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PBS Frontline: Heat

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by miscrms, Oct 22, 2008.

  1. miscrms

    miscrms Plug Envious Member

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    Caught bits of this on PBS last night, seems to be really well done. Nice to see a treatment of the topic on mainstream television that is suitably long and in depth, touching on many of the major aspects, and mostly resisting the urge to degenerate into sensationalist histrionics. All in all it seemed like a pretty good picture of the current energy situation. Included a good segment on the struggles to raise CAFE standards, the Partnership for a New Generation of American Vehicles, the EV1, the Prius and the Volt. Good segment about the Ethanol lobby too.

    FRONTLINE: heat | PBS

    You can watch it online here:
    FRONTLINE: heat: watch the full program | PBS

    Its also replaying late tonight/early tomorrow morning if anyone wants to set their DVRs. Mine's already set so I can see the whole thing without my 2.5 year old yelling through most of it :).

    Main thematic segments are:
    1. Watching the World Change
    2. Fossil Fuels, the Engine of Our Lives
    3. Ten Years to Reverse Course
    4. America's Addiction to Coal
    5. Cars: 2nd Largest Source of Carbon Emissions
    6. Big Oil
    7. Two Instructive Lessons From the Past
    8. Carbon Free Power
    9. Will America Summon the Political Will?

    Rob
     
    #1 miscrms, Oct 22, 2008
  2. dbcassidy

    dbcassidy Toyota Hybrid Nation, 8 Million Strong

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    I saw part of Frontline ( I fell asleep during the program). It is pretty interesting the way it was presented. I will set the DVR to record the program in its' entirety. When i am fully awake, I will enjoy it more.

    Dbcassidy
     
    #2 dbcassidy, Oct 22, 2008
  3. Weirdo23

    Weirdo23 Junior Member

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    Thank you so much for posting this! I sat at work and watched the entire 2 hours online. What an interesting documentary! I had no idea about the EV1 or the marginal (at best) benefits of Ethanol. It sure is interesting to see how the candidates viewpoints change as time goes on, but I guess we are all learing along the way. I certainly am!

    Weirdo
     
    #3 Weirdo23, Oct 24, 2008
  4. David Beale

    David Beale Senior Member

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    I've done my part re vehicles. My Prius represents a 66% reduction of CO2 emissions compared to the anti-Prius. The Prius burns 1/3 the fuel. It also uses just under 1/2 the oil.

    Now I just have to work on the house. ;)
     
    #4 David Beale, Oct 24, 2008
  5. miscrms

    miscrms Plug Envious Member

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    There is a lot more good info on the EV1 in the film "Who killed the Electric Car". Its a few years old now, but still gives a very good historical perspective. Like all documentaries, its obviously pro-EV stance has to be kept in mind but on the whole I think does an excellent job of highlighting the huge opportunity we lost. One can't help but wonder if the Big 3 would be in the position they now find themselves if they had made different choices in the late 90s.

    Sony Pictures Classics Presents : Who Killed the Electric Car?
    Who Killed the Electric Car? - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Rob
     
    #5 miscrms, Oct 24, 2008
  6. joe1347

    joe1347 Active Member

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    Thanks for the link ot the streaming video version. Definitely worth watching - especially if you're in a good mood and want to immediately get depressed :)

    The carbon sequestration segment was especially interesting. I didn't realize that legal liability over CO2 asphixiation is one of the major reasons why utilities haven't even yet evaluated - in the field - the viability of CO2 sequestration.
     
    #6 joe1347, Oct 26, 2008
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