Friday, July 27, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Toyota plug-in hybrid
Toyota took a big step Wednesday toward marketing plug-in hybrid cars -- vehicles that run mostly on rechargeable batteries and can go 100 miles on a gallon of gas -- when it announced it would provide two specially made Priuses to the University of California for testing on U.S. roads.
The Japanese company will be the first major carmaker to put the experimental electric-gas hybrid cars on American streets for daily driving when the Priuses take to the road in Berkeley and Irvine this fall.
| Related Articles: |
The news came less than a week after a study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Electric Power Research Institute, a power-industry trade group, reported that widespread use of the gas-sipping cars would greatly reduce greenhouse gases as well as domestic oil consumption.
The plug-in test program will be conducted at UC Berkeley and UC Irvine, Toyota spokesman Bill Kwong said.
The cars look like normal Priuses, but unlike the showroom model, the experimental version runs mostly on its electric motor and plugs into a 110-volt house current for overnight charging. Kwong said the car will travel up to 7 miles on electricity alone and can go up to 60 mph in pure electric mode.
Hybrid cars are powered by a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor, which alternate giving power to the wheels to make the car move or sometimes act in combination. Advocates of alternative energy have argued for years that because most daily trips are frequently no more than a few dozen miles, those trips could be made on electric power, saving the gasoline side of the car for longer journeys.
A big problem with developing plug-in hybrid cars historically has been in their batteries. A few small firms that have converted showroom Priuses to plug-ins have done so by removing the car's nickel metal battery and replacing it with a lithium ion battery, twice as powerful as the original. But some lithium ion batteries, particularly those used in laptop computers, have overheated and caught fire.
Toyota's experimental hybrids will simply add a second nickel metal battery. Even the shops that are converting hybrids to plug-in hybrids welcomed the news about Toyota's new test cars. Toyota has been in the forefront of the hybrid world, sprinkling its Toyota and Lexus lineup with a number of hybrid cars.
Other car companies are working to catch up. General Motors says it is building a plug-in version of its conventional Saturn Vue SUV hybrid. It is also developing the Chevrolet Volt, a car that is essentially an electric vehicle with a gasoline or diesel engine that "generates enough electricity to keep the electric motor running," GM spokesman Dave Barthmuss said. The Volt is slated for production sometime after 2010.
DaimlerChrysler has had about half a dozen Dodge Sprinter plug-in hybrid vans in fleet use on American streets for the past year, but those are big vans mainly for commercial use. Ford is in a partnership with Southern California Edison to develop a fleet of about 20 plug-in hybrids to "test the technology and see how this works with the (electrical power) grid," Ford spokeswoman Jennifer Moore said.
The grid question is one that has troubled some critics of hybrid technology, who fear that if plug-ins are ever mass produced, all that recharging could produce strains on the electricity-delivery system. But I personally don't think that it will if the charging is done during off peak hours when most people are sleeping anyways.
Source: SFGate.com
Technorati Tags: Hybrid, Toyota
Socialize:
del.icio.us 
digg 
Newsvine 
reddit
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
U.S., Canada, Mexico Vow Energy Tech Cooperation
Canada, the U.S., and Mexico have pledged to cooperate on energy technology including nuclear and renewable energy.
"Promoting renewable and more energy-efficient technology will increase North America's energy security and help the environment, the officials said" -Reuters
The meeting dealt only "in general terms" on issues such as regulatory approval of pipelines that would bring oil and gas from Alaska and northern Canada to major southern markets.
So on the surface these energy officials obviously try to promote the good side of what "could be" possible. For example, they say that the North American Continent can unify our expertise on renewable fuels and renewable energy...but I highly doubt that is their ultimate goal. It seems as if from the get go they are making plans to alleviate any road blocks that might stand in their way in regards to oil exports from Alaska and Canada.
Environmentalists at a news conference at the same hotel in Victoria where the energy officials met complained that increasing energy exports to the United States would increase tanker traffic on the British Columbia coast.
If any good comes of this deal I will be surprised, but until that good comes I will remain pessimistic of this whole idea. Any thoughts or comments? Please comments are welcome and I will comment back.
