Hello everyone.
It’s been a while since I’ve written a post.
I’m working on a project (secret) which is taking up all of my time.
So unfortunately posts are going to be rare for the near future.
However I should have news in the coming days of an interesting new path for changenow.
Dillon.
This Saturday at 7.30pm, the lights at Luna Park, Sydney Tower, the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House will all go dark for one hour.
The event is Earth Hour; a plan by environment group WWF to get households and businesses across Sydney to turn out their lights for one hour to demonstrate that individual actions can slow the current rate of global warming.
Earth Hour will mark the beginning of WWF’s campaign to reduce the city’s carbon emissions by 5 per cent in 2007.
Australia has announced it is to form a global fund to fight illegal logging and forest destruction around the globe.
The aim is to halve the rate of deforestation and cut CO2 emissions 10 times greater than proposals under the Kyoto Protocol.
The fund with already $200 million is son expected to be joined by Germany, UK and the US.
The fund’s prime target will be Indonesia as the UN has identified Indonesia as having the world’s highest rate of forest clearing.
The forest fund which will be managed by the World Bank is designed to help developing countries start sustainable forest companies, plant new forests, stop illegal destruction of rainforests, provide monitoring of forest production, education in forest management and help communities dependent on illegal rainforest timber find alternative jobs.
A well needed initiative as deforestation accounts for 20 % of global greenhouse gas emissions.
While not yet released the Aptera is a stunning 2 seater eco friendly car.
There is a choice of an all electric accomplishing 150 miles per charge or a hybrid which achieves 230 miles per gallon at 55mph. And both do 0-60 in under 10 seconds.
The car which weighs less than 400lbs has a brushless 3 phase AC motor, driver and passenger airbags, side and rear cameras which replace mirrors and eco friendly non toxic Nickel-Zinc batteries.
And with a price tag of around $20,000 I want one!
The Seattlepi reports that King County Executive Ron Sims has announced a new pilot scheme encouraging drivers to drive less with the result of lower CO2 emissions. The pilot scheme will be a high-tech, $6 million pilot program the county is participating in with other US government agencies and Unigard, a Bellevue insurance company.”We want to discourage peak-time use,” Sims said.
Unigard hopes to sign up 5,000 drivers from across the state for the pilot program next year and equip their cars with GPS devices that will track mileage driven and when.
After collecting data over a period of three years, the company hopes to design “pay-as-you-drive” policies.
The idea is to provide economic incentive for people to drive less. The benefit being a 15 percent mileage reduction and a savings of $50 to $100 in individual annual insurance costs, the county said.
A new study from consulting firm McKinsey has revealed that the EU’s new climate change targets could cost up to €1.1 trillion to implement over the next 14 years.
“On the basis of a balanced, sensible application of the most easily accessible technology, we’re calculating that the EU states will face annual costs of between €60bn to €80bn up until 2020,” said Thomas Vahlenkamp, a McKinsey energy expert.
The study says that technology, such as energy-saving lightbulbs and windpower are capable of reducing three-quarters of greenhouse gas emissions.
To achieve cost-effective results, the study advises that politicians concentrate on implementing the cheapest and most effective environmental measures first, rather than the cost-heavy solutions such as building CO2-free coal power stations. “The potential in building insulation should be given much more attention,” Mr Vahlenkamp said. “There is a wealth of cost-free possibilities that would neither negatively effect our lifestyles nor our comfort.”
The report explains that it is easier and cheaper to reduce energy use than to capture and store byproducts of fossil fuels, such as CO2. For example, insulating a building could save €150 for each tonne of carbon dioxide reduced.
The study says it is possible for the world to reduce CO2 levels by 27bn tonnes by 2030, a figure at which, scientists suggest, global warming may be curbed.
The study said one of the greatest challenges was the developing world which produces half of the avoidable global CO2 emissions. In the west the economic benefits of climate protection measures - such as energy-saving lightbulbs - would be felt. In Africa, South America and Asia such potential would be much lower. But Africa and South America could contribute to worldwide CO2 reduction through cutting back on deforestation.
