Sat.Apr 24, 2010 - Fri.Apr 30, 2010

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Exclusive Greenius Video: Bill McKibben on Hermosa Beach as a Carbon Neutral City

Creative Greenius

Renown environmental author and activist, Bill McKibben , is in Los Angeles today where we met him at the L.A. Times Festival of Books. Bill is the founder of 350.org and we’ve only previously talked together on the radio, so it was a great joy for me to meet Bill in person and exchange hugs and fist bumps. Bill’s newest book, Eaarth was the topic of of his wide ranging discussion with L.A.

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Deepwater Horizon Incident Declared Spill of National Significance; Attempts to Apply Dispersants at Source 1,500 Meters Below Surface

Green Car Congress

Deepwater Horizon trajectory map 30 April. Click to enlarge. The Obama Administration has declared the Deepwater Horizon incident a Spill of National Significance (SONS). A SONS is defined as “ a spill that, due to its severity, size, location, actual or potential impact on the public health and welfare or the environment, or the necessary response effort, is so complex that it requires extraordinary coordination of federal, state, local, and responsible party resources to contain and clean up t

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Transmission Losses:" Military joins oil spill effort

Plugs and Cars

"The US military has joined efforts to stop an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico as fears rise about its scale." The oil rig disaster off Louisiana is the top news item on the NY Times and BBC.com. The "transmission losses" from this one event now include not only the oil leaking and the environmental consequences, but also the costly involvement of the US military.

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GE and Nissan Get Into Smart Charging

Revenge of the Electric Car

GE and Nissan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly research “smart charging&# stations. Both companies will be conducting research separately and collectively, using computer simulations to finetune their software charging systems. For more information, read the article: GE, Nissan team on smart charging for electric cars. Here is the full text of the entire article, in case the link goes bad: GE, Nissan team on smart charging for electric cars. by Martin LaMonica.

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How serious is Norway about climate change? So much that its streetlights self-dim

emissions global warming Norway climate change carbon dioxide youtube lighting

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Another Exclusive Greenius Video: 350.org’s Bill McKibben on Biking and the SBBC

Creative Greenius

Bill McKibben signs his new book "Eaarth" at the L.A. Times Book Festival (photo by Debra Bushweit Galliani). I really enjoyed getting to table for 350.org at the same table author, Bill McKibben , was signing copies of his new book “Eaarth.&# What I dug most was the way Bill personally connected with each person who had a book for him to sign.

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GE, Nissan Team on Smart Charging for Electric Vehicles

Green Car Congress

GE and Nissan have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to explore new technologies that are needed to build a reliable, dynamic smart-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. GE and Nissan have outlined two key areas for potential collaborations. The first relates to the integration of electric vehicles with homes and buildings.

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More Trending

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Ford Hybrids: Tough Enough To Be Police Cars in New York City

Green Car Reports

As New York City works aggressively to reduce its carbon footprint and cut exhaust emissions, it has encouraged large fleets to switch to hybrids. From utility ConEd to the fleets of yellow cabs, more and more hybrids are showing up on city streets. The latest large fleet to go greener is the New York Police Department, which will add 200 Ford.

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Bill McKibben’s Comments on GRID Alternatives and Rooftop Solar in an Exclusive Greenius Video

Creative Greenius

The Greenius asks Bill McKibben a question at his L.A. Times Book Festival appearance at UCLA. The 2010 focus for 350.org is “Get To Work&# and that’s exactly what we’ve been doing here in Southern California even before the year began. Personally I haven’t stopped working since I began organizing for 350.org in June of 2009 , and I know myself well enough to understand that I’ve been keeping the throttle open to avoid thinking about the consequences of the global w

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ARPA-E Selects 37 Projects for $106M in Funding in Second Round; Electrofuels, Better Batteries and Carbon Capture

Green Car Congress

The US Department of Energy is awarding $106 million in funding for 37 research projects selected in the second round by the DOE’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). ( Earlier post.). ARPA-E’s first solicitation awarded $151 million to 37 projects aimed at transformational innovations in energy storage, biofuels, carbon capture, renewable power, building efficiency, vehicles, and other areas. ( Earlier post.

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"Transmission Losses:" Oil Leaking Underwater From Well in Rig Blast

Plugs and Cars

Robotic devices monitoring the deepwater well where a giant oil rig exploded and sank last week have discovered oil leaking from the well, a development that a senior Coast Guard official on Saturday called a “game changer.”. Roughly 1,000 barrels of oil a day are estimated to be emanating from the riser, officials said. The sheen of crude oil and water mix on the surface of the water was still more than 40 miles from shore at its closest point on Saturday.

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Faurecia and Accenture partner on products and services for connected and autonomous vehicles

Brief

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Fisker Funds Keep Coming: Delaware Adds To DoE's $529 Million

Green Car Reports

Last fall, Fisker Automotive was awarded $529 million in low-interest loans by the Department of Energy, and the company has continued to rake in cash since then. In January, for instance, Fisker raised an additional $115 million in private capital. Last week, the DoE and Fisker announced that the $529 million of loans had closed. But there's.

