Editing Sustainability meetup transcript

==4 May 2025==
Stuart
So your heating systems, that's one dilemma I have, and I'm probably going to go for air source heat pumps, but they do use electricity. I am looking at running them off of solar, but then you can't store the energy.

'''Maura''': 
You need a battery. 

'''Stuart''': 
Yeah. So they don't work, and they only work during the day. It's like, oh, I need this thing overnight. But at the moment, there's no way of doing it, unless you can run it off the mains electricity. My second dilemma is a bloody car. What should I go for, guys? Tell me. Someone, please.

'''Maura''': 
What are your needs? 

'''Stuart''': 
So my car is coming to the end of its lifespan, probably, and it's a diesel car, so I'm guilty about driving this thing. Yeah, my needs are I live in a little village, so I do need a vehicle. I quite like my sport, so maybe a vehicle I could throw a bike into the back of with ease, and that's it. But do I go electric? 

'''Ivan''': 
I wouldn't go electric.

'''Sturat''': 
Exactly. 

'''Ivan''': 
Man. 

'''Stuart''': 
I've looked at this. And after last week, why on earth would you go electric?

'''Ivan''': 
I think a stallion like yourself should use a proper bike, plus the train. Train system. From Figueras. 

'''Ivan''': 
You know, I need to go and do a shop every week and things like this. I need a bottle of water. I have to go and change the canister of gas. I need a car.

'''Maura''': 
 Unfortunately, you need a car.

'''Ivan''': 
You can do it on the bike as well, I think. It's more difficult, Stuart.

'''Maura''': 
You need a transport bike and a cargo bike.

'''Stuart''': 
But that's not very practical though. And then when my family come to stay, I like to do the taxi service for them for three weeks, you know.

'''Ivan''': 
Ah, well. That's another matter.

'''Maura''': 
[To Ivan] Do you own a car or not?

'''Ivan''': 
I don't.

'''Maura''': 
Okay, because you're in Girona and you do things around Girona. 

'''Ivan''': 
Sí. And I've gotten to used to not to use a car.

'''''': 
Stuart
I think if you're in a city, it's achievable not to have a car in a city.

'''Paul''': 
Actually, so in Girona, I don't know if you know about it [Maura]. They have electric cars, which is like sustainability. They have six electric cars, which you can rent. And it's all done via an app. It's called Som Mobilidad. So I don't need a car because I just use these cars.

'''Maura''': 
And what's the name of this?

'''Paul''': 
Somobilidad. S-O-M M-O-B-I-L-I-D-A-T.

'''Ivan''': 
My best friend has an electric car. Tesla. It's smooth and cheaper.

'''Maura''': 
Cheaper than what?

'''Ivan''': 
Cheaper than a regular car. 

'''Maura''': 
The used.

'''Ivan''': 
The used.

'''Maura''': 
Ah, okay.

'''Stuart''': 
I was surprised, Ivan. My friend had a Jaguar electric car. He owns his own company. It's lighting with the TV industry. So he thought, 'Well, I'll get an electric car because that complements my business.' He kept it for about six months.

'''Maura''': 
Why? 

'''Stuart''': 
It was horrendous. He couldn't go any long distances. Every single journey had to be planned in advance. He couldn't just get in and drive and go. He got rid of it

'''Ivan''': 
My friend and I, we do something like 400 kilometres just straight away. And then we charge it in a hotel. 

'''Stuart''': 
Yeah, but you can't just fill it up. If you've got to drive 600 kilometres, what can you do? Yeah, this is his problem.

'''Maura''': 
There are apps that you put your destination and then it shows you all the places where you can charge your car.

'''Stuart''': 
You have to plan your journey. 

'''Ivan''': 
400 kilometres, like straight. It's not bad, is it?

'''Maura''': 
No, no, but then you have a Tesla.

'''Ivan''': 
Tesla, yeah,

'''Stuart''': 
But these vehicles are so expensive, right? And then to have this inconvenience as well built in. 

'''Ivan''': 
But they get this sort of payment back for buying an electric car at the end of the year. 3000 bucks. 

'''Stuart''': 
Is it a company car or is it his own money? 

'''Ivan''': 
No, no, no, private car. 3000 bucks he's getting back at the end of the year from the government.

'''Maura''': 
Really?

'''Ivan''': 
Yes, yes, 3000, no joke.

'''Maura''': 
Every year?

'''Ivan''': 
No, once. 

'''Maura''': 
Oh, okay. 

'''Ivan''': 
Enough to over the Caribbean.

'''Stuart''': 
A basic Tesla is 40 grand, right? 40,000 euros or something?

'''Ivan''': 
Yeah, 38 with not that many extras. To me, that's crazy. It's crazy.

'''Maura''': 
[tT Paul] And do you have a car? No. No, you don't have a car?

'''Paul''': 
I don't because I use Som Mobilitat instead.

'''Maura''': 
And you use your electric scooter for transport?	

'''Paul''': 
Yeah, which is sustainable.

'''Ivan''': 
It's funny because my friend, the Tesla friend, also has one of those too.

'''Paul''': 
I really like these electric scooters because they're fun.

'''Maura''': 
They're scary. It's so scary. But you can take it on the bus or you cannot?

'''Paul''': 
No, you can't take these on buses because they're worried that the battery is going to explode.

'''Maura''': 
Oh, that was it. Also classrooms, no.

