Europe has officially begun its ban on incandescent light bulbs, a ban that promises to save some $7 billion a year in energy costs. Stores are allowed to continue selling their current stock, but they can no longer buy any more bulbs to sell. And while the EcoGeeks rejoice, others have flung up their arms in despair and cannot imagine a world where we don't light our world with tiny little space heaters. So, with a ban looming in 2012 for the U.S., it's worth taking a look at how Europe is handing the switch.
Among the reasons that people are upset include:
It will be very expensive to change the lighting system on fair rides, so expensive that those beautiful spectacles may never again light up the night sky.
Lighting systems for galleries are very precisely tuned and artists and curators alike have very specific needs that (apparently) sometimes require incandescent lights.
People who suffer from "anxiety" believe that the bulbs harm them or their children.
None of these issues seem particularly difficult to deal with. If you're really worried about your bulbs, I'm sure there will be ways to get them in a somewhat legally-gray way. But for those people who just want to replace a light bulb and head to the nearest store (99% of people) the gains in efficiency will likely not be affected measurably by this.
I say, let the market provide incandescents for those who are angry enough to go to Russian websites and order the bulbs with a $10 shipping charge on top. And sure, folks will stockpile, but the change is being made and the energy will be saved. That's what matters, and I'm excited to see what the boom in the markets for LED and CFL bulbs will do for the technologies
Friday, September 4, 2009
Ten Things You Can Do to Start a Community Garden
Ten Things You Can Do to Start a Community Garden
This article appeared in the September 21, 2009 edition of The Nation.
September 2, 2009
What is this?
This monthly feature was conceived by writer and Nation editorial board member Walter Mosley as a kind of do-it-yourself opinion and action device. Most often "Ten Things" will offer a brief list of recommendations for accomplishing a desired political or social end, sometimes bringing to light something generally unknown. The purpose of the feature is to go to the heart of issues in a stripped-down, active and informed way. After getting our visiting expert--or everyday citizen--to construct the list, we will interview that person and post a brief online version of "Ten Things," with links to relevant websites, books or other information. Readers who wish to propose ideas for "Ten Things" should e-mail us at NationTenThings@gmail.com or use the e-form at the bottom of this page.
Spiraling food prices and concerns over where food comes from have consumers looking for alternatives to what's in their supermarket produce bins. Community gardens help people band together to gain control of their own food. Rebecca Hart, an avid Nation reader and Portland, Oregon-area resident, has spent twenty years acquiring the expertise in horticulture to become a certified master gardener. Here are her suggestions for starting a community garden in your neighborhood.
Related
Also By
Food Without Fear Food & Nutrition
John Nichols: Bad peanuts and killer spinach: that's the food story of 2009. But in the coming months we may see a huge turning point in the fight for safety.
The Female Gourmet Food & Nutrition
Katha Pollitt: A movie about women's struggle to express their gifts through work?
Band together to gain control of your own food.
How to Grow Democracy Food & Nutrition
Five leading figures of this country's food movement reflect on how food democracy can be achieved, here and now.
A Survival Guide for New Teachers of Color Youth, Education, & Children
Antonio Ramírez A Milwaukee teacher reflects on those first difficult years.
1 Gather like-minded people and organize into a group. When the plot is located and you are ready to begin, apportion and delegate tasks. For tips on organizing a garden community, writing a compact for the group, formulating rules, allocating plots and so on, download the "Community Garden Start-Up Guide" from the University of California, Davis, website, which features advice and tips on creating flexible contracts. Go to Growfriend for more advice on starting up.
2 Locate suitable land with access to water and electricity. You'll need fencing to keep out four-legged marauders. Vacant lots, schoolyards, retirement homes and churchyards are potential sites. Get permission from property owners.
3 Plan and design your garden carefully. It should have full sun for a minimum of six to eight hours a day. Consider how much land will be needed to give each family ample space for its own plot. Go to the American Community Garden Association to learn more. When laying out plots be sure to leave enough space for paths for walking and trundling wheelbarrows or carts. Remember: many gardens can be grown in less than six months; typically a garden calendar runs from May, after last frost when soil has dried out from spring rains, through October, or first killing frost. Click here to find out your climate by state.
4 Explain clearly to your group that it takes hard work to grow plants successfully and make sure everyone commits to sharing the labor. Inventory the skills of members and ask neighborhood gardeners to share their experience. For good basic information on plants, see websites of groups like the National Gardening Association.
5 Decide whether your garden will be organic, natural or "anything goes." Incorporate into your contract the rules governing the type of garden you have chosen. If you have an on-site compost pile, plan to educate gardeners about the differences between carbon- and nitrogen-based compost, and also about what does not go into the compost. For one of the best discussions on the role of bacteria-enriched compost, see Gardening at the Dragon's Gate by Wendy Johnson.
6 Barter where you can to cut expenses. If you need a toolshed built, for example, trade produce for carpentry skills. Scour yard sales for cheap implements. If you have to raise money for fencing, building materials or other items, create a fundraising appeal tailored to the community. Check out websites like Craigslist for garden supplies and tools.
7 Assemble tools and supplies: hoses, couplings, sprinklers, watering devices, wheelbarrows. New soil is less expensive if purchased by the truckload. Decide which tools and supplies are for communal use.
8 Write down your garden's goals and record the progress in a garden journal. Set up a website. Tweet and blog your successes! Spread the word to local media outlets. Ask farmers at your local farmers' market for expert advice on problems you're having with your crop. Chances are pretty good that your problem is not unique and that you will find a solution. Click here if you live in an urban area.
9 Share your produce with neighbors who don't have the time or the means to grow a garden. Encourage them to join you next season. According to AmpleHarvest, more than 36 million Americans (12 percent of the population) are hungry and rely on food pantries to help sustain their families. For rules on donating grown or gleaned foods, go the the USDA website.
10 Get to work! Even if next spring is the soonest you can begin, now is the time to plan. In some cases, grants are available for getting a garden started or for taking gardens to another level. Go to Kids Gardening to apply for funds for 2010.
CONCEIVED by WALTER MOSLEY with research by Rae Gomes
My buddy, Roly, is a retired old farm boy, and has recently started a garden in his back yard with squash, tomatoes, and other vegetables, with mixed success. He has lost some of his crop to birds and squirrels. My Dad, back in the 50;s, had a garden in our backyard for 5 years or so. He also had a farm background, and we were pretty poor with four kids and a wife to feed. My cousin went to London and was very surprised to find community gardens in the heart of the city, in vacant lots. Locally, here in Miami, we are trying to get a Farmers Market going.
This article appeared in the September 21, 2009 edition of The Nation.
September 2, 2009
What is this?
This monthly feature was conceived by writer and Nation editorial board member Walter Mosley as a kind of do-it-yourself opinion and action device. Most often "Ten Things" will offer a brief list of recommendations for accomplishing a desired political or social end, sometimes bringing to light something generally unknown. The purpose of the feature is to go to the heart of issues in a stripped-down, active and informed way. After getting our visiting expert--or everyday citizen--to construct the list, we will interview that person and post a brief online version of "Ten Things," with links to relevant websites, books or other information. Readers who wish to propose ideas for "Ten Things" should e-mail us at NationTenThings@gmail.com or use the e-form at the bottom of this page.
Spiraling food prices and concerns over where food comes from have consumers looking for alternatives to what's in their supermarket produce bins. Community gardens help people band together to gain control of their own food. Rebecca Hart, an avid Nation reader and Portland, Oregon-area resident, has spent twenty years acquiring the expertise in horticulture to become a certified master gardener. Here are her suggestions for starting a community garden in your neighborhood.
Related
Also By
Food Without Fear Food & Nutrition
John Nichols: Bad peanuts and killer spinach: that's the food story of 2009. But in the coming months we may see a huge turning point in the fight for safety.
The Female Gourmet Food & Nutrition
Katha Pollitt: A movie about women's struggle to express their gifts through work?
Band together to gain control of your own food.
How to Grow Democracy Food & Nutrition
Five leading figures of this country's food movement reflect on how food democracy can be achieved, here and now.
