Is this an answer?

Topic: Is this an answer? (Read 2127 times) previous topic - next topic

Is this an answer?

January 08, 2006, 12:54:09 AM

Ran across this site in random browsing about unrelated material:

http://www.terrapass.com/index.html

Sure, sounds like "tree-hugging hippie ", at first. Using your purchase/donation/whatever money to offset the emissions your car puts out by funding reducing pollution sources elsewhere.. probably to appease the guilty consciences of car-using hippie wanna-bes everywhere. Then a thought occured to me:

What if, instead of the current emissions procedures in those areas that test, they tested you and figured out roughly what you put out in a year based on mileage and that test and billed you accordingly with a similar program? Would you take such an option as an alternative to being failed for emissions, IF the program money proved to be effective, and IF it pretty much allowed you to do whatever you wanted with your car(s)?

This place's rates aren't ridiculous.. I think even at twice the mileage per year I normally run or more (I figured 6000 on the truck and 6000 on the car, and that's far more driving than I ever do) it estimated my "cost" at around $70.

It's all hypothetical to me, personally. A) I don't live in a testing area.. and B) I feel my occasional gardening work plus my limited driving appeases any notions I might have that my vehicles are much of a problem. :p I'm just curious as to what others think.

Is this an answer?

Reply #1 – January 08, 2006, 01:30:28 AM

wow man...interesting find.....being the total sceptic i am i instinctly call bs and mis use of your money. i honestly would feel dooped if i got involved in that. its interesting though. i just cant quite wrap my small brain around it right now i guess:p

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What if, instead of the current emissions procedures in those areas that test, they tested you and figured out roughly what you put out in a year based on mileage and that test and billed you accordingly with a similar program? Would you take such an option as an alternative to being failed for emissions, IF the program money proved to be effective, and IF it pretty much allowed you to do whatever you wanted with your car(s)?

thats all good and well but it doesnt physically help reduce polution in a direct manner. maybe in the grander scale of things i suppose.

slightly off topic but its kind of like those support out troops magnets and stickers. you see them everywhere but id bet just about anything almost none of the money goes into supporting our troops in any way. i honestly have too snicker too myself and shake my head whenever i see one. theres better ways too support the troops.

Is this an answer?

Reply #2 – January 08, 2006, 01:51:42 AM

They claim they can verify their work. I didn't read it, because I'm just not having much luck concentrating on anything tonight.

Is this an answer?

Reply #3 – January 08, 2006, 02:03:17 AM

What exactly is the point of this??
For $80 a year I get:

* TerraPass window decal
* TerraPass bumper sticker
* TerraPass convenience sticker
* A warm fuzzy feeling inside

All for the price of a month and a halfs worth of gas?? unless they actually follow my car around for a year everywhere I go removing the co2 as it leaves my tailpipe i'm basically paying to clean up another persons mess! :p why not plant a tree instead?

Is this an answer?

Reply #4 – January 08, 2006, 02:27:06 AM

It supposedly cleans up something.. industrial polluters, etc. Really, as long as something besides our wallets gets cleaned up, does it matter much? Also, let's not forget that the point of the thread was to discuss implementing this as an alternative to current emissions procedures. This particular company does not have to be involved with that. I'm using their pricing model as a starting point.

dude.. both my LSC and my truck together, even with an optimistic figure of 6k miles per year, don't add up to that quote of yours. :p

Is this an answer?

Reply #5 – January 08, 2006, 03:07:03 AM

Quote from: Bird351

dude.. both my LSC and my truck together, even with an optimistic figure of 6k miles per year, don't add up to that quote of yours. :p

haha kay I went back and fixed it ;) I was thinking kilometers but the computer was thinking miles.

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Reply #6 – January 08, 2006, 10:10:52 AM

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It supposedly cleans up something.. industrial polluters, etc.

Kind of a reversal of those "crush your gross-polluter driven-10-miles-a-year Classic car" programs that supposedly reduce overall emissions so those "here's a nice big campaign contribution, Mr. Governor" factories don't have to clean themselves up?

Is this an answer?

Reply #7 – January 08, 2006, 10:37:15 AM

Quote from: Bird351

What if, instead of the current emissions procedures in those areas that test, they tested you and figured out roughly what you put out in a year based on mileage and that test and billed you accordingly with a similar program? Would you take such an option as an alternative to being failed for emissions, IF the program money proved to be effective, and IF it pretty much allowed you to do whatever you wanted with your car(s)?