The study criticises the EU for giving priority to reducing emissions in electricity generation, which has the potential to lower its CO2 emissions by 6bn tonnes by 2030, while failing to give at least equal attention to the forestry industry that could reduce its share by 7bn tonnes through improved management.
Thanks to everyone who stuck by over the past week.
Some private family problems have now being put to rest.
What has amazed me is that even though I haven’t wrote a post since last Wednesday, the number of subscribers peaked well above the number I’ve ever had.
Also I’ve being getting a lot of search engine traffic daily.
The Bradenton report that Manatee County, a school in Florida have received their first two hybrid school buses affectionately named Limpio and Wouk. They form part of the Plug-In Hybrid Electric School Bus Project. Soon, 17 other school buses in 11 states will join the Plug-In Hybrid Electric School Bus Project. The projects aim is to test the viability of the new hybrid buses.
Manatee County school buses drive more than a million miles a year, and the fleet last year used more than 6,000 gallons of fuel, said Don Ross, the school district’s supervisor of vehicle maintenance.
“Two years from now, we’ll be standing here telling you how much we saved,” Ross said during a Friday-morning press conference at Braden River High School.
The hybrid buses and two control buses will run the same routes, one in East Manatee and one in the west, said Kathy Braselton, the district’s director of transportation.
They’ll switch every two weeks, and over the next two years, the school district will do detailed comparisons between the hybrid buses and the control buses.
Ross said an Aware Vehicle Intelligence GPS system in each bus will monitor the drivers and the buses: their acceleration and deceleration, braking, fuel economy and the like.
It’ll be interesting to see how often the buses’ diesel tanks will have to be filled, said Chris Broemel, who thinks it will be much less frequently. Broemel, who has been a school bus driver in the district a little over a year, is one of four drivers who will be behind the wheel of the new buses.
He and the others trained in Jacksonville for a few days and learned how to handle the new vehicles.
“They’re a lot of fun to drive,” Broemel said. “When you hit the gas pedal and the hybrid (engine) kicks in, the bus moves.”
A product of school bus manufacturer IC Corporation and Enova Systems Inc., which makes hybrid-electric drivetrains, the buses address concerns over energy dependence and emissions, as the buses run on a diesel engine with hybrid assistance, said Randy Ray, manager of bus product development for IC Corporation.
The hybrid buses’ fuel economy should improve 70 percent to 100 percent and reduce emissions up to 90 percent.
For the most part, the two hybrids parked at Braden River High looked like traditional school buses, but a yellow extension cord plugged into one of them demonstrates how they’ll charge at night. The other was jacked up as though it was popping a wheelie, and a mirror placed under it allowed those in attendance to see the inner workings of the bus.
Each has a V-8 engine and and uses an 80-watt electric drive system. An electric motor behind the transmission kicks in when it’s most efficient, which is when the buses stop and start, Ray said.
At a cost of $225,000 each, the hybrid buses join about 250 conventional buses that run on biodiesel fuel in the district’s fleet.
The nationwide project marks an important milestone for the transportation industry, said Ewan Pritchard, Advanced Energy’s hybrid program manager. Advanced Energy is a nonprofit corporation that initiated the consortium of buyers from school districts, state energy departments and student transportation providers.
Manatee County schools chose to take the first round of buses, Ray said. Before long, they also will be in North Carolina, California, New York, Arkansas, Iowa and other states.
“It’s not often you get to be involved in a project you’re a true believer of,” he said.
The district will keep a close eye on the buses’ results but at this time isn’t committed to adding more hybrid buses to its fleet, Ross said.
One person who knows all about this is Al Gore.
Al who is currently renovating his home came up against a barrier last summer. He wanted to install solar panels on his home but found planning laws in his neighborhood prevent homeowners from installing solar panels on their roofs.
