© Greenpeace / Ralf Kiefner
Instead of simply hunting endangered whales like humpbacks, here’s a novel way of using whales as a resource – a Canadian Company has come up with a kind of wind-turbine blade that mimics the movement of a humpback flipper.
A Canadian Company as designed a new type of wind-turbine blade that mimics the aerodynamic performance of a humpback whale’s flipper, allowing a turbine to capture more of the wind’s energy at much lower speeds.
Athena is the face of Greenpeace’s climate and energy campaign in Asia. She has just returned from Kyoto, where she led a team pressuring the Asian Development Bank to put their money where their mouths are and invest in Clean Energy. Here’s her round up.
2 weeks ago I welcomed myself back to the city of Kyoto with high expectations: for the Asian Development Bank to honour the spirit of one of the most important environmental agreements in history â the Kyoto Protocol.
I finally got to see Kyoto on the last day of my visit to this historic city. A visit to the Kiyomizu-dera Temple and a walk along Gion made me appreciate its beauty â something I missed10 years ago during my first visit. The people of Kyoto should be proud of their home. The ADB could have made them even prouder, but they were a few steps shortâ¦
Continue reading Wanted – Energy Revolution leader for Asia…
© Greenpeace / Aoyama
One of our colleagues, George Pletnikoff, an Aleut working for Greenpeace as an oceans campaigner in Anchorage, has written an article for the Anchorage Daily News on how Japan exploits a loophole that allows it to kill nearly 1000 whales every year.
This May, Anchorage will become ground zero for a very important political battle. The 59th meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) will be held here for nearly three weeks. As the international body that manages the world’s populations of great whales, the IWC has as its most important and lasting concern to maintain the 27-year-old moratorium on commercial whaling.
Continue reading Japan’s ‘scientific’ whaling a slap in face of conservation…
Designing Cities for People, Rather than Cars
Nokia Gets It Right for South Asia
Planning for a Climate-Changed World
Land of Milk and Biofuel.
Something Earth-Changing is Afoot Among Civil Society
(more)
(Posted by David Zaks in News and Views at 8:42 PM)
If you teach an actor to farm, and you give him two acres and tell him to work the land, is he acting or farming? Is it performance art or food production? For artist David Levine, this is a riddle for which all answers are correct. His current project, Bauerntheater (“farmers’ theater”), recently began its season in Brandenburg, in northern Germany. Levine trained an American actor in farm technique for one month in New York, as any director would rehearse a show, then flew the actor to Brandenburg for the debut. Bauerntheater will run continuously for one month, during which time the actor-turned-farmer will cultivate two acres of potatoes, “in character,” for fourteen hours per day. Why do this? Levine characterizes it as an exploration of the interplay and conflict between tradition, performance, labor and art: Bauerntheater is concerned with global labor markets, with the performance of cultural tradition, with the representation of labor, with representation as labor, and with the troubled relationship of Endurance and Land Art to questions of “authenticity.” The project is sited on part of a UNESCO nature preserve, at the Biorama Projekt, an arts and green product design center, eco-tourism destination and demonstration facility for… (more)
(Posted by Sarah Rich in Arts at 1:22 PM)
Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Ford
Ford Motor China is going into the eighth year of a program to try help clean up some of the notorious pollution in China. The annual Conservation & Environmental Grants China program will be providing funds and training to non-governmental organizations and community groups to encourage conservation and environmental awareness. This year they will be particularly focused on local and community level projects. This year they will have about $137,000 to distribute. The Ford press release is after the jump.
[Source: Ford]
FORD MOTOR LAUNCHES 8TH CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL GRANTS IN CHINA
2007 Program Focuses on Environmental Protection at Local Communities
BEIJING, May 15, 2007 — Ford Motor China launched the eighth annual Conservation & Environmental Grants, China Program (CEGC) today, with a focus on encouraging community environmental protection to raise environmental awareness in China. Along with continuing programs in youth engagement and NGO training, this year’s CEGC will unveil new Community Environmental Grants for fostering environmental projects in local communities.
Mei-Wei Cheng, Chairman and CEO of Ford Motor ( China) Ltd., announced the set up of a new category for Community Environmental Grants. “CEGC hopes to provide grants to those creative projects focused on community environmental protection.” Mei-Wei Cheng said, “CEGC has been constantly evolving ever since its first year of our program, in order to not only stay in step with changing developments in environment protection and conservation, but also to help focus public attention on environment protection efforts in China.”
Starting its eighth year, the 2007 CEGC is adopting a new theme of “Creating Green and Harmonious Communities Together”. Raising community awareness and enthusiasm for environmental protection, as well as encouraging a community approach to conservation are major goals of the CEGC in 2007. Therefore, as a leading corporate citizen, Ford Motor China is establishing the Community Environmental Grants to support active participation and raise environmental awareness in local communities.
“Mobilizing and leveraging community participation is a great direction for the CEGC this year,” said Professor Qu Geping who’s known as ‘Father of Environmental Protection in China’, “I believe the concept of community-centered environment protection is going to be a driving force for China’s environment protection in the future years”
Carrying forward last year’s efforts to engage young people, the CEGC is encouraging university students to take part in community action projects. By working with and participating in real-life community projects, university students will be able to find practical applications for their environmental studies.