Reuters
Technorati Tags: North America, Energy, Oil
Socialize: 
Sunday, July 22, 2007
BP Factory in Whiting Indiana
I must admit as soon as I saw this opportunity I jumped for it as it pertains very much to the nature of this blog. First off I will start off with a little explanation of what this is about. BP's oil refinery in Indiana has just acquired a new permit that allows it to dump more ammonia into Lake Michigan. They are doing this because BP has decided to invest in Canadian Crude Oil instead of the Middle East. Canadian crude oil is thicker and requires a dirtier refining process than conventional crude oil.
Apparently BP, a company known to be environmentally friendly, is upset about an article written by Chigago Tribune. The claims made in the article that BP disagrees with include the fact that their environmental impacts from ammonia are no where near the federal limits which is stated in the article. Furthermore, they deny dumping sludge into Lake Michigan altogether. 
According to this Fact Sheet Released by BP (in pdf), they have acquired a permit to release more ammonia discharge, however, the amounts being released are less than half of the federal guidelines allow.
The Chicago Tribune article makes the claim that toxic sludge, rich in heavy metals, are being released into Lake Michigan...a pretty serious claim. However, according to BP's factsheet, there is no sludge being released into Lake Michigan at all. In fact BP claims that they only release treated water which is 99.9% water and not sludge.
BP plans to spend more than $3 billion to modernize the Whiting Refinery to process additional heavy crude oil from Canada, a secure and reliable source. This is a smart move in general and helps to alleviate the need for oil from the Middle East.
One thing I will point out is that on the BP Whiting Refinery Fact Sheet, one of the highlighted facts is that they allow "No harm to people or the environment", and then proceed to say that they follow federal regulations. I will have to disagree with the first part of the statement...just because a company follows federal regulations does not mean that it does not harm the environment...no matter how much the amount.
While its obvious that BP is trying to protect its image as an environmentally friendly corporation...it seems to me that it is very difficult to determine who is correct as neither BP nor the Chicago Tribune offer any official documentation to backup their claims. The Chicago Tribune says that sludge is being dumped into Lake Michigan yet lacks proof. BP says that its levels of ammonia discharge are within federal limits yet lacks to provide the specific amount it discharges. Nevertheless, the point of this post is for you the readers to take a look at both sides of the story and decide for yourself.
Electric SUV Recharges In 10 Minutes
A company called Phoenix Motor Cars has developed an SUV that is fully electric and runs on zero emissions. Check out there website here.
The company plans on releasing the models to public in late 2008 with sales expected to hit 6000. The stats for the vehicle are: re-charges in 10 minutes, up to 95 mph with full load, and can travel distances of 100 miles or more on a charge. The company is still developing a battery model that can allow for distances of up to 250 miles on a charge which would greatly improve the vehicle and make it far more attractive to the general public including myself.
Here is a little video that explains how this revolutionary battery technology utilizing nanotechnology works...
Socialize:
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Wave Power
These machines that appear to be attached to the seabed are the next generation of clean energy devices. They are deep underwater which protect them from violent storms and harsh weather conditions compared to floating above water. These machines are set to sprout off the coast of the UK in 2008. AWS Ocean Energy has developed an underwater buoy that harnesses wave energy from 50 meters below the surface. The British company says that because the entire device is underwater, it does not suffer from storms in the way that other wave-power devices do, and will not interfere with shipping.
It harnesses wave energy at a distance, through the changes in pressure that waves generate by increasing and decreasing the water column.
The buoys are hollow and filled with a compressible gas that allows the top half of the buoy to move up and down. When a wave passes over them at the surface, the additional water stacked on top of the buoy increases the local water pressure, and the upper half of the device is pushed down.
A town with 55,000 inhabitants would need half a square kilometer of seabed covered with 100 buoys to power it. Read More on Wave Power in Oregon, they are leading the country with it!
They could be effective in the North Atlantic, from Scotland down to Portugal, along the Pacific US shoreline, from San Francisco in the US up to Vancouver in Canada, along the coast of Chile, and even in South Africa and New Zealand.
But calmer seas, such as the Mediterranean do not have enough wave height to pump the buoy.
Socialize:
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Pesticides reducing crop yields by as much as 1/3
In June 12th, 2007 issue of National Academy of Sciences, a team of scientists explored the impact of pesticides on the agriculture industry. They have found that since forty years ago the use of pesticides have increased by seven fold on conventionally grown crops.
