Save the planet by cutting down your neighbors trees... | FerrariChat

Save the planet by cutting down your neighbors trees...

Discussion in 'General Automotive Discussion' started by James_Woods, Feb 12, 2008.

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  1. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
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    James K. Woods
    Just saw this last night - guy in N. California has an electric car kind of like a no-doors no-windows 4 seat golf car.

    He charges it via some solar panels on the roof of his house.

    OK so far, now it gets weird...

    He is waging a battle with his neighbor, wants to cut down several approximately 100ft tall Redwoods that were there before the golf cart or the panels. Seems they shade the sun from his solar array.

    California apparantly has a law that you cannot shade your neighbor's solar cells, EVEN IF YOUR TREES WERE THERE YEARS BEFORE THE SOLAR PANELS!!!

    You either have to cut your trees down or trim them so that the array has full sun from 10:00 to 2:00 every day.

    Guess who sides in with the solar cell guy? The Sierra Club. Trees gotta go for the general electric car good.

    Now who loves cars more than trees?

    PS - no politics intended; but I just thought this was ridiculous in the extreme.
     
  2. MAHOOL

    MAHOOL Formula Junior

    May 24, 2004
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    I say we get some tree huggers up in them trees.....
     
  3. TexasF355F1

    TexasF355F1 Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Just further proves all enviro-wackjobs are hyprocrites.

    They want to save the rainforrest, but they want to cut down trees so someone can use their solar panels.

    They do realize the shade from the tree actually reduces their electric bills by the shade the trees provide? I guess not.

    Karma's a *****, that's all I'm saying.
     
  4. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

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    Not to mention that the tree puts out Oxygen and absorbs CO2. And looks way prettier than that electobugmobile.

    There has got to be some "neighborly animosity" going on here - otherwise you would think that they would have just figured out a way to move the panels (or better yet, put them somewhere else in the first place, as the trees were already there).

    BTW, I saw this on the TV news last night; have not been able to locate a web link yet...
     
  5. Steve King

    Steve King F1 Rookie

    Feb 15, 2001
    4,367
    NY
    He should see if he can cut the tree down so it falls on the guys solar panels. At least he can get some satisfaction out of it.
     
  6. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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  7. TexasF355F1

    TexasF355F1 Six Time F1 World Champ
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  8. wingfeather

    wingfeather F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2007
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    rock bottom
    Okay, so the trees are only 40 feet.

    But they were planted FIVE YEARS before Mr. Solar set up his cells.
     
  9. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

    May 17, 2006
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    Tillman's link shows that I was wrong or misinformed on several details -

    a) trees were only there about 4 years or so when he put up the panels.

    b) trees are only about 20-40 ft tall, not 90-100 like I think the TV reporter said.

    c) solar dude says panels produce enough power to make his electric bill only 60$ a month - leading me to believe that he can't be shaded off all that much.

    d) tree dude drives a Prius and claims greegie creds as well.

    e) tree dude claims to have already spent 25K fighting this; I say again - some kind of personal problem involved here. Both sides are obviously rich enough to have bought more panels or else moved the ones that are their. Seems to me the solar guy has got it hard and heavy to cut down these trees rather than make the mechanical comprise on the panels - probably out of some kind of spite.

    ______

    Suggestion for the Governator: Show these guys the "Wisdom of Green Soloman" - drive up there in the Hummber with a chainsaw in the back and offer to run over half the panels, cut down half the trees, and drag the Prius and the Golf Cart off into the sunset. That way both sides win, sort of.
     
  10. TexasF355F1

    TexasF355F1 Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Yea, I caught that.

    I was just curious if the panels were in the picture.
     
  11. tundraphile

    tundraphile F1 Veteran

    May 16, 2007
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    Missouri
    This argument is something I have never understood about using trees to offset carbon emissions. At best they are temporary, burn it or decay it and the carbon is re-released into the atmosphere.

    Rather than do either to dispose of waste wood, I guess we could cut down trees and put them in anaerobic landfills, but there has to be a better solution.
     
  12. lesterm

    lesterm Formula Junior

    Nov 3, 2003
    611
    Durham, NC
    Check the article again:

    His solar system is so large that he is only paying $5 a month for electricity, and he wants his neighbors to cut down trees that shade his cells? How much more energy does this guy need? There has to be something else going on here. As others have said, this seems to be about a personal vendetta, rather than a neighbor being upset that his solar cells aren't operating at their full potential.
     
  13. 62 250 GTO

    62 250 GTO F1 Veteran

    Jan 9, 2004
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    Have someone smash solar power guy in the teeth with a redwood.

    Damn this story is idiotic.
     
  14. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Jan 20, 2004
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    Original post made it sound like old growth timber, these are little 20-40 foot trees, Bradford pears get that big.
     
  15. tervuren

    tervuren Formula 3

    Apr 30, 2006
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    My parents had this situation with neighbors before. Odds are, the tree's where originally planted due to "differences" between them, now the neighbor that hated the "solution" to whatever issues they had, is trying to get them removed. Thing is though, its not about who's right and wrong, but this will set the precedence for how this is handled in future.
     
  16. wingfeather

    wingfeather F1 Rookie

    Feb 1, 2007
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    Huh... I use about $30 a month in electricity without solar panels. Exactly HOW is he helping the planet? :)
     
  17. fastback33

    fastback33 Formula 3

    Mar 8, 2004
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    Why not put the solar panels on the trees? Bam! problem solved.....
     
  18. Etcetera

    Etcetera Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Trees were there first.

    Move the cells or STFU.
     
  19. SrfCity

    SrfCity F1 World Champ

    I say follow the law, cut two of the trees as per judge's order. The law states that if the trees grow to shade the panels then they need to be cut.
     
  20. James_Woods

    James_Woods F1 World Champ

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    Then, sir - I submit to you that the law is an arfse. The trees were there first.

    Twenty feet tall, one hundred feet tall, or whatever - this is the same sort of governmental arrogance that leads to seizure of property for "emminent domain" so that big corporations can build a shopping mall or a high-rise housing project on top of some little old ladies century old farm house.
     
  21. sparta49

    sparta49 F1 Veteran
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    That is exactly what I was thinking. :)
     
  22. tundraphile

    tundraphile F1 Veteran

    May 16, 2007
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    The neighbor should offer to pay his $60/year electricity bill for the next 20 years. Would still be cheaper than having someone trim the trees, not to mention the legal fees.
     
  23. TexasF355F1

    TexasF355F1 Six Time F1 World Champ
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    Maybe the electric company is gonna "re-check" their meters now.
     
  24. Sfumato

    Sfumato F1 World Champ

    Nov 1, 2003
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    Covertly apply ceramic clear tint to panels, 15%. Nothing will get through, not visible either if correct shade selected. A home EMP could help with the prius too. Just a thought
     
  25. mattymouse33

    mattymouse33 F1 Rookie

    Oct 25, 2004
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    The solar panels should never have been installed in the first place given the trees were there already, bad planning!
     

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