Neil Marshall Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Did anyone hear Green Peas on Radio Four yesterday,slamming Ford for producing cars like the Range Rover that 'have only half the fuel economy of a Model T'...time they should be banned? Never mind that the average Ford in Europe consumes fuel at less than half the rate the Model T did and produce only 1% of the emissions; carry more cargo; carry more people; require less maintenance/spares etc. Never mind that 4WDs are designed for a different purpose. Never mind that 4WDs do not represent a significant percentage of total automotive volumes. Etc etc etc. What sticks in my craw is that everyone knows that their argument is fallacious, yet they are always given airtime to push their distorted views. Isn't it time that someone stood up against these mis-guided, open-toed-sandalled, do-gooders? I can't think of any organisation that's fighting back effectively....Ford's too scared to make waves....there's no effective 4WD user group. And they are clever - look at the "Climate Crime File Against Ford" - Green Peas clicky So what can we do? Well, I've just signed up online for Greenpeace's anti-off-road campaign. I'll let you know what material comes through my door/inbox, but this is the beginning: Thank you for signing up to the Greenpeace clean energy campaign, committed to halting climate change. You are now part of the solution working to get governments and corporations to take positive action. Land Rovers do less miles per gallon than the Ford Model T - first made 100 years ago, and Ford, their parent company, has stood in the way of governments acting on climate change. Together we can pressure Ford to invest in improving the fuel efficiency of all their vehicles and force governments to ensure that gas-guzzlers do become a thing of the past. Let Ford know that you have identified them as a climate criminal and you will be working to make sure that they improve the fuel efficiency of all their vehicles. Tell them you won't let them scupper legislation to combat climate change and that you will be holding them accountable for their contributions to climate change. Send a fax to Ford CEO William Clay Ford, Jr . Send an ecard to your friends and family asking them to help make gas-guzzlers a thing of the past. All very clever stuff - easy for suckers to be sucked in. If anyone's bored, do like me - use the link to write a nice supportive email to William Clay Ford. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 How many miles per gallon did the Model T do, anyway? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Marshall Posted September 29, 2005 Author Share Posted September 29, 2005 Actually, Geoff, they don't quote it in any of their material - suspicous , that, eh? However, shhhh, between you and I it was 25 mpg. Top speed was pretty dire, though, so you might argue it was all in the gearing. Stating the bleeding obvious, my Defender delivers 30 mpg. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siggy Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 see here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 Maybe we should survey Greenpeace members and find out how many are genuinely prepared to drive 20HP cars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted September 29, 2005 Share Posted September 29, 2005 All this global warming carp really ****** me off. Greenpeace and all the other enviromentalists base their research on short term data, ie from 1860 onwards. From 1860, global temperature HAS gone up. However if you take a long term view and go back 10000 years a different picture emerges. Its actually colder now, than it has been for 7500 of the last 10000 years. more info here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neil Marshall Posted September 30, 2005 Author Share Posted September 30, 2005 It's a mistake to think that America is doing nothing....if you look at Hummer's website you can read all about their new hydrogen powered model. **Watch The Terminator fill up the Hummer H2H. **Hear that it's the only Hummer ever made in Laser Blue. **Read that it can go up to 60 miles between fills. Much as I adore them, this one just made me laugh. Clicky - Asta la vista, Hummer boy "This is a bold and brave experiment from a brand that - frankly - does some bold and brave things". Hey, don't we all, baby. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 How do we sink greenpeace? Get some facts and go and protest! Look on Greenpeace Active's website for local Greenpeace protests (AKA "Direct Actions") and go along and confront them. Sometimes they even stage demos outside LR main dealers - what more could you ask for? When I confronted them at Glastonbury they didn't have any real answers whatsoever. They did have nice shiny leaflets though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterW Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 How do we sink greenpeace? Get some facts and go and protest! Look on Greenpeace Active's website for local Greenpeace protests (AKA "Direct Actions") and go along and confront them. Sometimes they even stage demos outside LR main dealers - what more could you ask for?When I confronted them at Glastonbury they didn't have any real answers whatsoever. They did have nice shiny leaflets though. I think the French had the right idea (for once...) Anyone remember Rainbow Warrior...??? Cheers Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbeaumont Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 Anyone remember Rainbow Warrior...??? Bet that did five times as many miles to the gallon as a Model T, and ran on environmentally friendly peace and love... