Answer: A diesel-electric hybrid using 100% biodiesel. Unfortunately, I don't know of any diesel-electric hybrid cars on the market, and biodiesel isn't readily available. BAE SYSTEMS does make diesel electric buses for New York City.
Biodiesel Retailer Map
Hybrid Buses
I recently found out UNH has a biodiesel group, and they have a comparison between several different cars. They compare cost per mile (strictly fuel cost), and fossil energy input per mile (again strictly looking at the fuel) for six different cars; a Jetta TDI on biodiesel, a Jetta TDI on petrodiesel, a Jetta 2.0L on regular gasoline, a Toyota Prius Hybrid, a Honda Fuel Cell vehicle (hydrogen), and a Dodge ESX3 diesel hybrid. The diesel hybrid was the cheapest to operate per mile at 3 cents per mile followed by the Prius at 3.5 cents/mile, the Jetta TDI on petrodiesel at 4 cents per mile, the biodiesel Jetta at 4.7 cents/mile, the gas Jetta at 6.2 cents/mile, and last the fuel cell at 19 cents/mile. The price of fuel used for the comparison is outdated, but I don't think the order would change much with updated fuel costs.
As far as fossil fuel use, the diesel hybrid (using 100% biodiesel of course) was the clear winner again, using only 0.55 BTUs of fossil energy per mile. The runner up was the Jetta TDI on biodiesel at .89, then the fuel cell car at 2.4, the Prius at 3.4, the petrol diesel Jetta at 3.7, and the gas Jetta at 6.0. The energy balance data for biodiesel used in the calculation seems a little optimistic, but biodiesel would be the clear winner regardless - unless the hydrogen for the fuel cell car is obtained from renewable sources. The hydrogen was assumed to come from natural gas.
The UNH Biodiesel group also has a great introductory presentation on biodiesel.
Car Comparison
Biodiesel Presentation
UNH Biodiesel Main Site
Friday, February 24, 2006
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Wachusett Skiing / Snowboarding
Jodie and I went to Wachusett Mtn in Princeton, MA yesterday for some skiing and snowboarding. I snowboarded and Jodie skied. It was awesome!
We got a coupon book from Mr. Tux when we signed up for them to provide our tuxedos for our wedding. The coupon book is great! We used a coupon for a free "Learn To Turn" package for both of us. The package included free rentals, a free lesson, and a free lift ticket for the lower mountain. We didn't pay a dime for the whole day!
Originally I was thinking of bringing my skis and using the coupon for an entire mountain lift ticket while Jodie did her lessons, but then I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try snowboarding. I'm really glad I decided to go the snowboarding route. It made it so Jodie and I were on the same level. It was her first time skiing and my first time snowboarding, so we were quite content to stay on the lower mountain. In fact we didn't progress to the chair lift until around 2:00 pm. We were in lessons in the morning, and then still needed to work on a few things using the "magic carpet" lift before trying the chair. Apparently, the days of rope tows and "J" or "T" bars are gone, and these conveyer belt things are the standard "bunny slope" lift.
I didn't really know what to expect from snowboarding. Part of me thought I'd pick it up pretty easily because I've skied before and I'm generally pretty good at picking up things like this. But, another part of me feared I'd be quite bad because I'd never skateboarded in my life (the few times I tried to even stand on a board went very badly) and a lot of people compare snowboarding to skateboarding. At the beginning of my lesson, I struggled quite a bit. Though I was one of the better people in the class, I was still struggling to go straight for a few feet and make one turn. By the end of the 1.5 hour lesson, I could occasionally link two turns together.
There were a couple things I found very surprising about snowboarding. I was surprised to hear the rider is supposed to weight the front foot heavily, when intuitively I would have thought, and my body seemed to agree, the rider would want to weight the rear foot more. I also was surprised to find out I ride "goofy", meaning with my right foot forward. I had heard the term "goofy" before, but I had always assumed riding with the left foot forward was "goofy". There are a couple questions they ask a first time snowboarder to help them decide which foot should be forward. First, what foot do you kick a soccer ball with, and second, if you ran and then slid on a slippery surface, which foot would you put first. I definitely do both those things with my right foot. It is quite surprising to me that most people don't, especially since most people are right handed and so am I.
After a lunch break, Jodie and I stayed together somewhat and used the "magic carpet" for awhile. When the 1:00 pm snowboarding classes invaded the slope, there really wasn't much room to practice. Even though I was still struggling a lot, and falling regularly, I suggested to Jodie that we take the Monadnock Chair lift up. She agreed with a little convincing. I figured the trail was a green circle, so it would just be a lot more of what we had been doing already. I was right, for me, it was a lot more falling.
By the end of the day, I was feeling quite beat up from the repeated falling, but I was doing pretty well linking my toe-side and heel-side turns together. I was finally able to ride down the slope in a reasonable fashion.
