[Greenbuilding] OT What car?

[Donald Eyermann]

I wonder how much carbon footprint reduction you could achieve in the next
ten years with a converted electric truck (saved from the scrap yard) if you
drive yourself to pick up the heavy lumber and other appliances, etc. rather
than having the store's pollution belching conventional vehicle deliver the
construction supplies you require. You can be a leader with an clean,
efficient transport system, rather than just passing the buck. Not to
mention the time you'll save over riding the bicycle....or you could pedal
to generate electricity....or use the sun...(Solar PV) Then, if you would
just consider building with more efficient materials and proceses; such as
we do with ICF Zero Energy homes. The real question is; can we make the jump
to light speed in time?
zeroenergy at cox.net    

-----Original Message-----
From: greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org
[mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Reuben
Deumling
Sent: Saturday, May 03, 2008 1:28 PM
To: mkl18 at pobox.com
Cc: greenbuilding at listserv.repp.org
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] OT What car?

Interesting question. Ten years ago I would have taken an hour or two to
calculate various break even points depending on whether we're using energy
or materials or land area as our unit of comparison.
Today, though, I'd have to pass. Instead I think we all need to figure out
post haste how to wean ourselves from cars, pickups, trucks, and from fossil
fuels entirely. Within five or ten years I'm afraid we are going to wish we
had started this weaning much sooner.
I'm experimenting with running a remodeling business without owning a
vehicle. In our day-to-day lives we (my three person family) manage without
a car, and haven't had one for all but a few months of the last eleven
years. Construction without a vehicle is going to be a new challenge, but I
have no doubt that I can make it work. The extra cost of having large
quantities of materials delivered or perhaps renting/borrowing a truck for
the occasional load of gravel, say, will be minimal compared to the savings,
even with today's prices. Hauling tools and small to medium quantities of
stuff I've done for several years now with my cargo bicycle trailers. I can
haul up to 500 lbs on the flat, and a few hundred on hills. I have hauled
appliances, furniture, ladders, 4x8 sheets of you name it, bulky rented
tools, lumber, bricks, pipe up to about 14' in length, metal roofing, doors,
wheelbarrows, and everything in between.

Reuben Deumling

On Sat, May 3, 2008 at 11:31 AM, MKL <mkl18 at pobox.com> wrote:

>  If someone drove under 12,000 kms per year (suburban  or rural 
> retiree perhaps) should they drive an old gas  guzzler (or just a gas 
> fueled car) perhaps with a  bigger engine thereby reducing the need 
> for new car

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