The Green Life

Gas? Where We're Going, We Don't Need Gas.

So our dreams of zipping off to work every morning in our hover cars may still be a bit far-fetched, but our dream of greener streets and highways may be just over the horizon. According to a study released today by UC Berkeley’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology, electric cars could become the most popular vehicles on the U.S. road by 2030. The paper asserts that benefits of electric cars would be immediate and far-reaching, improving our economy, health, and environment.
    The study estimates that in a mere 21 years, electric cars “will account for 64 percent of U.S. light-vehicle sales” due to the “low purchase price and operating costs of electric cars with switchable batteries.” This sort of battery swapping is being championed by companies such as Better Place; their subscribers will have access to battery-charging and switching stations across the nation, allowing for increased usability.  

Daily Roundup: July 1, 2009

Your Save My Planet, I’ll Save Yours: After a series of serious compromises and concessions, the House of Representatives passed a landmark piece of climate-change legislation, marking the first time either house of Congress has passed a bill establishing a cap on the emissions blamed for global warming. The bill still waits action in the Senate. New York Times
 
Less Bush, More Tress: On Tuesday, a California federal judge nullified national forest-management rules established during the Bush era. As a result, The Forest Service will reintroduce regulations to protect wildlife and curtail logging. San Francisco Chronicle

Bright Idea: Obama spoke of future efforts to create and standardize energy efficient light bulbs, asserting that the more efficient bulbs would save consumers billions annually, conserve energy, reduce emissions, and lessen our dependence on coal-fired power plants. MSNBC

Seal the Deal: Francois Hugo of Seal Alert South Africa is collecting donations from around the globe to purchase a fur company that intends to buy the pelts of baby seals that live on the Namibian coast. The fur company plans to club 85,000 seal pups in Namibia to meet its business goals. Hugo is reaching out on YouTube and Facebook, imploring people to donate $15 each to reach the necessary $14.2 million to buy the fur company and stop the killing. Yahoo

Flying Solar: In a nation best known for chocolate and cheese, Switzerland unveiled a new claim to fame: its prototype for a new solar-powered airplane that will be able to fly during day and night without fuel. Test flights start late this year. CNET

--Julia Gelbaum

Daily Roundup: June 26, 2009

Climate or Coal? The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the much-debated climate bill today. Its passage may come down to on-the-fence democrats from states with coal interests. Treehugger and Grist 

Skip the Carbon, Please: The Southern Ocean, historically a major carbon sink, is absorbing the stuff at an increasingly slower rate. Scientists blame the hole in the ozone. New Scientist

Around the World: Swiss innovator Bertrand Piccard, famous for circling the globe in a hot air balloon, announced his prototype for a solar-powered plane he plans to fly around the world by 2012. BBC News

Bad Gas: A new California regulation requires landfills to capture the greenhouse gas, methane, that results from decomposing trash. ENN

Give Me a Brake: Angry car drivers plan to blockade part of an annual Colorado bike ride in a "celebration of driver's rights." Treehugger

--Jamie Hansen

Fuel Savings From a Tire?

Michelin wants to help the phrase “green driving” become less of an oxymoron. The company released a new tire this month and claims that it reduces a vehicle’s carbon dioxide emissions by 2,000 pounds per year—or, as Michelin advertises, by as much as planting 40 trees.

During Michelin’s tests, their Energy Saver A/S Tires made cars up to 8 percent more fuel-efficient than other brands’ comparable tires. The tires also lasted 16,000 miles longer before they had to be replaced.

Daily Roundup: June 19, 2009

Under Pressure: The government of Cameroon has granted Wildlife Works, an environmental group, 30 days to create a conservation proposal for a tract of rainforest. If the group does not come up with an economically viable plan, the forest will be sold to loggers. Mongabay and Treehugger

New Cars on the Block: Nissan Motor Company has plans to build electric cars at its Smyrna, Tennessee plant. Reuters

Break It Down: Researchers in China have isolated a type of microbe with the ability to break down phthalates. The discovery has potential applications in wastewater treatment. Science Daily

Green Jobs: Two recent reports suggest that an annual $150 billion clean-energy investment by the federal government could create 1.7 million new jobs. GreenBiz and Green Inc.

