Car Chat

[Morris Minor]

Friend of mine just traded in his three-year old Range Rover. It spent more time in the shop than on the road... & the repair bills were getting silly.
He's now in a great big fuck-you optioned-to-the-max Nissan Armada.
Not my cup of tea at all, but it's comfortable, silent and trouble-free.


Nice job Land Rover.

[Laconian]

Armadas are like the Sea Ray McMansion yachts of the automotive world.

[12,000 RPM]

Nice color. Have to remember that so if I ever do repaint Blue, I'll use that paint code.

It looks like clearcoat over primer.... YUCK

[FoMoJo]

Friend of mine just traded in his three-year old Range Rover. It spent more time in the shop than on the road... & the repair bills were getting silly.
He's now in a great big fuck-you optioned-to-the-max Nissan Armada.
Not my cup of tea at all, but it's comfortable, silent and trouble-free.


Nice job Land Rover.

What model Land Rover?

[AutobahnSHO]

Sorry r0tor!!!!

I was eating breakfast at the chow hall when we saw an accident like that, only person driving was going way too fast so backer didn't see them, and straight took most of the damage.

[Raza]

Friend of mine just traded in his three-year old Range Rover. It spent more time in the shop than on the road... & the repair bills were getting silly.
He's now in a great big fuck-you optioned-to-the-max Nissan Armada.
Not my cup of tea at all, but it's comfortable, silent and trouble-free.


Nice job Land Rover.

They're fast, too, for the size.  But they're ponderous, strangely lack space for the driver, and are, like all Nissans, ergonomic nightmares.

[Eye of the Tiger]

They're fast, too, for the size.  But they're ponderous, strangely lack space for the driver, and are, like all Nissans, ergonomic nightmares.

It's like trying to drive a potato.

[cawimmer430]

I don't even remember what the last one looked like, but there's no way in hell this is an improvement.

IIRC the last Corolla we got in Europe was this.




Bland. Characterless.

The new one looks like a sporty hot hatch, and I think it looks rather nice.

[FoMoJo]

For 2o6, the new Toyota Corolla Hybrid. Looks pretty good for a Toyota.

Kinda looks like it's trying to swallow something that's too big to fit in its mouth.

[cawimmer430]

Kinda looks like it's trying to swallow something that's too big to fit in its mouth.

[cawimmer430]

Yay! Finally, FINALLY, she's leaving Europe and can terrorize the US. When will she piss off the Chinese?



Greta Thunberg will sail across the Atlantic on a zero-emissions yacht for the UN climate summit

Climate activist Greta Thunberg will cross the Atlantic on a zero-emissions sailboat on her way to speak at the UN Climate Action Summit on September 23.

Setting off mid-August from an undisclosed location in the UK, Thunberg and the crew of the Malizia II yacht will sail to New York City, where the summit will take place at UN headquarters, according to a tweet from Thunberg.



The Swedish 16-year-old has become the figurehead of a burgeoning movement of youth climate activists after her weekly protests inspired student strikes in more than 100 cities worldwide. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called on world leaders to present concrete plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the upcoming summit.

Thunberg doesn't fly due to high levels of emissions from air travel, according to a statement, and the Malizia II will allow her to make a zero-emissions journey thanks to solar panels and underwater turbines that generate electricity.

The journey will take Thunberg from the UK to New York City.

Cutting emissions is key to reducing climate change, which could pose an existential threat to human societies by 2050 if swift and dramatic action isn't taken, according to a report published in June.
"The science is clear and all we children are doing is communicating and acting on that united science," said Thunberg in a statement.

"And our demand is for the world to unite behind the science."

Thunberg looked into the most environmentally friendly way to get to New York before settling on the Malizia II.

The boat will be captained by Boris Herrmann, a professional race skipper, and Pierre Casiraghi, founder of the Malizia team.

"Greta is amazingly courageous to be standing up against ignorance and injustice regarding the climate crisis," said Herrmann.

"I feel humbled that Greta accepted our offer as the lowest-carbon option to cross the Atlantic -- despite the lack of comfort for her."

