We pull the nitrogen out of the air and phosphorous out of the ground. Artificially fixing nitrogen disturbs the natural nitrogen cycle. Even if all the nitrogen we fixed went to supporting terrestrial plant life (it doesn’t), we would still need energy to put into the system in order to fix the nitrogen in the…

Well, consider that the planet could not support our population without the use of artificial fertilizers. I would argue that we have exceeded the carrying capacity of the planet, but are getting away with it thanks to the Haber process. In fact, we get away with a much larger population thanks to many technologies.…

i don’t think my parents restricted my candy intake as a kid at Halloween. However, as an adult, I still sometimes forget that I shouldn’t eat a bag of candy corn in one sitting. Fortunately I only make that mistake once per year. I’ve noticed that as I get older my body’s tolerance for junk food keeps getting…

What is the general consensus on the Ioniq plug-in hybrid vs the Volt? Any chance a mere mortal could qualify for the Circle V plan (or something similar)? By mere mortal I mean someone who doesn’t own a VW.

Counter-point: She doesn’t need a practical car, and has the money to spend. Now is the time to spend it on something fun and distinctive (but fairly reliable) before kids come along. Even after kids you can still do fun and distinctive, but now would be the time for her to enjoy something impractical.

Thanks for the recommendation. I plan to hit Enterprise after Voyager.I haven’t re-watched Enterprise since it was on air. I remember that seasons 1-2 were OK, season 3 was terrible, and season 4 was awesome (IMHO). After Enterprise, I’ll circle back to TNG. TNG is many people’s gold standard, but they forget that…

It sounds like the settlement does a good job trying to compensate the majority of owners fairly. There will always be outliers. Having the settlement be perfect for every person would take too long and be too costly. And a settlement that bankrupted VW wouldn’t have been beneficial either.

I’m just about to finish my 3rd or 4th viewing of DS9 since it first aired. I was planning to move on to Voyager. I wasn’t a big fan the first time around, and I doubt it has aged particularly well, but bad Trek is better than no Trek, and I remember some of the episodes and arcs in seasons 4-7 weren’t bad.

Were you watching Voyager or Star Trek 10?

I’m a month late to this topic, but I’m surprised at the outpouring of support for pet insurance. I always figured it was just another way to part me from my money. I’m fortunate not to be put into a life and death decision with a young pet. However, I am currently in a situation with a 12 year old healer who is…

I can’t be the only person who would want a hologram of Garrison Kellior to keep me company on my commute.

Saw the shiny at first, then saw the paint. The paint has taken everything from me, its all I see.

Fair enough, but are rates on used car loans really 5-7%? Wow... I guess I’d be looking for a cheaper vehicle that I could pay cash for before taking out a 5% to 7% loan for five years on a vehicle that is already 3 years old.

True, this assumes that the person is disciplined enough to actually save the cash. I you take the longer term and blow the money elsewhere, then you could put yourself in a tight spot.

Interesting point... being underwater on a 0% loan is OK in the situation where the car is a total loss. However, I still think it is a bad situation if you need to sell the car. Granted most people won’t be in the situation where they MUST sell a car they bought 1-2 years ago, but it does happen, and being…

It is a good rule of thumb. It might be off for some higher depreciation vehicles.

Negative interest rates are really only effective in economies without cash... otherwise they are a bad idea.

Or a the very least download an auto loan calculator app on your smart phone.

Wait... what? Are you saying that a typical lightly used car gets financed for 5 years at 6-7% interest? That is INSANE. Who finances a used car for 5 years? At 7%? I’m not saying your wrong with your numbers... I’m just shocked that it is reality.

While monthly payment is what matters to the buyer in the end, there are ways to achieve the monthly payment that end up costing the buyer money. Maybe the dealer can hit your target payment if they increase the length of the loan. In making a 12 or 24 month jump in the length of the loan, they can add in a nice…