Good news for environmental moderates
New technology can preserve the environment through efficiency
MOSES LAKE — The very statement causes arguments, but its true. I am an environmental moderate.
I am not trying to provoke an argument, nor cast stones at anyone’s way of life.
I like a clean, natural environment and efficient use of technology. I am not ready to throw away technology nor carry any flag for an emotional cause just for the sake of being seen as “green.”
Anyone with an interest in science is inclined to seek better ways of doing things. Using less energy to make something or to power technology is admirable. Using less is efficient, which I think is good.
I am going to skip further philosophical discussion and jump right to the point. There are a couple of things that make me, as an environmental moderate, happy with efforts to make the Earth a better place.
Both are moves to become more efficient and dare I say, “green?”
First is a new bottle used to deliver Dasani water. It uses a new plastic technology. About 30 percent of the bottle is made from a plant-based material instead of oil. The bottle is still 100 percent recyclable.
It is fairly easy to see the benefits, despite what groups on the Internet might write.
It may not be the ultimate solution, but it is a great step toward a more efficient technology.
The BMW Mini-E electric car is the second technological advance I am happy about. Some friends will give me grief about this, because I prefer performance sports cars.
But the all electric Mini-E meets more of my criteria for an alterative fuel vehicle than any other. It looks good. It performs as well, or better, than a gas powered car. It is comfortable to use. It also must have a similar range as my current car.
After watching programs show the lack of reliability of the Tesla cars, I was happy to meet with BMW representatives at the new SGL Automotive Group carbon fiber plant groundbreaking.
They built roughly 600 of the electric Mini Coopers and have been running them in large cities as part of the testing for the future Megacity Vehicle. So far, so good.
Driving the Mini-E on Randolph Road, I found it nimble and responsive with fantastic acceleration. It drove very well and was comfortable for me and a passenger who stood more than 6 foot 4 inches tall.
I was concerned with a 100 mile range, but as a daily commuter around Moses Lake it would be fine. They have even reduced the charging time to about 2-3 hours.
BMW is investing in the SGL plant to make carbon fiber material for future electric car parts. They want to lighten the Megacity Vehicle by using as much carbon fiber as they can because it is just as strong and 50 percent lighter than steel.
I am not ready to trade cars yet, but the Mini-E is a great step forward to making an alternative fuel vehicle that is more efficient than what we drive now. And that, I like.
Bill Stevenson is the managing editor of the Columbia Basin Herald. He bored his staff with bad Jeremy Clarkson impressions after getting to drive the Mini-E. Clarkson is not only a host of BBC’s “Top Gear,” but also a newspaper columnist in London.