May 8th, 2009
The Volvo ReCharge: A Different Kind of Hybrid
Stumble it!
Written by Christopher DeMorro, courtesy of Gas2.O
Sometimes when looking forward, you have to look back to really get inspired.
110 years ago electric cars were at their peak, representing over a quarter of all cars on the road in America, but Henry Ford and the mass-production gas motor changed all that. And while most of us have gotten used to the idea of an engine under the hood, a transmission, and sometimes a driveshaft as integral to our cars, Volvo is taking a nod from the first electric carriages and putting their motors where they are most needed: the wheels. The Volvo ReCharge is a plug-in hybrid concept that relys on four indepedant electric motors, one in each wheel, to move and power the C30-based concept.
The ReCharge concept is said to get 60 miles on electric power, and a small petrol engine sooths range anxiety. Volvo is also known for some of the world’s safest cars, and true to form the ReCharge boasts numerous safety advantages over its petrol-powered cousin. There is no driveshaft or transmission, which means a solid firewall and flat floors and increased energy efficiency. Should one motor fail, the other three can compensate for their fallen comrade and keep you moving. Also, there are no brakepads, but rather the motors do the stopping, which also serves to restore some lost energy via regenerative braking.
Volvo was in talks with the Swedish government for small-scale fleet testing of the ReCharge, which is said to be the basis for an upcoming 2012 production car from Volvo, though not much has been heard of the ReCharge since it debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show.
Click here to see a video of the ReCharge concept car.
Popularity: 4% [?]
April 26th, 2009
The Podcar: A Cross between a Taxi and a Personal Bus
Written byAmiel Blajchman, courtesy of Gas2.0
Masdar City, located within Abu Dhabi, is introducing personal rapid transit “podcars”. Basically, a cross between the convenience of grabbing a cab and a public bus; the podcars will be a component of Masdar City’s public transportation system.
As part of Masdar City’s car-free design; these podcars will be part of a network of electric taxis without drivers (!). The first of these podcars (also known as personal rapid transit - PRT) are set to debut this year.
According to Luca Guala, a planner at the consulting firm Systematica that designed the PRT network, it will:
Initially, the system will be very simple, with only a couple of stations. During this period, the system will function kind of like an elevator – you press a button and go to the third floor. Think of it as a horizontal lift. Later on it will be more sophisticated, and passengers will be able to get within 100 meters of any destination.
Since it is a prototype system, PRT is currently expensive to build. But, doesn’t it just scream “vision of the future”?
Image: Flyway Gotgatan via Flickr’s Media Commons
Popularity: 9% [?]
April 24th, 2009
Berkeley Considering Requiring Home Energy Improvements
The City of Berkeley is always progressive (perhaps that why some call it Berzerkeley). They are taking a very strong stance on limiting their city’s contribution to global warming. In November 2006, Berkeley voters marked their concern regarding climate challenge by overwhelmingly endorsing a ballot that set a bold but simple mandate: reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by the year 2050. The ballot measure passed with 81 percent of the vote. The measure directed the Mayor to develop a Climate Action Plan to reach that target.
City staff have drafted a 145-page Climate Action Plan which includes several proposals for home-owners to make energy-efficiency improvements to their houses. The plan covers such broad topics as advocating trash reduction, growing vegetables at home, and making energy upgrades to homes. You can read the chapter on Building Energy Use Strategies here.
This past Tuesday evening, things got pretty exciting at the Berkeley City Council meeting. Public comment on the proposed requirement for home owners to have energy audits performed on their homes and then make upgrades (e.g., insulation, caulking, etc.) was quite harsh. Understandably many citizens are not able to spend cash on home upgrades– especially in this economic climate. The Council voted to delay a vote and will meet again on May 5.
What do you think of the idea of cities requiring their citizens to improve the energy-efficiency of their homes? We admit we really like the idea of requiring home energy audits– they are relatively inexpensive and provide a plan that homeowners can follow to save energy and money. Some of the upgrades proposed will be inexpensive (window caulking, furnace filter changing, insulating hot water heaters, etc.) and some are more expensive (e.g., solar panels, tankless water heaters, etc.) We think homeowners should have the right to choose what changes they want to make to their homes — but that requiring them to at least know how they rate on efficiency and to learn what their options are is a great idea.
Popularity: 4% [?]
April 17th, 2009
Yahoo Choo-Choo! Obama’s High Speed Rail Plan
We are tickled pink to learn about President Obama’s new high speed rail plan for America. What better way to cut traffic, reduce our global warming contribution, AND create jobs? Yahoo for this Choo Choo Plan, we say.
The President is committing $13 billion to fund his plan. He’ll be using $8 billion from the existing stimulus plan and plans to allocated $5 billion over the next five years.
The plan identifies 10 corridors for federal funding, including California, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, the Southeast, the Gulf Coast, Pennsylvania, Florida, New York and New England. (For an illustrated map see this Wall Street Journal article.)
Read more about the plan at CNN.com here.
Popularity: 4% [?]
April 13th, 2009
Earth Day Events Across the Country
It’s that time of year again…Earth Day is April 22, Wednesday of next week. There are fabulous events going on all week across our glorious country. Get out there and celebrate Mother Earth!
In multiple cities: Green Apple Festival. This festival takes place April 17-20 in many cities– NYC, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Chicago, DC and more. There are bands, educational events, and lots of good free fun. Find out about a Green Apple Festival near you.
If your city is not listed here, you can find hundreds more cities and events by visiting the Earth Day Network events directory.
