EDITORIAL
2 • The Southwest Portland Post
EarthTalk: Full economic,
environmental costs not
factored into electric vehicles
In April of 2009 the Southwest Port-
land Post featured an editorial reply
that gave a resounding “yes” [to a
question about whether] electric cars
are better at per cost per mile and for
the environment overall.
Although the Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI) did show a cost analysis
of electrics approximating 75 cents per
gallon this is not the full cost/environ-
ment impact picture.
As noted even oil refi neries use elec-
tric power to run their plants while
processing the bubbling crude. Each
time a form of power is used to convert
another type of power there is waste
expended in the conversion. In this case
charging vehicles directly would be a
better environment/cost exchange.
With regard to green house gas
emissions what is often overlooked
is that those projections are just that,
projections. Often these reports do not
capture other unforeseen variables such
as the gas emissions of plastics which
are greatly needed to reduce the weight
ratio of electric vehicles.
Now do not get me wrong, personally
I am all for all electrics, but the display
of a Tesla Roadster-- cost $98,000.00
base price-- is prohibitive to the average
driver. The alternative such as a ZAP
car although more affordable at around
$12,000 is better priced, yet has limits
of range and top speed that are better
suited to gardening or meter maids.
One possibility that appears to be
overlooked
is the Carver
car. Current-
ly this vehi-
cle is used in
Europe us-
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great results.
Noting that
90 percent of all drivers/commuters
drive alone, the Carver seats two. Talk
has been to unveil a version that is all
electric this year.
What is disconcerting is that Con-
gress is dragging its feet on United
States safety standards even though
the vehicle has passed more vigorous
tests overseas.
Perhaps if we could convince Con-
gress collectively to expedite approval
and sign a mutual manufacturing
agreement with the design company
we could retool our car manufacturers
to make a vehicle that is more desirable
to the average Joe.
Or we could continue to bail out
CEO’s that fly down to Washington
in their private jets with the only plan
of saving their companies by laying
off thousands of workers. The choice
is ours.
Alexander Fontana
May 2009
Consignment, resale, and thrift
shops are not the same things
I read your article (“Save money and
recycle at Southwest Portland thrift
shops,” by Polina Olsen, April 2009)
regarding “thrift shops” in Southwest
Portland.
I found that what you were de-
scribing and promoting were “resale
shops” which buy merchandise out-
right from owners and resell it and
“consignment shops” which take items
in to sell and then split the proceeds
with the shop and the seller. A “thrift
shop” is run by a non-profi t organiza-
tion to raise money for a cause.
For example: The Assistance League,
of which I am a member, operates a
thrift shop in Beaverton. All of our mer-
chandise is donated to us. We, in turn,
sell the merchandise and the proceeds
go to the funding of Assistance League’s
Children’s Dental Center and Operation
School Bell®.
Our dental center is open to any stu-
dent in Portland Public Schools who
receives free or reduced lunch and has
no insurance for dental care. Opera-
tion School Bell provides new clothes
(winter jacket, 2 pairs of pants and
tops, 5 sets of socks and underwear) to
children living below the poverty level
in Hillsboro.
It is important to make the distinc-
tion between the three different types
of shops. Assistance League, Salva-
tion Army, Goodwill, William Temple
House are non-profi t organizations. We
would love to have good donations to
sell for our worthy causes. One good
turn deserves another...your gift is a gift
to someone less fortunate. We believe
we can make a difference because we
have.
Allison Mudrick
Southwest Shattuck Road
Editor’s Note: EarthTalk, a syndicat-
ed column which appears occasionally
in The Post, featured a reader question
regarding sustainability of electric/gas
hybrids and plug-in electric vehicles.
Editors at E Magazine provided the
reply.
well
be
…
and well informed
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general email: news@multnomahpost.com
web address: www.multnomahpost.com
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Editor & Publisher: Don Snedecor
Reporters/Writers: Kate Bennett, Polina Olsen,
Lee Perlman, Allison Rupp
Retail Advertising Manager: Harry Blythe
Graphic Design: Leslie Baird Design
Printing: Oregon Lithoprint
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