EC March 2009

ec@lists.wvsierraclub.org

12 participants
28 discussions

FW: NYT (Friedman -- While Detroit Slept)
by James Kotcon 05 Jan '10

05 Jan '10

From my father-in-law. JBK >>> "Bob Elliott" <rdelliott(a)socal.rr.com> 12/12/2008 7:29 AM >>> <http://www.nytimes.com/> <http://www.nytimes.com/> The New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/> _____ December 10, 2008 Op-Ed Columnist While Detroit Slept By <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/opinion/editorialsandoped/oped/columnists/tho maslfriedman/index.html?inline=nyt-per> THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN As I think about our bailing out Detroit, I can't help but reflect on what, in my view, is the most important rule of business in today's integrated and digitized global market, where knowledge and innovation tools are so widely distributed. It's this: Whatever can be done, will be done. The only question is will it be done by you or to you. Just don't think it won't be done. If you have an idea in Detroit or Tennessee, promise me that you'll pursue it, because someone in Denmark or Tel Aviv will do so a second later. Why do I bring this up? Because someone in the mobility business in Denmark and Tel Aviv is already developing a real-world alternative to Detroit's business model. I don't know if this alternative to gasoline-powered cars will work, but I do know that it can be done - and Detroit isn't doing it. And therefore it will be done, and eventually, I bet, it will be done profitably. And when it is, our bailout of Detroit will be remembered as the equivalent of pouring billions of dollars of taxpayer money into the mail-order-catalogue business on the eve of the birth of eBay. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into the CD music business on the eve of the birth of the iPod and iTunes. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into a book-store chain on the eve of the birth of Amazon.com and the Kindle. It will be remembered as pouring billions of dollars into improving typewriters on the eve of the birth of the PC and the Internet. What business model am I talking about? It is Shai Agassi's electric car network company, called Better Place. Just last week, the company, based in Palo Alto, Calif., announced a partnership with the state of Hawaii to road test its business plan there after already inking similar deals with Israel, Australia, the San Francisco Bay area and, yes, Denmark. The Better Place electric car charging system involves generating electrons from as much renewable energy - such as wind and solar - as possible and then feeding those clean electrons into a national electric car charging infrastructure. This consists of electricity charging spots with plug-in outlets - the first pilots were opened in Israel this week - plus battery-exchange stations all over the respective country. The whole system is then coordinated by a service control center that integrates and does the billing. Under the Better Place model, consumers can either buy or lease an electric car from the French automaker Renault or Japanese companies like Nissan (General Motors snubbed Agassi) and then buy miles on their electric car batteries from Better Place the way you now buy an Apple cellphone and the minutes from AT&T. That way Better Place, or any car company that partners with it, benefits from each mile you drive. G.M. sells cars. Better Place is selling mobility miles. The first Renault and Nissan electric cars are scheduled to hit Denmark and Israel in 2011, when the whole system should be up and running. On Tuesday, Japan's Ministry of Environment invited Better Place to join the first government-led electric car project along with Honda, Mitsubishi and Subaru. Better Place was the only foreign company invited to participate, working with Japan's leading auto companies, to build a battery swap station for electric cars in Yokohama, the Detroit of Japan. What I find exciting about Better Place is that it is building a car company off the new industrial platform of the 21st century, not the one from the 20th - the exact same way that Steve Jobs did to overturn the music business. What did Apple understand first? One, that today's technology platform would allow anyone with a computer to record music. Two, that the Internet and MP3 players would allow anyone to transfer music in digital form to anyone else. You wouldn't need CDs or record companies anymore. Apple simply took all those innovations and integrated them into a single music-generating, purchasing and listening system that completely disrupted the music business. What Agassi, the founder of Better Place, is saying is that there is a new way to generate mobility, not just music, using the same platform. It just takes the right kind of auto battery - the iPod in this story - and the right kind of national plug-in network - the iTunes store - to make the business model work for electric cars at six cents a mile. The average American is paying today around 12 cents a mile for gasoline transportation, which also adds to global warming and strengthens petro-dictators. Do not expect this innovation to come out of Detroit. Remember, in 1908, the Ford Model-T got better mileage - 25 miles per gallon - than many Ford, G.M. and Chrysler models made in 2008. But don't be surprised when it comes out of somewhere else. It can be done. It will be done. If we miss the chance to win the race for Car 2.0 because we keep mindlessly bailing out Car 1.0, there will be no one to blame more than Detroit's new shareholders: we the taxpayers. _____ Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite sites in one place. Try <http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000 010> it now.

