4 ms·

Myself to find a cure to all cancers by 2030. Please invest.

toomuchtodo 6y ago
Can you work with practitioners and issue a specific type of bond to finance the work? If so, do it! In Lyft's case, they can acquire capital cheaper than individuals for mobility assets, at a lower cost ("green bonds"). For example, this was very much the Solar City model: They were not a solar install company, they were a financial engineering company that could go to the capital markets to finance your rooftop solar to make it affordable until the price of solar came down to where purchase is now the superior option. Lyft can encourage, finance, and work with local jurisdictions to install EV charging stations where the data shows drivers need them. They can sign a PPA (power purchase agreement) for those charging stations to purchase renewable energy for the EV fleet keeping costs under control (versus volatile petroleum costs). And most importantly, this halves the per mile costs of a vehicle (versus internal combustion), allowing Lyft and a driver to capture more revenue than they already are. Do I think Uber and Lyft are viable businesses? Absolutely not, but I'm not going to throw shade on legitimate climate change mitigation efforts. That doesn't respect the people who are championing these efforts, or their leadership above who have to take the leap to get buy in from the business and push them forward. There is real work and hard conversations behind these efforts.
chrisseaton 6y ago
This seems like a snarky comment. It's good they've got an ambition, a plan, and a realistic chance of doing it. You're just sitting there being nasty about it.
- speedgoose 6y ago
  It's a snarky comment. A 10 years plan to go electric is engaging only the people who believes in it. By the way to give a scale, Lyft is 8 years old. The Nissan Leaf is 10 years old. Today you have tons of different eletric cars on the market. They could go electric a lot sooner if they were forced.
  - chrisseaton 6y ago
    > It's a snarky comment. Well that's specifically against the site rules here so please don't post snarky things.
    - speedgoose 6y ago
      True. My snarky comment wasn't directed towards another member but I guess being snarky with corporations being lame is not allowed by the rules.

Can you work with practitioners and issue a specific type of bond to finance the work? If so, do it! In Lyft's case, they can acquire capital cheaper than individuals for mobility assets, at a lower cost ("green bonds"). For example, this was very much the Solar City model: They were not a solar install company, they were a financial engineering company that could go to the capital markets to finance your rooftop solar to make it affordable until the price of solar came down to where purchase is now the superior option. Lyft can encourage, finance, and work with local jurisdictions to install EV charging stations where the data shows drivers need them. They can sign a PPA (power purchase agreement) for those charging stations to purchase renewable energy for the EV fleet keeping costs under control (versus volatile petroleum costs). And most importantly, this halves the per mile costs of a vehicle (versus internal combustion), allowing Lyft and a driver to capture more revenue than they already are. Do I think Uber and Lyft are viable businesses? Absolutely not, but I'm not going to throw shade on legitimate climate change mitigation efforts. That doesn't respect the people who are championing these efforts, or their leadership above who have to take the leap to get buy in from the business and push them forward. There is real work and hard conversations behind these efforts.

chrisseaton 6y ago

This seems like a snarky comment. It's good they've got an ambition, a plan, and a realistic chance of doing it. You're just sitting there being nasty about it.

speedgoose 6y ago
It's a snarky comment. A 10 years plan to go electric is engaging only the people who believes in it. By the way to give a scale, Lyft is 8 years old. The Nissan Leaf is 10 years old. Today you have tons of different eletric cars on the market. They could go electric a lot sooner if they were forced.
- chrisseaton 6y ago
  > It's a snarky comment. Well that's specifically against the site rules here so please don't post snarky things.
  - speedgoose 6y ago
    True. My snarky comment wasn't directed towards another member but I guess being snarky with corporations being lame is not allowed by the rules.