A Survival Guide for New Teachers of Color Youth, Education, & Children
Antonio Ramírez A Milwaukee teacher reflects on those first difficult years.
1 Gather like-minded people and organize into a group. When the plot is located and you are ready to begin, apportion and delegate tasks. For tips on organizing a garden community, writing a compact for the group, formulating rules, allocating plots and so on, download the "Community Garden Start-Up Guide" from the University of California, Davis, website, which features advice and tips on creating flexible contracts. Go to Growfriend for more advice on starting up.
2 Locate suitable land with access to water and electricity. You'll need fencing to keep out four-legged marauders. Vacant lots, schoolyards, retirement homes and churchyards are potential sites. Get permission from property owners.
3 Plan and design your garden carefully. It should have full sun for a minimum of six to eight hours a day. Consider how much land will be needed to give each family ample space for its own plot. Go to the American Community Garden Association to learn more. When laying out plots be sure to leave enough space for paths for walking and trundling wheelbarrows or carts. Remember: many gardens can be grown in less than six months; typically a garden calendar runs from May, after last frost when soil has dried out from spring rains, through October, or first killing frost. Click here to find out your climate by state.
4 Explain clearly to your group that it takes hard work to grow plants successfully and make sure everyone commits to sharing the labor. Inventory the skills of members and ask neighborhood gardeners to share their experience. For good basic information on plants, see websites of groups like the National Gardening Association.
5 Decide whether your garden will be organic, natural or "anything goes." Incorporate into your contract the rules governing the type of garden you have chosen. If you have an on-site compost pile, plan to educate gardeners about the differences between carbon- and nitrogen-based compost, and also about what does not go into the compost. For one of the best discussions on the role of bacteria-enriched compost, see Gardening at the Dragon's Gate by Wendy Johnson.
6 Barter where you can to cut expenses. If you need a toolshed built, for example, trade produce for carpentry skills. Scour yard sales for cheap implements. If you have to raise money for fencing, building materials or other items, create a fundraising appeal tailored to the community. Check out websites like Craigslist for garden supplies and tools.
7 Assemble tools and supplies: hoses, couplings, sprinklers, watering devices, wheelbarrows. New soil is less expensive if purchased by the truckload. Decide which tools and supplies are for communal use.
8 Write down your garden's goals and record the progress in a garden journal. Set up a website. Tweet and blog your successes! Spread the word to local media outlets. Ask farmers at your local farmers' market for expert advice on problems you're having with your crop. Chances are pretty good that your problem is not unique and that you will find a solution. Click here if you live in an urban area.
9 Share your produce with neighbors who don't have the time or the means to grow a garden. Encourage them to join you next season. According to AmpleHarvest, more than 36 million Americans (12 percent of the population) are hungry and rely on food pantries to help sustain their families. For rules on donating grown or gleaned foods, go the the USDA website.
10 Get to work! Even if next spring is the soonest you can begin, now is the time to plan. In some cases, grants are available for getting a garden started or for taking gardens to another level. Go to Kids Gardening to apply for funds for 2010.
CONCEIVED by WALTER MOSLEY with research by Rae Gomes
My buddy, Roly, is a retired old farm boy, and has recently started a garden in his back yard with squash, tomatoes, and other vegetables, with mixed success. He has lost some of his crop to birds and squirrels. My Dad, back in the 50;s, had a garden in our backyard for 5 years or so. He also had a farm background, and we were pretty poor with four kids and a wife to feed. My cousin went to London and was very surprised to find community gardens in the heart of the city, in vacant lots. Locally, here in Miami, we are trying to get a Farmers Market going.
Want to Teach Democracy? Improve School Lunches
Alice WatersChef, author and proprietor of Chez Panisse
Posted: September 3, 2009 11:39 AM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index
Want to Teach Democracy? Improve School Lunches
Read More: Alice Waters, Community Gardens, Food, Food Politics, Morgan Spurlock, School Lunches, The Nation, Urban Farming, Green News
Note: This post is part of the Nation's special issue, "Food for All," about food politics. In the issue, leading restauranteurs and social justice activists were asked to reflect on how we can democratize our food systems and improve access to healthy foods for all. This is Alice Waters contribution to the forum.
I was moved by the way Morgan Spurlock framed a narrow long-distance shot down the corridor of a Beckley, West Virginia, middle school in his outstanding 2004 film, Super Size Me. The film is about the toll that fast and processed food takes on all of us. Clearly visible in the background of this particular shot were dozens of students, many of whom were overweight.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Beckley's cafeteria offers only processed food, which is high in fat, sodium and sugar and of very little nutritional value.
Contrast this with the Central Alternative High School in Appleton, Wisconsin. The school serves troubled youth, but teachers, parents and administrators found a way to turn things around; and when they did, discipline problems dropped sharply. Their secret? Instead of the usual processed meals, the school cafeteria offers fresh, locally grown, low-fat, low-sugar alternatives. The healthier meals are delicious. The students love them. They perform better in class and don't get sick as often.
We are learning that when schools serve healthier meals, they solve serious educational and health-related problems. But what's missing from the national conversation about school lunch reform is the opportunity to use food to teach values that are central to democracy. Better food isn't just about test scores, health and discipline. It is about preparing students for the responsibilities of citizenship.
That's why we need to talk about edible education, not just school lunch reform. Edible education is a radical yet common-sense approach to teaching that integrates classroom instruction, school lunch, cooking and gardening into the studies of math, science, history and reading.
Edible education involves not only teaching children about where food comes from and how it is produced but giving them responsibilities in the school garden and kitchen. Students literally enjoy the fruits of their labor when the food they grow is served in healthy, delicious lunches that they can help prepare.
I learned this firsthand through the Chez Panisse Foundation -- the organization I helped create to inspire a network of food activists around the world with edible education programs in their own communities. Here in Berkeley, I see children in our edible education program learn about responsibility, sharing and stewardship and become more connected to themselves and their peers. In the process, they come to embody the most important values of citizenship.
Listen to what one student named Charlotte has to say: "Next we went from the blue corn to the sweet corn and each picked an ear to grill. I must say it tasted really good, even without butter." Or Mati: "I think cleaning up is as important as eating. Cleaning up is sort of fun. And we can't just leave it for the teachers, because we made the mess." Or Jose: "I remember the first time I came to the kitchen. I was afraid to do anything. But then I realized, this is my kitchen. So then I started to enjoy it."
Charlotte, Mati and Jose are learning about so much more than lunch. They're learning that farmers depend on the land; we depend on farmers; and our nation depends on all of us. That cooperation with one another is necessary to nurture the community. And that, by setting the table for one another, we also take care of ourselves. School should be the place where we build democracy, not just by teaching about the Constitution but by becoming connected to our communities and the land in more meaningful ways.
In 1785, Thomas Jefferson declared that "Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds."
I believe he was right. The school cafeteria, kitchen and garden, like the town square, can and should be the place where we plant and nourish the values that guide our democracy. We need to join a delicious revolution that can reconnect our children to the table and to what it means to be a steward. This is the picture of a caring society, and this is the promise of edible education.
Posted: September 3, 2009 11:39 AM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index
Want to Teach Democracy? Improve School Lunches
Read More: Alice Waters, Community Gardens, Food, Food Politics, Morgan Spurlock, School Lunches, The Nation, Urban Farming, Green News
Note: This post is part of the Nation's special issue, "Food for All," about food politics. In the issue, leading restauranteurs and social justice activists were asked to reflect on how we can democratize our food systems and improve access to healthy foods for all. This is Alice Waters contribution to the forum.
I was moved by the way Morgan Spurlock framed a narrow long-distance shot down the corridor of a Beckley, West Virginia, middle school in his outstanding 2004 film, Super Size Me. The film is about the toll that fast and processed food takes on all of us. Clearly visible in the background of this particular shot were dozens of students, many of whom were overweight.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that Beckley's cafeteria offers only processed food, which is high in fat, sodium and sugar and of very little nutritional value.
