Autoblog Green has this interview with Cyril Lacroix of Heuliez, the designers of the nicely named "Friendly" electric car at: http://www.autobloggreen.com/2009/02/04/video-interview-with-cyril-lacroix-about-the-heuliez-friendly/ for all my friends who understand French. The commentary in English is equally detailed. Basically, this car is simply a highway speed capable electric vehicle which can run 100 Kn om a full charge, or, with the optional extra battery pack, run 250 Km on a single charge. Unlike the much more expensive offerings from companies like Tesla in the USA or Lightning in the UK, this is a bread and butter car which Heuliez offer at Euro 10,000 or the equivalent of US $ 14,000. And in the USA, if this is ever offered here, you would see tax incentives which make it even cheaper.
And, Heuliez are no newcomers to the car business. They have been coachbuilders with a record for good work dating back many decades. I do think that this would make a great second car if it were available here - the price is considerably lower than even that of the Think car and this thing seats four. Believe me, if it were available here, I would certainly buy one. So, if it were offered elsewhere, would many more people, not only to save money by using cheap electricity, but also, from my discussions with many people these days, to show fpssil fuel the dist.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
If College Students in Ohio and Pennsylvania Can Do This, Then Why Not Students Everywhere Else?
There is a heartwarming piece in Autoblog about students from Sinclair Community Cllege in Dayton OH and Dickinson College in PA making biodiesel for maintenance vahicles on campus using waste dining hall fry oil. Knowing the fiercely competitive nature of students in this country, I am sure that other Community Colleges and Universities would soon follow suit. I wonder, though, where this leaves colleges and universities in India, all of which have vastly more students than US colleges and universities do? In South India, a huge quantity of appalams and other fried stuff comes out of college and university messes. In the North, there are similar fried foods - couldn't colleges and universities there use the waste cooking oil positively? I seriously doubt if even engineering colleges in the country have any permanent program of this sort. If anyone knows of any, I would be glad to hear from you.
Bad Times for the Renewable Energy Sector
Today's New York Times has a feature on the current difficulties being experienced by the Green Energy sector at: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/business/04windsolar.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink My feeling about this is something that visitors to this blog would easily appreciate - if only the companies manufacturing turbines etc were to look at the financing available from the US Exim Bank and sell their products abroad, they would not have to lay people off.
Oh well, sometimes people need to learn the hard way. Sadly, a lot of people will be hurt before the CEOs and directors of companies runhning these businesses really learn anything.
Oh well, sometimes people need to learn the hard way. Sadly, a lot of people will be hurt before the CEOs and directors of companies runhning these businesses really learn anything.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Some Interesting Stuff to do at Home
Green Daily has some very interesting links for the ladies who visit here, especially links to recipes for two ingredient cosmetics: http://www.greendaily.com/2009/01/31/queen-of-green-has-great-tips/ Of course, in countries like India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc there is an old tradition of making cosmetics from ingredients that are available in the bazaars at home. Some people like Shahnaz Hussain make hundreds of millions of dollars from bottling and selling them. There can't be anything better, though, than making what you can at home. It would cost less, would be more environmentally friendly because the energy required to bottle and ship the stuff would be saved and, best of all, it would be something that you could have the satisfaction of making yourself.
Here's to all you beautiful ladies and your handsome partners!
Here's to all you beautiful ladies and your handsome partners!
A Very Efficient if Expensive Home Building Technology
Ecogeek has this description of a new building technology that has been developed to make 1500 sq foot "castles" in the USA: http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/2518/66/
While this is a very small home by American standards, it would be an excellent size for a country like India where homes this small are really the norm. However, there are cheaper technologies than insulated concrete forms and I have written about them here including the Thermasave System. Both have their advantages though - one for those who can afford to spend money on a premium home and the other for people with a smaller budget who still would like a strong and energy saving home. As a comparison, you can have either a fuel efficient large car or a tiny one - some of GM's big hybrids are as fuel efficient as Minis these days if you know what I mean.
Green Castle's website is: http://www.greencastleinc.com/
And of course, Thermasave's is www.thermasave.us
Wouldn't it be great if both could be offered in South Asia? Thermasave have built homes in Afghanistan on a UN project. It would be nice to have both companies compete in the region.
