Sunday, March 8, 2009

Personal Hope Becomes a Public Resource

Sometimes great ideas and hope lay dormant until someone transforms a personal hope into a public resource.

In 2009, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, committed to making his city greener, climbed into the cab of a new all-electric cargo hauler, capable of moving a 60,000 pound shipping container quietly and cleanly at the Port of Los Angeles. The idea and the energy for this futuristic vehicle had been carried around by its developer, Balwinder Samra, president of Balqon Corporation and was put to work during a lunch with Harbor Commission President David Freeman. Freeman, curious about the capacity of Balqon’s electric motors wanted to know if Samra could make one powerful and efficient enough to haul 30 tons of cargo.
Samra: No problem.
Freeman: Well, I know theoretically no problem, but can you actually build one?
Samra: Sure.
Freeman: Well, why haven’t you?
Samra: No one has ever asked me to.

The official request came along with $527,000 in funding from the port and an air quality organization. Two years and 47 new green collar jobs later, Mayor Villaraigosa rolled the first green hauler into use. With zero emissions, a top speed of 40 mph, and a range of 30 to 60 miles per battery charge, the hauler could make drayage a greener industry.

Got a friend with a personal hope? Sure you do. Help her turn it into a public resource...today.

1 comment:

  1. Just adding my 2 cents I don't blog nor follow blogs-too busy raising my precious children. I simply have a hard time buying into this phrase hope. My hope is in my Savior, true freedom, and in myself more than in a government. I will not for one second believe that people who are building a radicalized, progressive, Maoist, Communist America are out for my best interest. We have been sold a lie, our history has been changed and we are slowly being lulled into slavery all in the pretty package of "hope", by both left and right. Socialism, Communism, Nazism, and progressive "hope" do not bring up visions of peace and love for me. When every TV network, Hollywood movie and other media source reads from the same script I will have courage to think for myself that something is amiss. I will have hope in myself to question "what is truth?". I am grateful for C-Span, open debate and true transparency all of which are threatened. I believe that this country should remain sovereign, governed by the people for the people and not by some entity in the shadow that I cannot find, nor by a one world government. I prefer to demystify truth, honesty, courage and freedom. I hope that I can raise, teach and love my children how I want and not how my government deems fit. The scriptures teach of good versus evil, but if evil deceives and supposes itself to be good then how do we know which is which? -A native New Iberian but a freedom loving citizen of America........

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