Contrast this with the Central Alternative High School in Appleton, Wisconsin. The school serves troubled youth, but teachers, parents and administrators found a way to turn things around; and when they did, discipline problems dropped sharply. Their secret? Instead of the usual processed meals, the school cafeteria offers fresh, locally grown, low-fat, low-sugar alternatives. The healthier meals are delicious. The students love them. They perform better in class and don't get sick as often.
We are learning that when schools serve healthier meals, they solve serious educational and health-related problems. But what's missing from the national conversation about school lunch reform is the opportunity to use food to teach values that are central to democracy. Better food isn't just about test scores, health and discipline. It is about preparing students for the responsibilities of citizenship.
That's why we need to talk about edible education, not just school lunch reform. Edible education is a radical yet common-sense approach to teaching that integrates classroom instruction, school lunch, cooking and gardening into the studies of math, science, history and reading.
Edible education involves not only teaching children about where food comes from and how it is produced but giving them responsibilities in the school garden and kitchen. Students literally enjoy the fruits of their labor when the food they grow is served in healthy, delicious lunches that they can help prepare.
I learned this firsthand through the Chez Panisse Foundation -- the organization I helped create to inspire a network of food activists around the world with edible education programs in their own communities. Here in Berkeley, I see children in our edible education program learn about responsibility, sharing and stewardship and become more connected to themselves and their peers. In the process, they come to embody the most important values of citizenship.
Listen to what one student named Charlotte has to say: "Next we went from the blue corn to the sweet corn and each picked an ear to grill. I must say it tasted really good, even without butter." Or Mati: "I think cleaning up is as important as eating. Cleaning up is sort of fun. And we can't just leave it for the teachers, because we made the mess." Or Jose: "I remember the first time I came to the kitchen. I was afraid to do anything. But then I realized, this is my kitchen. So then I started to enjoy it."
Charlotte, Mati and Jose are learning about so much more than lunch. They're learning that farmers depend on the land; we depend on farmers; and our nation depends on all of us. That cooperation with one another is necessary to nurture the community. And that, by setting the table for one another, we also take care of ourselves. School should be the place where we build democracy, not just by teaching about the Constitution but by becoming connected to our communities and the land in more meaningful ways.
In 1785, Thomas Jefferson declared that "Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens. They are the most vigorous, the most independent, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds."
I believe he was right. The school cafeteria, kitchen and garden, like the town square, can and should be the place where we plant and nourish the values that guide our democracy. We need to join a delicious revolution that can reconnect our children to the table and to what it means to be a steward. This is the picture of a caring society, and this is the promise of edible education.
New start, sad end: College kids’ parents grapple with letting go
New start, sad end: College kids’ parents grapple with letting go
Carissa Ray / msnbc.comAlexa Sieracki, 17, of Elkhart, Ind., traveled with her family to begin classes at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Sieracki is skipping her senior year at Elkhart Memorial High School after being one of 30 students internationally to be accepted to USC's Resident Honors Program and being awarded a grant to help her family afford the lofty tuition. Above, Alexa registers at her dorm on move-in day.
JoNel Aleccia Health writer
updated 10:30 a.m. ET, Tues., Sept. 1, 2009
LOS ANGELES— It’s 2,111 miles from Elkhart, Ind., to Los Angeles, but Alexa Sieracki isn’t counting.
The new freshman at the University of Southern California would rather not know exactly how far she is from home, the better to enjoy the first days and weeks of a college dream that managed to transcend hard times in her northern Indiana city.
“I feel like I’m on the brink of so much change,” said Sieracki, 17. who started classes Aug. 24.
But Alexa’s mother, Kris Sieracki, like other parents of some 1.8 million first-time college students at four-year schools across the country, is aware of every inch of the distance. After leaving her youngest daughter in a USC dorm two weeks ago, she is trying to heed the advice of experts who say it’s possible, if painful, to smooth the transition from full house to empty nest.
“It’s just going to take me a while,” said Sieracki, 56, an herbalist and entrepreneur who largely arranged her work around the schedules of Alexa and her other daughter, Natasha, 21. “Motherhood has been like the most wonderful job in the world.”
Although it’s exciting and fulfilling, sending a child to college has rarely been easy, family psychology experts say. The move marks the end of the active stage of child-rearing and a shift to more passive kind of parenting, said Dr. Karen Soren, director of adolescent health services at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.
“Ideally you’re onto the next stage, which is the ‘you’ stage,” Soren said.
But for a generation of so-called “helicopter” parents — mothers and fathers who were urged to be extensively involved in their children’s academic and social lives —the shift can be particularly hard, said Marjorie Savage, director of a University of Minnesota parent program and author of a book on the college transition.
“Families today are not the same. They’re closer,” said Savage, author of the 2003 book, “You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here if You Need Me.) “It’s an experience for the family, not just an experience for the child.”
'The end of a phase'
That’s certainly the case for Alexa Sieracki, one of five Elkhart, Ind., students msnbc.com is following as part of long-term coverage of the effects of the economic crisis in one of the nation’s hardest-hit cities.
She was a star student and athlete at Elkhart Memorial High School whose college plans were jeopardized by blows to her family’s income, including medical bills for her mother’s bout with breast cancer and cuts at the U.S. Postal Service, where her 53-year-old father, Tim, is a letter carrier.
Carissa Ray / msnbc.comKris Sieracki, mother of incoming freshman Alexa Sieracki, says her emotions "are all over the map."
But Alexa Sieracki’s dreams of studying geochemistry were fulfilled when she was chosen for an elite spot in USC’s Resident Honors Program and offered a generous scholarship to pay tuition and living expenses, which top $51,000 a year.
“Oh, gosh, how can you not be so thrilled for her?” said Kris Sieracki.
Still, the thrill is mixed with sadness when the family lands in Los Angeles and lugs seven suitcases into a waiting rental car.
“I’m all over the map,” said Kris Sieracki. “It’s the end of a phase for everyone.”
Modern-day parents typically struggle to wean themselves from intense, daily engagement with their college-age children, even as the children struggle to establish themselves as independent young adults, Savage said.
“We tell parents to think about the difference between letting them go and letting them grow,” she said.
That may be easier said than done, especially this year, when new college students are starting school in the midst of a historic recession, which has added financial worry to the emotional toll of the transition.
“I think it has had a more sobering effect,” said Savage, who has surveyed dozens of families. “Parents feel there’s a lot more at stake.”
More than 53 percent of freshmen at four-year colleges said they and their families had some concern about paying for school, and another 11 percent said they had major concerns, according to a December poll by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
In the Sierackis’ case, the family scrimped all summer to pay the $2,500 in travel fees to get Alexa to Los Angeles, plus necessary extras that tallied $300 at a local Target store and $800 at the USC bookstore. On top of that, there was a $150 bill for a chiropractor when Alexa woke up on moving day in severe pain with a pinched nerve in her neck.
“It’s a paycheck-to-paycheck game right now,” said Kris Sieracki, who estimates it’ll take until October to resolve the bills.
A tearful goodbyeStill, for the Sierackis and others, finances take a back seat to emotions when it comes time for the actual separation — and then the weeks and months that follow.
In a tiny alcove outside Alexa’s dormitory, the family gathered to say goodbye.
Kris Sieracki clasped Alexa’s hands, then enveloped her in a tearful embrace. “It’s going to be amazing,” she said.
Natasha Sieracki, who’s been through this before, offered her sister a big hug and a broad smile.
Tim Sieracki swallowed hard and reminded Alexa to always remember to take her keys with her.
He hugged her quickly. “Until we meet again,” he said in a tight voice.
Then Tim, Kris and Natasha walked down long, concrete paths, away from a throng of new students waiting for pizza, Alexa among them. When she got far enough away that Alexa couldn’t see, Kris looked back, just once. Tim reached around and patted his wife’s shoulder.
“I can’t believe we’re going to leave her here,” Kris Sieracki said. “Life goes on back in Indiana.”
Such scenes are common every year, and even experts who help organize events to ease college transition say they understand the struggle to separate.