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JOE LOVETT'S VICTORY BEFORE JUDGE GOODWIN
by William V. DePaulo, Esq. 31 Mar '09

31 Mar '09

READ AND ENJOY THE FRESH AIR...AND HATS OFF TO JOE LOVETT AND HIS TEAM. -- William V. DePaulo, Esq. 179 Summers Street, Suite 232 Charleston, WV 25301-2163 Tel: 304-342-5588 Fax: 304-342-5505 william.depaulo(a)gmail.com www.passeggiata.com

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LOOK AT COAL TATTOO
by Regina Hendrix 31 Mar '09

31 Mar '09

http://blogs.wvgazette.com/coaltattoo/ More great news. Decision on Nationwide 404 permit use.

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Re: [EC] [fom] BLAIR MOUNTAIN PLACED ON THE REGISTER TODAY
by Bill McCabe 30 Mar '09

30 Mar '09

hot damn, what great news this is!!! Regina and all others, celebrate this one for sure --- On Mon, 3/30/09, Regina Hendrix <regina1936(a)verizon.net> wrote: From: Regina Hendrix <regina1936(a)verizon.net> Subject: [fom] BLAIR MOUNTAIN PLACED ON THE REGISTER TODAY To: "All of FOM list" <fom(a)lists.riseup.net>, ec(a)osenergy.org, mountainjustice(a)lists.riseup.net, "Gallant, Carol" <dcgallant(a)aol.com>, "Doug Estepp" <estepp(a)shentel.net>, "Ayers, Harvard" <harvard(a)boone.net>, "Barbara Rasmussen" <brasmu(a)digitalconnections.net>, "aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org" <aaron.isherwood(a)sierraclub.org> Date: Monday, March 30, 2009, 1:18 PM BLAIR MOUNTAIN PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER TODAY. Just learned that Blair Mountain has been placed on the National Register today by the National Park Service. This is the culmination of five years of effort by Friends of the Mountains and many persistent and faithful supporters and volunteers. There have been numerous attempts by many people to preserve this historic site. The efforts date back to the 1980's. Regina Hendrix

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Re: [EC] [fom] BLAIR MOUNTAIN PLACED ON THE REGISTER TODAY
by clrank＠hughes.net 30 Mar '09

30 Mar '09

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BLAIR MOUNTAIN PLACED ON THE REGISTER TODAY
by Regina Hendrix 30 Mar '09

30 Mar '09

BLAIR MOUNTAIN PLACED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER TODAY. Just learned that Blair Mountain has been placed on the National Register today by the National Park Service. This is the culmination of five years of effort by Friends of the Mountains and many persistent and faithful supporters and volunteers. There have been numerous attempts by many people to preserve this historic site. The efforts date back to the 1980's. Regina Hendrix

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NYTimes.com: Opinion: Smart Meters Are Not the Answer to the U.S. Power Problem
by william.depaulo＠gmail.com 29 Mar '09

29 Mar '09

This page was sent to you by: william.depaulo(a)gmail.com. TECHNOLOGY | March 27, 2009 Opinion: Smart Meters Are Not the Answer to the U.S. Power Problem By SUBODH NAYAR, GigaOm Subodh Nayar is the Chief Operations Officer of Powerline Telco Empowering consumers with actionable intelligence about their po http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2009/03/27/27gigaom-opinion-smart-me… ---------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS E-MAIL This e-mail was sent to you by a friend through NYTimes.com's E-mail This Article service. For general information about NYTimes.com, write to help(a)nytimes.com. NYTimes.com 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018 Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

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FW: {Fraud?} [wvec-board] MTR Poll- Please GO VOTE
by Grubb, Karen 26 Mar '09

26 Mar '09

We need more votes against MTR on this website. www.wymt.com From: wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com [mailto:wvec-board@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Frank Young Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 10:27 AM To: WVHCBOARD(a)yahoogroups.com; wvec-board(a)yahoogroups.com Subject: {Fraud?} [wvec-board] MTR Poll- Please GO VOTE ----- Original Message ----- From: WVhollowGirl <mailto:wvhollowgirl@aol.com> To: fom(a)lists.riseup.net Sent: Thursday, March 26, 2009 10:00 AM Subject: [fom] www.wymt.com POLL GO VOTE Its center of the home page www.wymt.com Maria Gunnoe Community Outreach and Issue Organizer www.ohvec.org PO Box 46 Bob White, WV 25028 o-304-245-8481 c-304-360-4255 Make a donation to OVEC! https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=26145

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[Fwd: Fw: Vote in Mountain Top Removal Poll]
by Regina Hendrix 26 Mar '09

26 Mar '09

Would you please go vote in this poll.

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[Fwd: Open Letter to the Clay Center: Reject Bayer Endowment]
by Regina Hendrix 26 Mar '09

26 Mar '09

More information about the Bayer threat to Kanawha Valley residents.

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EC March 2009