They site pesticides that affect the communication and signaling of the plants and their roots, but more specifically certain types of legumes such as soy beans. What becomes affected is a mutually beneficial relationship between the legume and a bacteria called rhizobium. Together the two form something called a symbiotic nitrogen fixation which helps the plant or legume become naturally fertilized and more healthy. This can in turn reduce the cost of farm production and help save farmers money.
However, in the United Stated, there are over 30 common pesticides used and the most widely used is called glyphosate(Roundup) made by the Monsanto Corporation. Monsanto's Roundup is known to be toxic to the nitrogen based bacteria and when used disrupts a naturally occurring process that could save money and results in higher yield of crop without the use of chemicals.
From the study:
"The results of this study demonstrate that one of the environmental impacts of pesticides and contaminants in the soil environment is disruption of chemical signaling between the host plants and N-fixing Rhiz(obia) necessary for efficient SNF and optimal plant yield."
Conclusion:
Drawing on their recent work and other published studies, the team projected that pesticides and other contaminants are reducing plant yield by one-third as a result of impaired SNF. This remarkable conclusion suggests one mechanism, or explanation of the yield-enhancing benefits of well-managed, long-term organic farming systems.
Source
Technorati Tags: environment
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
End of the Wild
There is a new study out published in Science Magazine about how man has effectively altered most of the environment. The study touches up on the notion that I have written about before about the new documentary out called "Manufactured Landscape". The end conclusion of an environmental makeover can result in a multitude of problems including vulnerability to natural disasters, species extinction, and disease transmission.
The study is called "Domesticated Nature: Shaping Landscapes and Ecosystems for Human Welfare," was conducted by scientists from the Nature Conservancy, Santa Clara University, and Harvard University. The study basically says that we have already domesticated all wildlife on Earth. Here are some facts and figures:
* There's nearly six times as much water held in storage (e.g., behind dams) as there is in free-flowing rivers.
* About 50 percent of the world's surface area has been converted to grazing land or cultivated crops.
* And only 17 percent of the world's land area in 1995 was untouched by the direct influence of humans (such as agriculture, roads or even nighttime lights
This comes at a time when the human race really needs to evaluate their lifestyles and demand a "greener" world. We can all be green and save money while doing it. There are plenty of ways to help and the easiest way is to conservation...conserve your use of products, water, and energy. These things can go a long way to helping out the planet whether you believe it does or not...it really does help. Cheers.
The Nature Conservancy
Technorati Tags: conservation
Socialize:
Environmental Disaster in China
In China the Yangtze River has flooded. The flooding has caused the water level to invade many of the homes on the small islands in the river that mice lived in. The result was over 2 billion mice that invades 22 counties in China.
People were out with their bats and sticks...literally beating the invasive mice to death. So far ditches have been constructed to deal with the over 2 million dead mice that people have killed by hand...that's equates to about 90 tons of rodents. Chinese authorities have been rushing to construct walls to keep the mice out, but are having serious issues with winning over the mice. The mice have already destroyed crops in several regions where the authorities were not able to construct walls or barriers in time. Whats worse is that the mice problem is expected to get worse as the weather is predicted to bring more flooding in the upper part of the river.
As climate change continues to cause problems such as flooding and invasive species...more can problems can be expected to make the news. This is yet another example of how changes in climate or global warming can adversely effect millions of people across the world. This is not just a Chinese problem but a global problem.
Live Science
Technorati Tags: global warming
Socialize:
Monday, July 9, 2007
Fox News Attacks the Environment
I just recieved an update from The Sierra Club organization about Fox News. Apparently The Sierra Club is campaigning in trying to raise awareness on the tactics that Fox News uses to misinform the public with regards to Global Warming.
In the press release, they link to a website called FoxAttacks.com which has a very sweet video that I've also embedded below. You can also sign a petition that is trying to get companies that claim to be environmentally friendly such as Home Depot and yet still advertise on Fox News. Essentially, this whole issue is about boycotting Fox News and anyone who supports it. I personally hate Fox News, or any national news network for that matter...because in my opinion, they feed nothing but lies and misinformation in general with regards to major two sided issues...and also because Bill O' Riley is on that channel...enough said.