“It can be very hard,” said Joyce Holl, executive director of the National Orientation Directors Association, an agency that provides education and resources for college officials. “It’s like that first day of kindergarten, but my child’s not coming home after school,” she said.
Last month, Holl left her youngest daughter, Maggie, 18, at Minnesota State University. Her older sister, Kalyn, 20, attends the University of Minnesota nearby, but she lives in an apartment.
“I’m still dealing with it, to be honest,” Holl said. “At home, it’s been very quiet.”
Fortunately for parents and students, there’s a science to the freshman year departure process. From convocation ceremonies to parent barbecues, every activity is designed to ease parents away from the school — even as students are eased in.
“At orientation, our people are really having to remind parents to focus on letting go,” Holl said. “If they’re not pleasantly asked to leave, they’re going to stick around with their child.”
Such rites are as much for the benefit of the student as the parent. When parents linger too long, it can delay the young person’s adjustment to the situation, said Jacquelyn Crinnion, 20, the USC resident adviser who will supervise Alexa Sieracki’s dorm.
“Normally, once the parents leave, they do well on their own,” said Crinnion, who has been a so-called RA for most of her college career. “We really find they do a lot better without mommy and daddy.”
In touch by text
Today’s families probably have it easier than those in the past, Soren said. Technology allows them to stay connected in a casual, daily way. Instead of a weekly Sunday night phone call, students are more likely to stay in touch by text or e-mail.
That works well, Soren said, as long as neither parents nor students overdo the communication. She’s heard of parents who text or e-mail their children several times a day, asking about every class meeting or test result. And she’s heard of students who turn to parents with every minor problem instead of figuring it out on their own.
“A lot of families don’t let go and a lot of kids are happy not to let go,” she said. “In some ways, it eases the separation and in some ways, it prolongs the separation.”
The best approach is a balance, Soren said. But that has to start long before the family car is loaded with bed sheets and school supplies. A year or more before a student leaves for college, parents should start allowing far more autonomy and freedom – and focusing on their own post-kid interests.
“I feel strongly this should not be an abrupt transition,” she said.
It’s also good to remember that not all families struggle with the transition to college. Another Elkhart-area girl, Kelsie Draper, 18, moved last weekend into a dormitory at Hope College in Holland, Mich.
For weeks, the family’s mood has been more celebratory than sad, noted her mother, Gail Draper, 52, a guidance counselor at Elkhart Central High School who is sending the youngest of her three kids to college.
“I am just excited about the opportunity for her to go,” she said. “I think Kelsie’s much more capable than she thinks she is.”
But, unlike Alexa Sieracki, Draper’s daughter will be only three hours away, securely on the same side of the country. That proximity makes the transition easier for everyone, Draper said.
“If I was taking Kelsie to California, you’d see tears.”
My brothers oldest daughter just left for college at Alabama a little over a week ago and the transition has been difficult for everybody. His daughter has to make all of her decisions now and doesnt have her parents there to protect and advise her. Her parents have to realize that she is becoming a young lady and allow her to grow into an independent person. They are glad for her that shes entering college, but sad for themselves because they will miss having her around.
Carissa Ray / msnbc.comAlexa Sieracki, 17, of Elkhart, Ind., traveled with her family to begin classes at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Sieracki is skipping her senior year at Elkhart Memorial High School after being one of 30 students internationally to be accepted to USC's Resident Honors Program and being awarded a grant to help her family afford the lofty tuition. Above, Alexa registers at her dorm on move-in day.
JoNel Aleccia Health writer
updated 10:30 a.m. ET, Tues., Sept. 1, 2009
LOS ANGELES— It’s 2,111 miles from Elkhart, Ind., to Los Angeles, but Alexa Sieracki isn’t counting.
The new freshman at the University of Southern California would rather not know exactly how far she is from home, the better to enjoy the first days and weeks of a college dream that managed to transcend hard times in her northern Indiana city.
“I feel like I’m on the brink of so much change,” said Sieracki, 17. who started classes Aug. 24.
But Alexa’s mother, Kris Sieracki, like other parents of some 1.8 million first-time college students at four-year schools across the country, is aware of every inch of the distance. After leaving her youngest daughter in a USC dorm two weeks ago, she is trying to heed the advice of experts who say it’s possible, if painful, to smooth the transition from full house to empty nest.
“It’s just going to take me a while,” said Sieracki, 56, an herbalist and entrepreneur who largely arranged her work around the schedules of Alexa and her other daughter, Natasha, 21. “Motherhood has been like the most wonderful job in the world.”
Although it’s exciting and fulfilling, sending a child to college has rarely been easy, family psychology experts say. The move marks the end of the active stage of child-rearing and a shift to more passive kind of parenting, said Dr. Karen Soren, director of adolescent health services at New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital.
“Ideally you’re onto the next stage, which is the ‘you’ stage,” Soren said.
But for a generation of so-called “helicopter” parents — mothers and fathers who were urged to be extensively involved in their children’s academic and social lives —the shift can be particularly hard, said Marjorie Savage, director of a University of Minnesota parent program and author of a book on the college transition.
“Families today are not the same. They’re closer,” said Savage, author of the 2003 book, “You’re On Your Own (But I’m Here if You Need Me.) “It’s an experience for the family, not just an experience for the child.”
'The end of a phase'
That’s certainly the case for Alexa Sieracki, one of five Elkhart, Ind., students msnbc.com is following as part of long-term coverage of the effects of the economic crisis in one of the nation’s hardest-hit cities.
She was a star student and athlete at Elkhart Memorial High School whose college plans were jeopardized by blows to her family’s income, including medical bills for her mother’s bout with breast cancer and cuts at the U.S. Postal Service, where her 53-year-old father, Tim, is a letter carrier.
Carissa Ray / msnbc.comKris Sieracki, mother of incoming freshman Alexa Sieracki, says her emotions "are all over the map."
But Alexa Sieracki’s dreams of studying geochemistry were fulfilled when she was chosen for an elite spot in USC’s Resident Honors Program and offered a generous scholarship to pay tuition and living expenses, which top $51,000 a year.
“Oh, gosh, how can you not be so thrilled for her?” said Kris Sieracki.
Still, the thrill is mixed with sadness when the family lands in Los Angeles and lugs seven suitcases into a waiting rental car.
“I’m all over the map,” said Kris Sieracki. “It’s the end of a phase for everyone.”
Modern-day parents typically struggle to wean themselves from intense, daily engagement with their college-age children, even as the children struggle to establish themselves as independent young adults, Savage said.
“We tell parents to think about the difference between letting them go and letting them grow,” she said.
That may be easier said than done, especially this year, when new college students are starting school in the midst of a historic recession, which has added financial worry to the emotional toll of the transition.
“I think it has had a more sobering effect,” said Savage, who has surveyed dozens of families. “Parents feel there’s a lot more at stake.”
More than 53 percent of freshmen at four-year colleges said they and their families had some concern about paying for school, and another 11 percent said they had major concerns, according to a December poll by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
In the Sierackis’ case, the family scrimped all summer to pay the $2,500 in travel fees to get Alexa to Los Angeles, plus necessary extras that tallied $300 at a local Target store and $800 at the USC bookstore. On top of that, there was a $150 bill for a chiropractor when Alexa woke up on moving day in severe pain with a pinched nerve in her neck.
“It’s a paycheck-to-paycheck game right now,” said Kris Sieracki, who estimates it’ll take until October to resolve the bills.
A tearful goodbyeStill, for the Sierackis and others, finances take a back seat to emotions when it comes time for the actual separation — and then the weeks and months that follow.
In a tiny alcove outside Alexa’s dormitory, the family gathered to say goodbye.
Kris Sieracki clasped Alexa’s hands, then enveloped her in a tearful embrace. “It’s going to be amazing,” she said.
Natasha Sieracki, who’s been through this before, offered her sister a big hug and a broad smile.
Tim Sieracki swallowed hard and reminded Alexa to always remember to take her keys with her.
He hugged her quickly. “Until we meet again,” he said in a tight voice.
