LAist: Senator Calls for President to Implement Car Idling Law

samkim

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:02:52 -0800

im not liberal and i write for LAist...although my strong affinity for the clippers might have some people disagreeing

pickleburp

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:56:57 -0800

I'm not a hippy–or a hipster–by the way.

pickleburp

Sat, 12 Jul 2008 12:53:49 -0800

Dearest Kristinester, Why force disagreement? But yeah, keep playing the devil's advocate: don't leave. It is childish and extremely unattractive. Since you feel everything is liberally biased, how about writing a response to these posts and submit it for publication here, and then all of us agree-ers can comment the hell out of it. Oh, nevermind.

GarySe7en

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:20:38 -0800

I suppose I am in the hippie camp, though that term gets tossed around rather loosely. I know some actual hippies, they are hitch hiking cross country for the Rainbow Gathering and then off to visit Portland. I like being in the midst of bustling Los Angeles. I think debate of varying opinions is a good thing, and would hate to see some leave the discussion all together because a particular subject of articles. Maybe it's been harped on a lot lately, but I think it's underestimated how much potential energy savings there could be from using our existing resources more efficiently. New types of vehicles or energy sources are things that will be phased in over years, but right now there is much that could be done and it's environmental as well as economic concern. While everyone debates the pros and cons of high end energy projects like nuclear, or epic solar panel projects, if we just replaced our antiquated electrical cables we could be saving energy worth many power plants several times over. Featured in wired a few years ago it was stated as much as 40% of our power produced is lost just traveling over the cables. Complete efficiency is not possible, but that's nearly half just going poof. Back to the topic of idling cars, it's seemingly a small deal, but small changes can yield large returns. Airlines suffering from rising fuel costs are investing in lighter weight food carts because over the course of a year and an entire fleet, millions of dollars of jet fuel could be saved by shedding a few measly pounds. Small problems multiplied countless times over become a big deal.

greatgatsby2

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:49:02 -0800

I agreed with Kristinester up until she left. Don't pick up your toys and go home! Stay and fight the good fight! Dialogue is fun. Radicals and moderates working together, disagreeing sometimes, agreeing other times, is what gets stuff done. That said, I'm still not crazy about the Box Car Series: Idling Cars on Parade.

caliking01

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:10:01 -0800

I kinda totally agree with Kristenester.

GarySe7en

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:13:37 -0800

Jedi: Haha, that's a good one. Why stop there, let's all open our refrigerators, that ought to cool the world down a degree or two.

Jedi of Hollywood

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:52:57 -0800

Gary Se7en: When people idle their vehicles with windows rolled down and AC blasting they have a perfectly good excuse. They are fighting Global Warming.

Enci

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:53:59 -0800

kristinester, LAist is about LA last time I checked and idling and pollution are a major part of LA. If you haven't gone outside yet and noticed the smog, maybe you should. Asthma keeping adults, kids home published on July 8th in the Daily News Bad air can bring on asthma attacks, even in healthy people; tracking air quality and controlling pollution from cars, factories and power plants can help. Read the NRDC article here. Aside from health issues the money savings add up as well. About.com-Financial Planning suggests: Don't warm your car up by letting it idle. The engine warms up faster when driving than it does when idling, and idling wastes about a quart of gas every 15 minutes. Potential Money Savings: $90/yr. Now $90/yr might not be much for some, but it adds up when you have hundreds of vehicles idling for hours on end. The city could save thousands of dollars and put the savings towards improving our streets, our Metro system, and our blighted neighborhoods.

jrb

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:39:50 -0800

Geeze kristinester, why do ya think they call L.A. the left coast?

kristinester

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:23:47 -0800

Fine then. Given that you don't see any reason to really have anything other than articles written by hippies, for hippies, I don't see any reason why I should even be here. Although last I checked, it was a blog about LA, which I liked, but the bullshit liberal posts with no contrary opinions are what drove me away. Half the time I'm playing devils advocate just to get some semblance of discussion going aside from, "Omg i totally agree, cause im a hippie too." "i agree with you as well!!" "wow we all agree! that's great!" The politics are overshadowing the LA part of the blog. Especially this environmental global warming nonsense. Enjoy it. I'm leaving.

GarySe7en

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:56:02 -0800

Soon there will be a backlash of idling motorists congregating at 711's with stereos on after agreeing on a meet up time online. Midnight Drivazz will be born.

Zach Behrens

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:46:35 -0800

There'll be more. Tell your friends!

kristinester

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:12:06 -0800

Everytime I see an idling vehicle article, I get more and more motivated to remove LAist from my RSS feeds.

paul

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:27:44 -0800

Oh my. A useful and informative post regarding idling vehicles, what a pleasant surprise. Oh and what a coincidence, Stephen Box didn't write it.

GarySe7en

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:57:12 -0800

After Stephen Box's couple of stories highlighting government vehicle idling I've been on the look out for it my self. Sure enough the most recent police car I saw in a parking lot was idling, and for quite sometime, without appearing to be in a hurry to get anywhere else. AC couldn't have been an excuse because the window was down. Maybe he had the window down and the AC on for good measure. Our tax money hard at work burning gas to sit in a parking lot.

torrmoz

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:25:08 -0800

"the limousines and SUVs of high-level government leaders are important symbols of leadership and their actions are sending a message that they’re out of touch." Which means in nearly all cases they shouldn't even BE limos SUVs. We should also lower interstate speed-limits. It will lower fuel consumption and decrease traffic accidents. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maximum_Speed_Law As an emergency response to the 1973 oil crisis, the U.S. Congress and President Richard Nixon imposed a nationwide 55 mph speed limit in 1974 by requiring the limit as a condition of each state receiving highway funds, a use of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. ======= Cato and The Hertiage Foundation claim it didn't save any fuel or save any lives, but of course they would say that, they're right-wing think tank douche bags.