In a complete contrast from last weekend, it was a light drizzle that welcomed me to the day as I woke up. Eventually it struck me that my umbrella as well as my rain-jacket was in the movers’ storage, ergo it was going to be an indoors kind of day.
On the way back from the driver’s license office, I hit Subway (a couple of blocks from here) and a video rental store. Now normally I’m quite averse to spending $4 on a DVD rental, but for me, this one was quite tempting – “Who Killed the Electric Car?” Later, while collecting my buy.com parcel (USB hard drive) from the apartment office, I was overjoyed when I found out that the building had a club room and a gym too!
Having finished my sub and soup combo, I grabbed my DVD player and headed to the 62” plasma TV in the club room to watch the movie. And that is the inspiration for today’s post.
For those who don’t know me well enough, I’m a HUGE car fan, in that I love to drive anything that has wheels; and even some things that don’t! I therefore tend to keep track of most technological innovations on the road, but even in spite of that I didn’t know much about the electric car (which is saying something about their advertising). It was upon watching the movie that I found out – in the late 90s, the California Air Resources Board came up with a mandate that forced auto manufacturers to sell zero emission cars. In response, GM came out with a technological innovation of sorts – the completely electric car, EV1 - followed by Toyota, Honda and other manufacturers. Quote from the DVD cover, “Running solely on electricity, General Motors’ fleet of EV1 electric vehicles were so efficient, they were on the brink of altering the future of driving in America – perhaps even the world.” Truly so, its buyers loved it so much that they actually made this film about how – almost like a murder mystery – the conspiracy came about for the demise of the electric vehicle, and the culprit was never caught. Was it the petroleum giants or was it the car manufacturers, who decided to crush their own child? They would not even extend the leases of the EV1s, let alone let them be bought! Or was it C.A.R.B. that crumbled under their pressure and repealed the mandate? It was indeed a sad victory of money and power (read money again) over ideals. I personally recommend watching this movie, because there is much to learn from it. For one, it has completely changed my perception of hybrid vehicles! :)
As I mulled over the issue in the newly discovered gym, I realized that it is the responsibility of all of us – the citizens of the world – to make a difference. So the next time you read about something you feel should be different, be it anything from the air we pollute to the laws we make, don’t just be an onlooker; take an effort to stand up and protest!
On the way back from the driver’s license office, I hit Subway (a couple of blocks from here) and a video rental store. Now normally I’m quite averse to spending $4 on a DVD rental, but for me, this one was quite tempting – “Who Killed the Electric Car?” Later, while collecting my buy.com parcel (USB hard drive) from the apartment office, I was overjoyed when I found out that the building had a club room and a gym too!
Having finished my sub and soup combo, I grabbed my DVD player and headed to the 62” plasma TV in the club room to watch the movie. And that is the inspiration for today’s post.
For those who don’t know me well enough, I’m a HUGE car fan, in that I love to drive anything that has wheels; and even some things that don’t! I therefore tend to keep track of most technological innovations on the road, but even in spite of that I didn’t know much about the electric car (which is saying something about their advertising). It was upon watching the movie that I found out – in the late 90s, the California Air Resources Board came up with a mandate that forced auto manufacturers to sell zero emission cars. In response, GM came out with a technological innovation of sorts – the completely electric car, EV1 - followed by Toyota, Honda and other manufacturers. Quote from the DVD cover, “Running solely on electricity, General Motors’ fleet of EV1 electric vehicles were so efficient, they were on the brink of altering the future of driving in America – perhaps even the world.” Truly so, its buyers loved it so much that they actually made this film about how – almost like a murder mystery – the conspiracy came about for the demise of the electric vehicle, and the culprit was never caught. Was it the petroleum giants or was it the car manufacturers, who decided to crush their own child? They would not even extend the leases of the EV1s, let alone let them be bought! Or was it C.A.R.B. that crumbled under their pressure and repealed the mandate? It was indeed a sad victory of money and power (read money again) over ideals. I personally recommend watching this movie, because there is much to learn from it. For one, it has completely changed my perception of hybrid vehicles! :)
As I mulled over the issue in the newly discovered gym, I realized that it is the responsibility of all of us – the citizens of the world – to make a difference. So the next time you read about something you feel should be different, be it anything from the air we pollute to the laws we make, don’t just be an onlooker; take an effort to stand up and protest!
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1 comment:
Is this the effect of that hybrid car lurking in your mind [:)]
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