http://brownlovesgreen.com/2011/09/10/clean-cars-mean-green-jobs
Clean Cars Mean Green Jobs
SEPTEMBER 10, 2011
by Lindsay E. Brown
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It’s one of my life’s great ironies; I loathe the big, bad oil companies, and yet my boyfriend and I purchase it every week. We’re saving up to change that, but it’s besides my point.
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The electric vehicle (EV) industry is bringing automotive production back home and creating jobs. With the technology for EVs steadily improving, and gas prices volatile, consumers are more interested in EVs than ever before.
Our economy and our citizens will not only benefit from domestic production, just like we did way back when, but also in the production of powertrains, batteries packs, and other components.
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The Chevy Volt is another fine example of a hybrid-electric car that’s creating jobs for Americans. In the past year, GM has invested nearly $1 billion in electric vehicles. Their investment of $270 million on an electric motor plant near Baltimore, Md., will create more than 200 green-collar and managerial positions, along with hundreds of assembly-line jobs when the plant starts production.
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If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Electric cars are not the solution. At least not yet; who knows what the future will hold. In the meantime, there are two type of “green people”. The watermelons, for whom green is about control of people. And, all the rest who are dreamy idealists.
Economics, that dismal science, tells us that there are resources that are scarce. There are different political systems for allocating them. Free market capitalism, which is not what is practiced in the USA, has been shown to equalize opportunity while spreading benefits in a complex calculus that makes everyone roughly equally happy / unhappy. When Gooferment leaves people to their own devices, magic happens. Stuff (wealth) gets created. Up out of the masses yearning to be free comes immense benefits. Our “poor” are far better off than the “poor” of the past. Our “poor” are far better off than the “poor” in third world countries.
While your love affair with electric cars is “cute”, the economics are not there. Despite Gooferment putting its giant “thumb” on the economics, electric cars aren’t solving folks’ problems. Are not “satisfying their needs”. Hence, they spend their limited wealth of the stuff that does. This begs the question that if the Gooferment had stayed out of the problem and there was a true need, maybe other solutions would have been created. But we only have what we have now BECAUSE the Gooferment preempted that development in its conceit that it KNOWS what the right answer it.
The electric car is an Edsel that no one wants. It’s expense, even with the Gooferment subsidy. It’s limited in range and useful lifespan. It’s new and therefore assumed to be “buggy”. And, had the characteristics of a “lifeboat” (i.e., limited range). And, it’s usefulness presumes and “refiling” infrastructure that isn’t there (i.e., “gas” recharging stations). Over and above that, even if they could be recharged at home, where does that juice come from? Coal fired plants! Also, in an accident or at the end of its useful life, what happens to that battery.
No, electric cars are an idea who’s time has not come yet. If it ever does. I’m sure a lot of fat old white guy injineers are working on the problem hoping to hit it rich. But till then you’re left with the mean old nasty oil companies who make life good and imho get excoriated for doing so. (They really don’t earn that much money when you look at the investment.) And, those oil companies are really fictions for a lot of employees and pensioners.
Sorry, TANSTAFL. You want today’s benefits; it comes to you on oil.
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GM is Gooferment Motors. Don’t get me started on this idiocy. How many dollars have been wasted on picking this pig? Start with the robbing of the bond holders. Argh!
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Posted by reinkefj 
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