The local building officer said the town only allowed power generating equipment to be placed on the ground level and so refused him and many others permission
However after many complaints, new rules from April 1 will allow homeowners to install solar panels on their roofs.
But there’s a catch. The new law states that solar panels can only installed on the roof of a building as long as they are not visible from the street or from any adjoining property.
What I want to know is why it took so long to change, a stupid one at that. Politicians can be very slow in getting laws passed but when it comes to climate change, the sooner the better.
US President George Bush toured two car factories yesterday to urge Americans to buy more alternative fuel vehicles.
“Americans are just getting used to this kind of … technological breakthroughs, something you’re used to,” Bush told workers at the Ford assembly plant near Kansas City. “You make these cars all day long, but I don’t think our citizens fully understand what is happening in America. And that’s why I’ve come to highlight the technological changes that we’re seeing.”
He praised Ford and General Motors for making trucks and SUVs that are more energy-efficient.
“Texans like to use pickup trucks, as you well know. And it makes sense to have these technologies fit in the kind of trucks that people like to drive, or the kind of cars that people demand,” Bush said.
“I want to highlight an important initiative for the country, and that is to promote technologies so we are less reliant upon foreign sources of oil,” Bush told the workers. “And the best way to become less reliant on foreign sources of oil is to manufacture automobiles that will use either less gasoline or different kinds of fuels.”
However Dan Becker, director of the Sierra Club’s global warming program said “If the president had a more responsible energy policy, there would be a lot more than one U.S. hybrid car plant for him to visit,” “We’d cut global warming pollution, oil addiction and save consumers money at the pump. And then the president could declare ‘Emission Accomplished.’ “
Others went further.
Bush’s plan “at best holds U.S. passenger vehicle heat-trapping emissions constant at today’s levels by 2017. At worst, it allows an 18% increase in carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to the pollution of an additional 42 million cars,” said Eben Burnham-Snyder, a spokesman for the Natural Resources Defense Council. “In contrast, California’s plan will reduce vehicle carbon dioxide emissions by 16% compared to today’s levels by 2020.”
Fresh, delicious and organic. Dutch firm Aarstiderne pack a box with the seasons best organic raw ingredients, including recipes for great tasting meals and deliver them straight to your home.
You can choose between 9 different vegetable boxes and a wide selection of special boxes.
Some boxes include both vegetables and fruit, while others are filled with exciting and unusual vegetables.
And the produce is so good that over thirty thousand Danish households have signed up.
Just over a week ago, we profiled one of Zap’s cars. Now they’ve released details of another new car they are working on with Lotus. The ZAP-X Crossover SUV.
The SUV will feature all-wheel drive with in-hub electric motors capable to deliver 644 horsepower and a top speed of 155mph.
The SUV will combine a lightweight aluminum chassis, a new efficient drive system and advanced battery management system with the goal for the ZAP-X is to be able to achieve 350-mile range, with a rapid 10-minute recharging time. (Stunning if they pull it off).
“We believe that the ZAP-X will become the most advanced, most practical and most appealing flagship electric vehicle to date and will revolutionize the industry providing the driver with the enjoyment of a sports car and the practicality of an SUV,” says ZAP CEO Steve Schneider.
The interior will have seating for 5 +2, all electronic touch screen controls on-board carputer: Windows XP (please change to Mac OS), Wi-Fi, Blue-tooth, High definition video, iPod ready, Fire wire, USB2 and Mini USB ports
Some of the extras available will be keyless bio-metric entry and ignition, Photovoltaic glass: thermoelectric, for heating and cooling, energy collecting windows and windscreens to harness solar energy
Bring it on!
Rivers on every continent are drying out, threatening severe water shortages, according to a new WWF report.
The report, World’s Top Rivers at Risk, released ahead of World Water Day (22 March), lists the top ten rivers that are fast dying as a result of climate change, pollution and dams.
“All the rivers in the report symbolize the current freshwater crisis, which we have been signalling for years,” says WWF Global Freshwater Programme Director Jamie Pittock.