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Greenius on Patch.com Helping AOL Get HyperLocal

Creative Greenius

It’s been weeks since I’ve opined on this page and one of the reasons why is the time it’s taken launching two new columns for AOL’s Patch.com. I’m writing a weekly column on environmental issues for Hermosa Beach Patch and a weekly column on bicycling and the South Bay Bicycle Coalition news for Redondo Beach Patch. AOL is backing Patch.com with an initial $50 million and hiring journalists to provide hyperlocal coverage in communities of 15,000-100,000 on both c

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GM Hosting Webchat with Chelsea Sexton 29 April at 2 pm EDT

Green Car Congress

GM is hosting a webchat with Chelsea Sexton tomorrow, 29 April, at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the Chevy Volt, Who Killed the Electric Car? and what she thinks has been learned from the whole GM EV1 experience. Sexton is the Founder of the non-profit Lightning Rod Foundation, and a former General Motors EV1 Specialist. She is one of the key individuals featured in the 2006 film, “ Who Killed the Electric Car?

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Buying An Electric Car: What You Need to Know

All Cars Electric

Everyone pretty much knows what to look for when buying a gasoline vehicle. But what about an all-electric vehicle, of the sort that will go on sale at the end of the year? Here's some background information on the technologies used, and the few differences in the instrument panel you'll see. First, there are two motor types used in electric.

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ExxonMobil announces 6th oil discovery offshore Guyana with Ranger-1; Guyana may move from non-producer to regional powerhouse

Oil

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GM To Invest $890 Million In Making Its V-8 Engines Save Gas

Green Car Reports

Going green on the road may involve smaller engines, electric cars, and clean diesels, but it also requires making all engines far more fuel efficient. To that end, General Motors will announce this morning that it will invest almost one billion dollars in five separate plants to build a new, far more economical line of direct-injected aluminum.

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The Solangelist is Back! Greenius & GRID Alternative Get to Work Installing Solar in Inglewood

Creative Greenius

Last Tuesday and Wednesday I lucked out and landed another volunteer slot on a solar installation gig with my old pals from GRID Alternatives. It’s the most physically exciting work I do as an environmental activist and I always feel like I’ve won the lottery when I get the email that says I’m part of the installation crew. A low income homeowner in Inglelwood was the recipient of 14 – 215 kW primo Sunpower panels and a beautiful Sunny Boy inverter started showing the am

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Researchers Discover Inexpensive Catalyst That Generates Hydrogen from Buffered Water or Sea Water

Green Car Congress

[(PY5Me 2 )Mo(CF 3 SO 3 )] 1+ reacts with water to form. [(PY5Me 2 )MoO] 2+ and H 2. Credit: Nature, Karunadasa et al. Click to enlarge. A team of researchers with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the University of California, Berkeley has discovered an inexpensive metal catalyst that can effectively generate hydrogen gas from water at neutral pH or from sea water.

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Five Myths About Electric Cars, Courtesy of Think

All Cars Electric

Last Thursday was the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, and the CEO of one electric-car maker took the occasion to speak out on some of the popular myths around the manufacturing and use of electric vehicles. Richard Canny, who runs the recently refinanced Think, published a list of "top 10 EV myths busted" to provide some rational counterpoints to a.

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VIDEO: Five Things About Hybrid Cars That You Should Know

Green Car Reports

Do you know the difference between a mild hybrid like a 2010 Honda Insight, and a full hybrid like the 2010 Toyota Prius? Or what happens to all hybrid vehicles when the weather gets cold? If you do, you're probably well versed in green cars, and you may already be a hybrid vehicle owner. If not, though, we respectfully suggest the video below. In.

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Williams F1 picks up hybrid power

Green Cars News

The Williams Formula 1 team has strengthened its commitment to hybrid technology by acquiring a majority shareholding in Williams Hybrid Power. The F1 team has increased its 40 per cent stake in the company to 78 per cent after the technology enjoyed a successful racing debut in the Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid. At the Nurburgring [.]. Tags: Green cars Hybrid cars Latest news F1 racing Formula 1 Formula 1 hybrid cars formula one Williams F1 Williams Hybrid Power Williams hybrids.

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Researchers Develop More Reactive Form of Platinum That Could Result in Less Expensive, More Efficient Fuel Cells

Green Car Congress

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and the University of Houston have tuned the catalytic activity of dealloyed bimetallic nanoparticles to produce a more reactive form of platinum that could be used to make less expensive, more efficient fuel cells. Their work is described in a paper published online 25 April in the journal Nature Chemistry.

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Tesla Outlines Production Details For 2012 Model S

All Cars Electric

Tesla's first all-original car, the upcoming Model S sedan, is already on pre-order sale and should be launched by late 2011 if there aren't any major development stumbles. In the lead up to its showroom appearance, Tesla has revealed an expected price tag for the Model S of $49,900 and confirmed that it will announce a production site to start.

