Green Car Congress

AUGUST 10, 2010

Production of rice—the world’s most important crop for ensuring food security and addressing poverty—will be thwarted as temperatures increase in rice-growing areas with continued climate change, according to a new study by an international team of scientists published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). 1001222107.

San Diego 210

San Diego Production Asia Climate Change 210

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 19, 2010

A study of a hybrid tugboat, funded by the California Air Resources Board (ARB) and conducted by UC Riverside, found that when compared with a conventional diesel-powered version, a hybrid tugboat can reduce emissions of PM 2.5 The study also found that further improvements will result when the plug-in version is operative.

Pollution 247

Pollution Emissions Hybrid Los Angeles 247

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 1, 2009

At the time of adoption, ARB agreed to continue its study of indirect effects, including indirect land use change as well as the indirect effects of all other transportation fuels. Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Davis, Research Report UCD-ITS-RR-09-42. Tags: Fuels Policy Sustainability.

Standards 244

Standards California Carbon Fuel 244

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 4, 2010

Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University report on their experimental investigation of laminar burning velocities and the onset of flame instabilities on spherically expanding flames in 2,5-dimethylfuran–air mixtures at elevated pressures in an article in press in the journal Combustion and Flame. Tags: Brief. Earlier post.).

2010 210

2010 Gasoline Universal Commercial 210

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 16, 2010

Collaborators from 22 countries report that more than 80% of surveyed corals bleached and more than 40% of the total surveyed died, making this the most severe bleaching event ever recorded in the basin. The study appears in PLoS ONE , an international, peer-reviewed, open-access, online publication. Tags: Brief.

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2005 International Virgin Islands 2006 225

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 27, 2009

Road tunnels can contain ultrafine (<100 nm) particles in concentration levels so high they have the potential to harm drivers and passengers, according to a recently-published study by researchers in Australia. What this study aimed to do was identify the concentration levels found in the tunnel. Tags: Brief. Lidia Morawska.

Australia 199

Australia Environment 2006 Motorcycles 199

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 18, 2009

The study, “Estimating US Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008”, found that fossil fuels benefited from approximately $72 billion over the seven-year period, while subsidies for renewable fuels totaled $29 billion. Tags: Climate Change Fuels Policy. Of the fossil fuel subsidies, $70.2

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Renewable Tax Credit Climate Change Fuel 338

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

A study by Ricardo for the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) concludes that the adoption of E15 as the blend limit for standard US pump grades of gasoline rather than the current E10 should not adversely affect vehicles manufactured between 1994 and 2000 in terms of their performance and durability based on normal specifications and usage profile.

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2000 Vehicles 2001 Fleet 210

Green Car Congress

MAY 21, 2010

A new study by the Peterson Institute for International Economics concluded that the Kerry-Lieberman “American Power Act”—the energy and climate change legislation recently introduced in the Senate ( earlier post )—would reduced US oil imports by 33-40% below current levels and by 9-19% below projected business-as-usual levels by 2030.

Oil 220

Oil Climate Change Oil Prices 2005 220

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 23, 2010

They reported an average warming rate of 0.45 °C (0.81 °F) per decade, with some lakes warming as much as 1 °C (1.8 °F) The temperatures of large inland water bodies are good indicators of climate change and have been used for climate change studies. Only nighttime data were used in the study. °F) per decade.

Climate Change 199

Climate Change Climate Water North America 199

Green Car Congress

DECEMBER 9, 2009

The study was conducted by economic analyst John M. The study examined the economic impact of the biodiesel industry and the negative consequences of allowing the credit to lapse. The NBB reports that 173 American companies have invested in production capacity that currently approaches 2.7 Tags: Brief. billion gallons.

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Tax Credit Tax 2008 2004 170

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 28, 2010

A study by a team from the University of Cambridge (UK) and MIT attributes ~8,000 premature mortalities per year to aircraft cruise emissions. We report simulation results indicating that aircraft cruise emissions are implicated in increased premature mortality on a hemispheric scale. Credit: ACS, Barrett et al. Click to enlarge.