According to The Sierra Club:
"In recent months, presidential candidates John Edwards, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Bill Richardson, and Chris Dodd have all refused to appear in Fox-sponsored debates because of the increasing consensus that Fox is not a legitimate news organization."
So I urge you fellow readers to support this cause and also try to consider watching CNN or getting your news from me instead of Fox...haha, but seriously if you like my blog please sign up for email updates on the sidebar. Also if you haven't watched it, I recommend a very good documentary on the Fox News Network called OutFoxxed. If you have Netflix, you can order it there, but if you don't look it up and consider watching it...if you happen to still be reading but love Fox News...reconsider your opinion about them after watching OutFoxxed. Cheers.
Technorati Tags: global warming
Socialize:
Friday, July 6, 2007
World Bank signs first landfill gas project in China
So here is a little background on land fill gas projects. Land fills which hold household trash release harmful gases into the atmosphere in the form of methane. Methane is a greenhouse gas which has 25 times the global warming potential than its than its common counterpart carbon dioxide. However, there is a lot more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is why carbon dioxide is the main focus of most global warming advocates. Methane, however, is a very clean burning fuel that can be harnessed for energy. So the World Bank has signed its first deal in China to capture the gas that emits from landfills and turn it into energy.
By doing this, it captures gas produced from waste and further reduces energy needs. Landfill gas is the fourth largest contributor to non-carbon dioxide gas greenhouse emissions.
With Tianjin, China being the first selected location with a landfill that supports over 1.6 million households...the potential is enormous. China also has 87 other cities with a million people or more, so this new era could have the potential to release less greenhouse gases while producing an ever increasing demand for energy.
Socialize:
Thursday, July 5, 2007
3 Species go extinct every HOUR
This is not new news but simply a reiteration or reminder that something needs to be done about climate change. This ultimately means one thing, that the Earth's biodiversity is getting smaller and smaller. Three species, be it animal or plant, go extinct EVERY HOUR! This situation is not okay. There are many things that each of us can do and spreading information on what to do can help. Ultimately, however, it is up to individuals to change some aspect of their daily lives in consideration for the environment.
Quote:
"We are indeed experiencing the greatest wave of extinctions since the disappearance of the dinosaurs," said Ahmed Djoghlaf, head of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.
| Related Articles: |
"Extinction rates are rising by a factor of up to 1,000 above natural rates. Every hour, three species disappear. Every day, up to 150 species are lost. Every year, between 18,000 and 55,000 species become extinct," he said. "The cause: human activities."
The main human cause being the burning of fossil fuels has mainly contributed to habitat loss and the amount of species that existed in those habitats. Ultimately the threat of climate change may dry out forests, the ice caps melting, or desertification (a process of land degradation that China and other countries are experiencing now).
We cant let these polar bears or any other species become another statistic. Lets try and change by being more eco-minded. Thanks.
Socialize:
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
Sign the Declaration of New Patriotism
Happy Fourth of July!
More than 56,000 fellow citizens have signed our Declaration of New Patriotism—highlighting global warming as THE defining environmental challenge of our times and challenging Congress to cap and cut America's global warming pollution. Sign Petition Here.
Global warming is the crisis of our time.
As we prepare to celebrate our nation's birthday, we renew our commitment to the qualities and values that have guided our nation for more than 200 years.
Today, we recognize that patriotism is not only about love of country. It is also about a shared commitment to the welfare of our planet.
Future generations will judge us based on our success or failure to be good stewards of the Earth. We owe our children and our children's children nothing less than our very best effort.
We the undersigned, pledge to: ( Sign Petition Here )
>> Recognize that we live in a time of crisis. We must be active and forceful in bringing about the necessary changes - based on science, not politics - to stop global warming, no matter how difficult that may be.
>> Be active citizens, by pressing our elected officials to take urgent action now, and by pressing all candidates for office to commit to passing strong legislation to cut America's global warming pollution.
>> Spread the word, by making sure our friends, neighbors and loved ones recognize that each of us has a role to play in meeting this all-important challenge.