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The Chevy Volt's Japanese Ancestor. From 1993. From Daihatsu!

Green Car Reports

Everything old is new again. Or so goes the saying. While the 2011 Chevrolet Volt will be the first electric vehicle with a range-extending engine to be built in volume (the first pre-production Volt rolled off the line on March 31), it's hardly the first one ever. We'll ignore for a moment the Lohner-Porsche of the early 1900s (designed by.

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Lexus reveals hybrid bicycle concept

Green Cars News

Perhaps Lexus has had enough of criticisms that its environmental efforts make it a pseudo-green carmaker as the Japanese brand reveals a hybrid bicycle concept instead. The carmaker is known for producing luxury and large vehicles which have never been delicate drinkers of fuel- but in a bid to cut emissions- has already a hybrid [.]. Tags: Lexus bicycle concept hybrid.

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Alternative Fuel Technologies, Inc. Receives New Order for DME Feed Pumps From Shanghai Diesel Engine Company

Green Car Congress

Alternative Fuel Technologies, Inc. has built and delivered 12 dimethyl ether (DME) feed pumps to Shanghai Diesel Engine Company. These pumps will be used on DME fueled buses that will operate in Shanghai. The value of this order is confidential. The company developed this first generation feed pump several years ago and has sold units into Korea, to the Korean Institute for Energy Research, and to a European engine manufacturer.

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Chevy Volt Sparks Ivy League Excitement in NYC

All Cars Electric

A new generation of plug-in drivers were introduced to the 2011 Chevrolet Volt extended-range electric vehicle last week at Columbia University. The two-day event included a ride-along on New York City city streets (a Volt first!) and a technology showcase with Columbia engineering students. The second day featured an enlightening panel discussion.

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Volkswagen: Natural Gas Is Just As Good For Racing As Diesel

Green Car Reports

A couple of months ago, we told you about Volkswagen's 2010 Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition, a specially trimmed version of its clean-diesel Jetta sedan that commemorates the TDI Cup racing series, now in its third season. But VW has other green racing activities elsewhere too. Our sister site Motor Authority notes that Volkswagen will race a fleet.

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Spotlight falls on Beijing Motor Show

Green Cars News

Tuesday 27 April, 2010: The Green Piece Column The largest and fastest growing auto market in the world, China has emerged as perhaps the most important playground for the world’s leading car manufacturers. It’s no surprise then that this year’s Beijing Motor Show – now dubbed Auto China 2010 – has taken on added importance for [.]. Tags: Latest news The Green Piece auto show China Motor Show.

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Lotus Engineering Study Concludes Vehicle Mass Improvement of 38% by 2020 vs a Conventional Current Vehicle Can Be Achieved at Only 3% Cost

Green Car Congress

The Lotus Engineering 2020 lightweight Toyota Venza. Click to enlarge. Lotus Engineering has conducted a detailed study to develop a commercially viable mass reduction strategy for mainstream passenger vehicles. This study, released by the International Council on Clean Transportation ( ICCT ), focused on the use of lightweight materials and efficient design and demonstrated substantial mass savings.

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Better Place Launches Battery-Swap Test In Four Tokyo Taxis

All Cars Electric

This past Monday, the electric-vehicle infrastructure provider Better Place held a press conference in Tokyo at the site of its first completed battery-swap station to be put into regular usage, in the Ropongi Hills area. Together with Nihon Kotsu, Tokyo's largest taxi company, the company will test four fully electric taxis operating in regular.

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Natural-Gas Honda Civic To Oklahoma As U.S. Lags in NGVs

Green Car Reports

The U.S. buys more hybrids than any place else in the world except Japan. We have a handful of clean diesels, with sales slowly increasing. But the "other alt-fuel" for automobiles--natural gas--is barely a blip on the U.S. market. Nonetheless, Honda is plugging away (ahem) with its 2010 Honda Civic GX, the only natural-gas vehicle (NGV) now.

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Researchers aim to optimise natural gas engines

Green Cars News

Compressed natural gas (CNG) has long been seen as a cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel but questions remained about how to get the most out of this fuel. Now, researchers from the Institute of Internal Combustion Engines and Automotive Engineering at the University of Stuttgart and FKFS believe they have found a solution. They presented a [.].

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GM To Invest $893M to Produce New Generation of Fuel Efficient Small Block Truck and Car Engines

Green Car Congress

General Motors will invest $893 million to produce a new generation of small block truck and car engines which will offer improved fuel efficiency through direct injection and an all-new advanced combustion system design. The new engine family will rely exclusively on aluminum engine blocks, which are lighter and contribute to the improved fuel efficiency.

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Five More Myths About Electric Cars, Courtesy of Think

All Cars Electric

Yesterday, we published a piece called Five Myths About Electric Cars, Courtesy of Think, whose CEO Richard Canny sent them to us. Today we have five more, to finish off his list of 10 myths. Below is the second half of Canny's list (which is why it begins with # 6), along with our assessment of Think's rebuttal to each one. The Think City is a.