Hurray for PHEVS

Hello again! This is Sonja with another weekly post.

A few weeks ago I wrote about the need for consumers to demand access to cheaper and more earth friendly transportation, so yesterday morning I was overjoyed to read about Plug-In 2008.

Plug-In 2008 is a three day conference and exposition in San Jose, California organized by a host of utility companies and research institutes. The conference showcases the latest technology, policy initiatives, and market research regarding plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVS). Plug-In 2008 has brought together international manufacturers and is the first conference of its kind, focusing solely on plug in hybrid technology.

But what exactly is plug in hybrid technology? Just like any traditional hybrid, PHEVS combine a battery pack with a gas engine. However PHEVS also have larger batteries for larger electric-driving ranges and plugs that allow for home charging. These differences mean that the hybrid cars likely to be produced by Toyota and General Motors in the next few years will be less dependent on oil than traditional hybrids.

Some Prius owners have already been paying mechanics to have their vehicles converted to PHEVS, but the conference represents the willingness of utility companies, policymakers, and manufacturers to make PHEVS are real option for American consumers. If the price of oil remains high, which by all accounts it will, the possibility of increasing American oil independence (but doing so by cutting out the oil instead of switching sources) seems an ever more appealing possibility. Thus Plug-In 2008 should be applauded for its ambition and timeliness. We should all be hoping to see a Plug-In 2009 and large numbers of PHEVS on the road.

Rollover (this post from Emanuel F.)

Yes to the posts below. I don’t know if it is because I have a bad cell phone plan but if I don’t use my minutes, they roll over for a couple of months until I use them or lose them. And I think it is time for Congress to take a cell phone company approach with the drilling permits. I say this because according to the Bureau of Land Management, Big Oil has over 700 drilling permits – 68 million acres – where no drilling is taking place.

Read more and take action --

Teamsters Change Their Minds on Drilling

We got some great news from the Teamsters yesterday - the union decided to leave a pro-drilling coalition and announce that they are against drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. They now acknowledge that we cannot drill our way out of this energy crisis.

Read our statement here, and check out this post from Daily Kos to learn more. The Sierra Club is happy to stand with labor and encourage clean energy, which will boost the economy and create jobs.

Offshore Drilling and Dishonesty

While this story is from July 19th, I just came upon it and had to share. CBS News brings us a great piece called "Not one drop of oil spilled? Not quite," about how offshore drilling advocates are spreading false claims that no oil leaks or spills occurred as a result of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita in 2005.

The reality from the U.S. Minerals Management Service:

"As a result of both storms, a total volume of 17,652 barrels (or roughly three-quarters of a million gallons) of total petroleum products, of which 13,137 barrels were crude oil and condensate, was spilled from platforms, rigs and pipelines. 4,514 barrels were refined products from platforms and rigs."

The truth is that offshore drilling is risky for a number of reasons - including hurricanes.

Concentrating on Solar Power

It's Bri again. This time, I'm bringing you a solar power update!

The sun has long been the primary energy source for life on Earth, and in the recent race to develop clean, alternative energy sources, many researchers are looking back towards the sun for answers.  There have been problems with solar power technology, which has historically made it less effective than other renewable sources. Fortunately, a team of scientists at MIT believes that it has overcome an obstacle in solar power production that has been haunting researchers for decades.

First, a little on solar technology – The solar energy we’re most familiar with is concentrating solar thermal (CST) power, in which solar panels capture sunlight to create heat. Less well-known is the process of concentrating photovoltactics (CPV), which harnesses sunlight and then converts it into electricity. With CPV, light is collected over a large area and is concentrated in one spot – usually on the edges of the glass panel that does the capturing. CPV has been looked upon favorably because it not only costs less than CST, but it has the potential to produce a greater amount of energy. The biggest long-standing problem with the system, however, is that much of the light collected by the solar panel is absorbed and lost before it can be transported to the edges to be converted into energy. It is a problem that has continually dissuaded people from developing CPV technology way to generate energy.

Creative Monday: Customizable Gas Station Signs

From our friends at DeSmogBlog, this cool little widget lets you make your own exxon-mobil gas station sign. Take a look here!

You can click the thumbnail to see my lame attempt at humor. It's too early on monday for me to be too creative, so show us what you came with by putting the links to your signs in the comments below. Enjoy!

