Sunday, October 15, 2006

Cleaner diesel is here

Just wanted to make a man-on-the-street report that I had my first encounter with ultra-low sulfur diesel this week, filling up my TDI's tank on a road trip to Santa Fe. As I noted before, this only means about 10% cleaner emissions for us current diesels, but newer diesels will be able to reduce emissions 90-some percent.

I did hear that current diesels could be retrofitted to have the same reduction. If anyone knows the specifics of retrofitting a VW, let me know!

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Healthier foods in schools

The William J. Clinton Foundation has struck again.

In an effort to fight the rise in childhood obesity, five of the country’s largest snack food producers said yesterday they would start providing more nutritious foods to schools, replacing sugary, fat-laden products in vending machines and cafeterias.

French fries, ice cream, candy, cupcakes and potato chips from the machines, lunch lines, school stores and even school fund-raising events could disappear under a voluntary agreement between the companies and the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.

This follows an agreement in May to halt most soda sales in schools. Kudos to Clinton.

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Month of 300 million

It looks like this is the month that the US's population will hit 300 million. Another chance for some overpopulation scaremongering.

"The U.S. is the only industrialized nation in the world experiencing significant population growth," says Vicky Markham of the Center for Environment and Population. "That, combined with America's high rates of resource consumption, results in the largest ... environmental impact [of any nation] in the world."

No kidding! I'm just inclined to think that when weighing the utility and value of people versus SUVs, it's obvious what's got to go.

The US is not having too many children. If you want to see what cutting down on our birthrate will do, look at the problems Europe and Japan are having and the incredible difficulties they'll be having in the near future as their population ages and social services have to be cut.

And if you're really intent at keeping the US population static, cut immigration.