The one thing I wish Senator Biden would have talked more about on the campaign trail

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2007/03/biden_introduce.html

I was soooo proud of him for this:

ea SCR for Diesel Emissions Control »

Biden Introduces Bill Focused on Li-Ion Battery Development for EVs and Plug-Ins
30 March 2007
US Senator Joe Biden (D-DE) has introduced legislation that would significantly increase US investment in the development of advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids.

“The American Automobile Industry Promotion Act of 2007” (S.1055) authorizes $100 million a year for five years to advance the technology—double the amount of the current budget request from the Administration.

Specifically, Biden’s bill would support the development of advanced electric components, systems and vehicles, by providing funds for battery research to national laboratories, small businesses, and institutes of higher learning.

The bill will also establish, through a competitive selection process, an Industry Alliance of private,US-based, for-profit firms whose primary business is battery development. The Industry Alliance would be an advisory resource on short and long term battery technology development.

The proposed program would have four major areas of focus:

Research & Development. R&D efforts would include battery technology; high-efficiency charging systems; high-powered drive train systems; control systems and power train development, including cooling and control systems that seek to optimize battery life, while reducing petroleum consumption, and greenhouse gas production; and nanomaterial technology for battery and fuel cell systems.

Demonstration. The bill would provide funding for demonstration, testing and evaluation of hybrid electric vehicles for many different applications including military, mass market passenger and SUV vehicles.

Education. Support for an educational curriculum in secondary, high school, as well as higher education institutions that focuses on electric drive systems and component engineering.

Testing. The program would work with the EPA to develop testing and certification procedures for criteria pollutants, fuel economy, and petroleum use in vehicles.

In addition to research and development for lithium-ion batteries, the bill also sets a national standard for biodiesel and expands tax credit eligibility for consumers who purchase diesel vehicles.

Specifically, the bill expands the emissions requirements to qualify for a tax credit for various weight diesel vehicles, increasing the number of American-manufactured diesel vehicles that qualify. This provision will expire in four years, at which time vehicles will be required to meet the more stringent emissions standards. In particular, Daimler Chrysler produces a Jeep Grand Cherokee diesel that will qualify under the new requirements.
------------------------------
As I watch all these new chevy commercials for their new cars that are running on Li-ion batteries, I find myself screaming at the tv once again "Joe was right".

all hot about the Tesla Roadster and it runs on lithium-ion batteries -- I couldn't understand if THEY could do it, why other car companies couldn't. Then I read about Joe's legislation for research money. VERY impressive when NOBODY else was talking about that technology.

But like everything else, the media decides WHAT topics will be covered -- what topics the American people want to hear about.

:grr:

This legislation came out about the same time that I started seriously following Biden's candidacy.
The environmental groups LOVED him for this.

Damn.

He has an excellent record on the environment.

The media did it's job for corp bosses......

I just get madder about that daily too.


Someone just said that Hillary was creating the road for Obama, and my reply to that was;


If you think the Clinton's are creating that road for Obama,

Then you should give some consideration to those of us who have had their candidates killed by the media as well. Mostly because of the obvious weight of the 'celebrity' candidates. The people aren't picking the candidates, the media and their frenzy is.

Frankly, I wished Obama would have stuck with his original statement that he would NOT be running this year, and would have waited until he could overcome the 'inexperience' stigma. It would have made this race a lot less complicated/divisive, and would no doubt guarantee a democratic president in 2008. Now, I'm not so sure.

I truly feel Obama let ambition overcome his good sense. And we will all pay for it.

I remember reading her magazine back in 2006, she did a whole section on how wonderful Obama and Michelle were.


That's my tinfoil hat moment for the day.