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MJG Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 I think the French had the right idea (for once...)Anyone remember Rainbow Warrior...??? Cheers Pete You beat me to it!!! I can't remember the details but yes the French Secret Service did once launch an attack on the Greenpeace ship. Read the rather dramatic and emotive Greenpeace account here:- http://archive.greenpeace.org/comms/rw/pkbomb.html Strikes me though that some of these hippy types might just have a point.... however They do of course have the right to purport a point of view, what they don't have is the right is to try to demonise those of us who choose to drive what we do. My current mode of transport is very heavy on fuel for a 1.8 but that is what I want to drive. However I am seriously thinking about a petrol/electric hybrid Toyota Prius/Honda Civic for my next car. This has absolutely nothing to do with my wanting to care for the environment but rather it would meet my current transport needs (no need for a 4x4 and I don't caravan anymore) and they do around 60 mpg. I wonder what these GP types think about the new Hybrid Lexus 4x4, I think they look carp and they will no doubt be pants in a real off road situation but they are no doubt kinder to the environment than a new RR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 However I am seriously thinking about a petrol/electric hybrid Toyota Prius/Honda Civic for my next car. This has absolutely nothing to do with my wanting to care for the environment but rather it would meet my current transport needs (no need for a 4x4 and I don't caravan anymore) and they do around 60 mpg. Did you see Top Gear's review of the prius? The short version is "don't bother" because you can buy any number of small cars that get better MPG and aren't anywhere near as expensive to buy or service. I think they quoted a Lupo TDi as being about 1/2 the price, getting 74 MPG, taking up less road space, creating less carbon to manufacture, going faster and being better to drive My Land Rover has made itself carbon neutral now by being older than the average vehicle, so has saved at least one new vehicle from being produced, saving all that carbon. Oh and my runabout Primera was bought from the scrapyard so is officially 100% recyled, can't get much greener than that! The company van is trying to biodegrade as quickly as possible, I'm not sure if that's got much to do with Ford's environmental policy rather than their p*ss poor quality policy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 All this global warming carp really ****** me off. Greenpeace and all the other enviromentalists base their research on short term data, ie from 1860 onwards. From 1860, global temperature HAS gone up. However if you take a long term view and go back 10000 years a different picture emerges. Its actually colder now, than it has been for 7500 of the last 10000 years.more info here A friend of mine was telling me recently that there is a direct correlation between the increase in global temperatures and the decrease in the number of pirates operating. Astonishing what you can make statistics tell you if you try hard enough to manipulate figures or choose sources. And another thing... I wonder how many MPG a Rainbow Warrior does? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dollythelw Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Its easy to chuck stones without getting your own house in order first Ask the bearded ones (the females?) if they are on hormonal birth control and ask how they remove the hormones from the water system before flushing? Ask the spindly ones (the males?) how many trees were cut to print thier literature? where it was printed and what environmental impact the transport of the literature has Ask them if they have ever flown in a jet aircraft Ask them if they have TVs or live in structures that involve brick or concrete in thier manufacture tell them to lead by example - print on deadfall bark using mushroom ink, deliver the leaflets by hand and only by foot or horseback, breed like rabbits, live in a field (not mine) in a bracken covered hovel and free from polluting artificial light, then I'll listen to them I need a T shirt making up "whales are yummy and yes I drive a Land Rover" .... I'd better take one of my yellow pills now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snailracer Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 The global warming issue is one i'm having to think about carefully at the moment. I'm a trainee secondary school science teacher and drive a series 3. The fact is there are no such things as facts, just the most commonly held, likeliest point of view (research and data are still interpreted). Type global warming into google (or any generic search engine) and you get thousands of points of view ranging from the greenpeace view (humans are evil) to a measured view (its a natural process that has happened for millenia and we're just contributing) to global warming will cause the next ice age (cutting off the gulf stream. but at least it would snow at christmas). I think its very arrogant for anyone to assume it is us thats causing climate change, the world is a far stranger place than we realise. Remember that Newton had physics sussed until einstein (and others) came along. give it a couple of hundred years and some one else will come up with something. but thats only my point of view. The best thing to do is find out for yourself and form your own opinion, and let others have theirs. So i'll be sticking with the series 3. Bit of a rant but never mind. Snailracer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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