Global Cool !

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Thu 1 Feb 2007 09:38
Global Cool ! - cheddar
Quote:

"Following yesterday?s official launch of their 10-year initiative, Global Cool descended on Downing Street this afternoon to show Tony Blair and Environment Secretary David Miliband just what they?re about. Joining the Global Cool team as they presented to both MPs and business leaders were acclaimed singer/songwriter KT Tunstall and Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett, "


Josh Hartnett was interviewed by the BBC this morning, the following is an e-mail that I have sent to Global Cool based on what he said:

___________

Hello,

Firstly to say Global Cool is a great initiative, messages like switch the TV off at the wall etc are right on line. However saying things like *if you buy a Prius or a hybrid car it will save 3 tonnes of carbon* dilutes and detracts from these small though important actions that every one can take.

Not everyone is in a position to be selective about the car they drive however more fundamentally this assertion is simply untrue.

Firstly small turbo diesel cars like Toyota's own Yaris D4D, a Ford Focus etc contain as much as 50% less embedded carbon (carbon produced in manufacture and disposal) than a Prius and produce a comparably low amount of C02 in use. However more broadly from an automotive perspective carbon would be reduced more quickly if car production decreased therefore it would be much better if we all continued to drive our current vehicles until they simply stopped running. The maths on this are as follows:

[ [ The amount of carbon produced in manufacturing and disposing of a hybrid + the amount of carbon produced by a hybrid over it's life time ] -The amount of carbon my current car will produce over the same life time ] = The amount of carbon used or saved by buying a hybrid.

If the answer is is a positive figure then that is the amount of extra carbon produced by buying and running a hybrid, for most people the answer will be a positive figure.


I would be interested in you thoughts on this.



Regards.
_____________________


www.global-cool.com/
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Thu 1 Feb 2007 10:12
Global Cool ! - midlifecrisis
The Global Warming crew never let the facts get in the way of a good tax initiative!!
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Thu 1 Feb 2007 11:53
Global Cool ! - Vin {P}
"singer/songwriter KT Tunstall and Hollywood actor Josh Hartnett"

What is it with these people? Do I really believe they understand science in any meaningful way? Perhaps they do, but what evidence to they offer? Are they specialists? No, they are a singer/songwriter and an actor. In what subject are their doctorates?

Oh, yes, buy a Prius, it's just SO fashionable. Stuff the science that suggests my neighbour's moggie minor has probably done for for the planet by it's very survival than they will ever manage by buying a fashion statement to be seen in when driving to a nightclub to ... [self censored before it's done for me].

V
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Thu 1 Feb 2007 11:59
Global Cool ! - cheddar
my neighbour's moggie minor has probably done
for for the planet by it's very survival than they will
ever manage by buying a fashion statement to be seen in
when driving to a nightclub to ... >>


........... LAX to get in their Lear Jets !
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Thu 1 Feb 2007 13:39
Global Cool ! - Hamsafar
Ignore them and they'll hopefully go away, like all the other egotistical twerps.
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Thu 1 Feb 2007 13:47
Global Cool ! - fray bentos
Well, thats it, I'm convinced! All I need to do is to buy a Prius. When will Tony Blair be sending me the £18000 I need to pay for it?
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If you cover no more than 100 miles per day and have easy access to a charging point at home or work, then an EV is ideal for you.

Is an electric car right for me?