Methane Happens: The House Appropriations Committee approved a $10.6 billion EPA spending bill with an added amendment that prevents the EPA from requiring factory farms to report greenhouse gas emissions. New York Times and Grist

--Della Watson

Cooling Your Car's Consumption

Not content with the slow progress on fuel-efficiency standards, President Obama pushed for vehicles to be rolling on 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016, four years earlier than current federal law requires. A new angle currently being examined in the jigsaw puzzle of auto emissions is energy-sucking air conditioners.

Colorado's National Renewable Energy Lab found that each year, 7 billion gallons of gasoline goes toward running vehicle air conditioners. That's 6 percent of the nation's total fuel consumption! In situations where simply turning off the AC isn't an option (think refrigerated shipping trucks or family-packed minivans in central Florida), scientists are fiddling away on new technology they expect will improve efficiency by 33 percent, save 1.8 billion gallons of oil, and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions by 900 million metric tons. The alternative AC system will use thermoelectrics to aid pumps and condensers.

Daily Roundup: June 12, 2009

Stop That Dam: Construction of two hydropower dam projects has been suspended by China's Ministry of Environmental Protection. The projects, located in the Jinsha River tributary, were initiated without proper environmental assessment. Associated Press

Trees for Speed: To offset drivers' emissions, NASCAR announced a new plan to plant 10 trees for every green flag. Bleacher Report

It's Back: The Department of Energy has renewed plans to build FutureGen, a "clean coal" power plant, thanks to a billion dollar allotment from the stimulus package. Wired Science

Tremors: A recent spate of small earthquakes has some Texas residents blaming "fracking," a new technology used to extract natural gas. Representatives from the natural gas industry say there is no scientific evidence linking quakes to drilling. Environmental Capital

White House Water: President Obama announced the creation of a new task force to recommend national policy to protect and restore oceans, coasts, and lakes. Reuters

--Della Watson

Daily Roundup: June 11, 2009

Thumbing for a Ride: Zipcar, a car-sharing service, announced plans for a new iPhone app that will make it easy to locate and reserve a car on the fly. Wired

Go Ahead, Dive In: A new report on the European Union's beaches, lakes, and rivers showed an overall improvement in water quality. While 96 percent of beaches and 92 percent of inland swimming areas passed muster, the report marked 1,000 sites to avoid. AFP and Deutsche Welle

Death of a Hybrid: Struggling automaker GM stopped production of the 2010 Chevy Malibu hybrid. Earth2Tech

Keep the Trees: The argument that Amazon deforestation can increase the quality of life for Brazilian communities was challenged by new research showing that development follows boom and bust cycles that provide no long-term gains for residents. Science Daily

One Small Step for Mountains: The Obama administration announced plans to strengthen environmental review for mountaintop-removal mining permits. Grist

--Della Watson

Daily Roundup: June 10, 2009

Do-Gooding Done Wrong: Actress Jessica Alba issued an official apology for vandalizing Oklahoma City buildings with great white shark posters. Ecorazzi

Bags Be Gone: Achim Steiner, the executive director off the United Nations Environment Program, called for a global ban on plastic bags. People's Weekly World and Mongabay

Fighting for Forests: After recent clashes that killed at least 54 people, Peru's parliament voted to suspend the Amazon land laws that were protested by indigenous groups. BBC

Fast and Furious: Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa hinted that his company would debut a hybrid sports car at an auto show this year. Wired 

Plastic Problems: New research links bisphenol A to heart arrhythmias and infertility in females. Science News

--Della Watson

Book Roundup Wednesday: Books on Bikes

Every Wednesday, we review a selection of new and upcoming books addressing a specific aspect of environmentalism. Today we're recommending books about pedal power.

Bicycle Diaries (by David Byrne, $26, Viking, Sept. 2009): David Byrne is a man of many interests. Famous for his role in the band Talking Heads, he's also worked in a variety of other art mediums, including a recent foray into bike rack art. In Bicycle Diaries, Byrne describes cities such as London, Buenos Aires, Manila, and Sydney from a bike-level view. Readers can expect to experience a unique image of the world as seen through the eyes of an avid cyclist and accomplished artist.

Cruisers (by Jonny Fuego and Michael Ames, $22, Gibbs Smith, 2009): This visually charged ode to bike culture is filled with delicious eye candy for cruiser devotees. The book follows the cruiser movement from its historical roots to the work of the modern masters. The bicycle craftsmanship displayed in Cruisers is impressive, and while the book's tips for customizing your own ride may not turn you into a bike expert overnight, you'll enjoy the attempt.