Thunberg's appearance in New York City will be the first stop in a string of engagements in the Americas over the next few months, according to a statement.

She will also go to Canada and Mexico, and travel to the UN COP25 climate conference in Santiago, Chile, before visiting other sites in South America.

On July 25 Thunberg and UK band The 1975 released a song in she calls for mass civil disobedience to force action on greenhouse gas emissions.

In the track, titled "The 1975," Thunberg recites an essay over ambient music, urging listeners to join a popular rebellion against climate change.



Link: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/29/europe/greta-thunberg-sailboat-scli-intl/index.html

[AutobahnSHO]

Yeah, I wonder how the the emissions of all our passenger planes compare with factories in developing countries that made the clothing she's wearing.

[cawimmer430]

Yeah, I wonder how the the emissions of all our passenger planes compare with factories in developing countries that made the clothing she's wearing.

Exactly.

[giant_mtb]

Maybe she's conscious of where her clothing is produced, too.

[cawimmer430]

Maybe she's conscious of where her clothing is produced, too.

She is.

The problem with Greta Thunberg is that she's hands down being used and exploited to cause fear and panic in people. A prominent ancestor of hers discovered the earth's climate changes and ever since her family has been making money with this topic.

Funny thing is, in stupid Germany our politicians are all bowing to her feet, but over in France the French politicians literally told her to go fuck off.

[giant_mtb]

She is.

The problem with Greta Thunberg is that she's hands down being used and exploited to cause fear and panic in people. A prominent ancestor of hers discovered the earth's climate changes and ever since her family has been making money with this topic.

Funny thing is, in stupid Germany our politicians are all bowing to her feet, but over in France the French politicians literally told her to go fuck off.

Source?

[cawimmer430]

Source?

Can you read German?

Some detailed links.

https://www.blick.ch/news/ausland/der-famose-thunberg-clan-gretas-vorfahre-erhielt-nobelpreis-id15138537.html

http://staseve.eu/?p=91896




And here's the prominent ancestor of Greta Thunberg who discovered climate change and the possible CO2 connection.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_Arrhenius

[FoMoJo]

And here's the prominent ancestor of Greta Thunberg who discovered climate change and the possible CO2 connection.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_Arrhenius

Pretty smart guy.  I'm often amazed at the theoretical advancements made in the 19th century of so many branches of science.

[giant_mtb]

Can you read German?

Some detailed links.

https://www.blick.ch/news/ausland/der-famose-thunberg-clan-gretas-vorfahre-erhielt-nobelpreis-id15138537.html

http://staseve.eu/?p=91896




And here's the prominent ancestor of Greta Thunberg who discovered climate change and the possible CO2 connection.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svante_Arrhenius

What's, uh...what's the problem here?  Somebody in her family a hundred years ago made a scientific discovery...so now she's not allowed to be involved in science?  You need to relax.  Her mom's an opera singer, her dad's an actor.  It's not like some crazy family legacy conspiracy to get rich off of it.

Clearly they've been scheming this whole time to get rich off their daughter's interest in climate change... Her father doesn't like her missing school, but says: "[We] respect that she wants to make a stand. She can either sit at home and be really unhappy, or protest, and be happy". To lower her family's carbon footprint, she insisted they become vegan and give up flying. She said she persuaded her parents to give up eating meat by making them feel guilty. "I kept telling them that they were stealing our future." Her mother also gave up her international career as an opera singer. Despite invitations to speak at international events, Greta also doesn't fly anywhere.

[veeman]

Friend of mine just traded in his three-year old Range Rover. It spent more time in the shop than on the road... & the repair bills were getting silly.
He's now in a great big fuck-you optioned-to-the-max Nissan Armada.
Not my cup of tea at all, but it's comfortable, silent and trouble-free.

They're fast, too, for the size.  But they're ponderous, strangely lack space for the driver, and are, like all Nissans, ergonomic nightmares.

It's like trying to drive a potato.

