Filed under: EV/Plug-in, BMW, MINI, USA

Want an electric MINI? Click above to sign the petition online.

Awesome! BMW will be converting MINI's from gas to electric drive! Oh, wait... the vehicles sill be sold only in California? And the number is capped at five-hundred regardless of how many people actually want one? Yes, and that is not awesome. For this reason, a man by the name of Mike S. has created an online petition begging BMW to offer more of them for sale at a price of $35K or less. A worthwhile goal for sure, though one we can't imagine actually happening as a result of the support of a few hundred EV devotees.

So far, there are nearly one-hundred-fifty signatures, with many of the signers suggesting that they would purchase them if available. Honestly, this kind of thing happens regularly, and many of those who say they will make the purchase simply don't for any number of reasons. Still, the idea of a small electric vehicle backed by A BMW warranty and service department is a very exciting prospect. Maybe it's worth a signature after all. Thanks for the tip, Mike!

[Source: iPetitions.com]

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Stuart Gaffin is a climate researcher at Columbia University and a regular contributor with his blog “Exhausted Earth”. ThomsonReuters is not responsible for the content - the views are the author’s alone.

The recently deceased comedian George Carlin, had a popular routine involving ‘Al Sleet’ the ‘Hippy Dippy Weatherman.’ You can see versions of it on the internet. Al was obviously not sober and delivered weather forecasts like: “Tonight’s forecast …. Dark ! Continued dark tonight… turning to partly light in the morning …”  Or, “… The weather will continue to change on and off for a long, long time …”

Funny – yes. But to Al’s credit, such jokes at least aren’t scientific nonsense. The same cannot be said for recent pronouncements by skeptical weathermen that try to deny that carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a greenhouse gas! Here’s a key example of the nonsense: Now allow me to talk a little about the science behind the global warming frenzy. I have dug through thousands of pages of research papers, including the voluminous documents published by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  I have worked my way through complicated math and complex theories. Here’s the bottom line: the entire global warming scientific case is based on the increase in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from the use of fossil fuels.  They don’t have any other issue.  Carbon Dioxide, that’s it.Here is the deal about CO2, carbon dioxide… I estimate that this square in front of my face contains 100,000 molecules of atmosphere.  Of those 100,000 only 38 are CO2; 38 out of a hundred thousand.  That makes it a trace component.  Let me ask a key question: how can this tiny trace upset the entire balance of the climate of Earth?  It can’t.  That’s all there is to it; it can’t.  This might be funny if it weren’t for the fact that editorial pages like the Wall Street Journal look up to the authority of such skeptics Leaving aside the fact that it is the molecular structure of CO₂ that is the basis for its greenhouse effect with respect to absorbing heat radiation from the Earth’s surface and warming the climate, the numbers argument above is just unforgivable. The current and future higher concentrations of CO₂ in the atmosphere are precisely accounted for in climate models that simulate present and future warming. A seemingly small concentration of a gas in the atmosphere is not a measure of its potential environmental or health impact.For example, I would ask any reader that accepts the above argument (“…that’s all there is to it …” !!) to consider this: Would you mind if there were just 38 molecules of carbon monoxide (CO) out of 100,000 molecules of atmosphere in ‘front of your face’? If you don’t mind, you should know that, after a few hours of exposure, you would probably be dead. Similarly weather reporters surely should know that dangerous air pollution levels of gases like ozone (O₃) are measured in very low concentrations of 100 molecules per billion molecules of atmosphere!I have a strong feeling even Al Sleet knew this. 

Filed under: Legislation and Policy, Green Daily, USA

Way back in April of last year, or own Sam Abuelsamid suggested that the Bush Administration would surely leave any EPA regulations on greenhouse gas emissions to the next President, whomever that may be. It seems that he was right in that assessment, as the EPA is expected to announce later today that it will hold off on creating any specific emissions regulations for the time being. The EPA was told by the Supreme Court in 2007 that it had to either justify its inaction regarding greenhouse gas emissions or come up with new regs. Before this ruling, the government had chosen to remain silent on the issue, instead focusing solely on fuel economy regulations.