'''Paul''': 
But yeah, I really like them. I would use a bike, but I have a bike injury, and it doesn't go away. And if I ride a bike, then it comes back. So yeah, I really like it. My scooter is part of me now. It's part of who I am.

'''Maura''': 
It's your personality.

'''Ivan''': 
It's your identity now. But me, for instance, I live in Sant Narcis, a neighbourhood just practically at the other end of the city. And it took me just 25 minutes walking. It's a nice little walk after lunch, you know?

'''Maura''': 
True, true. And I have noticed that many people walk here and that's good. And it's a good movement. In Holland, we do everything with a bike. I went shopping with a bike. I have my big crate here, heavy bike. Not even electric, because everything is flat. In Sarria de Ter, I could come to Girona centre with my bike, non-electric, because following the river is flat. This is very good actually, going to Sarria de Ter, my bike, along the river. It was very, very nice. I was not on the road. I was just always on the bike lane. I loved going to Girona. But now, living in Fornells, you have to go up. And that, I cannot do.

'''Ivan''': 
Why you cannot do? 

'''Maura''': 
Because I'm a Dutch person, I'm used to flat. So, I have my electric bike now.

'''Ivan''': 
But you can't work on your legs.

'''Maura''': 
Look, when I go to Girona, I do something like this. And I don't want to ride all sweaty.

'''Ivan''': 
Ah, ok, now I understand.

'''Maura''': 
So, electric bike, which is fine. We have solar panels, so I charge it. But I'm also looking for a car.

'''Ivan''': 
A car? 

'''Maura''': 
Yes, so what I'm going to do. Next weekend, there is a second-hand (I'm very fan of second-hand) car exhibition in Fornells de la Selva.

'''Ivan''': 
Really? A car exhibition?

'''Maura''': 
I don't know, I think there are also non-second-hand. Maybe also new, I'm not sure. But I know that there will be second-hand. So, 9, 10, 11 of May. They have second-hand at least there. And we'll go there. I want a little car with a medium boot. Boot? 

'''Stuart''': 
Yes, boot.

'''Maura''': 
Ah, yes, boot. Boot sale. Trunk. 

'''Stuart''': 
The Americans say trunk.

'''Maura''': 
Ok, that's it. And then 5 doors, because I have a 4-year-old. White, because of the heat. And low, low consumption. But gasoline. Because you can. I mean for motorhomes, I know that there is a green diesel. I'm not sure about how that works for normal cars. But it seems, because I thought with a diesel, you cannot go into Barcelona anymore, for example. Because they have this green-

'''Stuart''': 
You can with certain vehicles. But they limit. Well, that has been overruled by the courts. This low emissions zone. It's gone now though, right? 

'''Ivan''': 
I don't really know.

'''Stuart''': 
I think it's gone in Barcelona. And they were going to bring it here. And then that's dragging on as well. That hasn't happened, right?

'''Maura''': 
Well, I don't know.

'''Stuart''': 
All the signs are up in Barcelona. All the cameras are there. But they don't enforce it.

'''Maura''': 
Well, I just want a low emission. Low emission of gasoline. Because gasoline is everywhere. And the only thing I do is groceries. And I will be going between Cassa, Fornells and Girona. Maybe one day to Barcelona, but I don't need a big engine. I like it here. I just moved here. So, little car.

'''Stuart''': 
So you think gasoline?

'''Maura''': 
For me, yes. Because I don't go very far.

'''Stuart''': 
I've always liked diesel. I know diesel is worse because of the particulates. It throws out more particulate pollution. But the engines last twice as long. So again, there's like...

'''Maura''': 
Yeah, yeah.

'''Stuart''': 
My car's got 300,000 km on the clock. And it passes its ITV every time. No problem. And actually, this time at the ITV. They do an emissions test. So I got out of the car. And I'm looking at the emissions. He said, 'You have a limit of. 320 parts per million of particulate'. And my car is 40.

'''Maura''': 
Oh, wow. 

'''Stuart''': 
Way, way within the limits. So then I was happy with that. With the diesel. The other way I convinced myself that it's OK and I'm a good guy and not a bad guy is that I don't use it a lot. I think that's got to be a factor. You can have a petrol car. And be driving 1,000 km a week. Or you can have a diesel car. And be doing 50 km a week.

'''Maura''': 
And that's being sustainable. 

'''Stuart''': 
I'm a bad guy for having a diesel.

'''Maura''': 
No, you're not. Because you're not using it a lot.

'''Stuart''': 
Society would say I am. It's very difficult. 

'''Maura''': 
Rational thinking would say otherwise.

'''Stuart''': 
Yeah, yeah. But it's a difficult juggling act.

'''Maura''': 
Well, as long as you're thinking about it. I think that's already very good. So, car. Interesting. I think the same.

'''Stuart''': 
But it's also the fact that diesel lasts twice as long as a petrol. Just because the engines are. The engineering of a diesel engine is far more robust than the petrol engine. Because it's burning diesel. And diesel is an oil, it's not abrasive like petrol is. So the engine just lasts longer. The actual diesel fuel lubricates itself. They don't have a spark plug that ignites the fuel. Diesel is just a compression ignition. They don't have an ignition source. So they're built really, really, really robust. So they last twice as long. And again, to me, that's a consideration. It's not going into landfill. So at the moment. I'm thinking all the time, my diesel car passes the ITV. I will keep it. Because that's got to be better than trashing it and buying a new one.

'''Maura''': 
Always better. Using it up until the very end is always better. Nice. Heating.