“Poor planning and inadequate protection of natural areas mean we can no longer assume that water will flow forever. Like the climate change crisis, which now has the attention of business and government, we want leaders to take notice of the emergency facing freshwater now not later.”
Five of the ten rivers listed in the report are in Asia alone. They are the Yangtze, Mekong, Salween, Ganges and Indus. Europe’s Danube, the Americas’ La Plata and Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, Africa’s Nile-Lake Victoria and Australia’s Murray-Darling also make the list.
Dams along the Danube River — one of the longest flowing rivers in Europe — have already destroyed 80 per cent of the river basin’s wetlands and floodplains. Even without warmer temperatures threatening to melt Himalayan glaciers, the Indus River faces scarcity due to over-extraction for agriculture. Fish populations, the main source of protein and overall life support systems for hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide, are also being threatened.
The report calls on governments to better protect river flows and water allocations in order to safeguard habitats and people’s livelihoods.
“Conservation of rivers and wetlands must be seen as part and parcel of national security, health and economic success,” Pittock adds. “Emphasis must be given to exploring ways of using water for crops and products that do not use more water than necessary.”
In addition, cooperative agreements for managing shared resources, such as the UN Watercourses Convention, must be ratified and given the resources to make them work, says WWF.
“The freshwater crisis is bigger than the ten rivers listed in this report but it mirrors the extent to which unabated development is jeopardizing nature’s ability to meet our growing demands,” says Pittock. “We must change our mindset now or pay the price in the not so distant future.”
A lot of companies these days are promoting their “eco products” and “eco services” to consumers.
However it’s important not to take everything at face value. Ask questions.
Is the product made of recycled materials?
Does the company utilize solar power or wind power?
Are their company vehicles hybrids or alternatively fueled?
Do they use recycled paper in their office?
Do they have “A” rated office appliances?
If they don’t, walk away. It’s like getting lessons from a karate teacher that carries a gun around for protection.
You have to practice what you preach. An example of one company that does so is Slingfings.
Slingfings are a fashion label based in New South Wales, Australia.
They hand make all of their bags and clothing using recycled and reclaimed materials.
On top of that, their workshop uses solar panels and composting toilets.
Good on them I say.
Your typical herbs are grown on a farm possibly hundreds of miles away and shipped to your local store where you drive to purchase them. All in all, a lot of CO2 is produced to get the herbs from the farm to your kitchen.
So we recommend growing herbs in your own home. And if you’re looking to buy a present for a friend, why not try garden in a bag?
Simply put, they’re a bag containing seeds and soil. You just add water and watch your herbs grow.
Varieties include Basil, Italian Parley, Lavender, Alpine Strawberry and Mini-Tomato.
Forget paying for electricity when you can generate your own free from your own back yard.
Stealthgen manufacture the D400, a direct-drive wind generator. You simply bolt in onto your roof or the side of your home and it spins in the wind.
It features a powerful 3-phase alternator rotor blades optimised for low speed, user-friendly operation making it extremely efficient in low wind speeds, yet is capable of sustained power outputs of over 500 watts in higher winds.
Given average wind speeds at your site of around 12 mph, one D400 StealthGen could realistically provide 15 - 20% of the average home’s annual electricity requirement.
And if you combine one with solar roof panels, you could significantly reduce your energy bills.
Why ride a petrol scooter when you can have an electric one?
The Helio Cycle is an all electric scooter with three models to choose from. The M20, M25 and M37.
The Helio provides 30 to 40 km of range on each charge, and travels at a top speed of 20, 25, or 37 km/hr depending upon the model. The M20 and M25 have top speeds of 20km/hr and 25km/hr respectively.
Each weigh 59 kg’s and its body is made of aircraft grade aluminum.
Each charge time is 3 hours to 80% full and 6 hrs to 100% which costing just 10 cents makes them ideal for short trips to the local shops or zipping through city traffic.