Then Tim, Kris and Natasha walked down long, concrete paths, away from a throng of new students waiting for pizza, Alexa among them. When she got far enough away that Alexa couldn’t see, Kris looked back, just once. Tim reached around and patted his wife’s shoulder.
“I can’t believe we’re going to leave her here,” Kris Sieracki said. “Life goes on back in Indiana.”
Such scenes are common every year, and even experts who help organize events to ease college transition say they understand the struggle to separate.
“It can be very hard,” said Joyce Holl, executive director of the National Orientation Directors Association, an agency that provides education and resources for college officials. “It’s like that first day of kindergarten, but my child’s not coming home after school,” she said.
Last month, Holl left her youngest daughter, Maggie, 18, at Minnesota State University. Her older sister, Kalyn, 20, attends the University of Minnesota nearby, but she lives in an apartment.
“I’m still dealing with it, to be honest,” Holl said. “At home, it’s been very quiet.”
Fortunately for parents and students, there’s a science to the freshman year departure process. From convocation ceremonies to parent barbecues, every activity is designed to ease parents away from the school — even as students are eased in.
“At orientation, our people are really having to remind parents to focus on letting go,” Holl said. “If they’re not pleasantly asked to leave, they’re going to stick around with their child.”
Such rites are as much for the benefit of the student as the parent. When parents linger too long, it can delay the young person’s adjustment to the situation, said Jacquelyn Crinnion, 20, the USC resident adviser who will supervise Alexa Sieracki’s dorm.
“Normally, once the parents leave, they do well on their own,” said Crinnion, who has been a so-called RA for most of her college career. “We really find they do a lot better without mommy and daddy.”
In touch by text
Today’s families probably have it easier than those in the past, Soren said. Technology allows them to stay connected in a casual, daily way. Instead of a weekly Sunday night phone call, students are more likely to stay in touch by text or e-mail.
That works well, Soren said, as long as neither parents nor students overdo the communication. She’s heard of parents who text or e-mail their children several times a day, asking about every class meeting or test result. And she’s heard of students who turn to parents with every minor problem instead of figuring it out on their own.
“A lot of families don’t let go and a lot of kids are happy not to let go,” she said. “In some ways, it eases the separation and in some ways, it prolongs the separation.”
The best approach is a balance, Soren said. But that has to start long before the family car is loaded with bed sheets and school supplies. A year or more before a student leaves for college, parents should start allowing far more autonomy and freedom – and focusing on their own post-kid interests.
“I feel strongly this should not be an abrupt transition,” she said.
It’s also good to remember that not all families struggle with the transition to college. Another Elkhart-area girl, Kelsie Draper, 18, moved last weekend into a dormitory at Hope College in Holland, Mich.
For weeks, the family’s mood has been more celebratory than sad, noted her mother, Gail Draper, 52, a guidance counselor at Elkhart Central High School who is sending the youngest of her three kids to college.
“I am just excited about the opportunity for her to go,” she said. “I think Kelsie’s much more capable than she thinks she is.”
But, unlike Alexa Sieracki, Draper’s daughter will be only three hours away, securely on the same side of the country. That proximity makes the transition easier for everyone, Draper said.
“If I was taking Kelsie to California, you’d see tears.”
My brothers oldest daughter just left for college at Alabama a little over a week ago and the transition has been difficult for everybody. His daughter has to make all of her decisions now and doesnt have her parents there to protect and advise her. Her parents have to realize that she is becoming a young lady and allow her to grow into an independent person. They are glad for her that shes entering college, but sad for themselves because they will miss having her around.
Mazda giving green twist to rotary engine
Mazda giving green twist to rotary engine
Hydrogen power could revive old technology from Japanese maker
At a recent preview of Mazda’s 2010 product line, the maker unveiled two rotary-powered prototypes running on hydrogen, rather than gasoline. Many experts believe hydrogen could become the fuel of the future.
By Paul A. Eisenstein
msnbc.com contributor
updated 10:39 a.m. ET, Thurs., Sept . 3, 2009
The squeeze is on. Automakers around the world are coming under increasing pressure to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, even though consumers seem unwilling to sacrifice performance or pay a higher price for the technology needed to go green.
In this highly competitive horse race, there is no “silver bullet,” no single environmentally friendly solution, so manufacturers are turning to an array of alternatives that could eventually supplement, perhaps even replace, the time-tested internal combustion engine.
Mazda, the small Japanese affiliate of Ford Motor Co., is betting it has a unique weapon in its own powertrain arsenal, the Wankel, or rotary engine. Small, simple and lightweight, it was once seen as a promising substitute for the piston engine, but never lived up to its initial expectations.
But now Mazda believes the Wankel could move from a niche to mainstream source of power, and one that could be brought to market sooner and at a significantly lower cost than the fuel cell vehicles and battery cars on which other manufacturers are showering their attention —and billions in research dollars.
At a recent preview of Mazda’s 2010 product line, the maker unveiled two rotary-powered prototypes running on hydrogen, rather than gasoline. Many experts believe hydrogen could become the fuel of the future.
Most manufacturers have focused their attention on hydrogen-powered fuel cells, which feed the lightweight gas into a device called a stack, where it combines with oxygen to produce a steady flow of electric current. The resulting current is then used to power an electric motor. It’s a sophisticated and elegant technology that’s still better suited to the space program —where it was first used on the Apollo moon mission — and likely years away from commercial viability.
Mazda’s approach is to feed hydrogen, rather than gasoline, into its rotary engine, explains Akihiro Kashiwagi, head of the Hydrogen RE (short for Rotary Engine) project. It’s not quite as efficient as a fuel cell, but the technology is readily available and reasonably affordable. As with the fuel cell, the only byproduct is a misty stream of water vapor spewing from the tailpipe of a modified RX-8 the automaker allowed me to drive around the grounds of the Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, Calif.
The RX-8, a four-seat sports car, fires up with the touch of a button, the engine developing a curious buzz that one bystander suggests sounds a bit like “a vacuum cleaner that’s just swallowed something big.” But as it slips into gear, the car lurches forward and picks up speed.
Not a lot, however, for Mazda has had to detune the engine a bit to let it operate in dual-fuel mode. A critical advantage of using the rotary engine is that once this RX-8 has run out of hyrdrogen, it can switch to a second tank using readily available gasoline and just keep on going. The various hyrdogen-powered fuel cell vehicles being tested in Southern California as part of an elaborate experiment by other automakers and government authorities can never go more than 50 to 100 miles away from their refueling stations — unless the driver wants to be towed home.
Mazda recently introduced a second, more complex version of the Hydrogen RE system, using the Japanese version of its MX5 microvan.
This vehicle has been set up as a "series" hybrid. Unlike a Toyota Prius, whose wheels can be powered by its gasoline engine, electric motor or both, the Hydrogen RE Primacy van is powered solely by electricity. The hydrogen rotary functions only as a generator, charging up the vehicle’s battery or sending power directly to the electric motor turning its wheels.
The system is more efficient than that found in the Hydrogen RE RX-8, meaning better fuel economy and a range of about 200 miles.
At low speeds, the battery alone is used. And, says Kashiwagi, “In the future, this system could easily be converted to a plug-in hybrid,” like the planned Chevy Volt, by increasing the size of the lithium-ion battery. That would allow the vehicle to travel for 20, 30, 40 miles or more solely on electric power.
As with the Hydrogen RE RX-8, there’s a fair amount of buzzing from the Premacy. There’s also the drawback of giving up the third row of seats to make room for a big tank of hydrogen. But there’s still enough space for five passengers.
Like other hydrogen vehicles, the Mazda Hydrogen RE technology still has a bit of work to be done, but the company insists it could be ready for the retail world far sooner than fuel cells – and overcome some of the limitations of battery power, notably the lack of range.
The challenge is probably not one of using hydrogen, says Kashiwagi, but simply getting the fuel. There’s no nationwide production or distribution method and setting up one would likely be a slow and costly challenge. Nonetheless, hydrogen does have its advantages and plenty of proponents. And if Mazda is right, its technology could provide a clean alternative powertrain sooner than many other alternatives still struggling to make it to market.