>> Be mindful consumers, by minimizing our personal global warming "footprint" and weighing our personal choices against the needs and rights of future generations.
This nation's founders risked everything to realize a new relationship between government and the governed. We must now do whatever is necessary to realize a new relationship with the web of life that includes and sustains us.
Sign Petition Here.
Socialize:
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
World Bank says Pollution kills 460,000 Chinese a year
For a while now I have known that the number of people that develop lung cancer in China by living in a densely populated metropolis area was high. This is an article I read at the environmental news network about the horrible pollution in China. I have known the numbers were bad, but according to a study conducted by the World Bank, 460,000 Chinese people die pre-maturely from breathing polluted air and drin
king dirty water! This is an insane amount of people, and one would think that the government is trying to do something about it. These numbers are so mouth dropping that the Chinese government itself begged for the study not to be released for fear of social unrest by the people. The study goes on to estimate the costs due to respiratory problems from breathing outdoor pollution and from diarrhea and cancer problems from drinking polluted water. These costs are outrageous.
"The World Bank is also concerned by indoor air pollution, principally breathing in fumes from coal-burning stoves and cooking oil. Its experts estimate that as many as 300,000 Chinese a year die prematurely in this way."
Hearing stories like these saddens me. I don't know if there is much we can do except urge the environmental movement to keep on raising awareness of the dangers of pollution.
Technorati Tags: global warming
| Add to: |  |  |  |  |
Monday, July 2, 2007
Incorporate Wind Energy into Existing Infrastructure
This is an article that was submitted to me by James Post on a wind construction project in the Caribbean. The article is much too long and full of vibrant colored photos to post directly on the blog. He is an eco-investor with a renewable energy project in the Caribbean and wants to share his project and story with others. I believe he wants to share his successful wind energy project with the world while showing that it is a viable option for island nations. From the article:There are two mainstream approaches to incorporate wind energy into the existing infrastructure:
| Related Articles: |
1. The electricity companies and/or the governments develop a wind park. In the Caribbean the maximum sizes for windmills are between 250 kW and 900 kW, depending on location. Especially the larger windmills are real engineering projects that require long preparations and have lead times that are long. By the middle of next decade we could expect real progress when decisions are taken on short notice, which is however rather unusual in this part of the world. The wind penetration that can be achieved with the larger systems is technically limited and in the range of 25-30% of the lowest electricity use, or around 10-15% of the average.
2. As happens in many countries all over the world, there are private initiatives to place windmills. In most countries there is legislation that the energy companies are obliged to buy the excess energy at a fair price, usually slightly under or at fossil fuel cost. Such arrangements will be key to promote the breakthrough of wind energy in the region. The windmills installed by individuals (companies) are typically smaller, up to 250 kW. These windmills are much easier to install, have a short lead time and the owners will wish to act swiftly. Very short term action can therefore be expected. There is another major pro: several of the smaller windmills have the capability to dynamically limit the output in function of demand. This means that much higher wind penetrations can be achieved. So even when a wind farm is scheduled, it makes much sense to complement with small windmills.
Technorati Tags: global warming, climate change, wind energy, Caribbean
Add to:
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Organic Standards Compromised!
Now for the first time organic standards have been compromised thanks to our good old buddies at the USDA. They have amended a law to allow ingredients that were not derived from organic produce such as rice starch to be in a product labeled as "organic". These include:
Casings from processed intestines, Celery powder, Chia, 
Fish oil, Fructooligosaccharides, Galangal, Gelatin, Gums, Hops, Kelp, Inulin-oligofructose enriched, Konjac flour, Lecithin, Lemongrass, Orange shellac, Pectin, Peppers, Starches, Cornstarch, Rice starch, Sweet potato starch, Turkish bay leaves, Wakame seaweed, Whey Protein concentrates.
The details on this amendment made by the USDA can be found here in pdf format. It also has information on where you can submit comments to USDA. This is a huge blow to the organic industry as organic producers such as organic beer makers are affected because of hops being added to the list. In effect what the USDA has done was relaxed the laws on USDA "organic" standards...thereby making 38 loopholes. The public has until August 27th to make comments and I recommend that you "the readers" of this posting should do so if you care about organic living.
Src: Organic Consumer Association
Technorati Tags: global warming
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)