Thanks Sachiko (Still an avid reader of your site!)

As we say in Blighty: “Hear, hear” (regarding the “clearly insane” obsession with petrol-driven cars). Car culture is rampant and myopic. To be clear, I agree entirely – in the modern world – we do need vehicles to transport goods and people. But why power them with a dated and dangerous technology?

Your “11 year run” with a PowerBook amounts to a real eco-achievement. (Certainly saving you 100s of dollars in the process!) I get by with an old XP machine using free optimization techniques (hard disk, o/s and internet). I think its enjoying its fifth year in my hands. If the manufacturers had decided to make motherboards truly upgradeable, I’d be enjoying a super computer by now!

Your point about “unfettered consumerism” affects us all in subtle and powerful ways. The “consumer society” did not exist until the 1960s. Everyone in the Intelligensia knows the writing’s on the wall for such an expedient trend. However, it will be a very brave politician indeed, who has the guts to turn the tide.

nbwriter:

Thanks again to Sachiko for sparking this debate. I hope she feels like replying, since her eco-friendly computing methods were deeply inspiring for this caveman sitting here…hee hee.

I guess that does deserve a response.

While I do agree that motor vehicles are to a point a necessity in our modern world, the obsession many people have with them is clearly insane, and powering them with petrol is even more so! It is very gratifying to see that more eco-friendly cars are really starting to take off in the marketplace.

While I still very much believe in the sentiment of this article, Lee and I now have a far more up-to-date arsenal of computer equipment: he now uses a Mac mini and a MacBook Air, and I now use a MacBook Air as well (and I love it!). I even have an iPhone. But we intend to hold on to them for at least a few years yet, although the 11 year run of Lee’s old PowerBook G3 will be hard to beat.

Hi Wombat, thanks for taking time to reply…

Sorry to hear you were directly affected by the BP Disaster. I hope you and your family have recovered from that awful event. Although I’m not a Certified Tree Hugger, I have noticed a lack of political will (here in the UK) and elsewhere in the so-called “developed world” to take lasting environmental initiatives.

Wasn’t it George W Bush who commented that a technological solution would be found for the technological pollution mankind has created? In other words, one creates a machine to cleanup the ecological mayhem caused by other machines… Hmm? Faulty logic is at work there… Because plastics, resins, chemicals and pollutants will be generated – Agreed?

I live in an industrial heartland – The car dealership is King in these parts. However, the figures speak for themselves: In 1986, half a billion cars were in use worldwide. That figure has doubled to one billion as of 2011 with China and India leading the way… (Source: uk.cars.yahoo.com). This kind of wreckless growth will be unsustainable. Petroleum will continue to increase in price, congestion will gridlock our cities and deaths related to car accidents (and indirect deaths due to carcinogens) will spiral. Already, there are more children born with asthmatic conditions…

I’m pleased you mentioned biofuel, it’s one option open to manufacturers who wish to take that “leap of faith”. Hybrid and electric cars would save us tax payers billions in revenue – But as far as I know, no electric “power point” infrastructure is planned while there’s a petrol station on nearly every street corner. I just don’t believe its beyond the wit of man to think laterally. I’d rather be a healthy caveman, than a drone who has to sit behind the wheel in traffic jams – Call me “old fashioned” [smile]

Thanks again to Sachiko for sparking this debate. I hope she feels like replying, since her eco-friendly computing methods were deeply inspiring for this caveman sitting here…hee hee.

Kind Regards, NB.

I don’t think humans are so obsessed (well some are) with motor vehicles as they have greatly improved our lives. The goods we use are most likely hauled off a truck at some point. Until we figure out teleporting things through wormholes we have two options. Either live like a caveman and only eat things you can grow/hunt/gather or use motor vehicles to transport goods/people. I’m not saying be wasteful with petrol, not in the least. However we have to be realistic that in modern society you need vehicles.

Recently the University of Texas found a promising producer of biofuel: algae. The process produces refine-able biofuel that produces almost no harm to the environment. 20 corporations funded it and if the research is going at the rate its going, we just might have one of many solutions to our dependence on fossil fuel.

I live in a state affected by the BP oil spill and that was caused by them cutting corners to save money. The damage they’ve done will take a very long time to remedy. I for one am quite angry at them for doing that.

As usual, Sachiko’s thought-provoking article on “uncontrolled consumerism” strikes a chord with me [smile].

Picking-up on a point raised by Akacra, I do have to wonder why we humans are so obsessed with automotive vehicles..? Objectively, we are the only species on Earth that think lethal vehicles, powered by engines designed in the last century are a good idea.

Petrol-driven engines pump Carbon Dioxide into our atmosphere, fatalities from road traffic accidents average 1000s each year. On average, 20,000 litres of water are used to manufacture a car – while some developing nations are still unable to supply their citizens fresh water.

Recently, the BP Disaster in the U.S. demonstrated that America is still “addicted to oil”. … Common sense is not at work here. Solutions exist, but all falls fowl to an Automotive Industry that’s far too powerful.

PS: In a former life, working as a computer technician, I realized many components can be re-used, particularly RAM chips. However, the computer manufacturers re-design their motherboards so that old chips cannot be re-used. Result: more landfill.

To launch our new YouTube channel and web cams, it just wasn’t possible for us to stick with OS 9 any longer, and Lee felt OS X 10.5 (Leopard) was finally the version that could replace the classic Mac OS for our use. So Lee got a new Mac mini, and after many months of transition, he is finally ready to retire his old Wallstreet, after 12 years of reliable service! As for me, I’ve adopted his old eMac so I can run OS X as well, and I really love it. So I too am now ready to retire my old iBook.

Lee has just recently gotten a Macbook Air as his portable/backup – wow, what a beautiful machine!