Saturday, April 28, 2007

$2,500 car

TreeHugger and PFAdvice quote BusinessWeek's report that Renault-Nissan is working on building a $2,500 car. A new generation of the Ford Model Ts with hopefully the requisite safety and fuel/mileage efficient techology is in the offing. How will this all pan out?

Technology is neutral. The people behind aren't.

It's exciting news. But, what gets me more excited is how the 'greenies' will adapt the knowledge behind the technology for sustainable development. I'd like to see hundreds of groups, companies, cooperatives, individuals offering different and AFFORDABLE green cars or mass transport, or single transporter (bikes, cycles...)

Technology for the people!

Friday, April 27, 2007

Environmental compensation or opportunity cost payment

The Environmental News Service and Mother Jones' blogger April Rabkin report that Ecuador is seeking a compensation of US$350 million a year NOT to develop a major oilfield in the Ecuadorian Amazon.

I've heard of this argument from the developing world as far back as 10 years ago. I think it's a provacative proposal and is a subliminal indictment of the developed world's appetite for cheap oil and the transfer of the conservation burden to the developing world.

It's about opportunity cost and the trend of some in using neoliberalism in turning, as they say, the tortilla over. In this case, using capitalism against the capitalist...Intriguing..