Helicopters. Cargo containers. Old washing machines. For years, fishermen dumped this waste into the Gulf of Mexico. But they weren't just trying to get rid of junk; they were trying to create artificial reefs that would help attract fish. For this month's Nature Quest, WWNO coastal reporter Eva Tesfaye takes a (metaphorical) dive into the gulf to find out if Alabama's ocean junkyard is an economic – and environmental – solution.
Exploring the back roads of Vermont near Goodrich Corners and West Addison. In the background is Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains and lands around Westport.
At one level that big F-350 I test drove the other day really would check all the boxes for a camping rig. Great big 8 3/4 foot long bed, dual alternators and batteries for power, remote start, rolldown rear window for heat/air conditioning (to use with a boot and a truck cap that has a front window that opens), off-road package, and without all of crap that I don’t care about like heated seats, big screens, or emergency braking. I could see getting a camper shell for it, installing a 400 to 450-watt large panel, potentially going to a lithium ion battery or batteries I would mount in the bed, adding a cellphone booster and a diesel heater by winter. It would be a pretty awesome camping rig to replace Big Red, which was good for the 14 summers I enjoyed him from 2012 to 2026. By 2040, assuming the Godzilla Holstein lasts as long as Big Red, it will be not just my truck but my own retirement. I really do love these nights spent in the wilderness, and this truck or one similar to it would be an awesome platform to build on.
On the other hand, I just have a lot of doubts in my mind. I didn’t love how it drove. The steering wheel was very plasticiky, the visibility was even worse then my lifted rig. Everything in the interior screams work truck with all the hard plastic. No modern safety features like emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure, or blind spot detection. There are some design issues with the 7.3L engine, despite it robust simplicity and widespread application in commercial vehicles. The whole Middle East crisis with the War on Iran is on my mind, as is Climate Change. I am buying a truck that will likely be my primary vehicle through 2040, though if I have to become a car commuter (eww…), I guess I can get a fucking 25-year old Honda Civic to drive to work. Or even a cheap electric car – they are surprisingly affordable on the used market compared to well the Godzilla Holstein. Nobody knows what gas prices well be by summer with the Middle East blowing up – or if even gasoline will be available at local gas stations or subject to rationing. That is short-term thinking, as if gas prices really spike this year, I can just plan shorter trips and travel less in the Godzilla Holstein until thing change. And there’s the cost – big truck cost big bucks. But I make good money, save and invest a lot, and the truck won’t having a meaningful impact on my long-term finances as I put money to replace Big Red in a pot I’ve long planned to burn on a new truck.
There is some risk in taking my time to consider my options further. Could after going on 175 days of rotting on the lot with rusty hubs and patina on the muffler – the Godzilla Holstein I test drive sell? Of course, but I have seen similar spec trucks at least 5 or 6 dealerships within 50 miles of Albany, often sitting on the lot just as long, so I am not that worried. Nobody is going to be rushing out to buy an overpriced big-block truck during an impending fuel crisis and recession. And who knows if I get a price I find acceptable at the local dealership compared to others around. So I have some time to chew this over, and if anything the longer the various trucks rot on dealer lots, prices will only go down, especially if the Middle East continues to burn and economy goes into the tank and fuel prices go through the roof.