My car is very similar to the Armada.  I've driven both my QX56, now called the QX80, and the much smaller 3 row SUV, the QX60, as a loaner a bunch of times long distance.  There's not as much space inside based on how it looks because the seats are so damn thick. It's almost impossible to feel cramped however in the captain chairs of the first and second row and the greenhouse is very tall.  Ergonomically the only issue I've ever had is that it's a long reach to turn the radio channel.  I'm not that tall or lanky however and can do it pretty easily.  It does drive like a potato with the smaller SUV being significantly more agile.  Parking is a breeze due to surround vision. 

I'm pretty sure the Armada is smaller than a quad cab pickup so everything is relative

[cawimmer430]

What's, uh...what's the problem here?  Somebody in her family a hundred years ago made a scientific discovery...so now she's not allowed to be involved in science?  You need to relax.  Her mom's an opera singer, her dad's an actor.  It's not like some crazy family legacy conspiracy to get rich off of it.

The problem I have is that our worthless German media is hyping this girl up as if she's concerned about the environment (which would be fine), but fails to omit that it's the family business to make money from the climate change hysteria.

The mother recently wrote a book in which she claims that her daughter Greta "can see CO2 with her eyes." Crazies. 

I'm all for protecting the environment, but it has to be done in a sane and rational and economically safe manner. What Greta Thunberg and her wacko Friday's For Future organization are demanding is sheer lunacy and economically damaging. In Germany she and her group are demanding an immediate shut down of all coal power plants, a ban on inner-German flights, a switch to electric cars etc. All of these demands are currently unrealistic, economically damaging and dangerous. Our renewable energy from solar and wind is limited and unreliable. Coal, specifically brown coal, is our main energy supplier since we foolishly exited nuclear power. Our industry requires a constant stream of high quality and reliable energy (Gleichstrom). Shutting down our coal power plants over night? Bad idea.

[veeman]

A lot of countries/cities depend on international tourism for their economies.  If people quit flying, they would be in a world of hurt as would all of the businesses which cater to tourists and conferences.  It's estimated that air flight contributes something like 3.5% of all causes of climate change.  I think they should try to make airplanes more climate friendly but to reduce or eliminate air travel is preposterous.  Most people (like 99%) don't have the time/money to charter a private emission free yacht to travel. 

[cawimmer430]

A lot of countries/cities depend on international tourism for their economies.  If people quit flying, they would be in a world of hurt as would all of the businesses which cater to tourists and conferences.  It's estimated that air flight contributes something like 3.5% of all causes of climate change.  I think they should try to make airplanes more climate friendly but to reduce or eliminate air travel is preposterous.  Most people (like 99%) don't have the time/money to charter a private emission free yacht to travel. 

Exactly.

Germany right now is such a shit hole. I am not exaggerating but there's a hysteria going around here which seems unbelievable to any logical and normal-thinking human being. These Friday For Future and climate change activists recently protested at the Stuttgart airport with the intention of preventing airplanes from starting/landing. Now they're protesting at the IAA (international car show)!!! Unbelievable.


I do agree that air travel within a country could be reduced (or eliminated) - IF a reliable, fast and affordable alternative existed. And with this I'm talking about a high-speed magnet-type of train. For Germany, this was actually planned. It was called the "Transrapid". Nothing came of it here, but it seems to work in China.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transrapid

If a comfortable, fast, reliable and affordable train mobility existed, which could prove to be a clean alternative to airplanes, cars and trucks, then many people would be prepared to make use of it. Right now that's not the case in Germany.

[veeman]

I'm being serious here.  This Christmas holiday when my kids have off of school, I'm thinking about taking the family to Costa Rica.  I have about a week.  What's better?

The only way to feasibly get there with the time frame I have is fly by commercial air. 

I could reduce my carbon footprint by not going there.

Or I could help support the people/country of Costa Rica and help support ecotourism which helps reduce deforestation. 

I honestly think doing the latter is far far better than the former.

[veeman]

Exactly.

Germany right now is such a shit hole. I am not exaggerating but there's a hysteria going around here which seems unbelievable to any logical and normal-thinking human being. These Friday For Future and climate change activists recently protested at the Stuttgart airport with the intention of preventing airplanes from starting/landing. Now they're protesting at the IAA (international car show)!!! Unbelievable.


