Thanks for that, it does help a bit to allay my fears. I'm still concerned however, basically because of the mixed data coming from places like Consumers Union and the like. (Mine's 2002, BTW.)
I've actually spent years now agonizing over whether to do the extended warranty. (I have just a few months and a few thousand miles left on my new-car warranty.)
It's definitely a close call because such warranties are well-known "profit-centers" for companies that sell them The Focus warranty will cost me at least 12 to 15 hundred dollars, a serious bit of change. As always, comments and advice are welcome.
My feeling is the unless you have a trans or engine replaced under the warranty, you'll lose money. Wait, don't the 2002 have extended warranties on the drive train? I'm not sure. Anyway, the Zetec engines seem to be pretty durable.
I'd plan on replacing the rotors with the EBC grooved rotors and Greenstuff brake pads. Big difference and probably cheaper than the Ford parts. I got mine from tirerack.com but you can find them all over the net.
Hardly an "independent" view point regarding the graph.
Even if it is true, I'd be hard pressed to call nuclear power the solution. I don't want that waste around me and I can't imagine my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and etc (How many generations do we have to go out here? I can't count that high!!!) want to be dealing with waste created during MY lifetime.
If you want to push for a clean environment, great. Just concentrate on something like wind, solar or wave powered. Something that can actually minimize our impact on the environment, not increas it.
Matt Focus owner (to balance the V-10 Super Duty sitting in the other half of the driveway)
Radioactivity is around us already, its what heats the earth Fossil is expected to exacerbate ice cap melt, so your offspring will be seeing the results of your nice liefstyle in about 200 years. That aint nice Wind and Solar, too late
I would welcome nuclear, its less of a risk than fossil when you look at the big picture
The web site is an NGO so yes it has its own opinion, but backed up by great scientists, some of whom discovered the extent if the ozone/CFC and how much pollution talk is largely green propaganda. I feel you are a victim of this if you dont mind me saying
Well, I suppose that is true. You are of the belief that it is OK to create deadly nuclear waste, a whole lot more than has already been created, that is going to be a problem for our civiliation THOUSANDS of years from now. You don't seem concerned that we have yet to come up with a containment system that can last a fraction of the time the waste is dangerous.
This is pretty irrelevant to the discussion. (Unless you are trying to say that the nuclear waste is going increase global warming too!)
The problem is the best scientists disagree on global warming and its actual cause. Yes, a lot of them like to blame the buring of fossil fuels, but our studies of environmental effects is in its infancy. We don't know what kind of cylces are natural to the earth. We don't know how long they last, how extreme they are, and what the frequency is. And then you have natural effects like volcanos spewing ungodly amounts of pollutants into the air.
But what we know for sure is nuclear waste is dangerous for THOUSANDS of years.
And technology has come along way, and can go a lot farther, in making the use of fossil fuels eco-friendly.
You seem awfully quick to dismiss solar and wind. If we invested the billions you seem willing to spend on nuclear into solar and wind, we could accomplish quite a bit. And once the equipment is build and installed, it is CLEAN. Cleaner than Nuclear. (And it doesn't leave problems for our civilizations THOUSANDS of years in the future.)
If you don't mind me saying? Gee that sounds a bit condescending....
Hey, you are entitled to your own opinion on nuclear power. But I don't think you are disputing the fact that nuclear waste is going to be a problem to be dealt with for THOUSANDS of years. And I can't imagine you will dispute that global warming problems (over and above what is occurring naturally - I'm talking attributed to fossil fuels) is just a scientific theory at this point.
There is now growing evidence that wind power isn't the green solution.
When it only accounts for a small proportion of a countries energy needs conventional power stations can cope for the times when it isn't windy. When greater proportion is supplied by wind power what do you need for the times when there is no wind?
The majority of people want electricity when it suites them and not when the weather says they can have it.
How much of the countryside do you have to pollute with a forest of noisy windmills to provide electricity for a small village?
Matt, its pretty clear your argument is an emotional one, so I'll not go any further discussing the logic of the issue on this forum and how it relates to Cars.
I cant really agree with most of what you say in terms of logic, but feel free to email me, I'd like to listen to you and understand your case better
Emotional? Yeah, whatever. Bottom line is you can't dispute the fact that nuclear waste is going to be a problem for THOUSANDS of years.
When you have an answer for dealing with it, (a way to neutralize or a containment system that can last thousands of years), we can continue the discussion.
Oh, and when you want to discuss this further, lose the condescending tone. It's not appreciated and weakens your credibility.
I previously provided links about the Oklo natural reactors. I'll repeat one quote from my previous post:
"Remarkably, despite abundant groundwater, the plutonium and fission fragments drifted through the rock less than 10 meters over the next
1.7 billion years."
It wasn't stored in any way, it was in porous rock with groundwater drifting through it. And it moved about 30 feet in 1.7 billion years.
We can do better than just digging a hole iun the ground and tossing the stuff in there. I don't recommend it. But that would probably enough all by itself.
Okay, dig a hole in the ground in soil similar to Gabon, Africa and toss the stuff there. Proven solution.
Well goodbye from this forum Matt, even if you dont want to open up yet, please drop me an email off thread. I'd be delighted to continue there
BTW, I used to hold your exact opinion on the topic... since then I've read a lot, researched a lot and tried to form a balanced opinion from all angles. The result is my current position which I feel quite secure about. I can only suggest you think about that
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