Los Angeles
Wilshire Center Earth Day/Car Free Day– Wednesday, April 22, 2009 from 11AM-2PM at 3700 Wilshire Blvd. The event will feature musical performances by Suzanne Teng & Mystic Journey, Naked Rhythm, Ballet Folklorico de El Salvador ASOSAL (El Salvadorian dance troupe), Korean Fan Dancing, Drumming, and a face painting artist among others. We will host a farmers market featuring organic and locally grown produce. The Mayor’s Million Trees Initiative along with KYCC will be giving out over 200 fruit trees.
Los Angeles Children’s Earth Day 2009 – April 26– Join us for the 12th annual Los Angeles Children’s Earth Day at STAR ECO Station on Sunday, April 26th, 10 am – 4pm. Admission is free and ECO tours only cost $5. It is sure to be a day of fun and festivities, as STAR students will perform various dances and songs from around the world! The event features games, crafts, activities, healthy cuisine and live entertainment designed to inspire children to help protect the planet.
San Francisco
San Francisco Zoo’s Party for the Planet–April 18– This fun and informative celebration of Earth Day is aimed at educating and entertaining Bay Area families on green, sustainable living solutions inside and outside of the Zoo, and incorporates everything you love about the Zoo animals. A variety of local, earth-friendly companies and services are showcased as well as music and puppet performances with “green-themes” that the whole family can enjoy! See how the Zoo is maintaining a green commitment to the animals and to the environment. Event free with admission.
Ghirardelli Goes Green– April 18– Join fellow S.F. Environment and non-profit volunteers at the first ever major green event at San Francisco’s famed Ghirardelli Square. You will be monitoring recyclables, compostables and trash bins to make sure festival-goers correctly deposit the item with which they are parting ways. You’ll also hand out tip sheets on green living practices, educating festival-goers in Earth Day solutions that are also economic and quality of life solutions. Free chocolate!
Seattle
Earth Day at the Arboretum– Work on environmental restoration or bring the family for a day of games and activities! Join UW Botanic Gardens, SCA, and Seattle Parks for a day of fun projects at the Washington Park Arboretum. Get your hands dirty for a cause removing non-native invasive plants, mulching, and improving the Arboretum. Bring the kids for games, leaf rubbings, and more.
Mercer Island Leap for Green Event — April 18 — The 2nd Annual Leap for Green Earth Day Celebration offers more fun than ever for kids of all ages! Join the Reptile Man, award-winning artist Marita Dingus, the Woodland Park Zoo, Puget Sound Energy, Full Circle Farm, EarthCorps, Veraci Pizza, Whidbey Ice Cream and more for an exciting day of hula-hooping, music, art projects, movies and inspiring ways to be kinder to the environment. Friends of Luther Burbank Park invite you to start the morning with an “Early Bird” birding exploration and end the day with an exclusive “Busy Beaver” north wetlands tour. It’s also Leap the Frog’s 1st birthday! Let’s celebrate!
Portland
Oregon Zoo Party for the Planet– April 26– Earth Day celebration includes an eco-fair, conservation station, games, crafts and exhibits.
Portland Farmer’s Market Earth Day Celebration– April 18– Seed planting activity for all ages, victory garden exhibit, potting station and a chance to learn how to lay out a 10-by-10-foot garden with vegetables and herbs being grown in the White House garden.
Chicago
Grant Park Earth Day Festival– Grant Park is the site of this weekend-long working celebration of green in Grant Park. Help get the 25-acre park in great shape by volunteering your time and skills. The volunteer event runs from 9 a.m. to noon on both days. Meet at the southeast corner of Balbo and Columbus (Hutchinson Field).
9th Annual Earth Day at the North Pond Nature Sanctuary –April 25– Spend the morning planting native wildflowers, removing litter, restoring a nature trail and caring for our park trees. Located in Lincoln Park, Chicago. Meeting location on plaza in front of North Pond Restaurant. Must be over 12 years old.
Kansas City
EarthFest 2009 –May 9– Event features interactive displays, workshops and product demos to help people explore and better understand the relative impact of their different green choices. Event-goers will explore five green villages: energy efficiency and other green practices for the home, eating local, buying local, green transportation and the great outdoors. StoneLion Puppet Theatre and other performers will delight children and adults alike in entertainment with an earth-friendly message. Pets are also welcome.
Austin
Austin Farmer’s Market 4th Annual Earth Day Festival — April 18– Join thousands of your neighbors, local green businesses and environmental groups and the cultural community in a manifestation of the Sustainability Revolution! Products, services, food, kids activities, music, art and more celebrating life in balance and restoration.
New York
Earth Day Grand Central Station — all week– In celebration of Earth Day, Grand Central Station stages a week-long Giant Earth Images exhibition and a two-day Earth Fair. The fair includes various activities and lectures, including recycling workshops, composting demos, music, dance and more.
Earth Day in Central Park – April 26– Celebrate Earth Day in Central Park on Sunday, April 26th from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Pack a picnic and enjoy live performances, planting and mulching projects, tree care and composting demonstrations, environmental education, and crafts with recycled materials. All events are free and open to the public.
Washington DC
Earth Day on the National Mall — April 19– Washington, DC will hold one of the largest Earth Day gatherings in U.S. history, the Green Apple Festival – a major day-long event on the National Mall to rally support for national action on global warming with a focus this year on environmental volunteerism. The event, sponsored by Earth Day Network, will feature music, entertainment, speakers and environmental activities.
Earth Day Tours at the Smithsonian — Starts April 18– Celebrate National Environmental Education Week and Earth Day: How have artists depicted our earth, its rocks and rivers, land, lakes and life? Investigate the human impact on our landscape with a family-friendly tour. Go green with American Art!
Popularity: 4% [?]
