Is this a joke? Its a surface parking lot with a little greenwashing. 6 outlets for the 24 spaces? Can't something more productive be put in a place the article says 30,000 people pass by than 24 parking spaces?
It's already little gas station (abandoned, granted) on an oddly shaped parcel. Even if you could figure out how to put something on there, what? Condos? No market. Office space? Ditto. A statue? Yeah, you could do that, downtown Boston doesn't have enough of those. Or an Irish pub.
Yeah, downtown doesn't have enough. Why, you have to climb all the way up the stairs from the Dunkin' Donuts in the Government Center T stop to get to another Dunkin' Donuts - and then it's, God, a 15-second walk around the corner to the next one!
But give props to the Double-D for building a Dunkin' Donuts on Rte. 9 in Wellesley diagonally across from an existing Dunkin' Donuts.
"unnecessary redundant Dunkin's" award goes to the TD Garden, which has one DDs adjacent to the west entrance and another one a stone's throw (or is that hockey puck) in the commuter rail waiting area.
Green Park & Charge will replace the petroleum-based 20th century filling station with an environmentally-conscious 21st century electric charging station.
And that environmentally-conscious 21st century electricity? It's generated by 20th century nuclear power and natural gas.
A third of energy from non-carbon emitting sources is better than nothing, and natural gas emits less carbon per unit of energy than oil, so that's an improvement too. When a car is powered by gasoline, that's 100% Oil, so you can get improvements by cranking down to less bad alternatives.
Until solar powered cars become viable, it's not really possible to run cars on something that is truly green. (And even solar isn't perfect, since you still have to manufacture the panels.) Switching to electrical cars in the short term creates a modest reduction in carbon emissions, and since you're putting energy into the car in a neutral format, it makes it easier for future improvements to be made.
Of course green is relative, who ever said that "better" would be "perfect"? Our world isn't a vacuum with balanced polar, direct and balanced relationships. Ther are alot of inputs and outputs, green is being conscious of those and finding what's best in the larger system
Even charging your car using electricity from a coal fired plant, which is the most polluting way to get your electricity, puts less carbon into the air than driving the same distance in a gas burner would.
I'M sure the neighborhood assn is happy and nothing is cheaper to create and faster to deliver ROI than parking. So what? Unless the old gas tanks are there and have caused enviro damage that Gorin or future developer would have to deal with depending on how deal is structured.
You're right. However, I was thinking of older homes like mine that have 100A service; I'd need to upgrade the service and get a new panel and run a 240 volt line to the garage.
Thinking on this somemore...wouldn't it be an electric code violation to run the 240 car charge line into the 240 dryer line; if both were operating it would be an overload.
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Comments
There's nothing green about
There's nothing green about an asphalt area used to charge cars.
That's right dammit!
if they can't do this in the middle of the Common, don't do it at all!
But seriously, I thought electric cars would be charge-able with wall outlets, which could be in parking garages? What ever happened to that idea?
Extending range
This is to extend your range.
Maybe it's for people too
Maybe it's for people too lazy to carry their car up to their apartment to charge it
a greenwashed surface lot, the last thing Boston needs more of
Is this a joke? Its a surface parking lot with a little greenwashing. 6 outlets for the 24 spaces? Can't something more productive be put in a place the article says 30,000 people pass by than 24 parking spaces?
Like what?
It's already little gas station (abandoned, granted) on an oddly shaped parcel. Even if you could figure out how to put something on there, what? Condos? No market. Office space? Ditto. A statue? Yeah, you could do that, downtown Boston doesn't have enough of those. Or an Irish pub.
I'm cool with the idea but
I'm cool with the idea but why not have an outlet per spot?
(No subject)
IIRC there's already a Dunkin
IIRC there's already a Dunkin at Haymarket right nearby. But when has that ever stopped them.
Mmm, donuts
Yeah, downtown doesn't have enough. Why, you have to climb all the way up the stairs from the Dunkin' Donuts in the Government Center T stop to get to another Dunkin' Donuts - and then it's, God, a 15-second walk around the corner to the next one!
But give props to the Double-D for building a Dunkin' Donuts on Rte. 9 in Wellesley diagonally across from an existing Dunkin' Donuts.
Clearly, the local winner of the
"unnecessary redundant Dunkin's" award goes to the TD Garden, which has one DDs adjacent to the west entrance and another one a stone's throw (or is that hockey puck) in the commuter rail waiting area.
ya racist basterd!
And just what exactly is wrong with a wee Irish pub? urrrp.
Guess were not getting development on the parcel
I guess Ms. Gorin is not going to be putting anyhting up on that site for a while.
This station is a good idea. You have to start somewhere.
As far as it being "green", what do you want? Rip up the pavement, the fill and let it go back to being the 1600's mill pond shore? Get over it.
Green Park & Charge will
And that environmentally-conscious 21st century electricity? It's generated by 20th century nuclear power and natural gas.
Edit: I tell a lie.
Gas: 36.6%
Nuclear: 25.6%
Coal: 15.2%
Oil: 9.8%
Hydro: 6%
Non-hydro renewable: 5.3%
http://oaspub.epa.gov/powpro/ept_pack.charts
Green is relative.
A third of energy from non-carbon emitting sources is better than nothing, and natural gas emits less carbon per unit of energy than oil, so that's an improvement too. When a car is powered by gasoline, that's 100% Oil, so you can get improvements by cranking down to less bad alternatives.
Until solar powered cars become viable, it's not really possible to run cars on something that is truly green. (And even solar isn't perfect, since you still have to manufacture the panels.) Switching to electrical cars in the short term creates a modest reduction in carbon emissions, and since you're putting energy into the car in a neutral format, it makes it easier for future improvements to be made.
Green is relative Thanks for
Green is relative
Thanks for saying it.
Of course green is relative,
Of course green is relative, who ever said that "better" would be "perfect"? Our world isn't a vacuum with balanced polar, direct and balanced relationships. Ther are alot of inputs and outputs, green is being conscious of those and finding what's best in the larger system
Even charging your car using
Even charging your car using electricity from a coal fired plant, which is the most polluting way to get your electricity, puts less carbon into the air than driving the same distance in a gas burner would.
Making the NE/Wtrfrnt Happy
I'M sure the neighborhood assn is happy and nothing is cheaper to create and faster to deliver ROI than parking. So what? Unless the old gas tanks are there and have caused enviro damage that Gorin or future developer would have to deal with depending on how deal is structured.
There are 3 levels of
There are 3 levels of recharging equipment:
level 1 is 120 volts (like your house outlet) and requires around 12 hours to fully recharge the car batteries
level 2 is 240 volts (need to spend a few grand to upgrade your home service) and takes about 6 hours
level 3 requires an expensive customized site, is 480 volts and about 30 minutes to fully charge a battery.
If youre paying a few grand
If youre paying a few grand to get a 240v outlet, youre being ripped off.
Many homes already have a 240v outlet for the dryer.
You're right. However, I was
You're right. However, I was thinking of older homes like mine that have 100A service; I'd need to upgrade the service and get a new panel and run a 240 volt line to the garage.
Thinking on this somemore...wouldn't it be an electric code violation to run the 240 car charge line into the 240 dryer line; if both were operating it would be an overload.