While this is a very small home by American standards, it would be an excellent size for a country like India where homes this small are really the norm. However, there are cheaper technologies than insulated concrete forms and I have written about them here including the Thermasave System. Both have their advantages though - one for those who can afford to spend money on a premium home and the other for people with a smaller budget who still would like a strong and energy saving home. As a comparison, you can have either a fuel efficient large car or a tiny one - some of GM's big hybrids are as fuel efficient as Minis these days if you know what I mean.
Green Castle's website is: http://www.greencastleinc.com/
And of course, Thermasave's is www.thermasave.us
Wouldn't it be great if both could be offered in South Asia? Thermasave have built homes in Afghanistan on a UN project. It would be nice to have both companies compete in the region.
Some Interesting News from Japan
Treehugger has two interesting posts that are well worth looking at. The first concerns Japan Airlines (the world's second largest airline) experimenting with and finding biofuel based on a combination of jatropha, algae and camelina oil more efficient in jets than fossil fuels. While these do still put carbon into the air, the reduced amounts of pollution from increased efficiency must be lauded. And, all three of these crops grow in India. Check the post out at: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/japan-airlines-finds-biofuel-more-efficient-than-petro-fuel-in-test-flight.php
The second post deals with a traditional Japanese farming practice including vegetable and rice cultivation called Satoyama: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/satoyama-japan-mountain-farms.php Funnily, modern Japanese rice cultivation methods which involve the heavy use of fertilizers are not really more efficient. I guess there is a lot of sense in using the old ways as far as agriculture is concerned.
Both of these posts have a relevance to South Asia. India in particular has taken to jatropha cultivation in a big way and there is a lot of potential for algae cultivation in filthy sewage carrying canals like Chennai's Cooum "River" and similar outlets in other cities. Instead of merely rotting and stinking the place up, India's shit could literally provide a valuable resource to help people fly. It would also reduce the amount of money that the country sends out to Abdullah land for buying jet fuel. Good idea? You bet!
The second post deals with a traditional Japanese farming practice including vegetable and rice cultivation called Satoyama: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/01/satoyama-japan-mountain-farms.php Funnily, modern Japanese rice cultivation methods which involve the heavy use of fertilizers are not really more efficient. I guess there is a lot of sense in using the old ways as far as agriculture is concerned.
Both of these posts have a relevance to South Asia. India in particular has taken to jatropha cultivation in a big way and there is a lot of potential for algae cultivation in filthy sewage carrying canals like Chennai's Cooum "River" and similar outlets in other cities. Instead of merely rotting and stinking the place up, India's shit could literally provide a valuable resource to help people fly. It would also reduce the amount of money that the country sends out to Abdullah land for buying jet fuel. Good idea? You bet!
And Now, An Important Reason why we need to Show Fossil Fuels the Fist
A very interesting post with a video link in The New York Times' Dot Earth Blog talks about the dangers of the Greenhouse Effect and the Bathtub Effect: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/28/the-greenhouse-effect-and-the-bathtub-effect/ A separate entry on the newspaper's environment page talks about rising levels of acidity in the oceans: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/science/earth/31ocean.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
These are unfortunate consequences of the world's reliance on coal, oil and gas. While these effects are slow in occurring and they cause harm equally slowly, the harm is likely to be felt for generations in the future. More immediately, this gives money to some of the world's worst tyrants to do what they please including finance madcap obscurantists like some of the thugs who have been responsible for killing thousands of people in South Asia. There are more reasons to avoid fossil fuels than could be put into an encyclopedia. I do hope that these dangers become better understood by the world as it works to wean itself from this dangerous addiction.
These are unfortunate consequences of the world's reliance on coal, oil and gas. While these effects are slow in occurring and they cause harm equally slowly, the harm is likely to be felt for generations in the future. More immediately, this gives money to some of the world's worst tyrants to do what they please including finance madcap obscurantists like some of the thugs who have been responsible for killing thousands of people in South Asia. There are more reasons to avoid fossil fuels than could be put into an encyclopedia. I do hope that these dangers become better understood by the world as it works to wean itself from this dangerous addiction.
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