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Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

theguardian.com

351–360 of 519 posts

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#351

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> strong collective identity This makes a society weaker - it's effectively a monoculture that restricts the data available to the decision makers. It also reduces a societies ability to innovate in art, culture and eventually technology and science - innovation requires the ability to take an outside view, to be self-critical, and a society that is too busy forging a 'strong collective identity' will make it harder…

> This makes a society weaker I think there's some truth to this. But rampant individualism also makes society weaker. It reduces a societies ability to collaborate.

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Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#352
post #209

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Call me cynical but climate change, the biggest threat to mankind right is right in front of us. We will also face the biggest threat to what made our civilization and our democracy possible, which is cheap quasi-unlimited access to energy (petrol in our case). Combine both and I don't see democracies as being able to efficiently navigate us out of this combined nightmare to come. As you said, autocracies are efficie…

1°C rise per century. 1 foot ocean rise per century. Threat?

Everything's freezing again all the glaciers are growing again, climate change models predict next 50 years are going to be some of the coldest in a very long time..... threat?

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#353

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Autocracies are only short-term efficient. Once their initial aims are met, they become terribly inefficient, then corruption sets in, and then they must be forcibly removed. From the point of view of Western individualism, yes. However, a strong autocracy relies on building a strong collective identity through education and the cultural institutions. That identity isolates the individual from his personal beliefs…

> strong collective identity This makes a society weaker - it's effectively a monoculture that restricts the data available to the decision makers. It also reduces a societies ability to innovate in art, culture and eventually technology and science - innovation requires the ability to take an outside view, to be self-critical, and a society that is too busy forging a 'strong collective identity' will make it harder…

[deleted]

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#354

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Autocracies seem to be the most efficient form of governance. It's a shame that this also means that they can do evil things very efficiently, given no one can stop them.

Autocracies are only short-term efficient. Once their initial aims are met, they become terribly inefficient, then corruption sets in, and then they must be forcibly removed. It's good for other nations who can benefit from their trailblazing, but bad for the nation itself because they're basically fucked in the future when the bill comes due. Centralization is long-term the worst kind of governance, inevitably becom…

I think they're only as good as their autocrats, and not just in terms of good intentions. Singapore fared better than others, but it wasn't entirely centralized either.

The cogs in our governance (everyone else) are pretty rusty, though.

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#355

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In UK its illegal to store over 30 liters, and only in special container. https://www.hse.gov.uk/fireandexplosion/petrol-storage-club-... Also it goes off after like 6 months if you are not using it. https://www.rac.co.uk/drive/advice/know-how/does-fuel-go-off... .

Your first link says the exact opposite of your claim. It says it's legal to store above 30L and below 275L of petrol if you inform the local Petroleum Enforcement Authority. Even above 275L, it says you need a license - it doesn't say it's illegal. Fuel does go off, but if you have reason to store it, you probably have a use for it, so as long as you cycle the fuel, you can store an emergency supply indefinitely.

'Even above 275L, it says you need a license - it doesn't say it's illegal.'

Its commonly said 'it illegal to possess plutonium', but obviously someone does operate nuclear powerplants, and thise are people with the right licence. Same applies to drugs, explosices, etc.

The question is - are requirements of the lisence realistic for you to meet as an average homeowner?

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#357

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This makes a society weaker I think there's some truth to this. But rampant individualism also makes society weaker. It reduces a societies ability to collaborate.

> rampant individualism also makes society weaker. It reduces a societies ability to collaborate. Let's not mistake diversity for individualism. We can be diverse, yet share overarching ideals - such as living together peacefully and in solidarity.

> We can be diverse, yet share overarching ideals - such as living together peacefully and in solidarity.

We can, but increasingly I see people arguing that we should forgoe those and determine our actions in society based on our own individual interest and market mechanisms.

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#358

'Global sales' I hope everyone understands in China it is very hard to get a licence plate, the government allows you to get a licence plate if you buy a heavily subsidised electric car. The aim is to stimulate demand to develop an industry. Large cities also banned motorbikes and scooters, with the same aim. This is no way market driven demand, BYD is a very interesting company to look into. It is my understanding t…

Well yeah, electric vehicles are costlier than ICEs, of course the shift isn't going to be market driven. It should be a given that all the changes needed to fight climate change will only happen with thumbs on scales.

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#359
post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that including hot water and heating? Because those are where most our electricity go. We burn no gas or oil.

Hot water yes, heating no. Luckily both countries in which I lived have central heating. I agree that a lot of kWh are needed for heating. But I hope it's, in your case, for less than 6 months a year? Did you notice a difference in consumption in summer and winter months?

Oh yes, in the summer we use something like 20-25 kWh per day, and it is clear that the bulk of those are used either when we cook or when someone is using hot water.

Re: Sales of electric cars up by 43% in 2020

#360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Western urge for constantly rethinking and reevaluating history and traditions, for innovations in art and science, does not lead to an inherently stable society in the long run that spans across centuries. The changes themselves introduce new kinds of problems requiring new solutions, and that affects the societal structure in unpredictable ways. Japan and South Korea are western only in a superficial sense, in…

> The Western urge for constantly rethinking and reevaluating history and traditions, for innovations in art and science, does not lead to an inherently stable society in the long run that spans across centuries I'm not clear what you're saying here. Are you saying that it would be a good thing if society in western countries were more like what it was 400 years ago? Enormous improvements in science, technology, cult…

China as a nation dealt with 'change' in the form of white men on awesome ships with awesome guns coming and having their way for 100 years.

Going from their nadir in WWII to what they are now in 70 years seems awfully adaptable to me.

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