Originally Posted by l2ridehd (Post 483032)

And as usual in this argument not all the facts are presented. How much CO2 does the coal fired power plant produce to generate the electricity to charge the batteries in 25000 golf carts every night?

Originally Posted by jimbo2012 (Post 482996)

In researching TV and deciding to move here later this year I was bit surprised to see what in my opinion is the disregard of folks driving gas powered golf carts around town.

Of the 50,000+ carts there are approximately half gas/elec.

I researched a bit as what the exhaust gases are contributing to the air you breathe.

In 2004 Princeton University reported on the possibility of reducing the amount of gas emissions from the University fleet. A total of 92 golf carts. on campus provided the largest amount of harmful emissions - carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other gases.

Not to post a bunch of calculations and bore you with numbers but 1 gas cart produces about the same emissions as 6 Ford Taurus'

In 2010 Go Green College, calculated based on their 100 carts half gas half elec the following;

50 gas carts generates 161,200 pounds of CO2 a year!
50 electric powered carts generates only 41,700 pounds of CO2 a year!

So about 4 times the about.

So here 25,000 gas carts produce 500 times that amount or 80 million pounds of CO2 a year!

Did I do that math right? 80 million lbs

Originally Posted by sandybill2 (Post 483040)

our grown son is asthmatic---he was here for a week recently and actually had a problem with his breathing due to driving through the golf cart tunnels and the gas fume odors that seem to linger there.

Originally Posted by lovesports (Post 483059)

We care very much about our carbon footprint.
We drive an electric golf cart and hate to be behind a gas cart.

Originally Posted by CarGuys (Post 483070)

However you and I are a minority on alternative fuel transportation.
I agree with you on the Carts. You make valid points but as I2RdHD has commented the debate will go on forever

Originally Posted by jimbo2012 (Post 482996)

In researching TV and deciding to move here later this year I was bit surprised to see what in my opinion is the disregard of folks driving gas powered golf carts around town.

Of the 50,000+ carts there are approximately half gas/elec.

I researched a bit as what the exhaust gases are contributing to the air you breathe.

In 2004 Princeton University reported on the possibility of reducing the amount of gas emissions from the University fleet. A total of 92 golf carts. on campus provided the largest amount of harmful emissions - carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other gases.

Not to post a bunch of calculations and bore you with numbers but 1 gas cart produces about the same emissions as 6 Ford Taurus'

In 2010 Go Green College, calculated based on their 100 carts half gas half elec the following;

50 gas carts generates 161,200 pounds of CO2 a year!
50 electric powered carts generates only 41,700 pounds of CO2 a year!

So about 4 times the about.

So here 25,000 gas carts produce 500 times that amount or 80 million pounds of CO2 a year!

Did I do that math right? 80 million lbs

Originally Posted by lovesports (Post 483059)

We care very much about our carbon footprint.
We drive an electric golf cart and hate to be behind a gas cart.
Our cart holds its charge for so long, we go from one end of the Villages to the other and still have tons of charge left.

Originally Posted by John_W (Post 483010)

One of the first things I did after moving into our home was to remove the 3 incandescent 40 watt light bulbs from the driveway lampost and replace them with 3 flourescent 40 watt bulbs that use 9 watts each. That's 120 watts versus 27 watts that burn everynight in front of every home in TV, just imagine if the builder had done that to the over 40,000 homes in TV, how much electricity could be saved in a single evening.

Originally Posted by Barefoot (Post 483104)

We also have an electric cart which seems to hold a charge forever, even with golfing and driving all over TV. I personally find gas carts to be noisy and smelly, but it is a personal choice, and many people I respect choose gas carts. On a positive note, I've learned to hold my breath for a really long time! Before I enter a tunnel, I take a deep breath, and I don't take another breath until I clear the tunnel. That takes care of my allergy problem.

Originally Posted by salpal (Post 483109)

On another note, I am surprised at the number of refrigerators I see in garages. Do two people in one home really need two refrigerators? I understand about the convenience of keeping one's beverages cold, but refrigerators are big energy wasters.

Originally Posted by jimbo2012 (Post 482996)

In researching TV and deciding to move here later this year I was bit surprised to see what in my opinion is the disregard of folks driving gas powered golf carts around town.

Of the 50,000+ carts there are approximately half gas/elec.

I researched a bit as what the exhaust gases are contributing to the air you breathe.

In 2004 Princeton University reported on the possibility of reducing the amount of gas emissions from the University fleet. A total of 92 golf carts. on campus provided the largest amount of harmful emissions - carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and other gases.

Not to post a bunch of calculations and bore you with numbers but 1 gas cart produces about the same emissions as 6 Ford Taurus'

In 2010 Go Green College, calculated based on their 100 carts half gas half elec the following;

50 gas carts generates 161,200 pounds of CO2 a year!
50 electric powered carts generates only 41,700 pounds of CO2 a year!

So about 4 times the about.

So here 25,000 gas carts produce 500 times that amount or 80 million pounds of CO2 a year!

Did I do that math right? 80 million lbs

Originally Posted by Dirigo (Post 483142)

What about all the exhaust from the lawn mowers, edgers, and leaf blowers used in TV? Aren't they worse polluters than gas golf carts?

Pehaps a new business start-up could cut lawns with an old fashioned people-powered reel mower and rake lawns and sweep driveways and walkways? They could also compost the clippings and leaves.