Hydrogen power could revive old technology from Japanese maker
At a recent preview of Mazda’s 2010 product line, the maker unveiled two rotary-powered prototypes running on hydrogen, rather than gasoline. Many experts believe hydrogen could become the fuel of the future.
By Paul A. Eisenstein
msnbc.com contributor
updated 10:39 a.m. ET, Thurs., Sept . 3, 2009
The squeeze is on. Automakers around the world are coming under increasing pressure to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, even though consumers seem unwilling to sacrifice performance or pay a higher price for the technology needed to go green.
In this highly competitive horse race, there is no “silver bullet,” no single environmentally friendly solution, so manufacturers are turning to an array of alternatives that could eventually supplement, perhaps even replace, the time-tested internal combustion engine.
Mazda, the small Japanese affiliate of Ford Motor Co., is betting it has a unique weapon in its own powertrain arsenal, the Wankel, or rotary engine. Small, simple and lightweight, it was once seen as a promising substitute for the piston engine, but never lived up to its initial expectations.
But now Mazda believes the Wankel could move from a niche to mainstream source of power, and one that could be brought to market sooner and at a significantly lower cost than the fuel cell vehicles and battery cars on which other manufacturers are showering their attention —and billions in research dollars.
At a recent preview of Mazda’s 2010 product line, the maker unveiled two rotary-powered prototypes running on hydrogen, rather than gasoline. Many experts believe hydrogen could become the fuel of the future.
Most manufacturers have focused their attention on hydrogen-powered fuel cells, which feed the lightweight gas into a device called a stack, where it combines with oxygen to produce a steady flow of electric current. The resulting current is then used to power an electric motor. It’s a sophisticated and elegant technology that’s still better suited to the space program —where it was first used on the Apollo moon mission — and likely years away from commercial viability.
Mazda’s approach is to feed hydrogen, rather than gasoline, into its rotary engine, explains Akihiro Kashiwagi, head of the Hydrogen RE (short for Rotary Engine) project. It’s not quite as efficient as a fuel cell, but the technology is readily available and reasonably affordable. As with the fuel cell, the only byproduct is a misty stream of water vapor spewing from the tailpipe of a modified RX-8 the automaker allowed me to drive around the grounds of the Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, Calif.
The RX-8, a four-seat sports car, fires up with the touch of a button, the engine developing a curious buzz that one bystander suggests sounds a bit like “a vacuum cleaner that’s just swallowed something big.” But as it slips into gear, the car lurches forward and picks up speed.
Not a lot, however, for Mazda has had to detune the engine a bit to let it operate in dual-fuel mode. A critical advantage of using the rotary engine is that once this RX-8 has run out of hyrdrogen, it can switch to a second tank using readily available gasoline and just keep on going. The various hyrdogen-powered fuel cell vehicles being tested in Southern California as part of an elaborate experiment by other automakers and government authorities can never go more than 50 to 100 miles away from their refueling stations — unless the driver wants to be towed home.
Mazda recently introduced a second, more complex version of the Hydrogen RE system, using the Japanese version of its MX5 microvan.
This vehicle has been set up as a "series" hybrid. Unlike a Toyota Prius, whose wheels can be powered by its gasoline engine, electric motor or both, the Hydrogen RE Primacy van is powered solely by electricity. The hydrogen rotary functions only as a generator, charging up the vehicle’s battery or sending power directly to the electric motor turning its wheels.
The system is more efficient than that found in the Hydrogen RE RX-8, meaning better fuel economy and a range of about 200 miles.
At low speeds, the battery alone is used. And, says Kashiwagi, “In the future, this system could easily be converted to a plug-in hybrid,” like the planned Chevy Volt, by increasing the size of the lithium-ion battery. That would allow the vehicle to travel for 20, 30, 40 miles or more solely on electric power.
As with the Hydrogen RE RX-8, there’s a fair amount of buzzing from the Premacy. There’s also the drawback of giving up the third row of seats to make room for a big tank of hydrogen. But there’s still enough space for five passengers.
Like other hydrogen vehicles, the Mazda Hydrogen RE technology still has a bit of work to be done, but the company insists it could be ready for the retail world far sooner than fuel cells – and overcome some of the limitations of battery power, notably the lack of range.
The challenge is probably not one of using hydrogen, says Kashiwagi, but simply getting the fuel. There’s no nationwide production or distribution method and setting up one would likely be a slow and costly challenge. Nonetheless, hydrogen does have its advantages and plenty of proponents. And if Mazda is right, its technology could provide a clean alternative powertrain sooner than many other alternatives still struggling to make it to market.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
MSN Money - Tesla Aims For Mass Market
Tesla to Go Mainstream
Tesla VP on details of the company's planned expansion
Posted by Joshua Condon on Monday, August 31, 2009 11:49 AM
Last Monday, AutoWeek reported that Tesla will take advantage of millions of dollars’ worth of low-interest government loans to expand its stable beyond $100,000 sports cars. The announced goals, aimed at appealing to mainstream car buyers, starts with a $50K family sedan in 2011, followed by a mass-market car that retails for less than $30K by 2016.
Exhaust Notes contacted Tesla’s vice president of business development, Diarmuid O'Connell, to learn more about the company's expansion and store roll-outs, and whether the U.S. is ready for the electric car.
Exhaust Notes: How has the new government money (Editor’s note: $465 million in low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy) affected your expansion plans? Are things moving more quickly?
Diarmuid O’Connell: The short answer is that there’s no correlation between these new loans and our plans. We’ve had a very aggressive strategy outlined since 2006, which started with the Roadster but always had an eye towards moving onto a midpriced sedan, and then a mass-market car for under 30 grand. [Our original loan process] started back in December of 2006, so while these new loans make things easier, this plan has been in place and viable since before that money was available.
EN: The Model S family sedan is slated for 2011, which is right around the corner. Is the average American ready for an electric car?
DO: Absolutely. We’ve developed long-range EV options – batteries that go 240 miles on a charge and can be recharged overnight in a 110 or 220 volt socket, like a cell phone. The average driver in this country travels less than 40 miles per day in their car, and I think we’re evolving towards a situation where people are discerning car’s best uses – every vehicle in a garage doesn’t have to serve every purpose, so your Tesla can be your everyday commuting car, and you have another vehicle for towing, or long road trips. People are already doing that.
That being said, any market research in this field is, essentially, conceptual market research; there aren’t enough EVs on the road yet, so people are really forced to imagine a new situation, which can be difficult. We’re obviously focusing on the deep-penetration hybrid market – places like Los Angeles and Boston – but our goal is to make our vehicles attractive to everyone. At the end of the day, it’s incumbent on automakers to build attractive, fun, well-designed and high-performance vehicles. And that’s exactly what we’re doing and will continue to do.
EN: What about concerns that you don’t have an infrastructure in place to deliver and service these vehicles? The typical driver has probably never seen a Tesla store.
DO: Our store strategy is robust, and we’re rolling out stores in Munich and Chicago in September, which adds to our current stores in West L.A., Silicon Valley, New York, London and Seattle. By the end of the year, we’ll have rolled out new stores in Miami, Washington D.C., Toronto, and Monaco. But even where we don’t have stores, we employ remote techs who will make house calls for service and repairs and, if need be, personally deliver the cars to the nearest Tesla store.
Our view on all of this is absolutely long-term: We don’t need to sell an EV to every single person, tomorrow, to be successful. Over time, we will create a mass market for our cars that will be sustainable and grow based on vehicle quality, design, performance and customer satisfaction. These new vehicles are the next step in that evolution.
< Back to Exhaust Notes
Sort by:Newest firstOldest first1-10 of 127Previous
El Keter#1
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 7:03:55 PM
Where does a company named after Nicola Tesla get off selling overpriced sports cars and "bargain" sedans and mass-market cars that retail for $50k and $30k?
If Nicola Tesla was alive today and running a car company his cars would all run on happy thoughts (or electricity) and wouldn't retail for more than a few thousand bucks.