MIT 239

MIT Emissions Pollution Transportation 239

Green Car Congress

MAY 27, 2010

A study by a team at the US Naval Research Laboratory found that strong surface waves and currents generated by major hurricanes can produce extreme forces at the seabed that scour the seafloor and cause massive underwater mudslides. The study will be published in the 10 June issue of the AGU journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Oil 210

Oil Oil-Sands Mexico Water 210

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 6, 2009

The report, which covers the period between 1999 and 2007, applies the Sustainable Value approach developed by Prof. The research project was undertaken by researchers working at Euromed Management School Marseille, Queen’s University Belfast and IZT—Institute for Futures Studies and Technology Assessment in Berlin. Click to enlarge.

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Automobile Manufacturer Automobile BMW Manufacturer 278

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 23, 2010

The report was prepared by Progressive Energy and CNG Services. Although anaerobic digestion of organic material has been widely accepted as an important renewable energy technology, the production of Bio-SNG will required to move to higher levels of fossil fuel replacement, according to the report.

Cost Of 210

Cost Of Carbon Transportation CO2 210

Green Car Congress

JULY 22, 2010

In a new report released by the California Air Resources Board, scientists from the University of California at Davis and Berkeley estimate that rising temperatures from climate change will increase ozone levels in California’s major air basins. Our study reveals that climate change and regional air pollution are intertwined problems.

Climate Change 199

Climate Change Ozone Climate California 199

Green Car Congress

MAY 27, 2010

A new study by a team at the Dalton Research Institute in the UK projects that carbon dioxide and other gases from air traffic will become a significant source of global warming as they double or triple by 2050. The study was published in the in ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology. Credit: ACS, Owen et al. Owen et al.

Global 210

Global Climate Change Climate Emissions 210

Green Car Congress

APRIL 23, 2010

The chemistry of the ocean is changing at an unprecedented rate and magnitude due to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions; the rate of change exceeds any known to have occurred for at least for at least 800,000 years, concludes a congressionally requested study by the US National Research Council. Tags: Ocean acidification.

Emissions 186

Emissions CO2 Mariner Climate Change 186

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

Approximately 9,000 people in California are estimated to die prematurely each year as a result of exposure to fine particle pollution, according to a new report issued by the California Air Resources Board (ARB). Quantitative Health Risk Assessment for Particulate Matter (EPA report). Tags: Diesel Emissions.

Pollution 220

Pollution EPA California Diesel 220

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

Canada can succeed economically while meeting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to an economic modelling study commissioned by the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation. Far stronger policies than the federal government has proposed to date must be implemented, according to the modelling study.

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Canada Economy Global Climate Change 223

Green Car Congress

MARCH 17, 2010

The study offers two main insights on the nature of clean energy jobs in the automobile sector: First, the paper documents that saving oil will directly create good jobs by driving demand for specific additional manufactured components. Tags: Brief. Driving Growth: How Clean Cars and Climate Policy Can Create Jobs.

Clean 186

Clean Cleaning Climate Fuel Economy 186

Green Car Congress

MAY 3, 2009

million) study into the effects of increasing acidification on Britain’s seas. The new report also highlights how many small effects of climate change are being magnified through important links with the marine environment, and how distant events such as melting Arctic sea ice may affect people, wildlife and the environment in the UK.

Climate Change 150

Climate Change Mariner Climate Environment 150

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 19, 2009

A new MIT and Caltech study on the impact that global climate change will have on precipitation patterns concludes that extreme rainfall will increase in the future. Previous studies have shown that average annual precipitation will increase in both the deep tropics and in temperate zones, but will decrease in the subtropics.

Climate Change 199

Climate Change MIT Climate Water 199

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 27, 2010

Increased availability of low CO 2 sources of electricity and hydrogen could counter-intuitively delay, rather than accelerate, a large-scale transition to an electric and/or hydrogen vehicle fleet, according to a new study by researchers from Ford Motor Company and Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Wallington et al. Resources.

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Hydrogen Low CO2 Available Fleet 236

Green Car Congress

APRIL 29, 2010

Under the Report baseline estimate, the global plug-in hybrid electric (PHEV) market will grow from essentially zero in 2009 to 500,000 units in 2020, and the associated Li-Ion automotive battery business—which includes EV, PHEV and HEV batteries—from $150 million in 2009 to $8.4 Tags: Batteries Electric (Battery) Hybrids Plug-ins.