Jodie did amazingly well. She had vowed never to try downhill skiing, especially after getting a small taste of downhill on some cross country ski trails. Thanks to this coupon, I was able to convince her to give it a try, and she did great! And liked it! Jodie has a difficult time when she's not in full control, and sliding downhill definitely fits in that category. Once she learned to turn and stop, she could control herself to her likening. She also is afraid of falling down. Who would have thought, but that made her learn much more quickly because she really didn't want to fall. She actually made it through the whole day without falling, which must be a record for a first timer. Though, it might have been nice for her to fall a couple times just to realize it's not that bad. Trust me, I can attest to that!
Summary:
Number of falls for Jodie: 0
Number of runs without a fall for Pat: 1
We got a coupon book from Mr. Tux when we signed up for them to provide our tuxedos for our wedding. The coupon book is great! We used a coupon for a free "Learn To Turn" package for both of us. The package included free rentals, a free lesson, and a free lift ticket for the lower mountain. We didn't pay a dime for the whole day!
Originally I was thinking of bringing my skis and using the coupon for an entire mountain lift ticket while Jodie did her lessons, but then I thought this was the perfect opportunity to try snowboarding. I'm really glad I decided to go the snowboarding route. It made it so Jodie and I were on the same level. It was her first time skiing and my first time snowboarding, so we were quite content to stay on the lower mountain. In fact we didn't progress to the chair lift until around 2:00 pm. We were in lessons in the morning, and then still needed to work on a few things using the "magic carpet" lift before trying the chair. Apparently, the days of rope tows and "J" or "T" bars are gone, and these conveyer belt things are the standard "bunny slope" lift.
I didn't really know what to expect from snowboarding. Part of me thought I'd pick it up pretty easily because I've skied before and I'm generally pretty good at picking up things like this. But, another part of me feared I'd be quite bad because I'd never skateboarded in my life (the few times I tried to even stand on a board went very badly) and a lot of people compare snowboarding to skateboarding. At the beginning of my lesson, I struggled quite a bit. Though I was one of the better people in the class, I was still struggling to go straight for a few feet and make one turn. By the end of the 1.5 hour lesson, I could occasionally link two turns together.There were a couple things I found very surprising about snowboarding. I was surprised to hear the rider is supposed to weight the front foot heavily, when intuitively I would have thought, and my body seemed to agree, the rider would want to weight the rear foot more. I also was surprised to find out I ride "goofy", meaning with my right foot forward. I had heard the term "goofy" before, but I had always assumed riding with the left foot forward was "goofy". There are a couple questions they ask a first time snowboarder to help them decide which foot should be forward. First, what foot do you kick a soccer ball with, and second, if you ran and then slid on a slippery surface, which foot would you put first. I definitely do both those things with my right foot. It is quite surprising to me that most people don't, especially since most people are right handed and so am I.
After a lunch break, Jodie and I stayed together somewhat and used the "magic carpet" for awhile. When the 1:00 pm snowboarding classes invaded the slope, there really wasn't much room to practice. Even though I was still struggling a lot, and falling regularly, I suggested to Jodie that we take the Monadnock Chair lift up. She agreed with a little convincing. I figured the trail was a green circle, so it would just be a lot more of what we had been doing already. I was right, for me, it was a lot more falling.
By the end of the day, I was feeling quite beat up from the repeated falling, but I was doing pretty well linking my toe-side and heel-side turns together. I was finally able to ride down the slope in a reasonable fashion.
Jodie did amazingly well. She had vowed never to try downhill skiing, especially after getting a small taste of downhill on some cross country ski trails. Thanks to this coupon, I was able to convince her to give it a try, and she did great! And liked it! Jodie has a difficult time when she's not in full control, and sliding downhill definitely fits in that category. Once she learned to turn and stop, she could control herself to her likening. She also is afraid of falling down. Who would have thought, but that made her learn much more quickly because she really didn't want to fall. She actually made it through the whole day without falling, which must be a record for a first timer. Though, it might have been nice for her to fall a couple times just to realize it's not that bad. Trust me, I can attest to that!Summary:
Number of falls for Jodie: 0
Number of runs without a fall for Pat: 1
Friday, February 10, 2006
The House Saga Continues ...
The seller on our original house came back and offered to give us $6,000 back at closing if we came back to the house. Apparently, he was disappointed that the house didn't sell fast after we left. This was an attractive offer given the radon and septic issues at the new property. Jodie and I felt we could move right into the house and bank the $6,000 to use in the event the septic system has issues or if we sell the house and the new buyer wants some concession.
The sellers on the new house have offered us a total of $11,000 in a combination of cash back at closing and escrow funds. That almost covers the cost of both radon mitigation systems and a new septic.
After some going back and forth on our decision, we've decide to stay with our "second" property. It will involve a little more money on our part, but we like the house and sellers better than the first house.
