Bringing the math together, we get the final figure of merit of 2. The fully considered well-to-wheel efficiency of a gasoline powered car is equal to the energy content of gasoline The Prius at an EPA rated 55 mpg therefore has an energy efficiency of 0.
Note the term hybrid as applied to cars currently on the road is a misnomer. They are really just gasoline powered cars with a little battery assistance and, unless you are one of the handful who have an aftermarket hack, the little battery has to be charged from the gasoline engine.
Prime Minister Harper unveils grand plan to reshape Canada
Therefore, they can be considered simply as slightly more efficient gasoline powered cars. If the EPA certified mileage is 55 mpg, then it is indistinguishable from a non-hybrid that achieves 55 mpg.
The CO 2 content of any given source fuel is well understood. Natural gas is Applying those carbon content levels to the vehicle efficiencies, including as a reference the Honda combusted natural gas and Honda fuel cell natural gas vehicles, the hands down winner is pure electric:. The higher CO 2 content of coal compared to natural gas is offset by the negligible CO 2 content of hydro, nuclear, geothermal, wind, solar, etc. The exact power production mixture varies from one part of the country to another and is changing over time, so natural gas is used here as a fixed yardstick.
Harper's grand plan: What it is and how to fight it
Becoming Energy Positive I should mention that Tesla Motors will be co-marketing sustainable energy products from other companies along with the car. For example, among other choices, we will be offering a modestly sized and priced solar panel from SolarCity , a photovoltaics company where I am also the principal financier. This system can be installed on your roof in an out of the way location, because of its small size, or set up as a carport and will generate about 50 miles per day of electricity.
Conditional-Permanent Status is now established in the spousal sponsorship program. Immigration status for parents and grandparents has been frozen, and a year temporary visa issued instead. If Bill C-4 passes, some refugees will have partial permanent status, which could be revoked in five years. In all likelihood, further changes to immigration means more temporary workers throughout the system.
At the same time, working-class immigration will slow down further, with mostly able-bodied, western-style educated, younger, richer people getting citizenship. In May , I wrote a step-by-step guide to fighting Harper , laying out some ideas and challenges for organizing against the Harper government and the austerity agenda.
I think many of those ideas still hold true and should be adapted and put into practice.
We have seen decentralized networks, with shared messages, grow swiftly and gain immense power. In the short term, however, there might be a need for a policy framework that utilizes decentralized networks and poses an alternative vision based on the same facts that prompt Harper's agenda. The Harper argument rests on the notions of an aging citizenry, job creation, and the need for technological advancement.
Based on these same facts, one can propose a radically different policy platform. In the United States, some have urged for the notion of the care economy. The Care Economy model says that with an aging population, investments must actually grow in health care and old-age pensions to ensure that we care for people. Efforts must be put into placing workers, particularly young, racialized ones, into dignified livelihood.
Undocumented workers and migrant workers should be encouraged to join the workforce as caregivers, as cultural producers and health providers, and given immigration status as a result. Investments in technological development should ensure that the environment is protected, and that people young or old have a better quality of life.
Harper's grand plan: What it is and how to fight it | theranchhands.com
Tax breaks should be directly sent to people in need and not corporations. A consensus should be built on caring for everyone in society by getting the rich to pay the highest taxes. Investment in prisons and wars should be re-directed to investments that bring in immigrants from all walks of life, particularly families, refugees, and working-class people, and to social services.
A care economy is one where decision-making about services is decentralized to ensure community control over community resources. A care economy is one where the stewards of the land, the land defenders, and Indigenous communities, can actually assert sovereign control over their territory.
Prime Minister Harper unveils grand plan to reshape Canada
To be absolutely clear -- this paradigm is only a move to counter the most current assault at the level of campaigns; a short-term measure that is embedded in the current society we live in and therefore incapable of creating the kinds of worlds we all need and desire. It is a pragmatic move, a policy fight, that can be waged by some or alongside building real, transformative anti-capitalist and anti-colonial communities of resistance. This is just a preliminary thought and you must of course have other ideas, so please comment.
Or better still -- write your own thoughts down, talk to people, and let's get organized. For the torch of the incendiary, which has been known to show murderers and tyrants the danger line, beyond which they may not venture with impunity, cannot be wrested from you.
The Globe and Mail
More people are reading rabble. This article was originally published in the Globe and Mail on January 26th To view the original article as well as related articles on the globe and mail website, please click here. After five years of minority governments, Stephen Harper finally has the freedom to act. Although short on details, Mr. He will change how Canadians finance their retirement. He will overhaul the immigration system. Several times in his speech, Mr. Harper portrayed his agenda as a fix for a generation — a fix he claimed is necessary to confront the challenges of an aging population.
What that means is unclear.