The decision to wait on regulating emissions will likely give automakers a bit of time to ready themselves for the rules when they do, in fact, go into effect. We would imagine that the eighteen states, along with other entities such as the City of New York and the Mayor of Baltimore, that are suing the EPA in an attempt to force regulations will be less than pleased with this continued inaction.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Etc., Solar, USA

After going through a somewhat tumultuous time with a change of leadership at HQ, Altairnano now has a solid success it can point to. A two-megawatt, 500 kWh battery system of its making has been put through some serious testing by its strategic partner, power company AES, along with independent contractor, KEMA, and has emerged successful. The battery came with HVAC, a DC to AC converter and control systems, and was hooked up to an Indianapolis Power & Light (IPL) sub-station where the series of tests were conducted.

Technicians were able to charge and discharge each 1-megawatt component of the energy storage system on their own as well as in parallel many times over a 15-minute period. They also did "frequency regulation", which involves switching the batteries from charge to discharge modes every four seconds for four hours. These capabilities are very handy when it comes to performing grid "load leveling". The use of the battery to help store intermittent energy sources, such as solar and wind, were noted by Chris Shelton, Director of Energy Storage Development at AES. "Fast-responding, high-efficiency energy storage systems such as these will create a more resilient grid and allow for increased use of variable generating sources such as wind and solar." To get a more detailed look at the testing and results, check the validation report summary (PDF) by KEMA as well as the Altairnano press release after the break.

[Source: Altairnano via Green Car Congress]

Continue reading Altairnano 2MW battery passes tests, could help green the grid

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There are already too many, they're too big and add to deterioration of the nation's highways and bridges.

original news source

Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Ferrari

Click above for photo gallery

Well, what did you expect, an F430 Scuderia? In fairness, you'll get around the city or your college campus a lot easier with this. It's the Ferrari skateboard, available from the Ferrari Store, where you can buy everything short of hemorrhoid medicine emblazoned with the iconic prancing horse. The grip tape on the topside is broken up by the Ferrari logo, while a peek at the deck's underside reveals a red primary theme with Italian national colors and the horse badge accenting things. Want one? Shell out around $170 bucks, and you can have your very own Ferrari -- perhaps the greenest one ever -- four wheels and all. Only this one wont bankrupt you at the gas pump. Thanks to Alex T. for the tip!


[Source: Ferrari Store]

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday that Congress, not the EPA, should regulate greenhouse gases.

EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson hosted a conference call with reporters on Friday where he said that existing law, the Clean Air Act, is “ill-suited” to addressing greenhouse gas emissions.

Instead, Johnson …

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said on Friday that Congress, not the EPA, should regulate greenhouse gases.

EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson hosted a conference call with reporters on Friday where he said that existing law, the Clean Air Act, is “ill-suited” to addressing greenhouse gas emissions.

Instead, Johnson …

Filed under: Cars and Transportation, Movies, TV and Books

If soccer was played on Segways, would lit look like this?

A YouTube group named SegProWay posted this video last month. SegProWay is from Germany, but where he or she got the Segway, the dummies and the camera no one can say. All he's left us with is evidence that Segways hurt people, too.

 

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Tesla Motors, USA

The moment Tesla founder, Martin Eberhard, has worked and waited for should be arriving very soon, now that his Roadster appears to be looking like new again. Of course, the car should have been delivered already. but in a now-famous stroke of bad luck, a technician used it to kiss the back end of a truck on Highway 101 in California on the very day Tesla claimed it was to be delivered.

The members of the TeslaMotorsClub forum who found the photo also report that, according to postings at the official Tesla owners forum, the crash speed was around 10 mph.As such, the car received a new bumper and fenders, indicating that some reports of it being "totaled" were a little overzealous. The above photo bodes well for an impending delivery, and we look forward to hearing how Martin feels about his new custom-painted ride once it is actually in his possession.

[Source: TeslaMotorsClub]
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