Specialized training for grassroots NGOs, which began during last year’s CEGC, will be expanded and diversified to meet the variety of environmental challenges facing local NGOs. Training sessions will be organized in China’s northeast, northwest, and southern regions, where local NGOs will share practical experiences and work with environmental experts, global NGO leaders, and business executives to create localized solutions for China’s unique environmental issues.
With RMB1.05 million in cash grants, this year’s CEGC is recognizing the efforts and achievements of organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions in three categories – “Natural Environment Protection”, “Environmental Education”, and “Community Environmental Grants”.
Beginning in 2000, the CEGC has been awarding cash grants totaling 7.05 million yuan to organizations and individuals to promote initiatives and participation in projects that improve local environments, protect natural heritage, and conserve natural resources in China. A total of 113 organizations and individuals have been awarded grants from the CEGC over the past seven years, with another 40 receiving honorable mention.
The CEGC has been recognized by Chinese government and experts as the most influential business-operated environmental program in China. Now with more than seven years of experience, the CEGC is turning its focus to community environmental protection and NGO supports.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Vegetable Oil
If you’ve been wondering how to gauge the overall impact of the biofuel you use (or wish you could), the Friends of the Earth, a global network of environmental groups, is trying to make it possible with just a few clicks. The group’s new biofuel impact database is now online and it’s a good idea with a lot of potential.
I tested the database by choosing ethanol made from corn and compared it to biodiesel made from soybeans. Then, I selected health and Energy Ratio/Balance impacts, and got these results: corn ethanol has an estimated energy range between 0.58 to 1.71 and soy biodiesel’s range is 1.42 to 3.213. There are no health impacts listed for the ethanol, but the biodiesel’s alert says, “Genetically Modified roundup ready, glyusophosate, is believed to have caused reproductive problems, genetic damage, liver tumors, developmental delays.” Each result has a footnote, but some users have warned that these footnotes sometimes go to obscure sources, so we should be wary. In short, this database is not ideal nor is it ultra-easy to use, but it is better than not having a system like this at all. And just figuring out what type of biodiesel or ethanol you want to know more about is a good way to see the diversity in feedstocks and methods that biofuels promise.
[Source: Friends of the Earth]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
Not but two weeks ago, national gas price averages got to the $3 a gallon level, and the question was whether the summer gas peak had happened early or if we were looking at a record-high season for gas prices. Guess which one we can now confirm? If we take a look at the Energy Information Administration’s gas price averages going back to 1983, it’s clear that this week we’re seeing the highest prices on record. Ever. Their average is $3.143 a gallon. The last time prices were close to that level was $3.117 back in September 2005 (right after Hurricane Katrina). The EIA creates their average using all grades of fuel. AAA‘s current average for regular-grade fuel is $3.103. So, how are we driving smarter now?
Related:
[Source: Energy Information Administration via Autoblog]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
Filed under: Hybrid, Transportation Alternatives, GM
The King County Washington transit system was one of the first in the United States to start widely using hybrid buses and they just announced a major expansion of the effort. Since King County got their first hybrid buses over three years ago they have put 214 of them on the road. In the fall of 2006, voters approved a twenty percent expansion of the transit system services and today King County executive Ron Sims announced that they have decided to purchase up to five hundred more articulated buses from New Flyer Industries with the GM-Allison two-mode hybrid system.
Since putting their first hybrid buses into service King County has measured a thirty percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from the hybrids compared to their conventional buses and forty percent better reliability. The first twenty-two buses for the service expansion are expected to arrive next spring with another one hundred in 2009. Over the next five years the additional buses will be purchased to replace older conventional buses in the fleet.
In King County’s experience so far the hybrids have gotten over 4mpg compared to about 3mpg for conventional diesel buses and they are expected to last 14-16 years compared to twelve for the non-hybrids. The powertrains could potentially last up to twenty years but the bus itself begins to wear out in the shorter time-frame. So far their are over seven hundred GM hybrid buses on the road in fifty-six cities and they’ve accumulated over 35 million miles. The press release is after the jump.
[Source: General Motors and King County]
Historic King County Contract Includes GM Hybrid-Powered Buses
Contract may increase fleet to more than 700 GM-hybrid powered buses, saving an estimated 1.1 million gallons of fuel annually, enough to fill 138 tanker trucks
SEATTLE – King County awarded a landmark contract today for the purchase of up to 500 articulated buses, most of which will be powered by General Motors’ 2-mode hybrid system.
The five-year contract, which could be worth as much as $400 million, is between King County and bus-manufacturer New Flyer Industries. General Motors supplies New Flyer with the hybrid system for the buses.
King County has been operating a fleet of 214 GM hybrid-powered buses since 2004 and with the addition of this contract, King County could have a total of 714 buses, making it the largest fleet of hybrid-articulated buses in history.