Al Gore has collected nearly 300,000 electronic signatures asking US Congress to take action on global warming. He will present them before Congress about the issue on Wednesday and said the signatures demonstrate “that hundreds of thousands of people share my sense of urgency” on climate change.
“Political will is a renewable resource, and enough already exists to start solving this crisis,” Gore said. “We just have to communicate that forcefully to the political leaders of our country.”
He has called on supporters to urge friends and family to come up with enough new signatures for him to collect 350,000 by Wednesday.
He said members of Congress have “failed to act, because they have not yet faced a sufficient expression of political will on the part of the American people demanding they confront our climate crisis head on.”
A poll conducted by the Global Strategy Group for Yale University to judge America’s opinions on climate change has revealed the following results:
96 percent agreed that it is important for homeowners to use energy-efficient appliances.
87 percent said that they look for new ways to save energy.
43 percent agreed that “preventing global warming is part of my religious duty.”
94 percent agreed that requiring auto manufacturers to make more fuel-efficient cars is a good idea.
19 percent believed that a pollution tax should be charged per mile of driving.
7 percent favored a tax per mile driven.
From next week on you will be able to buy one of the limited edition eco-friendly shopping bags which were handed out to celebrities at the Oscars.
The bags were designed by Anya Hindmarch for an environmental campaign to publicise the excessive use of plastic carriers.
10,000 bags will be on sale next week at Hindmarch’s three London shops. A second batch of 20,000 will be on sale at 201 Sainsbury’s stores throughout the UK on 25 April. They cost 5 pounds each.
Norwegian electric car company, Th!nk Nordic are relaunching their City electric car.
The new model comes with ABS and dual airbags, air conditioning, power steering, sun roof, electric windows and mirrors and meets European and US safety requirements. It is claimed to have a range of 170km between charges and a top speed of 100km/h.
The City will cost about $32,596 in Norway. A battery upgrade package costs $162 per month.
Production of the Th!nk City will begin in the third quarter of 2007. The company plans to build 3,500 cars in 2008, mostly for sale in Norway, though some cars will be exported to the Netherlands, Denmark and the UK from late 2007 with US sales scheduled for 2008.
Germany’s E.ON and Britain’s Lunar Energy are to build a tidal stream power station in the sea off the west coast of the UK, capable of producing energy for up to 5,000 homes.
Under the proposed scheme, tidal streams would turn between four and eight turbines, each 15 metres in diameter situated on the sea floor with the plant expected to be operational by 2010.
Chief executive Dr Paul Golby said: “As we look to battle global warming we have to take advantage of a range of new technologies to reduce our carbon emissions.
“This pioneering scheme shows that we at E.ON are looking to change the way that we approach energy in the UK.
“A tidal stream scheme on this scale, which will be one of the largest of its kind in the world, will allow us to both better understand how to harness the power of the tides and, just as importantly, to develop a new way of generating clean, reliable and plentiful power.”
Having cavity wall insulation in your home could reduce heating costs by over a third.
In the majority of homes built after the 1920s, the external walls are made of two layers with a small air gap or ‘cavity’ between them. If your home has unfilled cavity walls, a considerable slice of your energy bills will be spent heating the air outside.
So you simply fill the gap between the two walls of your house with an insulating material. This massively decreases the amount of heat which escapes through your walls.
It will help create a more even temperature in your home, help prevent condensation on the walls and ceilings and can also reduce the amount of heat building up inside your home during summer hot spells.
Scandinavian airline group SAS AB have launched a voluntary greenhouse charge for passengers wishing to offset the carbon dioxide emissions generated by their flights.
The plan allows SAS passengers give money to environmental projects that help reduce the release of greenhouse gases. The money will be distributed through The CarbonNeutral Company which specialise in helping companies offset carbon dioxide emissions.
SAS Chief Executive Mats Jansson said the program was “part of the SAS Group’s environmental strategy and is a suitable complement to the primary mechanisms in the Kyoto Protocol” on climate change.
changenow
