, and decreases use.
Anonymous asked: Hi Brett. Amrit here. I just read this article in the New Yorker, which is saying basically that hybrid vehicles won't help our environment at all. In fact, they will do the opposite. That the more energy efficient we make things, the increase in demand will more than offset the energy savings. What do you think? http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/12/20/101220fa_fact_owen
Hi Amrit,
Great question. The answer is not so straight forward. Owen is right on the economic equation that typically efficiency = lower prices = increased demand. I guess hand in hand with that countries with artificially low prices (like Iran until recently) were very inefficient in oil utilization, because per dollar of GDP, oil consumption is one of the highest in the world there.
I like the fact that we have all these different ways to consume/produce energy. Competition means diverse supplies, fewer interruptions and lower prices. I think it is up to the people to decide if they want to lower consumption or increase consumption based on price. Drivers buy hybrids not so much for economic efficiency (because the higher capital cost hardly covers the savings in operating costs) but for personal reasons. For instance, they would rather pay Toyota more for the car than buy more gas from oil companies (and possibly from regimes they don’t like). Maybe they have a personal goal about reducing their carbon footprint. Maybe they like the fact that hybrids are less stinky when they back out of the garagge. Also, hybrid owners spend less time at the gas station, so there is an opportunity cost savings there.
I think when looking at a decision, or making a proclamation, people need to look at what THEY do first. For me, I am almost certain my driving habits have not changed at all since I bought a 45mpg Prius. We have a van that gets 18mpg, and it gets barely used, because given a choice we always take the cleaner, more efficient, less costly vehicle. It just feels better to me when driving, and economists will have a tough time quantifying that effect.
e readers will win this battle over time. Books will be considered vintage.. still in use in 100 years, but most everything will happen electronically. Electrons are smarter and a heck of a lot easier to move than molecules.
(via greenearthmovement)
I just read a post by Oliver Chalouhi, the first person in the country to take ownership of a production Nissan Leaf. All is well, and he loves it. It is quiet, peppy and the electronics are really sophisticated.
His only issue is that when he drives on the highway at 75mph, his range goes down to 60 miles from the published 100 mile range. This makes sense, as air friction increases as the cube of velocity. So, the faster the car drives, the far greater the mileage impact.
I keep on wondering then if pure electric vehicles are better suited for speeds under 60mph. It actually sounds more efficient to have a gasoline or hybrid motor for fast highway conditions. I know the Prius (45 mpg) is extremely efficient over a wide range of speeds, even clearly beating out the Chevy Volt (33 mpg) after the electric charge runs out.
Electric vehicles are now ready for the masses. Top tier auto companies are now shipping production vehicles. Nissan Leaf and the Chevy Volt are now available in select markets.
Neither company is doing the best job building demand on-line.
Let’s take the Volt. The company is spending big bucks advertising the car on the TV and online. I just saw a display ad on techcrunch for instance. Cool, I clicked on it and it took me to the Volt site. So, when can I buy one? No information there. Where can I buy one?.. well not around here. My neighborhood in Santa Monica has EVs all over the place. Teslas, RAV4 EVs, Zenns and GEMs can been seen frequently on the streets. We probably have the most informed poplulation when it comes to EVs. In fact, my neighbor, Paul Scott a co-founder of Plug-in America is an expert on EVs and solar power. See his blog, evsandenergy.com here.
Fortunately, Paul is helping the local Nissan dealer get the word out on the Leaf. However, the online situation at Nissan is still pretty frustrating - although better than GM’s.
Still, the Nissan site is out of date. There is a link to schedule a test drive, but the link goes to past auto shows. How about Nissan tells us when we can test one at the local dealer with no appointment?
My view is that these companies need to think more unconventionally and connect up with the customer in a more intimate fashion if they expect to overcome the reluctance of the public to buy version 1.0 of some very cool but complex vehicles that are likely to have some trips to the dealer for recalls in the first couple of years.
Is someone online to chat with me about the purchase? No, but I did find the phone number of the dealer in downtown Los Angeles.
The Vatican is looking for a new Popemobile. Preferably one that runs on electricity.
Pope Benedict the 16th is big on clean energy, and the church even published a book showing what the Vatican has done to make itself sustainable. Apparently the main hurdle is the Pope’s security force, which expressed concerns about the ability of an electric vehicle to act as a speedy getaway car in an emergency.
Not a problem, say the experts. Zero to 60 in three seconds flat. Mercedes makes the current edition of the Popemobile.
An impressive electronic publication that is also a good glimpse of our post-paper future, when we access much of our reading online (using high-resolution displays).
“ECOLUXE magazine is a global, bi-monthly online magazine. We promote only information, goods and services that inspire readers and consumers to live naturally and consciously. The online, digital format reflects our commitment to minimal environmental impact. EcoLuxe is proudly hosted by eco friendly, carbon neutral Dreamhost.”
Logitech has released the world’s first solar-powered wireless keyboard (model K750). It has a built-in light meter that shows whether there is enough light in the room.
Why did it take this long? … Well, let’s not complain! This is an easy way, albeit a minor one, to invest in the future by using less energy. Seeing the solar panel on the top of the keyboard serves as a simple reminder about conservation in daily life.
“We realize a game won’t change the world but we hope to be part of the transition that brings us all to a better place,” says the company Late for the Sky about its Earthopoly board game. But this game is part of a changing world.
Sustainability is probably the most crucial lesson we can teach our kids today. Earthopoly promises to make learning about sustainability fun.
The web page for this game has an exhaustive list of its ingredients, right down to the lima bean pieces sourced from a local farmer, and the Carnelian stones from Botswana. The gameplay itself teaches about such things as carbon credits, clean air and global ecological sites of interest.
Late for the Sky is changing business culture, too. They make custom board games for companies who want to give their teams experiential learning, or surprise their clients with a truly unique gift. “Organizations use a custom game to inform, promote, reward, make money – anything you can do with a variety of promotional products.”