Author: valeriu

The Week in Sustainable Mobility (5/27/07)

Article PhotoUS carbon dioxide emissions from burning fossil fuels decreased by 1.3% in 2006, from 5,955 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MMTCO2) in 2005 to 5,877 MMTCO2 in 2006, according to preliminary estimates released by the Energy Information Administration (EIA). Transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions, which account for about one third of total carbon dioxide emissions, decreased slightly (by 0.1%) in 2006. Increases in CO2 emissions from gasoline (+0.1 %) and diesel fuel (+1.8 %) were offset by declines in other petroleum fuels. Between 1990 and 2006, transportation-related CO2 emissions grew 25.4% (1.4 % per year). More… World marketed energy consumption is projected to grow by 57% between 2004 and 2030 to 702 quadrillion Btu, according to the reference case projection from the International Energy Outlook 2007 (IEO2007) released by the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). This is a 2.8% decrease from last year’s IEO2006 report. In the IEO2007 reference case, which does not include specific policies to limit greenhouse gas emissions, energy-related carbon dioxide emissions are projected to rise from 26.9 billion metric tons in 2004 to 33.9 billion metric tons in 2015 and 42.9 billion metric tons in 2030. More… An open-access paper published this week in the Proceedings… (more)

(Posted by Mike Millikin in Transportation at 8:18 AM)

Dan Neil doesn’t think the ForTwo is so Smart

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Dan Neil of the LA Times recently got a chance to spend some time with the new Smart ForTwo and came away less than impressed. The performance of the little three cylinder works fine in city driving but is barely adequate for getting on the highway. The tiny two seater was designed to get around the narrower streets of old European cities but apparently doesn’t get much benefit on the wider streets of Los Angeles. Dan wasn’t thrilled with the fuel economy either, failing to crack 40mpg.

While the ForTwo may not be well suited to Los Angeles, there are plenty of places in the country where the diminutive size would be a big benefit. Having spent some time in Manhattan recently, I would much rather have a Smart than a Tahoe or even an Crown Victoria. Even if you can’t park it perpendicular to the curb, it would certainly be easier to squeeze a ForTwo into whatever space is available in a place like Ann Arbor than even a Yaris or Fit.

[Source: Detroit News]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Alcoa capturing carbon from aluminium plants in Austraila

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Alcoa, one of the biggest aluminium-producing companies in the world has launched a new carbon capture program at their Kwinana factory, in Australia.

Bauxite residue is a mixture of minerals that are left behind when alumina is removed from bauxite. Although it is thoroughly washed, the residue retains some alkaline liquor and requires long-term storage. By mixing CO2 into the bauxite residue, its pH level is reduced to levels found naturally in alkaline soils. A second sustainability benefit is that the improved environmental properties of the residue mean it also can be beneficially used as road base, building materials or to improve soil.

This program is expected to lock up 70,000 tons of CO2 a year, the equivalent of eliminating the emissions of 17,500 automobiles. Alcoa plans to deploy the technology to its nine alumina refineries worldwide. Deployment across Alcoa’s operations in Australia alone could potentially save 300,000 tons of CO2 each year.

[Source: Alcoa via europapress.com]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

PRESS RELEASE/VICTORY: Important Ugandan Protected Area Saved from “Deforestation Biofuels”, 2nd Major Rainforest Spared in a Week

Uganda’s government has scrapped plans to convert thousands of hectares of rainforest into a palm oil plantation. The government said it could not license Kenyan company Bidco to plant palm for biofuels in what is now a protected forest on Bugala island in Lake Victoria. Days earlier, the Ugandan government suspended for further study a separate proposal to give 7,000 ha of mainland Mabira forest reserve to a sugar grower. The Mabira victory was huge as the bulldozers were ready, and it is expected further study will kill the project.

These two major rainforest conservation victories were made possible by an unprecedented national protest campaign to protect Uganda’s dwindling forest reserves, buttressed by international protest facilitated exclusively by Ecological Internet. Over the past year President Yoweri Museveni has faced intense opposition, including peaceful protests sadly turned violent, over proposals to give private firms the right to bulldoze protected forests to create plantations. Ecological Internet alone generated some 1.8 million protest emails to the Ugandan parliament and Forest Authority.

GM, Chrysler and The Auto Alliance create websites to sway consumers to contact Congress

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What do all of the above internet sites all have in common? They are all designed to encourage consumers to contact Congress. What shall consumers say to Congress? To “Oppose Unrealistic Fuel Economy Increases,” according to one of the sites. The other sites have similar goals, although Chrysler is only targeting their dealerships at this time with their “Grab Democracy by the Horns” site. Drive Congress was created by The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, an organization made up of nine manufacturers, or ten if you count Daimler separate from Chrysler already.

The sites all suggest that there are better ways to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions than focusing on better fuel economy for our automobiles. Will this sentiment be rejected in the face of record high gasoline prices, or will consumers agree that fuel economy and harmful emissions should be kept separate from one another in legislation? Perhaps you should do what they are suggesting and contact Congress. Let them know what you think, one way or the other.

[Source: Detroit News]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Defending Whales: For and against whaling: The IWC League Table

Posted by Dave (in Anchorage, Alaska)

Once again, the lovely Elaine, at Greenpeace International in Amsterdam, has turned out some fantastic graphics – this time illustrating countries for and against the protection of whales at the International Whaling Commission, currently about to kick off here in Anchorage, Alaska. Bookmark this page – as the graphics WILL be updated!

Check out the full table to see if your country is included &raquo

Continue reading For and against whaling: The IWC League Table…

Atlanta courier company switches over to hybrids

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An Atlanta-based courier service changed their name to Green Express in conjunction with a switch in their fleet from conventional to hybrid vehicles. As a delivery service their business is particularly sensitive to rising gas prices. Their fleet runs about 2,500 miles per day and gas prices approaching $4 a gallon will definitely increase their operating expenses.

They began running some hybrid vehicles at the beginning of the year and so far they are using forty-six percent less gas than the conventional cars in the fleet and averaging 47 mpg. When the cars are running in traffic they frequently operate in EV mode meaning they aren’t contributing to the already severe pollution in the Atlanta area. By promoting their new hybrid vehicles the company has been able to pick up thirty-five new customers since the beginning of 2007.

[Source: The Auto Channel]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

LA Chickens

Article Photoby Worldchanging Los Angeles local blogger Jennifer Murphy Last week we adopted two more chickens from Path to Freedom. We’ve had backyard chickens for almost three years now. It’s been a rewarding experience. They are easy, entertaining and inexpensive to keep. Like home-grown vegetables, home-raised chickens connect our family to the cycles of the earth, make us more self-sufficient, and provide delicious healthy eggs for the table. As homeschoolers, we’ve found many learning opportunities arising from these feathery friends running around the yard. We got our original chickens from Path to Freedom too. Those two were in need of a home after being raised by the school next door as a science project. Now the Dervaes are hatching and raising chicks themselves to sell as part of their Peddler’s Wagon. Our new girls came from the first batch they raised successfully. Twenty-three people have ordered chickens since February. Jordanne Dervaes says by the time she’s done this year, she will have raised about 140 birds. Their blog journal has kept us abreast of their progress, from egg to pullet, including a couple of rocky spots along the way. Jordanne has a special knack with animals and she does a lot… (more)

(Posted by WorldChanging Team in Food and Farming at 1:12 PM)