techimoto » carbon footprint

New Air Car: How Long will the Feds Sit on this one?

JamesW — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:04:24 +0000

Forget corn! There’s fuel, there’s renewable fuel, and then there’s user-renewable fuel! What can be better than air?

The Compressed Air Car developed by Motor Development International (MDI) Founder Guy Negre might be the best thing to have happened to the motor engine in years.

The $12,700 CityCAT, one of the planned Air Car models, can hit 68 mph and has a range of 125 miles. It will take only a few minutes for the CityCAT to refuel at gas stations equipped with custom air compressor units. MDI says it should cost only around $2 to fill the car up with 340 liters of air!

The Air Car will be starting production this year, thanks to India ‘s TATA Motors.

Once again the “infrastructure” becomes the stumbling block. I can’t help but wonder where all those extraordinary profits are going within big oil. It seems, if our government so chose, that they could mandate that at least a percentage of windfall profit be reinvested in infrastructure. My guess is that it wouldn’t take long to have an air compressor installed in every gas station in the US. Meanwhile we take it in the ear by paying $4 or more per gallon.

Cure for Global Warming: Swallow a few Bitter Pills

JamesW — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 14:16:12 +0000

Wired Magazine featured a recent article suggesting that a “cure” for global warming, because of the seriousness of the situation (i.e., a complete change of life as we know it, or possibly eradication of the human species along with a few others), that we might need to reexamine a few approaches that are, well, less than “green” in most books. “global warming threatens to overwhelm any progress made on other issues. The planet is already heating up, and the point of no return may be only decades away. So combating greenhouse gases must be our top priority, even if that means embracing the unthinkable. Here, then, are 10 tenets of the new environmental apostasy.”

10 GREEN HERESIES

Live in Cities:
Urban Living Is Kinder to the Planet Than the Suburban Lifestyle

A/C Is OK:
Air-Conditioning Actually Emits Less C02 Than Heating

Organics Are Not the Answer:
Surprise! Conventional Agriculture Can Be Easier on the Planet

Farm the Forests:
Old-Growth Forests Can Actually Contribute to Global Warming

China Is the Solution:
The People’s Republic Leads the Way in Alternative-Energy Hardware

Accept Genetic Engineering:
Superefficient Frankencrops Could Put a Real Dent in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Carbon Trading Doesn’t Work:
Carbon Credits Were a Great Idea, But the Benefits Are Illusory

Embrace Nuclear Power:
Face It. Nukes Are the Most Climate-Friendly Industrial-Scale Form of Energy

Used Cars — Not Hybrids:
Don’t Buy That New Prius! Test-Drive a Used Car Instead

Icelanders Don’t Owe Us a Dime

JamesW — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:09:22 +0000

There’s a new banker in town, and he doesn’t care about how much money you have or you owe. He runs a new kind of bank that checks out your carbon footprint, then sends you a bill, or issues you a credit, depending on whether or not you’ve been environmentally naughty or nice. As Wikipedia defines it, a carbon footprint is “a measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. It is meant to be useful for individuals and organizations to conceptualize their personal (or organizational) impact in contributing to global warming.” The Kyoto Protocol defines each member country’s goals in this respect (of course, the U.S., the worst global offender with the biggest footprint, didn’t sign up to this accord. At the time the occord was designed and signed by the majority of our global neighbors , Bush was still in “the denial stage” about global warming. Their are some signs that “Sleeping Beauty” is awakening, but nothing will be done by this administration, I’m sure, for the remainder of Bush’s term”. Let’s hope the next president is a little more on top of things). By the way, you can calculate your own personal carbon footprint HERE. If an entity creates a larger carbon footprint than was agreed to, that entity then “owes” the rest of the Kyoto members, and must eventually settle the debt via currency or goods traded. These credits can be bought and sold in international markets, at the prevailing rate, much like you would buy or sell a stock.

Iceland’s carbon bank account makes the rest of us look like paupers. Iceland has a decade’s long strategy of tapping sources of renewable energy. Whereas a number of U.S. states (Note: not Federal government!), have set goals of 10 to 15 percent renewable energy generation, Iceland now is already at about 80%. Geothermal or hydorelectric plants provide virtually all of Iceland’s electrical needs, and homes are typically heated by water pumped from geothermal hot spots. They are also amongst the first countries to have a hydrogen infrastructure (i.e., “gas” station) in place, and a number of their buses are currently powered by hydrogen engines.

Admittedly Iceland is blessed with an abundance of water and geothermal constructs to allow this potential. But it is also a focus and determination that has allowed them to bring these renewable energy sources to fruition. Now if we can only get the U.S. and the rest of the world on board. Hmmm, maybe polar bears won’t become a nuisance to citrus growers after all!