The Chinese Electric Car Race

Hat tip for DeSmogBlog on this news about the Chinese building an electric car that can travel up to 100 km on a single battery charge. It would take 15 minutes to charge to 80% on special charging stations. Price is expected to be $22,000 and government subsidy is possible under the Beijng’s emissions-curbing program.

I have been a proponent of government subsidy for GM Chevy Volt to kick start the electric car revolution. But it looks like if GM manage to survive through bail out, it will be hard for them to beat the price of the Chinese build electric car. (source: Forbes.com). DeSmogBlog compared the GM’s price of $40,000 USD to the Chinese $22,000. (Prius is $37,938).

While Canada and U.S., being an oil producing nation, drag its feet on moving away from reliance on oil, Asia and Europe has less incentive to continue its addiction to oil. So Asia and Europe would likely lead the pack again on making this new technology a reality. Interchangeable simcard cellphone and text messaging have been widely used in Europe and Asia before North America cautiously adopted it. So Canadian’s government inaction could mean we will be a late comer once again. While other nations economy is helped by the increased production in the switch to alternative clean energy source, Canada’s economy if it falls into deep recession would take longer than the rest to recover, just like during the last great depression.

Canada Produces Medical Isotopes, U.S. Companies Profit

Today’s news about another averted medical isotope crisis is a very telling example of how privatization could lead Canada down a perilous path, not only financially but in terms of its citizens health. I have blog in details about the whole medical isotope fiasco during the past crisis (see bottom for list of past blogs).

It was a crisis years in the making due to past Conservative and Liberal government’s negligence and inactions. In the case of the former, it was either a totally incompetent or consciously corrupt decision to gave away profit and distribution of our medical isotope to U.S. private companies. This happened under Brian Mulroney’s government and with their approval and prodding. In summary, under Brian Mulroney’s government, profit from the lucrative medical isotopes, produced by Canada, was awarded to U.S. companies in what is probably the most lopsided deal in a developed country. In effect, Canada who produces these medical isotopes does not get to distribute nor profit from it. So why did Mulroney government agree to such a terrible deal? It’s either utter incompetence or callous corruption to help private companies profit at Canada’s expense.

So not only was a revenue sources lost from this malpractice, but now cancer patient are in peril as Canadian don’t get first dip whenever there’s a worldwide shortage of these medical isotopes.

So keep that in mind the next time you decide to keep quiet while the government sell off our research and utilities assets to private companies.

The making of the crisis (links to past blogs):

Buck Does Not Stop with AECL

CNSC Linda Keen Firing, Gary Lunn Before the Committee

Harper Fired CNSC Linda Keen