Government commits to ride in BMWs to save climate
To prove its commitment to saving the climate government MP’s aren’t just changing light bulbs, they’re replacing their carbon emitting $70,000 Ford Fairlane and Holden Statesman fleet with $120,000 BMW 730Lds. Apparently BMWs have better ‘whole of life’ cost efficiencies.
Well, I guess while we’re waiting for strong action on deforestation, coal mining, public transport and investment in renewable energy, why not buy a few roomy luxury cars?
But, seeing as these BMWs are all about clean energy efficiency let’s hope those cars and their Ministerial passengers don’t look too sexy. Because that’s bad for the environment too; our government’s belief that the solution to climate change is all about encouraging individuals to make small changes to their behaviours got support from the UK’s chief scientist, Prof. Sir David King who says one of the solutions to climate change is for straight single women to divert their affections from sexy sports car driving men to men who live more environmentally-friendly lives.
Just stop looking at me alluringly and I’ll change my carbon burning ways!
Oddly the complaints about this theory have not come from those concerned about the inherent sexism in this sentiment, but from sports car drivers saying they are only a small part of the population and asking ‘why are you picking on us and not the SUV drivers?’ Which all sounds much like the ‘New Zealand is too small to make a difference, why aren’t you picking on China’ argument.
December 18th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
green ministers in big bmw’s…
do i detect a disconnect..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 18th, 2007 at 9:35 pm
How can the Government claim to know the “whole of life cost” without being able to see into the future and know both the cost of fuel and the cost of carbon, when comparing the CO2 output/Fuel Efficiency etc vs the Purchase price and cost of parts?
December 18th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
“green ministers in big bmw’s”
Phil, there are no Green ministers.
Don’t you remember the aftermath of the 2005 election when Peter Dunne spat the dummy and made it a condition of his support that there should be no Greens in government?
We have two Green “government spokespeople” on Buy Kiwi Made and energy efficiency, and those positions don’t get a ministerial car. And, of course, if they did get a ministerial car those Greens would refuse to accept it.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:02 pm
Yep, get real Labour.
A self drive Honda Jazz (6.5 l/100 km petrol consumption can be achieved in normal use) is good enough for Jeanette Fitzsimons and Sue Bradford.
Get rid of the expensive luxuries, and buy a fleet of fuel-efficient cars for Ministers. And tell them to catch the train or bus when travelling around Wellington where practicable.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Personally I’d like to see them traveling in rickshaws.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
Hmm, Stuey, the only place I’ve travelled in a rickshaw (Bangkok) left me coughing and spluttering for days due to the air pollution.
Not that I am connecting the transport mode as causative of the air quality, but it still was not a pleasant experience.
Even worse was hanging my clothes out the window to get them dry, and getting them back in the evening dirtier than when I put them out.
Sorry, nothing to do with rickshaws, but they still invoke the image of the environmental degradation that Bangkok epitomises.
December 19th, 2007 at 3:25 am
toad said “Get rid of the expensive luxuries, and buy a fleet of fuel-efficient cars for Ministers.” You don’t need to do the first in order to do the second. Or are you one of those flagellating greenies? Since the BMW 730Ld uses 8 litres per 100km compared with the current ministerial Ford Fairlane’s 15 and Jeanette’s Jazz’s 6 it would seem Internal Affairs have proved that one can be green and still enjoy the little luxuries that power brings.
If we all drove modern diesels we would be well on the way to meeting our Kyoto commitments for transport.
December 19th, 2007 at 5:10 am
Actually, there is a thing about the “whole life” costs. The carbon used in the creation of the vehicle and the degree to which the vehicle can be recycled.
http://www.bmw.com/com/en/owners/service/recycling.html
I’d rather see the Ministers in a Prius or Peugeot Diesel…. but it does beat the current absurd waste. Not by half enough, but it isn’t like Greens had a say in it.
respectfully
BJ
December 19th, 2007 at 6:56 am
(sigh..!..stuey..)
i am assuming/presuming the post-election scenario..
i am aware there currently are no ‘green ministers’..
eh..?
phil(whoar.co.nz)
December 19th, 2007 at 7:34 am
Phil - I must say you are more optimistic about this election than I am. - BJ
December 19th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Kevyn, I acknowledge that it is an improvement on the Fairlanes.
But the Government’s own Energy Efficiency Strategy sets out a target for diesel vehicles entering the country to use only 6.5 litres per 100 km.
As you say, the BMW 730Ld uses 8 litres per 100km. Don’t you smell a whiff of hypocricy here?