2020 199

2020 PHEV Li-ion Global 199

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 4, 2009

Reports from this work are intended to assist decision-makers on the strength of the scientific evidence relating current and future vehicle emissions to negative health outcomes and provide a solid foundation for future policy decisions. Tags: Brief.

Emissions 150

Emissions Future Transportation Vehicles 150

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 10, 2009

A two-year Cooperative Research Program conducted through SAE International to investigate the safety and environmental performance of the low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant HFO-1234yf for mobile air conditioning (MAC) systems has finished its study. he report is the third SAE report to evaluate the new refrigerant.

Global 186

Global USA Climate Change Japan 186

Green Car Congress

MAY 21, 2010

Strengthening the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty trucks could create as many as 124,000 jobs in the US by 2030, with all 50 states experiencing net job growth, according to a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and CALSTART. Don Anair, a UCS senior analyst and co-author of the report. per gallon fuel price.

Fuel Economy 239

Fuel Economy Economy Fuel Gasoline-Electric 239

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 18, 2010

The study found that for small and medium passenger vehicles, expected lifetime cost per kilometer for EVs is already lower than that of conventional ICE. The report, Economic Viability of Electric Vehicles , was originally published in September 2009, and has been made available online. Future costs have been discounted at 7%.

Australia 199

Australia Market Plug-in Plug 199

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 20, 2010

AC Propulsion and AutoPort , an automotive conversion, restyling and processing company, will partner in engineering, development and conversion to provide an Electric Vehicle conversion prototype and report for the United States Postal Service. Tags: Brief. US Postal Service Electrification of Delivery Vehicles (28 August 2009).

Conversion 199

Conversion Delaware Gasoline-Electric Convert 199

Green Car Congress

SEPTEMBER 2, 2010

The study, “A Fuel Efficiency Horizon for US Automobiles”, was prepared for The Energy Foundation. The study examines how far automobile efficiency can be taken if it is pursued with determination, using an analysis that assumes success in technology and design strategies that offer “revolution by evolution.”

Fleet 236

Fleet Fuel Automobile MPG 236

Green Car Congress

AUGUST 27, 2015

A new report produced by INRIX and the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) shows that traffic congestion in the US has returned to pre-recession levels. The total nationwide price tag: $160 billion, or $960 per commuter. —Tim Lomax, a report co-author and Regents Fellow at TTI. Washington, D.C.

San Jose 150

San Jose Los Angeles San Francisco Houston 150

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 25, 2009

Of the three types of fuels that show near-term feasibility, the report found that: All three are or can easily and inexpensively be made fully compatible with current aircraft and fuel-delivery systems. Other key findings from the report include: Alternative-fuel production benefits commercial aviation regardless of its use in aviation.

MIT 250

MIT Oil-Sands Commercial Available 250

Green Car Congress

JANUARY 29, 2010

An new study from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University suggests that best way to reduce transport greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the short term is a “drastic downscaling of both size and weight” of conventional gasoline and diesel cars. —Future of Mobility Roadmap. Myth Busting.

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Transportation Emissions Universal Climate Change 231

Green Car Congress

NOVEMBER 1, 2010

Highly turbocharged alcohol-fueled direct-injection spark-ignition (DISI) engines operated at a high compression ratio could be as or more efficient than diesel engines while also providing advantages of lower vehicle cost, lower emissions and higher power, according to a recent modeling study by Leslie Bromberg and Daniel Cohn at MIT.

Diesel 218

Diesel Engine Downsizing Fuel 218

Green Car Congress

FEBRUARY 4, 2010

The actual contribution of black carbon, emitted largely as a result of burning fossil fuels and biomass, may be even higher than 30% because the inventories report less black carbon than what has been measured by observations at several stations in India. Tags: Brief. Resources. Fasullo, and D. Discuss. , 9, 26593-26625.

Carbon 186

Carbon India 2000 Bangladesh 186

Green Car Congress

OCTOBER 19, 2009

A far more sophisticated approach needs to be taken when developing biofuels as an environmentally-friendly energy option, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management. Assessing Biofuels”. Lifecycle GHG. Methodological constraints. Assessing Biofuels”.

Ozone 186

Ozone Water Emissions Oil 186