Because of Money?.......

[BlueDragon1981]

No it couldnt be done but it causes some major scandals and makes other things not evolve because of the money hungry people.

[Bright Eyes]

Of cauz wich is v.bad but unfortunately there are such things as money wich can bring hapiness as well as pain.

[JerryLove]

Because of the rich oil companies and the greed of the world money has made a lot of stuff not evolve that would definatly help us.

I agree much is not bein done for the love of money... but let's see if your "I want to do better, but big business won't let me" is true.

Such as engines that run off of other things other than gas.

Honda put out a version of the Civic that ran on natural Gas. I saw them for sale at the dealership some time back. Do you own one?

 

The bug business provided it, I didn't see people like you lining up to buy them.

 

Just in Japaneese cars, there are at least 3 hybrid lines (the hybrid Civix, the Insight, and the Prius). All are available at local dealerships. All are sold at near-loss numbers by the factory. They are not selling well. Do you own one?

The internal compustion engine is outdate by at least 20 years.

By a practical standard? What would you replace it with? Chrystler just put up a concept hydrogen feul cell. It costs a lot more, and it doesn't give as mch power as gasoline. Will you be buying one?

It is still here because the issue of all the people who would lose MONEY.

Yes, but in general, the people are "you and me" not "rich oil companies".

Batteries. There are batteries that run 3 times longer than the ones we have now.

Than which ones? Litium-Ion? Lead acid? Alkeline? Nickle-Ion?

 

Did you know there are rechargeable batteries too. Do you use them? Is it the fault of big oil companies, or do you just not want the price / hassle?

Why are they not on the market? Because the companies want there money by selling more of them rather than better quality.

There are rechargeables. Do you own them?

Light Bulbs. There are light bulbs that last about 7 times longer than the ones we have now. You guessed it MONEY is the reason you dont see them.

I see flourescent bulbs that eat about 30% of the power of incandecent. You can get them everywhere. Are you using them? There are Krypton bulbs that use about 10% of that. They can be purchaced. Are you using them? Why not?

[ZeRo]

i have to agree with most of the points you make there, the world would be a better place without the need to money. or is it the greed for money?

[omnifinite]

I learned in school that throughout the centuries villas were often considered symbols of wealth and virtue and cities were often considered symbols of corruption. People wanted to live in villas but were forced to work in cities. Take that desire, add a newly invented automobile and a young country with millions of acres to spare, and *wham*, suburbia is born.

 

That's why the White House looks like a plantation. The architect wanted the President to appear to be a "gentleman farmer" untouched by the corruption of the city around him.

 

That's what Taikudo-ka's comment made me think of. Hopefully someone else out there finds this sort of thing interesting.

 

Anyway...

 

I think now that the big rich oil companies and the big rich car companies are starting to get some pressure we're going to see better, cheaper, more functional, more powerful vehicles using alternative fuels. They're wimpy now because they haven't had a sliver of the backing (money/research/time) IC engines have had. WHY they haven't had that backing is part of the issue in question I think. If a bulky, dirty IC engine is really the most powerful and cost-effective engine humanity is capable of creating, well, we should just give up this whole technology thing altogether.

 

And part of the reason the hybrids aren't doing so well is because you're almost paying for two cars in one. Plus how many mechanics know how to fix one yet? Technology doesn't get ubiquitous overnight. Hybrids are probably a premature step, but it's good that steps are being taken. Technology in its infancy isn't worthless... it's just... infantile.

 

I wonder if we'd have cold fusion figured out by now if it weren't for the fact that it would be so difficult to benefit from energy so abundant that a high price tag would be nothing short of an insult (not to mention the big rich oil companies who'd rather not lose half their markets).

[JerryLove]

think now that the big rich oil companies and the big rich car companies are starting to get some pressure we're going to see better, cheaper, more functional, more powerful vehicles using alternative fuels.

What pressure are you referring to? Considering that hybrids are selling at-cost, how much less expensive do you think they will be? The companies that make most utility vehicles have natural-gas vehicles as well (much of m county's fleet are natural gas), but I don't see the public clamoring to buy them.

They're wimpy now because they haven't had a sliver of the backing (money/research/time) IC engines have had.

The standard Honda Civic is (IIRC) 130 bhp, the hybrid is 115bhp. That's not a large difference, but the standard civic still outsells the hybrids by more than an order of magnatude.

WHY they haven't had that backing is part of the issue in question I think. If a bulky, dirty IC engine is really the most powerful and cost-effective engine humanity is capable of creating

It does seem to hit a sweet-spot of cheap+powerful.

And part of the reason the hybrids aren't doing so well is because you're almost paying for two cars in one.

A descent civic is 15k, the hybrid is 19k. That's hardly 2 cars. But I guess you aren't willing to invest real money/time into alternatives.

Plus how many mechanics know how to fix one yet?

The dealrship has trained mechanics. They are not that terriblycomplicated.

Technology doesn't get ubiquitous overnight. Hybrids are probably a premature step, but it's good that steps are being taken. Technology in its infancy isn't worthless... it's just... infantile.

The technology is pretty mature actually. Hybrids were prototyped ver a decade ago. Some of the current lines are at least 4 years old. And they drive pretty well.

 

I remember pure electrics back in the 70s.

I wonder if we'd have cold fusion figured out by now if it weren't for the fact that it would be so difficult to benefit from energy so abundant that a high price tag would be nothing short of an insult

You appear to be making that from ignorance. Cold fusion has been the holy grail of physics for some time, and most everyone wants it badly. It would, in short, solve the world's energy crisis. It's not being held back. Some things may be, but not that.

 

You want "big oil" to take note, don't but any more cars that get less than 35mpg (the Metro comes to mind). You can do that with inexpensive IC engines. Better yet, get at least a hybrid and get 60mpg. Put a solar panel on your roof, install a windmill and sell power back to the electric company, use a laptop instead of a PC (they consume less power)... They list of things you can do is very long. You can start by voting with your dollars.

 

I'm not saying that the oil companies and car companies are not in it for the money, of course they are. And I am not saying they are persuing alternate automobile power plants as hard as they could, becaus ehtey are not. But the biggest problem is that the consumers (you and me) are not demaning buying the ones they do produce.

[Bright Eyes]

Jerrylove back to the thing of recharable batteries I do happen to own one yes and if i was old enough I might have some of the other things you were rightly pointing out. I understand that poverty is a big issue where money is concerned but somehow there is a way out of it; i mean we'd be in poverty now if there wasn't, wouldn't we? Anyways I've always been taught that it aint your fault what sort of surroundings your brought into as long as YOU treat everyone equally.

[JerryLove]

I'm sorry, where did this become a discussion of poverty? I thought this was a discsussion of weather corporate greed was forcing a populus that really wanted to ride bikes and carpool to buy gas-guzzling SUVs against their will and drive them as much as possible. Edited October 23, 2002 by JerryLove

[omnifinite]

Sounds like you like your engine, Jerry. More power to you.

 

I don't own a house or car (work at home... don't really need to drive much)... but when I do, putting my money where I prefer it to go will be a high priority of course.

[Bright Eyes]

whoops! well the title is "because of money" i didn't know there were boundaries to what you can say and can't. Maybe i went off the subject a bit and im sory carry on......