The sellers on the new house have offered us a total of $11,000 in a combination of cash back at closing and escrow funds. That almost covers the cost of both radon mitigation systems and a new septic.
After some going back and forth on our decision, we've decide to stay with our "second" property. It will involve a little more money on our part, but we like the house and sellers better than the first house.
Another Bad Septic! Plus High Radon!
The inspection on our "new" house turned up a failing septic system and high radon levels in the air and the water. The septic system had a lot of water and sewage in the leach field. The radon level in the basement air was 6.5 pCi/L and the water radon was 15,000 pCi/L. An Air radon level of 4.0 pCi/L is the EPA recommended level above which action should be taken. There is no agreed upon level for radon in the water, but a level of 4,000 pCi/L has been proposed in NH. Maine uses 20,000 and Massachusetts 10,000 pCi/L. Most literature indicates the largest health risk from water radon is when it outgasses from the water, such as when showering.
After quite a bit of investigation, I've decided the radon treatments for air and the water are warranted. Obviously, a new septic system is warranted as well. Here's what I've found for estimates for the various systems. These estimates are just ballpark estimates based on the information I could give over the phone. A site assessment is necessary to get a good estimate.
$6500 - $8000 for a septic system design and installation
$900 - $1200 for air radon mitigation system
~$3500 for water radon mitigation
Resources:
http://www.des.state.nh.us/EOH/Radon/FAQs.asp
http://www.radonh2o.com/
http://www.radongas.org/
After quite a bit of investigation, I've decided the radon treatments for air and the water are warranted. Obviously, a new septic system is warranted as well. Here's what I've found for estimates for the various systems. These estimates are just ballpark estimates based on the information I could give over the phone. A site assessment is necessary to get a good estimate.
$6500 - $8000 for a septic system design and installation
$900 - $1200 for air radon mitigation system
~$3500 for water radon mitigation
Resources:
http://www.des.state.nh.us/EOH/Radon/FAQs.asp
http://www.radonh2o.com/
http://www.radongas.org/
One House Out, New House In
Jodie and I are now under agreement on a different house. The inspection on the first house went fairly well. The boiler is older and needs a new coil, and some of the electrical wiring was out of date, but the big issue was the septic system. The septic system is undersized and not state approved. There is a 500 gallon metal tank and a trench line rather than a leach field. Kent Septic did the inspection and said they don't even like to pump metal tanks because they collapse. The inspection results were somewhat disappointing, but I wasn't too upset because I thought the inspection was enough to force the seller to make a concession.
The seller was unwilling to make a concession. His standpoint was that the system works, so there was no need to do any work. Jodie and I felt the seller should make concessions because based on the inspection results we felt the system was inadequate for the size of the house and unmaintainable because of the metal tank. It seemed to us that we'd be stuck with a large bill to replace the system, if not right away, then probably before we could sell the house.
Jodie, our real estate agent, and I met with the seller's original septic inspector, who inspected the septic a year ago. These septic people painted a much better picture. Saying the system does work now and is serviceable. They have in fact pumped it many times. They claimed the problem with metal tanks was the cover collapsing and this septic has a concrete cover.
Jodie and I still didn't feel too great about the septic system. Even if it works, it's too small and we'd likely have problems in the future. We weren't happy with the seller, who had bought the place a year earlier, made some updates, and was basically just trying to make as much money as possible. So we decided to spend the rest of the day looking at other houses on the market to see what our other options were.
We ended up finding another house in Hooksett for the same asking price. We made an offer, and ended up getting the house for the same price as the first one, with some money back for closing. The house has more finished space than the first house and has lots of storage space (2 garages) and a lot of land (5.5 acres, though some of it is wetlands). We're very excited.
The seller was unwilling to make a concession. His standpoint was that the system works, so there was no need to do any work. Jodie and I felt the seller should make concessions because based on the inspection results we felt the system was inadequate for the size of the house and unmaintainable because of the metal tank. It seemed to us that we'd be stuck with a large bill to replace the system, if not right away, then probably before we could sell the house.Jodie, our real estate agent, and I met with the seller's original septic inspector, who inspected the septic a year ago. These septic people painted a much better picture. Saying the system does work now and is serviceable. They have in fact pumped it many times. They claimed the problem with metal tanks was the cover collapsing and this septic has a concrete cover.
Jodie and I still didn't feel too great about the septic system. Even if it works, it's too small and we'd likely have problems in the future. We weren't happy with the seller, who had bought the place a year earlier, made some updates, and was basically just trying to make as much money as possible. So we decided to spend the rest of the day looking at other houses on the market to see what our other options were.
We ended up finding another house in Hooksett for the same asking price. We made an offer, and ended up getting the house for the same price as the first one, with some money back for closing. The house has more finished space than the first house and has lots of storage space (2 garages) and a lot of land (5.5 acres, though some of it is wetlands). We're very excited.
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