Join the Climate Ride!

We're always talking policy around here, or taking actions by emailing - why not take action by actually getting up out of your chair and riding a bike?

Here's an idea for just that: The Climate Ride. We had a Climate Ride organizer write in to ask us to promote it, so here are the details from David:

September 20th - 24th, from New York to D.C.
www.climateride.org 

**A few spots are still available**
On the eve of the elections, one hundred and twenty Climate Riders will cycle from New York City to Washington, DC, to make a powerful statement about the need for renewable energy legislation and climate change awareness.

Sierra Club members are invited to join in this unique event. Only a few spots remain to be filled.

Join fellow Climate Riders for a beautiful ride that begins in the urban landscape of Manhattan, then meanders through rural New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the equine estates of Maryland to the ride finale in Washington, DC. Along the way, expert speakers meet our cyclists each evening to discuss climate science, green technology, and how to reduce our carbon footprint.

Meet people committed to resolving the climate crisis, make your voice heard, and benefit an important cause -- all on an unforgettable vacation!
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Thanks to David for letting us know. To learn more about Climate Ride, visit the website or email  info@climateride.org

Liquid Coal: the Solution in Kentucky?

This week's second post from San Francisco media intern Bri - enjoy!

Everyone is responding to the relentlessly rising gas prices in a multitude of ways – some are cutting back on their driving habits while others are investigating renewable energies as a way to replace petroleum-based fuels.  And others, like some officials in Kentucky, are deciding to build $4 billion coal-to-liquid fuel plants, touting liquid coal as a way for “‘the United States to become energy independent and free of foreign oil.

Turning coal into liquid for energy is hardly a new concept.  As BeyondFossilFuel.com reveals, the Germans used liquid coal during World War II when they had little access to petroleum products. Those who are planning the construction of the eastern Kentucky plant make some good arguments in favor of its creation, and at first glance it seems like a pretty good idea.  The new plant will create thousands of new jobs as well as a local energy source, which would greatly boost the Appalachian economy.  Even more, taxpayers would not be burdened with the hefty cost of construction as investors are being courted to carry the financial load of the project.

100th Birthday of the Model T - How Far Have We Really Come?

This post is from Emanuel Figueroa with the Sierra Club's campaign team in DC:

A week or so ago, NPR's Morning Edition celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the Ford Model-T, calling it the "universal car that sparked gasoline demand." (What a reason to celebrate!) The 1908 Model-T traveled 25 miles on each gallon of gas -- not much different than the average new car sold in America today! I have to wonder: How far have we really come?

The Model-T, which was made to run on ethanol from corn, is not the only example of a vehicle ahead of its time. The electric car made short-lived appearances in the 1800's, then again in the 1970's and 1990's (Who hasn't seen "Who Killed the Electric Car?")

Today, the Tesla Roadster (see the July 15 post: Test Driving Sustainability), an electric sports car that can go from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds and runs for 220 miles per charge, is truly the first car of its class to be mass-produced.

Many auto manufacturers have plans to produce affordable plug-in electric vehicles within the next five years. The Myers Motors NmG, a single-passenger electric motorcycle that reaches speeds of over 76 mph with a 45 mile range per charge, is more affordable than the $100k Tesla at around $30k. Hybrid-electric vehicle owners can buy kits to convert their cars to plug-in electric vehicles. Maybe this has all been done before. But one day the electricity to fuel these vehicles will come from renewable sources and a clean electric grid (see July 9 post: Solutions For On the Grid Guilt). Looking forward to something new...

Study: Closing a coal plant helps kids' neurodevelopment

Will closing down coal-fired power plants help make kids smarter? Looks like a possibility after a new study from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

From the study:

The study allowed researchers to track and compare the development of two groups of children born in Tongliang, a city in China's Chongqing Municipality – one in utero while a coal-fired power plant was operating in the city and one in utero after the Chinese government had closed the plant. Among the first group of children, prenatal exposure to coal-burning emissions was associated with significantly lower average developmental scores and reduced motor development at age two. In the second unexposed group, these adverse effects were no longer observed; and the frequency of delayed motor developmental was significantly reduced.

That's a good sign, I'd say. Coal-fired power plants have a whole slew of health effects, looks like neurodevelopment is one more risk to add to that list.

(hat tip to Huffington Post)