By the way, I’ve just seen a media release from Jeanette Fitzsimons advising that she uses less than 5 litres per 100 km in her Honda Jazz - not the 6.5 I previously posted.
December 19th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Do modern diesels still have the same problems with air pollution? (as opposed to CO2 emissions)
December 19th, 2007 at 8:45 am
it’s a matter of ‘doing the math’..bj..
tho’..i must say..labour..and the greens..are doing their very best to make a liar of me..
eh..?
interesting political development of the day..?
key echoing the greens (purported) stand/call for an independant body to rewrite election finance legislation..(!)
(but you are also correct in your (apparant) pessimism..
and should the tides of change consign labour to the knackers yard..
they will likely already find the greens there..
(i can’t see the smacking-bill lingering/hurting the greens..
that is so ‘yesterdays’ issue’ now..
but this election-finance ‘winning of the battle’..could well be their ‘losing of the war’..
and every taxpayer funded govt ‘campaign’ next year..
will instantly be devalued/tainted by that now wide-held perception of this legislation (overly) favouring the incumbents..
phil(whoar.co.nz)..
December 19th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Yes, StephenR, although diesel supplied in New Zealand is now cleaner than it used to be - mainly because the sulphur levels, and therefore the sulphur dioxide emissions, have been significantly reduced.
The main pollutant from diesel now is nitrogen dioxide. Unlike nitrous oxide, nitrogen dioxide is not a greenhouse gas, but is still a significant pollutant which irritates the lungs, increasing susceptibility to and severity of asthma and lowering resistance to respiratory tract infections.
The extent to which a particular diesel vehicle pollutes is very much dependent on how well it is tuned.
December 19th, 2007 at 9:46 am
I must congratulate them on their taste in cars. The top end BMWs are fine cars.
I don’t much care about consumption statistics myself, but it is curious they have gone for a high status brand. Socialism, eh…..
December 19th, 2007 at 9:51 am
“I don’t much care about consumption statistics myself, but it is curious they have gone for a high status brand. Socialism, eh…..”
The Fabian equivalent of the Russian Zil Limousine. Gotta ensure that the peasants know whose boss, eh?
December 19th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
The BMW & is a very nice car, and efficient for its size, but I wonder why they think they need cars that big?
Clearly you need decent rear headroom and legroom for the taller ministers (otherwise you can only carry one minister per limo, and that would be a waste). But they could get this from a Mercedes B-Class, which manages 6.2 litres per 100km.
I think the problem is that they’re also trying to impress those people who think size = status.
December 19th, 2007 at 2:45 pm
Labour have just limited third party advertising to $120,000 and they go and spend more than $5 million on mobile billboards. Labour billboard slogans cost 5 million
I’m glad your coalition partners show the Greens so much respect.
December 19th, 2007 at 3:03 pm
what coalition partners?
December 19th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
StephenR - modern diesels are much better about pollution than they used to be. This is in part, as toad said, due to improved low sulphur fuel. The biggest gains have been had by the euro standards. I am assuming that the new BMWs are Euro4 standard, which has a very low PM10 particulate output compared to other diesels. All Auckland and Wellington’s new diesel buses are to this standard and they are so much better. The Euro5 standard kicks in in Europe in 2008, with even tougher requirements. Unfortunately, the market hasn’t driven this, only tough regulations on EU auto-makers.
December 19th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Just think Frog - If the government purchased 68 of them, they’d help the environment EVEN MORE than just owning 34.
And if they replaced them every year, that would enable them to take advantage of the latest efficiencies.
December 20th, 2007 at 3:05 am
toad, actually I wasn’t aware of the 6.5 standard. Twelve years ago the National Traffic Database revealed the average fuel consumption for all travel by petrol vehicles was 10.5 so 6.5 is a serious improvement.
Kahikatea, why they think they need cars that big is to fit their big egos.
frog, if the markets have not driven the introduction of Euro5 why were the Euro car makers so keen to get the standards introduced? Actually some emissions and safety equipment is highly profitable. But more importantly in the case of Euro5 is the fact that the American luxury car makers don’t have a big enough market share to justify the development costs of Euro5 engines therefore they either have to source engines from the Europeans or withdraw from Europe. Either way that’s a win for the european car makers. Simple free market protectionism. Something which of course never happens in theory.
December 20th, 2007 at 9:52 am
My MGF does better than 9l/100km, which is less than a Corolla.
And it’s got a functioning catalyst. And it was built some time ago by union workers.
Plus I live in the inner city and walk to work and the shops, so all told, I think my car and I use less fuel and generate less CO2 than someone with a ratty hatchback living out in the burbs.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:28 am
From Freakonomics this morning: