I have really tried to keep the Mrs. Green message away from politics. I want to focus on what we can all do to make positive changes. There are times, however, when I have to take a stand on something I believe is really important and this is one of those times.
When I watched this latest clip from my friend Janet about Tesla and Arnold Schwarzenegger, something kind of snapped inside of me. Wasn’t anyone in Detroit reading the paper about the energy crisis? About the success that car manufacturers like Honda have had for years here in the good old US of A with their fuel-efficient, well made cars? Did they not know there are awaiting lists to buy the Honda Fit and that this is nothing new? Could they not figure out that sustainable business practices make sense and make money? Some of “those people” make ten million dollars a year in bonuses alone. Is it not part of their job descriptions to be fiscally responsible, to have solid five year business plans which include a balance sheet indicating a profit? I guess not.
The part in the video where I snapped was when Arnold talked about Tesla Motors being a relatively new company and getting it! What were they reading that the brain trusts in Detroit were not? What did they know that Detroit didn’t? Maybe the Tesla management had a crystal ball…
I am one of many Americans who says don’t bail them out because I don’t want to pay for it nor do I want my children to have to pay for it! I am fed up – that’s the truth. It’s actually a disgrace and a mess that will impact us all regardless of what decisions are made in Washington.
http://fora.tv/2008/09/26/Arnold_Schwarzenegger_to_Detroit_Get_Off_Your_Butt
Hope you will check out Arnold’s brief and humorous comments! And then call your elected officials. Mine are going to be very surprised by the side I am taking on this one!
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cars. Show all posts
Friday, November 21, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Ready to Have a Fit?
Serendipity is a wonderful thing. It wasn’t two days after my friend Markus went on and on about his Honda Fit, there was a great article in the Wall Street Journal about it. Title? A Candidate for the Best Car on The Road! Gotta love it.
Writer Jeff Sabatini states: “the Fit is unquestionably my favorite car, a vehicle that’s the best all-around transportation available from any auto maker at any price.” Now that’s saying a lot. With a $15,220 base price and stellar mileage, you can’t go wrong. But what interested me about what Jeff wrote and Markus said, is that the Fit is really roomy for an econobox AND fun to drive. It’s got pep and room! And with that low base price, come power windows, a CD player, airbags everywhere, air-conditioning and more. Sometimes the cars priced this low come with windows you have to roll up and down yourself – heaven forbid!
Another thing that Honda has figured out with the Fit is how to build a small car and make it a truly good car. It has to pass crash tests, be comfortable and drivable and still sell for under $20,000. Well, the Fit is not just good – it’s exceptional. And did I say it has front wheel drive? Another huge plus from my perspective.
If you are skeptical about small car hatchbacks, go check one out. If you are in Tucson, good luck finding one at Chapman! You will be pleasantly surprised just as I was. Given the incredibly painful hoopla going on in Washington, D.C. about the car industry bailout, is there not real wisdom here in looking at the automotive change we need? Honda really got it right with the Fit!
Writer Jeff Sabatini states: “the Fit is unquestionably my favorite car, a vehicle that’s the best all-around transportation available from any auto maker at any price.” Now that’s saying a lot. With a $15,220 base price and stellar mileage, you can’t go wrong. But what interested me about what Jeff wrote and Markus said, is that the Fit is really roomy for an econobox AND fun to drive. It’s got pep and room! And with that low base price, come power windows, a CD player, airbags everywhere, air-conditioning and more. Sometimes the cars priced this low come with windows you have to roll up and down yourself – heaven forbid!
Another thing that Honda has figured out with the Fit is how to build a small car and make it a truly good car. It has to pass crash tests, be comfortable and drivable and still sell for under $20,000. Well, the Fit is not just good – it’s exceptional. And did I say it has front wheel drive? Another huge plus from my perspective.
If you are skeptical about small car hatchbacks, go check one out. If you are in Tucson, good luck finding one at Chapman! You will be pleasantly surprised just as I was. Given the incredibly painful hoopla going on in Washington, D.C. about the car industry bailout, is there not real wisdom here in looking at the automotive change we need? Honda really got it right with the Fit!
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Smorgy Borgy On Green - Cars, Bugs and Fast Food
The strangest thing about blogging is that "send it out to cyberspace" feeling and not ever knowing if anyone is reading what you have written. Well, since I have been blogging,I have found that just putting my many green thoughts in writing feels great and I love it. Enter Sara and Hank - two people who told me yesterday they like my blog and Sara even told me she has added it to her favorites. I am thrilled and will do my best to retain that standing! Thanks to both of you.
In our house when we all have something different to eat for dinner, we call it smorgy borgy so today my blog is just that - three shorts blurbs on very diverse topics.