King County Executive Ron Sims welcomed key local and national transportation leaders and representatives from GM and New Flyer, as they announced the contract agreement during a press conference today at Qwest Field, home of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
“It’s innovative public-private partnerships such as this that put King County in a leadership position to combat global warming,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “We will put new rapid transit bus service on the streets with the first 122 articulated hybrids ordered. The size of this contract demonstrates our commitment to transit and the resulting benefits to our residents for air quality and traffic congestion.”
King County’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and target global warming are among the most aggressive in the U.S.
Due to this strong environmental leadership, King County has one of the greenest transit agencies in the nation and GM is proud to supply its advanced hybrid technology to assist in this achievement.
In the U.S., GM’s strategy is to save as many gallons of fuel as possible by applying hybrid technology first to larger vehicles such as mass transit buses. Currently, 720 buses with GM’s 2-mode hybrid system have been delivered to 56 cities across the U.S. and Canada, saving an estimated 1 million gallons of fuel annually. The potential addition of up to 500 buses in King County, will bring the total in North America to more than 1,200 GM hybrid-powered, saving an estimated 1.75 million gallons of fuel annually.
“We at General Motors share King County’s vision to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tom Stephens, GM Group Vice President, Global Powertrain and Global Quality. “GM’s commitment to improving fuel economy, reducing vehicle emissions, and developing electrically driven vehicles is not a short-term strategy. We’re in this game for the long term. We see energy and environmental leadership as a critical element of GM’s ongoing turnaround plan and a key part of our business strategy. That is why we are introducing four all-new hybrid models in 2007, which is more than any automaker has ever introduced in one calendar year.”
Transit buses with GM’s 2-mode hybrid system deliver significantly better fuel economy than traditional transit buses, cut certain emissions up to 90 percent and have operating sound levels approaching that of passenger cars. Other benefits of GM’s 2-mode hybrid system for transit buses include reduced maintenance costs resulting from extended brake, engine oil and transmission oil life, superior torque, and improved acceleration.
In fact, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) conducted a one-year comparative study between conventional diesel buses and GM hybrid-powered buses operating on a typical King County drive cycle.
The NREL report showed that the GM-hybrid powered buses had 30 percent higher fuel economy on average when compared to the conventional diesel buses and total operating costs were lowered by 15 percent.
During King County drive cycle testing, the NREL results showed that the GM-hybrid powered buses lowered fuel consumption by 23 percent; nitrogen oxides (NOx) by 18 percent; carbon monoxide (CO) by 60 percent; and total hydrocarbon (THC) by 56 percent when compared to conventional diesel buses.
This NREL study of King County’s hybrid buses is an endorsement of GM’s 2-mode hybrid propulsion system and one element of King County’s decision to purchase up to 500 additional buses. The report was published in December 2006, and can be viewed at http://www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest/pdfs/40585.pdf.
To represent emissions reduction and King County’s purchase of up to 500 hybrid buses, GM is donating up to 500 trees that will be planted throughout the county this year. The first five trees will be planted in a historic portion of Marymoor Park located in Redmond, Wash., that was heavily damaged by a November windstorm.
The 2-mode hybrid technology in these buses has served as the starting point for GM’s co-development with DaimlerChrysler and BMW Group of the 2-mode hybrid system for passenger vehicles, which GM will launch later this year in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon fullsize SUVs, followed in 2008 by the Cadillac Escalade fullsize SUV, Saturn Vue Green Line compact SUV and the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra fullsize pickups.
“The Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon are the world’s first and only fullsize hybrid SUVs, offering up to eight-passenger seating and an estimated 25 percent improvement in overall fuel economy when combined with our Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology,” said Beth Lowery, Vice President, Global Public Policy and Government Relations.
The 2-mode hybrid diesel-electric drive system for transit buses is manufactured by GM Allison Transmission, maker of transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems for commercial trucks, buses, and off-highway equipment and military vehicles, headquartered in Indianapolis.
New Flyer is based in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 284,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries.
In 2006, 9.1 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.
Filed under: Hybrid
BusinessCar, a website dedicated to helping businesses get the most for their money when they buy or lease vehicles, has hashed out the pros and cons of ten green automotive technologies. After all the calculations, they’ve decided that hybrids are the current best choice. The editors say they “judged on emissions (that’s all of them, and not just tailpipe CO2), fuel economy, tax benefits, availability and long-term viability – and then crowned a winner.”
The list was drawn up with the UK (especially the availability of, say, biofuels or pure electric vehicles) and the needs of businesses in mind, so don’t assume it can be easily transplanted to other locations. I’m kind of surprised to see hydrogen and fuel cells beating modern petrol at this stage of the game, but if anyone can make use of H2 vehicles right now, it’s businesses with fleets in traveling around a centralized fueling station.
You can read all of their reasons in the article itself, but here’s the cheat sheet.
10. GTL (Gas to Liquid)
9. LPG
8. CNG
7. Modern petrol
6. Hydrogen engine
5. Fuel cell
4. Biofuels
3. Full electric
2. Modern diesel
1. Hybrid
How would you rank these technologies?
[Source: BusinessCar]
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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.