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The Energizer
Discover Magazine ^ | February 2006 | Discover Magazine

Posted on 01/23/2006 12:01:06 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist

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To: visualops

I was interested in the house (just am), but the article didn't focus on it at all. The meat of his approach, it seems to me, was the principle that a thousand "little" changes in oil dependence add up to oil independence.

As for the investment up front, not saying you're advocating one way or the other, but let's remember that is the same argument used against, say, social security reform: it takes so much upfront expense to eventually gain savings in the future. Sometimes the investment is worth it to fix a problem.


41 posted on 01/23/2006 5:23:38 PM PST by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: taxcontrol
The auto industry needs to move toward ultralight, ultrastrong carbon-fiber composites, almost certainly using thermoplastics that flow when heated and that can be easily molded—instead of the more brittle, expensive thermosets that need chemistry, baking, or some other change to set the resin into its final hard form. Thermoplastics are incredibly tough. They can absorb 12 times as much crash energy per pound as steel. So even though your car will be only half as heavy as it was before, it will still be safer when whacked by a heavier one.

An automotive seat bucket from Fiberforge, a company chaired by Lovins, is ultralight and ultrastrong. Carbon fibers are laid into predetermined positions and sandwiched with reinforcing nylon. The flat, tailored blank is then heated, stamped on a hot molding die, cooled, and trimmed to produce the finished part.

Seems like the major component is carbon fibers and nylon, with thermoplastics as the solidifier? I'm not knowledgeable in this area, so I'm just asking.

42 posted on 01/23/2006 5:28:07 PM PST by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: Fiddlstix

Always the diplomat, sir. I congratulate you.


43 posted on 01/23/2006 5:28:46 PM PST by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: chilepepper

Really, you've hit the point: the auto industry is still tied to a design that, at its core, is one step above the horse and buggy. Let's have some innovative thinking please.


44 posted on 01/23/2006 5:31:59 PM PST by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: wouldntbprudent; Alberta's Child; Dog Gone
Not from my perspective!!! See #22, above... When I see that kinda crappola complete with seminar callers to CNN... Then I know I'm 100% correct in my assessment!!!

Plus, didn't you watch your 60 Minutes on CBS last night? The very first segment was about Canada's Alberta oil reserves being second only to Saudi Arabia and a close second at that!!!

T. Boone Pickens was on there saying "Who needs alternative energy when you can get all you want up north where it's too cold to break a sweat strip mining it with beautiful reclamation suitable for raising buffalo!!!

It's gonna be bigger than any gold rush with 20 year olds pullin down $100K annual wages! It's no longer go west, young man... It's head north!!! This then kinda sucks all the unnatural gas out of this Lovin Spoonful of a Gas Bag new age unrepentant hippie!!!

45 posted on 01/23/2006 5:56:28 PM PST by SierraWasp (GovernMental EnvironMentalism... America's establishment of it's unconstitutional State Religion!!!)
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To: chilepepper

Well, the beauty of America's entreprenurial spirit is that if something really is a good idea sooner or later someone will do it. So I have faith that when the need presents the opportunity, things will change. Car construction has changed quite alot over the years, and I see no reason why it won't continue to improve.


46 posted on 01/23/2006 5:58:28 PM PST by visualops (www.visualops.com)
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To: SierraWasp

There is plenty of oil to be recovered. The question is at what price.

I think it's safe to say that we'll never see $9/bbl oil like we did in 1999 ever again.

But if demand stays high, and it should absent some worldwide pestilence or nuclear holocaust, the hard to get oil will be brought to market.


47 posted on 01/23/2006 6:00:35 PM PST by Dog Gone
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To: SierraWasp

Okay, if you say so. I don't watch 60 Minutes.


48 posted on 01/23/2006 6:05:41 PM PST by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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To: Dog Gone

Well, Ol T. Boone was sayin that Canadian tar sands stuff would turn a profit at that $9/bbl price, but now that China and then India are learnin to drive cars, it's gonna be groovy at today's prices!!!


49 posted on 01/23/2006 6:08:39 PM PST by SierraWasp (GovernMental EnvironMentalism... America's establishment of it's unconstitutional State Religion!!!)
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To: wouldntbprudent

I don't normally, either, but I channel surfed across their promo and it caught my interest. It was pretty refreshing to see CBS put out something besids BS for at least 20% of their dumb show!!!


50 posted on 01/23/2006 6:11:38 PM PST by SierraWasp (GovernMental EnvironMentalism... America's establishment of it's unconstitutional State Religion!!!)
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To: SierraWasp

Agreed--every now and then you catch one of these LSM outlets with their hair down!


51 posted on 01/23/2006 8:56:44 PM PST by wouldntbprudent (If you can: Contribute more (babies) to the next generation of God-fearing American Patriots!)
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