I do agree that air travel within a country could be reduced (or eliminated) - IF a reliable, fast and affordable alternative existed. And with this I'm talking about a high-speed magnet-type of train. For Germany, this was actually planned. It was called the "Transrapid". Nothing came of it here, but it seems to work in China.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transrapid

If a comfortable, fast, reliable and affordable train mobility existed, which could prove to be a clean alternative to airplanes, cars and trucks, then many people would be prepared to make use of it. Right now that's not the case in Germany.

Completely agree. 

[MX793]

I'm being serious here.  This Christmas holiday when my kids have off of school, I'm thinking about taking the family to Costa Rica.  I have about a week.  What's better?

The only way to feasibly get there with the time frame I have is fly by commercial air. 

I could reduce my carbon footprint by not going there.

Or I could help support the people/country of Costa Rica and help support ecotourism which helps reduce deforestation. 

I honestly think doing the latter is far far better than the former.

You need to remember that Sweden, like most of Europe, mandates a generous amount of paid time off (5 weeks of vacation and another 3 weeks in national holidays), so they can afford taking their time getting to their vacation resort.

[FoMoJo]

The problem I have is that our worthless German media is hyping this girl up as if she's concerned about the environment (which would be fine), but fails to omit that it's the family business to make money from the climate change hysteria.

The mother recently wrote a book in which she claims that her daughter Greta "can see CO2 with her eyes." Crazies. 

I'm all for protecting the environment, but it has to be done in a sane and rational and economically safe manner. What Greta Thunberg and her wacko Friday's For Future organization are demanding is sheer lunacy and economically damaging. In Germany she and her group are demanding an immediate shut down of all coal power plants, a ban on inner-German flights, a switch to electric cars etc. All of these demands are currently unrealistic, economically damaging and dangerous. Our renewable energy from solar and wind is limited and unreliable. Coal, specifically brown coal, is our main energy supplier since we foolishly exited nuclear power. Our industry requires a constant stream of high quality and reliable energy (Gleichstrom). Shutting down our coal power plants over night? Bad idea.

Fortunately, she and her family are not making the decisions in regard to how the country is run.  It seems like one part scam, on the part of the family, and one part raising awareness.

Those who want overnight change in respect to such things as climate change tend to border on lunacy.  Change is needed, but so is pragmatism. 

[giant_mtb]

Most people are realistic and know that "overnight" changes simply do not happen.  However, people voicing their concerns and taking the "extreme" position does get the conversation going.  But those extreme positions also tend to alienate many, as they can become a bit...annoying.

[veeman]

You need to remember that Sweden, like most of Europe, mandates a generous amount of paid time off (5 weeks of vacation and another 3 weeks in national holidays), so they can afford taking their time getting to their vacation resort.

That's true but even with that generous time off, you cannot travel from Sweden to any place outside of Europe or Russia for the most part without flying.  And many of these countries rely on relatively well off folk like Europeans to support them.  From googling, Swedes love to go to Thailand.  Should they stop going?  What would impact the Earth worse?  The carbon footprint of the air flight from Sweden to Bangkok or the impact of the loss of revenue in Thailand and the subsequent switch of that industry to other means to put food on the table (illegal logging, etc).

[BimmerM3]

A lot of countries/cities depend on international tourism for their economies.  If people quit flying, they would be in a world of hurt as would all of the businesses which cater to tourists and conferences.  It's estimated that air flight contributes something like 3.5% of all causes of climate change.  I think they should try to make airplanes more climate friendly but to reduce or eliminate air travel is preposterous.  Most people (like 99%) don't have the time/money to charter a private emission free yacht to travel. 

Reducing air travel is entirely possible. Sooooo much business travel could be done remotely, and the majority of pleasure travel doesn't qualify as ecotourism (and even many of those efforts are somewhat dubious).

Yes, some industries will be affected, and people will be inconvenienced. It's not the end of the world. Climate change literally might be.