Of course the price for all that manual labor would be quite high compared to the way it is being done now, but there may be a business opportunity catrering to those who are concerned about their carbon footprint.

Originally Posted by Dirigo (Post 483142)

What about all the exhaust from the lawn mowers, edgers, and leaf blowers used in TV? Aren't they worse polluters than gas golf carts?

Originally Posted by Dirigo (Post 483142)

What about all the exhaust from the lawn mowers, edgers, and leaf blowers used in TV? Aren't they worse polluters than gas golf carts?

Pehaps a new business start-up could cut lawns with an old fashioned people-powered reel mower and rake lawns and sweep driveways and walkways? They could also compost the clippings and leaves.

Of course the price for all that manual labor would be quite high compared to the way it is being done now, but there may be a business opportunity catrering to those who are concerned about their carbon footprint.

Originally Posted by looneycat (Post 483163)

and you have to give up eating beef since cows arguably have the worst carbon footprint of food animals.....oh no not my burgers!!

Originally Posted by skyguy79 (Post 483185)

It would seem to me that if we stopped eating beef that the cattle population would increase and it would therefore be a reasonable conclusion that the if the cattle population increases, so would the carbon footprint. Smile looney, your Whimpy burgers are safe!
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...I4MGG52eGu5mZQ

Originally Posted by looneycat (Post 483192)

burgers, burgers, yum...I would gladly pay you tuesday for a hamburger you give me today...:mmmm:

I was speaking to the car'boners' that want to reduce the herds as well...all in the name of carbon footprint!
:oops:

Originally Posted by skyguy79 (Post 483185)

It would seem to me that if we stopped eating beef that the cattle population would increase and it would therefore be a reasonable conclusion that the if the cattle population increases, so would the carbon footprint. Smile looney, your Whimpy burgers are safe!
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...I4MGG52eGu5mZQ

Originally Posted by angiefox10 (Post 483206)

That's why I say... Spay and neuter your cow!

Originally Posted by looneycat (Post 483151)

it is approx 16 miles from rt42 to rt 44 on Buena Vista
the average electric golf cart can make that round trip once.
the 'new' 60 mile range carts can make that trip maybe 1.5 times since I've yet to hear of anyone getting much more than 45 miles a charge.

Originally Posted by ajbrown (Post 475522)

My 6 volt T105 batteries turned two years old and I wanted to share some range testing

My test runs:

• Front window was down as it was hot, but this would decrease wind resistance and increase range.
• Only weight in cart was a husky man, lab assistant Caly, and possibly a couple of beverages with enough ice to keep them cold.
• All driving was on tar paths or roads.
• All mileage was not continuous. I stopped for periods of 15-30 minutes at various places to visit and take voltages of the pack.
• Voltages were measured after the pack rested for 15-30 minutes post arrival at a destination. (Future post will have details of voltages for the truly curious)
• The distance was measured with the cart speedometer and a GPS app on my Blackberry, I used the lower number.

Test run one: 42+ miles, ending voltage was 48.6 volts (~55% SOC)
Test run two: 63+ miles, ending voltage was 47.6 volts (~37% SOC) (last run of 9.5 miles had lights on)

I was extremely pleased with these numbers.

Originally Posted by jimbo2012 (Post 483144)

I would think they are just as bad, any gas engine with or without emission controls is bad for our environment.

However, there aren't 25,000 + of them running around day and night.

Originally Posted by jimbo2012 (Post 483216)

I saw this posted here



Now with solar just over the horizon, we should see 75+ mile ranges soon.


.

Originally Posted by senior citizen (Post 483121)

Our adult children and grandchildren are HUGE into the green movement.

Ditto for other relatives in California who keep sending us circulating emails about not having the pipeline come down from Alaska, etc., etc., etc.

For those who live in a colder climate who must use home heating oil and have seen the prices escalate to as much as their yearly property taxes, gasoline isn't really the big deal in a small walkable town that has all the services one needs, meaning not a lot of driving unless heading off to visit or on vacation. We use very little gasoline but a lot of home heating oil.

But there are folks in New England who go CRAZY trying to avoid purchasing heating oil........so yank out their baseboard hot water heating system to put in pellet stoves and regular wood stoves, plus wood furnaces all over the house.......then have to chop and split **wood all year long to keep the fires going (and the smoke does contribute to breathing issues).........I find it a lot easier to turn one of the four themostats either up or down. **not killing the trees.

We have kids who have taught their kids "not to flush" if it is yellow.

So, we've lived in both these worlds. They recycle. It's all admirable.

We have switched from paper cards to electronic ecards ........that saves paper and postage.

We've always bought smaller sized cars, but brand new. After this last visit to The Villages, my husband so admired the SMOOTH ROADS down there that he immediately purchased a full sized new gas guzzler car similar to the one he rented at Orlando International Airport. It was retired man's one luxury.

Upon returning and picking up our one year old car at the long term parking, he realized how bad our pot holed roads are up here.........so he's going the opposite way from "being into saving of the planet."

Originally Posted by looneycat (Post 483217)

actually I would bet that the total of all the gas run lawn implements used daily would probably be in the 8,000-10,000 range between the private homes, golf courses and public land in the 100+ square miles of the villages.

Originally Posted by looneycat (Post 483223)

atypical but thanks for pointing this post out. If you had good practical experience, i.e. lived here, you'd know. sorry.