That part I highlighted would be awesome. I put less than 2,500 miles on my Cougar this year. I spent a good bit of miles driving back and forth to emissions (the station is a good 20 miles from my home). All they see is that my car failed, NOT that I rarely drive it. MD has a waiver for handicapped people and those over 70 years who don't drive their car over 5,000 miles per year. Well my car drove half as much but I'm still treated as though it's driven every day. According to this website, the Cougar ( I used a Thunderbird in the search) would put out roughly 3,913lb of CO2 per year. My new car that I drive every day would put out roughly 18,821lbs of CO2 per year. That would cost me about $110 per year which doesn't sound too pleasant.

Now as far as this type of testing, it would depend on the car and how individual states are handling their emissions programs. In MD '96 or newer get the OBD test which is sweet. However, '84-'95 get a treadmill test which blows and '77-'83 gets an idle test which is okay but still a pain. I wouldn't mind seeing this take effect here for cars '77-'95 but keep the OBD test for the '96 and newer cars.
But as with everything, there are many things that would have to be worked out that I'm not even thinking about.

Is this an answer?

Reply #8 – January 08, 2006, 01:20:30 PM

i suppose it would be a nice deal for certain cars. it wouldnt make sence to use that system fo ror everybodys daily driven cars, or daily driven cars for that matter. im not a tree hugger by any stretch but i do care. a system like that would say "who cares about how much polutants you put in the air as long as you can pay us for it" and doesnt realy necesitate cleaning up how cars run. its like the industries. they dump their waste right into the ocean because its easier and cheeper too pay the fines than it is too properly dispose of their waste.

now for specialty cars i can see working out some sort of deal. cars that arent daily drivers and only see so many miles like 3-5k a year or less could pay a regulated fee and have (more flexible) emissions limits. i dont think you should be ablo too blow whatever you want out of the tailpipe but have a larger grey area for testing.

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All for the price of a month and a halfs worth of gas??

man, thats a weeks worth of gas for me :( a also drive a good 25k a year.

Is this an answer?

Reply #9 – January 08, 2006, 03:03:18 PM

Quote from: shame302

man, thats a weeks worth of gas for me :( a also drive a good 25k a year.

43 mpg last I calculated

Not bad for a 16 year old rustbucket with over 300000km. Might expriment with water injection and a few other things once it warms up, wana try for 60mpg city just for shiznits and giggles.

Is this an answer?

Reply #10 – January 08, 2006, 03:14:33 PM

Even fixed, that's more than the listing for my truck at 6,000 miles a year. (although with my truck lacking cats and running rich and losing about half a quart of oil every 130 miles, I'd say their numbers are a wee bit low for me.. heh)

Is this an answer?

Reply #11 – January 08, 2006, 03:58:53 PM

Here's what I get when I put in 4000 miles for the truck and 6000 miles for the Mark. With my woman driving the Mark to work, as well as any driving I do with it, I figure I can leave it at 6000. However, both numbers are probably still higher than actual use. My uncle drove that truck to work every day for 9 years and probably put 5,000 miles a year on it. We do a lot less driving than he did.

Is this an answer?

Reply #12 – January 08, 2006, 04:31:12 PM

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43 mpg last I calculated Not bad for a 16 year old rustbucket with over 300000km. Might expriment with water injection and a few other things once it warms up, wana try for 60mpg city just for shiznits and giggles.

ill trade ya...

eh..first of, i dont drive the bird. i do 20-25k a year with my ranger. it gets about 20-23 mpg if im lucky and i spend a good 60-80 a week on gas. 13 gallon tank.

usually costs 28-34 too fiil the tank from empty at least 2-3 times a week. work is on average 65 miles away each way.

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Reply #13 – January 08, 2006, 07:29:16 PM

Quote from: Bird351

Also, let's not forget that the point of the thread was to discuss implementing this as an alternative to current emissions procedures. This particular company does not have to be involved with that. I'm using their pricing model as a starting point.

This kind of thing only takes care of CO2 emissions. NOx (aka smog )can't be cured by planting trees and has a far worse direct effect on humans than CO2. Smog particles are small enough to get by your nasal defenses and thus enter your lungs unhidered, which is why it does an efficient job of killing the elderly and asthmatics when the smog gets bad enough.

Hydrocarbon emissions are also not addressed.

Is this an answer?

Reply #14 – January 08, 2006, 07:38:06 PM

I'm open to suggestions as to how to address those emissions as well.. even if it is a bit harder than just shooting down the idea.