Kokorami#2
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 6:38:37 PM
"whether the U.S. is ready for the electric car." Actually, while I don't know much about the history of cars, I know enough history to know the writer didn't really do his homework here...in the early days, the electrics had a good share of the market (Baker, Detroit Electric and others) and I vaguely remember those funky little electric wedge cars growing up in the 70's. Should be "whether the U.S. is ready for electric cars again."
There really isn't anything new under the sun. Also, it's a perfectly good idea for people who can afford and get good use out of it. If you have good public transport/actually need or use a truck/aren't off the grid/are self-employed and working out of your house/whatever, and don't have a use for it, that's fine, too. But no need to knock it for people it's a good option for. Me, I drive a diesel and run it/top off the tank on biodiesel as much as I can. (Ethanol ISN'T the only biofuel, and compared to bagasse, corn ethanol is total BS.) Esp. when I pass by the place where they make it from waste grease. Some people do a grease conversion; I talked with them and as a person who on average covers 15 miles a day at most it wasn't the best option. We probably should change our driving habits (I'm getting a bike to cut down on that 15 miles since I'm close to my supermarket and drugstore)--but screaming about how stupid you think a perfectly good idea is and screaming about who has the best one-size-fits-all approach when one size DOESN'T are both pointless.
As for nasty comments about Tesla, no surprise. Anyone who knows anything knows who he was and anyone who doesn't makes stupid homophobic comments about 80's hair bands.
ReplyReport Abuse
Rich73132#3
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 6:05:35 PM
There is always Hertz or Enterprise to help you make that 775 mile trip. Far better to have a local car for all those countless ours spent in traffic. Even better if it is electric.
Tesla VP on details of the company's planned expansion
Posted by Joshua Condon on Monday, August 31, 2009 11:49 AM
Last Monday, AutoWeek reported that Tesla will take advantage of millions of dollars’ worth of low-interest government loans to expand its stable beyond $100,000 sports cars. The announced goals, aimed at appealing to mainstream car buyers, starts with a $50K family sedan in 2011, followed by a mass-market car that retails for less than $30K by 2016.
Exhaust Notes contacted Tesla’s vice president of business development, Diarmuid O'Connell, to learn more about the company's expansion and store roll-outs, and whether the U.S. is ready for the electric car.
Exhaust Notes: How has the new government money (Editor’s note: $465 million in low-interest loans from the U.S. Department of Energy) affected your expansion plans? Are things moving more quickly?
Diarmuid O’Connell: The short answer is that there’s no correlation between these new loans and our plans. We’ve had a very aggressive strategy outlined since 2006, which started with the Roadster but always had an eye towards moving onto a midpriced sedan, and then a mass-market car for under 30 grand. [Our original loan process] started back in December of 2006, so while these new loans make things easier, this plan has been in place and viable since before that money was available.
EN: The Model S family sedan is slated for 2011, which is right around the corner. Is the average American ready for an electric car?
DO: Absolutely. We’ve developed long-range EV options – batteries that go 240 miles on a charge and can be recharged overnight in a 110 or 220 volt socket, like a cell phone. The average driver in this country travels less than 40 miles per day in their car, and I think we’re evolving towards a situation where people are discerning car’s best uses – every vehicle in a garage doesn’t have to serve every purpose, so your Tesla can be your everyday commuting car, and you have another vehicle for towing, or long road trips. People are already doing that.
That being said, any market research in this field is, essentially, conceptual market research; there aren’t enough EVs on the road yet, so people are really forced to imagine a new situation, which can be difficult. We’re obviously focusing on the deep-penetration hybrid market – places like Los Angeles and Boston – but our goal is to make our vehicles attractive to everyone. At the end of the day, it’s incumbent on automakers to build attractive, fun, well-designed and high-performance vehicles. And that’s exactly what we’re doing and will continue to do.
EN: What about concerns that you don’t have an infrastructure in place to deliver and service these vehicles? The typical driver has probably never seen a Tesla store.
DO: Our store strategy is robust, and we’re rolling out stores in Munich and Chicago in September, which adds to our current stores in West L.A., Silicon Valley, New York, London and Seattle. By the end of the year, we’ll have rolled out new stores in Miami, Washington D.C., Toronto, and Monaco. But even where we don’t have stores, we employ remote techs who will make house calls for service and repairs and, if need be, personally deliver the cars to the nearest Tesla store.
Our view on all of this is absolutely long-term: We don’t need to sell an EV to every single person, tomorrow, to be successful. Over time, we will create a mass market for our cars that will be sustainable and grow based on vehicle quality, design, performance and customer satisfaction. These new vehicles are the next step in that evolution.
< Back to Exhaust Notes
Sort by:Newest firstOldest first1-10 of 127Previous
El Keter#1
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 7:03:55 PM
Where does a company named after Nicola Tesla get off selling overpriced sports cars and "bargain" sedans and mass-market cars that retail for $50k and $30k?
If Nicola Tesla was alive today and running a car company his cars would all run on happy thoughts (or electricity) and wouldn't retail for more than a few thousand bucks.
Kokorami#2
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 6:38:37 PM
"whether the U.S. is ready for the electric car." Actually, while I don't know much about the history of cars, I know enough history to know the writer didn't really do his homework here...in the early days, the electrics had a good share of the market (Baker, Detroit Electric and others) and I vaguely remember those funky little electric wedge cars growing up in the 70's. Should be "whether the U.S. is ready for electric cars again."
There really isn't anything new under the sun. Also, it's a perfectly good idea for people who can afford and get good use out of it. If you have good public transport/actually need or use a truck/aren't off the grid/are self-employed and working out of your house/whatever, and don't have a use for it, that's fine, too. But no need to knock it for people it's a good option for. Me, I drive a diesel and run it/top off the tank on biodiesel as much as I can. (Ethanol ISN'T the only biofuel, and compared to bagasse, corn ethanol is total BS.) Esp. when I pass by the place where they make it from waste grease. Some people do a grease conversion; I talked with them and as a person who on average covers 15 miles a day at most it wasn't the best option. We probably should change our driving habits (I'm getting a bike to cut down on that 15 miles since I'm close to my supermarket and drugstore)--but screaming about how stupid you think a perfectly good idea is and screaming about who has the best one-size-fits-all approach when one size DOESN'T are both pointless.
As for nasty comments about Tesla, no surprise. Anyone who knows anything knows who he was and anyone who doesn't makes stupid homophobic comments about 80's hair bands.
ReplyReport Abuse
Rich73132#3
Wednesday, September 02, 2009 6:05:35 PM
There is always Hertz or Enterprise to help you make that 775 mile trip. Far better to have a local car for all those countless ours spent in traffic. Even better if it is electric.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
S Fla Environmental News
(305) 248-3311 ext. 245
http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/environment/natural_resources.shtml
Adopt-a-Tree September 19th in Doral
Check DERM’s website or call for list of trees that will be available. The location for this event will be in Doral which is central and convenient for all. Remember to plant your young trees with plenty of space for them to grow. Allow space for the mature tree canopy to grow in with out the need to prune and allow space for a healthy root system to both anchor and transfer water and nutrients.
(305) 372-6999
http://www.miamidade.gov/derm/aat_event_schedule_09.asp
Mango Café is now open at the Fruit & Spice Park
See the media release below for the opening of the Mango Café at the Fruit & Spice Park. Now is an excellent time to visit the farming and grove side of Miami Dade County, our local green food source! See what fruits are still in season and what vegetables are being planted now. For more information on upcoming events at the Fruit & Spice Park and all of our Miami Dade County Parks visit their website.
http://miamifruitandspicepark.com/
http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/
Veggie Time
If you are planning to grow a garden now is the time to plan and plant!
Visit our Miami Dade County Cooperative Extension website for publications on what grows well here and how to grow it.
http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/master_gardener/Raised%20Bed%20Garden%20Book.pdf
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021
Barbara McAdam/Program Assistant
FYN/Florida Yards & Neighborhoods
Miami-Dade County Extension/Consumer Services Depart.