Cars - every day cars make the news. No surprise on any one's part given the impact of rising gas prices. So after reading a long article today about one car giant teaming with dozens of utilities on plug-in cars this thought struck me - where is all the energy for the plug-in cars going to come from? I am NOT a scientist and I don't even make believe that I understand all of the massive pieces of information out there about electric cars and alternative fuels. But what I do know is that along the education of Mrs. Green journey, I listen to experts of all kinds talk about sucking energy off the grid and that we have to find alternatives to what we are doing now. So there is no conclusion on Mrs. Green's part for this part of the smorgy borgy. My opinion is let's keep working on those alternative fuel concepts that seem to offer so much promise and much needed relief to consumers.
Bugs - if you garden or if you like interesting, fun, funny stories, I invite you to go online and read the entire article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal entitled War of the Roses: Beetle vs. Nematode written by Steve Stecklow. You will love it - trust me. Besides being cleverly written, it epitomizes the challenge of caring, mainstream, committed people and their efforts to go organic. The author declared war on the Japanese beetle but was forbidden by his wife to exercise what he calls "the nuclear option" i.e. poisons. His description of spraying invisible nematodes all over the garden will have you laughing like it did me. There is no conclusion as it's a bit too early in the back east growing season but I will be watching for a follow-up article.
Fast Food - this one is a little bit of stretch for a Mrs. Green topic as it's more philosophical than strictly green. Lawmakers around the country are starting to introduce legislation to ban new fast-food restaurants and regulate the industry because of the war on obesity. Maybe it's just me but I think where I eat and where I took my kids to eat when they were growing up was totally up to me. No one has ever tried to lure me into McDonalds and force a Big Mac down my throat. I always felt it was my responsibility to teach my children about nutrition and exercise and taking care of their bodies. The truth be told, all three of them are much healthier eaters than my husband and I. They have brought us a long way and honestly avoid fast food except for a very occasional lapse. So it is with all things green and beautiful. Parents have a responsibility to teach their children about respecting Mother Earth, about why we don't liter, about conserving energy by turning off lights and not wasting water etc. If you want to take a stand about fast food, don't eat it! Fast food restaurants are already getting the message and are introducing somewhat healthier choices into their menus. Let the market dictate - not the government in this case.
In our house when we all have something different to eat for dinner, we call it smorgy borgy so today my blog is just that - three shorts blurbs on very diverse topics.
Cars - every day cars make the news. No surprise on any one's part given the impact of rising gas prices. So after reading a long article today about one car giant teaming with dozens of utilities on plug-in cars this thought struck me - where is all the energy for the plug-in cars going to come from? I am NOT a scientist and I don't even make believe that I understand all of the massive pieces of information out there about electric cars and alternative fuels. But what I do know is that along the education of Mrs. Green journey, I listen to experts of all kinds talk about sucking energy off the grid and that we have to find alternatives to what we are doing now. So there is no conclusion on Mrs. Green's part for this part of the smorgy borgy. My opinion is let's keep working on those alternative fuel concepts that seem to offer so much promise and much needed relief to consumers.
Bugs - if you garden or if you like interesting, fun, funny stories, I invite you to go online and read the entire article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal entitled War of the Roses: Beetle vs. Nematode written by Steve Stecklow. You will love it - trust me. Besides being cleverly written, it epitomizes the challenge of caring, mainstream, committed people and their efforts to go organic. The author declared war on the Japanese beetle but was forbidden by his wife to exercise what he calls "the nuclear option" i.e. poisons. His description of spraying invisible nematodes all over the garden will have you laughing like it did me. There is no conclusion as it's a bit too early in the back east growing season but I will be watching for a follow-up article.
Fast Food - this one is a little bit of stretch for a Mrs. Green topic as it's more philosophical than strictly green. Lawmakers around the country are starting to introduce legislation to ban new fast-food restaurants and regulate the industry because of the war on obesity. Maybe it's just me but I think where I eat and where I took my kids to eat when they were growing up was totally up to me. No one has ever tried to lure me into McDonalds and force a Big Mac down my throat. I always felt it was my responsibility to teach my children about nutrition and exercise and taking care of their bodies. The truth be told, all three of them are much healthier eaters than my husband and I. They have brought us a long way and honestly avoid fast food except for a very occasional lapse. So it is with all things green and beautiful. Parents have a responsibility to teach their children about respecting Mother Earth, about why we don't liter, about conserving energy by turning off lights and not wasting water etc. If you want to take a stand about fast food, don't eat it! Fast food restaurants are already getting the message and are introducing somewhat healthier choices into their menus. Let the market dictate - not the government in this case.
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