Like the Al Gore Toilet

Our 535 product design engineers have done it again. Ten years ago, they told toilet manufacturers how much water they could use, and the country got less efficient fixtures and even a black market in Canadian, high-volume, toilet tanks. (My contractor tried to talk me out of replacing an old one but I didn't listen...)

Now, Consumer Reports points out that they have ruined washing machines (via Protein Wisdom).

Not so long ago you could count on most washers to get your clothes very clean. Not anymore. Our latest tests found huge performance differences among machines. Some left our stain-soaked swatches nearly as dirty as they were before washing. For best results, you’ll have to spend $900 or more.

What happened? As of January, the U.S. Department of Energy has required washers to use 21 percent less energy, a goal we wholeheartedly support. But our tests have found that traditional top-loaders, those with the familiar center-post agitators, are having a tough time wringing out those savings without sacrificing cleaning ability, the main reason you buy a washer.

So you wash your clothes twice, flush twice, and refrain from buying anything new (and more efficient) because you are afraid the US Senate has had a hand in its design. Today I read "Senate to hold toy safety hearing today "

Merciful Zeus! When they're done, toys will likely have rotating knives.

Posted by John Kranz at September 12, 2007 11:43 AM