More on Climate and Cents

Further comments on my reaction to Gore's movie
Looney Dunes: Comprehensive Reply to AIT

As I'd posted before, my reaction to “An Inconvenient Truth” mainly arose from spotting statements or implications that I think are plainly false.

One example : near the end, Al goes into fuel economy standards and draws conclusion(s) that US Automakers are failing because of these standards.
I'm going to paraphrase, not having the exact text.

Gore shows, graphically, what current and future standards are/will be in various countries/markets. EU, Japan, Canada(I believe), China and the US.

Then he either states, or implies, that the lower CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy)American standards means that American Car Companies can't or won't be able to sell into China.

Wrong! - this is Fleet Average, there are cars that get higher than the standard mileage and those that get lower. American Manufactures can and DO sell into the Chinese market.

Furthermore, the North American auto industry is robust, it's the Detroit "Big" Three that are hurting, in large part due to their labor cost structure. This is not a slam on the unions, but the Japanese (and other) manufacturers do NOT have the same legacy costs.
And Toyota is rolling out Big, lower mileage, Trucks.

Another consideration ... gasoline is cheap here, $2.50 Gas is about the same as 65cent gas in 1975.

I don't have hard data, but consumer behavior (buying larger cars/trucks) indicates that their budgets can handle the cost.

Raise prices, behavior will change (after grumbling).

Back to AIT ... it's when I see what I believe to be a wrong statement or implication, I start to question other data.

Enough rant
On to other considerations, cost savings.
Keith and family chose to go to compact fluorescents (CF):
Modeshift � Blog Archive � What Is Al Gore Up To?

Regardless of Climate Change, this is becoming a sensible move.

I've uses CF's for many years, in a mix with incandescent and halogen lighting.
Incandescent mainly as they are dim-able.
Just this year, I learned that there are now dim-able CF's. I'll be looking at cycling these in as the old bulbs burn out.

I'm also looking at LED's. Some stuff here: LED Lighting for even more savings.

Layer on the fact that I took advantage of Carter's tax credits and have used Solar Water heating (pre-heating our well water) for decades, I applaud techniques and technologies to save bucks.

All of this may, or may not, "save the planet" but I know it will save our household budget some bucks.

It just makes "cents"

PS : we gave CF's this last Christmas to most of the families we celebrate with.
(and this was before we saw Gore's movie)