18710 S.W. 288th Street Homestead, Fl. 33030
(305) 248-3311 ext. 245
http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu
floridayards.org
J Please consider the environment before printing this email.
"Delivering Excellence Every Day"
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:MEDIA CONTACT:
Edith Torres
305-755-7862
THE MANGO CAFÉ OPENS AT REDLAND FRUIT & SPICE PARK
(MIAMI, August 28, 2009) – Miami-Dade Parks’ Fruit and Spice Park announces the opening of its new restaurant The Mango Café, on Monday, August 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., details to be announced at a later date.
Open only for lunch and late afternoon dining, patrons can enjoy Florida Tropical cuisine in the historic Bauer-Mitchell-Neill House of the Redland Fruit and Spice Park, with indoor and outdoor seating available, surrounded by the park’s beauty and lush landscaping.
Some of the menu items are created using seasonal, locally grown herbs, fruits and vegetables found in the Redland agricultural community, and that can also be found at Fruit and Spice Park, such as the Fresh Tropical Fruit Mélange Salad which serves a bountiful array of succulent exotic fresh fruits with cottage cheese and banana bread, or the wide variety of Fruit and Spice Smoothies and Shakes. Patrons can also find Café specialties such as Florida Lobster Roll, Shrimp Tacos, an assortment of salads, sandwiches, entrees, and dessert items like Mango Passion Cheesecake and Fresh Homemade Key Lime Pie, all prepared by local chef Brian Cullen of the Fruit and Spice Park.
The Mango Café is open seven days a week, except Christmas Day, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is available for special events for up to 25 people inside the Café, or up to 200 people at a different location within the Fruit and Spice Park. Customized catering menus are also available for parties on or off the premises. Dining reservations are not required.
The Redland Fruit and Spice Park is located at 24801 SW 187th Avenue in Homestead, FL and can be reached by calling 305-247-5727.
WHAT: The Opening of The Mango Café at Redland Fruit and Spice Park
WHEN: Monday, August 31, 2009, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Seven days a week, closed Christmas Day
WHERE: Redland Fruit & Spice Park
24801 S.W. 187th Avenue
Homestead, FL 33031
305-247-5727
Historical Background:
The Bauer-Mitchell-Neill House where the Mango Café is operated is the oldest house in the Redland, originally built in 1902 by John Bauer and donated to the Redland Fruit and Spice Park by the Neill family. The house was moved eight miles from its original site to the park and was registered as a historic site in the Redland, later to be destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. The current building is an exact replica of the home and was built in 2002.
Miami-Dade Parks, a three-time National Gold Medal Award (AAPRA and NRPA) winner, Florida Governor’s 2009 Sterling Award winner, and an accredited agency, is the third largest park system in the United States, consisting of 258 parks and more than 12,600 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the nation. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises after-school, sports-development and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; Miami MetroZoo and Deering Estate; Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson tennis tournament; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; and more. The Miami-Dade Parks mission is to create outstanding recreational, natural and cultural experiences to enrich you and to enhance our community for this and future generations.
# # #
To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call 305-365-6706.
http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/environment/natural_resources.shtml
Adopt-a-Tree September 19th in Doral
Check DERM’s website or call for list of trees that will be available. The location for this event will be in Doral which is central and convenient for all. Remember to plant your young trees with plenty of space for them to grow. Allow space for the mature tree canopy to grow in with out the need to prune and allow space for a healthy root system to both anchor and transfer water and nutrients.
(305) 372-6999
http://www.miamidade.gov/derm/aat_event_schedule_09.asp
Mango Café is now open at the Fruit & Spice Park
See the media release below for the opening of the Mango Café at the Fruit & Spice Park. Now is an excellent time to visit the farming and grove side of Miami Dade County, our local green food source! See what fruits are still in season and what vegetables are being planted now. For more information on upcoming events at the Fruit & Spice Park and all of our Miami Dade County Parks visit their website.
http://miamifruitandspicepark.com/
http://www.miamidade.gov/parks/
Veggie Time
If you are planning to grow a garden now is the time to plan and plant!
Visit our Miami Dade County Cooperative Extension website for publications on what grows well here and how to grow it.
http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfs/master_gardener/Raised%20Bed%20Garden%20Book.pdf
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VH021
Barbara McAdam/Program Assistant
FYN/Florida Yards & Neighborhoods
Miami-Dade County Extension/Consumer Services Depart.
18710 S.W. 288th Street Homestead, Fl. 33030
(305) 248-3311 ext. 245
http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu
floridayards.org
J Please consider the environment before printing this email.
"Delivering Excellence Every Day"
· Miami-Dade County is a public entity subject to Chapter 119 of the Florida Statutes concerning public records. E-mail messages are covered under such laws and thus subject to disclosure. All E-mail sent and received is captured by our servers and kept as a public record.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:MEDIA CONTACT:
Edith Torres
305-755-7862
THE MANGO CAFÉ OPENS AT REDLAND FRUIT & SPICE PARK
(MIAMI, August 28, 2009) – Miami-Dade Parks’ Fruit and Spice Park announces the opening of its new restaurant The Mango Café, on Monday, August 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A Grand Opening is scheduled for Saturday, October 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., details to be announced at a later date.
Open only for lunch and late afternoon dining, patrons can enjoy Florida Tropical cuisine in the historic Bauer-Mitchell-Neill House of the Redland Fruit and Spice Park, with indoor and outdoor seating available, surrounded by the park’s beauty and lush landscaping.
Some of the menu items are created using seasonal, locally grown herbs, fruits and vegetables found in the Redland agricultural community, and that can also be found at Fruit and Spice Park, such as the Fresh Tropical Fruit Mélange Salad which serves a bountiful array of succulent exotic fresh fruits with cottage cheese and banana bread, or the wide variety of Fruit and Spice Smoothies and Shakes. Patrons can also find Café specialties such as Florida Lobster Roll, Shrimp Tacos, an assortment of salads, sandwiches, entrees, and dessert items like Mango Passion Cheesecake and Fresh Homemade Key Lime Pie, all prepared by local chef Brian Cullen of the Fruit and Spice Park.
The Mango Café is open seven days a week, except Christmas Day, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is available for special events for up to 25 people inside the Café, or up to 200 people at a different location within the Fruit and Spice Park. Customized catering menus are also available for parties on or off the premises. Dining reservations are not required.
The Redland Fruit and Spice Park is located at 24801 SW 187th Avenue in Homestead, FL and can be reached by calling 305-247-5727.
WHAT: The Opening of The Mango Café at Redland Fruit and Spice Park
WHEN: Monday, August 31, 2009, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Seven days a week, closed Christmas Day
WHERE: Redland Fruit & Spice Park
24801 S.W. 187th Avenue
Homestead, FL 33031
305-247-5727
Historical Background:
The Bauer-Mitchell-Neill House where the Mango Café is operated is the oldest house in the Redland, originally built in 1902 by John Bauer and donated to the Redland Fruit and Spice Park by the Neill family. The house was moved eight miles from its original site to the park and was registered as a historic site in the Redland, later to be destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. The current building is an exact replica of the home and was built in 2002.
Miami-Dade Parks, a three-time National Gold Medal Award (AAPRA and NRPA) winner, Florida Governor’s 2009 Sterling Award winner, and an accredited agency, is the third largest park system in the United States, consisting of 258 parks and more than 12,600 acres of land. It is one of the most unique park and recreation systems in the nation. Made up of more than just playgrounds and athletic fields, it also comprises after-school, sports-development and summer-camp programs; programs for seniors and people with disabilities; educational nature centers and nature preserves; environmental restoration efforts; Miami MetroZoo and Deering Estate; Crandon Tennis Center, home of the Sony Ericsson tennis tournament; golf courses; beaches; marinas; campgrounds; and more. The Miami-Dade Parks mission is to create outstanding recreational, natural and cultural experiences to enrich you and to enhance our community for this and future generations.
# # #
To request material in accessible format, information on access for persons with disabilities, or sign language interpreter services (7 days in advance), call 305-365-6706.
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