2tapry
Looking at what EV’s have been popular in China over the last couple of years:
2-3 years ago the most popular EV was the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV:
This year it’s the BYD Song Plus:
The Wuling is still in the top five, but so are Tesla. Seems like SUV’s are what people want - how could you change peoples minds? Perhaps offer larger rebates on smaller EV’s? Or, tax luxury (SUV) EV’s? Have to get rid of those oil burners first though!?
I think I get where you are coming from, but what are the alternatives? Most alternatives like electric public transport that allows commuters to travel into cities to work requires that intergenerational investment that, in NZ, just doesn’t seem to happen. Or are you suggesting working from home (which some jobs can’t do), or just a much simpler life in general (I’m pretty much there now). Or perhaps where consumerism ends, international trade ends, international travel ends etc., tourists disappear etc. I’m all in, but it simply is not going to happen until the water level rises, the temperature reaches extremes and the effects are actually felt by people first hand. It is the nature of humans, unfortunately?
Everyone is gravitating to SUV EVs which are hideoisly inefficient. It’s like the McMansion-isation of personal transport.
I’ve heard this more than once recently - what a lot of rot. A medium size electric SUV is no more inefficient than a medium size electric car. It may carry a little more weight around and have a little more wind resistance, so may require/use a little more stored electricity, but not much. If the owner actually needs the extra space or clearance of an SUV (I do, but diesel at the moment not yet electric, mostly due to range issues), then I don’t see anything wrong with that.
However, I do agree when it comes to those who buy and drive SUV/Utes etc., just for the Wank factor - I always suspect it is something to do with small penis syndrome ;)
I don’t know how they are tracking now, but this comapny made some waves with their seaweed approach back in 2021
Terribly! They promised 80-90% reduction of methane back then, but recent trials in Aus show it having less than 30% reduction and the cow looses considerable weight. So the end result is more like 10% reduction and long term effects on the cow are still to come in.
There is another one available now that claims 30% reduction (forgot its name) but I’ve not seen any real trial results yet.
I think the focus on cars is a bigger problem than what energy source they use. EVs are taking over anyway, there is no standing in the way of that.
If there was an alternative that isn’t likely to take multiple generations to implement, I would agree, but that is not the case?
If we want to reduce emissions (pollution isn’t much of a problem in windswept NZ) then we need to focus on more efficient modes of transport and lifestyles. Not more cars.
I suspect your definition of pollution doesn’t match what most consider it to be. NZ is a terrible polluter of the environment, which includes green house gases (transport and agriculture) and the effects that has on climate change? I don’t think the idea is to have more cars, but to replace existing polluting cars with more environmentally friendly EV’s?
Completely nuts to get rid of it! Without incentives like this, most will just continue on as normal, which will result in a very prolonged, if ever, move away from high polluting fossil fuel vehicles.
Some other subjects are simply crazy too.
What children’s bedrooms look like around the world
Link from The Bulletin (Spinnoff) this morning gives an intriguing look into the world through the state of kids bedrooms. Those who have young kids might see their rooms a little differently after seeing these?
If fonterra owns the lab, do current dairy farmers just transition to being owners that aren’t contributing milk?
I suspect Frontera would ‘pay’ some farmers to transition to produce the raw ingredients required to produce alternatives. Thus, their expertise could continue to be utilised along with their export strengths. The issue will be with those stubborn farmers who refuse or are reluctant to change - the almighty dollar will speak to them eventually.
Forestry workers can drive from a bigger city…
Don’t see that here. There are local Forestry, Sawmill, and Transport (logging) workers who live in the community and, of what I see, contribute more to the town than dairy workers. It takes very few people to run a modern, robotic dairy these days. Usually just the owner/manager and a couple of foreign workers - often seasonal, so they come and go, most living on the farms, not in the township. Very few farmers shop locally, they tend to travel into the “city” to purchase and/or get groceries delivered (as do I). A few spend a bit at the pub/club, but not as much as you would probably think.
I personally believe there would be an increase in population with a move away from dairy - but that’s just my thinking based on what I see.
