Two days before the presidential election.
Electric Cars Do More Harm To The Planet Than Previously Thought
New research suggests that electric cars are not the environmental panacea that they are thought to be. A report from a team at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology claims that the vehicles fail on three fronts: production; charging; and their eventual demise.
The length of the vehicle’s life has an impact on its carbon footprint – those with a life of around 200,000 km improve on petrol and diesel engines by around 28 per cent and 19 per cent respectively. Halve the mileage, however, and an EV’s effectiveness decreases by anything between 9 and 14 per cent. But it is the source of the electricity used for charging the car that is the problem. Using an EV in a country which relies heavily on fossil fuels for its electricity will, unsurprisingly, increase greenhouse gas emissions. Using the car in Europe, however, saw benefits of around 10 per cent, compared to traditional combustion engines.
EV production is, says one of the authors of the report, more environmentally intensive than the traditional automotive industry. Breaking a vehicle up at the end of its life is also more hazardous, as the batteries and motors use toxic materials such as nickel, aluminium and copper.
[Image via Creative Commons on Flickr]
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How Harry Keeps His Sex Life Out Of The Papers: Posh Girls Only
How Harry Keeps His Sex Life Out Of The Papers: Posh Girls Only
via The Daily Beast – Latest Articles http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/04/tatler-prince-harry-s-girls-must-have-something-to-lose-by-going-to-the-press.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thedailybeast%2Farticles+%28The+Daily+Beast+-+Latest+Articles%29
Behind Facebook’s Emotional Ad From Wieden & Kennedy
As Facebook hits its billionth user, it tapped its first agency of record for an emotional spot titled “Things That Connect.”
via Advertising Age – Homepage http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-emotional-spot-wieden-kennedy/237569/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+adage%2Fhomepage+%28Advertising+Age+-+Homepage%29
Facebook Hits Billionth User, Reveals First Major Ad From Global Agency of Record
Facebook taps Nike’s agency for an ad to celebrate a milestone — and begin a tougher task ahead: finding the next billion Facebook users in emerging markets.
via Advertising Age – Homepage http://adage.com/article/digital/facebook-serves-1-billion-makes-a-video-ad-celebrate/237571/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+adage%2Fhomepage+%28Advertising+Age+-+Homepage%29
$20 Million in Maple Syrup recovered
For those afraid that the theft of $20 million in maple syrup earlier this year might affect your breakfast table, relax. It’s been recovered.
via Coudal Partners Blended Feed http://coudal.com/archives/2012/10/20_million_in_m.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CoudalFreshSignals+%28Coudal%3A+Fresh+Signals%29
Bobby Valentine Wrecks While Texting and Driving … His Bike
Bobby Valentine Wrecks While Texting and Driving … His Bike. Valentine was reading a text from Dustin Pedroia when he crashed and landed near the Central Park Reservoir on Tuesday, according to the New York Times. “I shouldn’t have been reading a text while I was riding, †he said. “That’s the wrong thing to […]
via Boston Daily http://blogs.bostonmagazine.com/boston_daily/2012/10/03/bobby-valentine-wrecks-bike/
Private Sector Adds 162,000 Jobs, ADP Says
Private U.S. businesses added 162,000 jobs last month, according to payroll processor ADP, more than the 153,000 expected by economists.
via WSJ.com: What's News US http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444223104578034133312076100.html?mod=rss_whats_news_us
27.5 years of gameplay
A study-based analysis of UK gaming magazines in the 1980s and 90s argues that the analysis of computer games, independent of attributes such as the platform or narrative, becomes more evident after March 1985 when the term ‘gameplay’ begins to be used in this media.
via MetaFilter http://www.metafilter.com/120520/275-years-of-gameplay
The Swing Voter
PRESTON, Mo. — On the drive from Springfield to Independence, before I committed my traditional travel ritual of Losing Expensive Electronics, I saw Robert Schuetz’s home sticking out like a flaming thumb. Inside the limits of tiny Preston, Schuetz had placed eight gigantic, self-made signs.
Intrigued, I parked and walked up to Schuetz’s door. An elderly man in jeans and plaid muted his TV — one could hear the japes of Kevin James and the King of Queens cast — and asked me if I was familiar with Obama’s “martial law order.” I wasn’t so, he invited me inside. The well-kept living room was devoted to TV, DVDs, and books, including a red-bound Bible on a handy endtable. An adjoining room was set up with a computer, radios, and reams of paper that Schuetz had printed out.
“I just put in the search term and I find out what I need,” he said. Schuetz handed me some of his latest findings — a WorldNetDaily article about biased polls, a Daily Mail piece about Monica Lewinsky’s book deal, and the name of the the so-called martial law order: The National Defense Resources Prepardness order.
There was so much material doubting the president’s religion that I had to ask: Was Schuetz comfortable voting for Mitt Romney. “Yeah, the Mormons are okay,” he said. “You seen what they’re doing to Catholics now? They’re saying they’ll shut down Catholic schools unless they teach Islam.”
Schuetz went on to explain his fight with the city over water and free speech rights, but I had to go. “The next sign I’m gonna put out there,” said my host, “is gonna say: Impeach the Sonovabitch!”
via Slate Blogs http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2012/10/03/the_swing_voter.html