Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Manufacturing/Plants, Tesla Motors

Over on the Tesla blog, company CEO Ze'ev Drori has posted another production update for all you fans of the Roadster. Some time back, Tesla made the decision that the Roadsters would be shipped from the Lotus factory in England as gliders -- complete cars without a drivetrain. The first couple of production units had their battery packs and motors installed in the workshop at the company's San Carlos headquarters. As work has proceeded on preparing the second Tesla store in Menlo Park for opening, the final drivetrain installation work has been shifted to the dealership service bays. According to Drori, nine production Roadsters have now been shipped to California, with at least three of those having been delivered. In total, 27 cars are now in various stages of assembly. The upgraded motors, electronics and transmissions that comprise drivetrain 1.5 are scheduled to be installed in cars for delivery beginning in September. After that, the company hopes to ramp up production to the rate of 100 cars per month by the end of the year. At that rate, they'll probably need a bigger workspace than the Menlo Park shop to finish drivetrain installations.

[Source: Tesla]

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Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Green Daily

Nobody likes to be labeled, unless they truly embody everything that a specific group stands for. For instance, many people who try and live their lives in an eco-friendly manner would not label themselves as "tree huggers", but for some, the label fits perfectly and they have no problem with it at all. Car guys, though, generally readily admit to their fascination with all things automotive. Perhaps it's because being a "car guy" doesn't often carry along a negative stigma. Regardless, an interesting debate has sprung up on the Karl on Cars blog, where Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief of Edmunds.com, happily accepts the "car guy" label while rejecting the "environmentalist" tag, despite his admitted provocation to conserve resources whenever possible, including with the automobile.

The debate of whether or not someone could be both an environmentalist and a car guy is an interesting one. Perhaps one could claim to be a "green car guy" in lieu of actually being labeled as a tree-hugging environmentalist. Splitting hairs? Maybe, but it might make sense to have a category for those who want to drive clean for reasons other than saving the planet.

[Source: Karl on Cars]

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Filed under: News, Climate Change

Russian scientists have long camped out for years at a time on ice-floes in the Arctic Ocean. Last September a group of scientists set up camp again, but instead of finding a thick, wide patch of ice on which to conduct their research the researchers had to settle for half the thickness and half the width. The ice floe was 3 miles long by 1.8 miles wide.

Now, just nine months later the patch of ice measures just shy of 2,000 feet long by 980 feet wide. And warm water is up ahead. they're abandoning their ice floe and their research before the floe collapses entirely.

American and Canadian scientists say this year melting in the Arctic has begun at least four weeks sooner than average. It will likely meet or exceed last year's record breaking seasonal melt.

As Mr. Rogers once said, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood."

[via BBC]

 

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Filed under: Diesel, BMW

This week, BMW unveiled the refreshed 2009 3-series, but unfortunately, we only have specs for the European models so far. Nonetheless, those details give some hints about we can expect from the diesel-powered 335d that arrives at U.S. dealers this fall. The one detail we already knew was that the diesel 6-cylinder would only be paired up with a 6-speed automatic and that the U.S. power output would be 265 hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. Our European friends get 286 PS (around 282 hp) and 428 lb-ft. The Euro edition 335d sedan is rated at a combined 35.1 mpg (US) while still accelerating from 0-62 in 6.0 seconds. The current European version has a particulate filter, but the urea injection system is not yet included. With the slightly lower power of the U.S. version, the acceleration will probably drop off by a couple of tenths of a second, and the EPA test procedures will likely yield a combined fuel economy number of about 30 mpg. By comparison, the gas-powered 335i only has 295 lb-ft of torque but a slightly higher 306 hp while only being rated at 25.8 mpg (US) combined. The 335d is no Prius but for a strong-performing sport sedan it certainly has very impressive mileage.

Now, if only BMW would just see fit to offer American drivers the four-cylinder 320d. The 177 hp its 2.0L four produces lets the 320d run from 0 to 62 mph in a more-than-adequate 7.9 seconds while returning a combined 49 mpg when you translate its EU-standard 4.8 liters/100 km composite fuel economy rating to U.S. miles per gallon. Now we're talking!

[Source: BMW]

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Filed under: News, Climate Change

About 50 protesters recently chained themselves to Australian freight train cars and railways to oppose the use of coal to fuel the railways. As a result, 20,000 tonnes of coal from three different trains were unable to unload their shipment, bringing operation to a halt for about six hours(making the protesters quite smug, and causing the police to enact "special measures" - ie, bring in horses to control the crowd).

Australia heavily relies upon coal for electricity and billions in export revenue, and boasts the world's largest coal terminal in Newcastle. Officials say they will draft guidelines for implementing carbon emissions trading, to address climate change concerns. The pollution caused by increased coal use is harming the nearby Hunter River (and people's lungs), and many citizens say the government is failing to properly restore mined areas.But in the meantime, the emphasis on coal is still there, and in addition to powering the continent's electricity, the industry employs tons of decent workers, making a living for their families. It's easy to protest coal, but it's also important to see the other side of the industry: hard-working, decent people, many of whom have been in the coal business for centuries and do not know any other trades. Working in the mines - and on the railways - is a way of life for many coal workers, and it's not an easy thing to strip away their jobs and livelihoods.

It's imperative that we find alternatives to coal - ones that cost about the same, are just as prevalent, and can do just as good of a job.These exist, but haven't been implemented on such a huge scale.

 

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Filed under: Legislation and Policy

When the time comes for government departments like the Environmental Protection Agency to produce new regulations, they have to do a cost-benefit analysis as part of the overall process. If the cost of implementing a new regulation exceeds potential benefits, the agency generally won't move forward. Over the last several years the EPA has twice lowered the value it places on a human life in its analysis. As recently as 2003, it used a figure of $7.8 million, but it now uses $6.9 million. While it's comforting to know that the EPA thinks I'm a Six Million Dollar Man (and then some), the lowered value effectively means that more lives would potentially have to be saved by new rules in order to justify their implementation.

The EPA's monetary value for life is still higher than what most other agencies place on it, and the calculations are based on estimaties of the amount of money people are willing to pay to avoid certain risks. There's no evidence yet that EPA has specifically adjusted the numbers in order to duck new regulations such as carbon dioxide emissions limits. That said, the Bush administration has never been particularly fond of new environmental rules. Unfortunately, statistical analysis like this is anything but an exact science and is, in fact, very much a judgment call. As such, it's easy for biases to creep in, intentionally or otherwise.

[Source: MSNBC]

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Filed under: News, Alternative Energy

Researchers analyzing a decade's worth of data from the NASA QuikSCAT satellite, which looks at wind patterns over the ocean, say that the information could be used to determine the most effective places to locate wind farms for power generation.

With fossil fuels getting more expensive and more unpopular every day, wind power is a booming industry. Obviously, some places are more suitable than others for wind turbines, and the open ocean is generally far windier than land. That's where QuikSCAT comes in.

The satellite records the speed, direction and power of winds as they sweep over the surface of the ocean. That means it's an ideal tool for finding locations where the wind is strong and continuous, minimizing power generation downtime. Tim Liu, lead author of the study which reveals the QuikSCAT data, notes that recent technology has for the first time made wind farms in the open ocean practical (open sea wind power generation would not only be more efficient than close to shore turbines, but less likely to offend the aesthetic sensibilities of wealthy coastal dwellers.)

Among the notably windy locations so far are areas off the coasts of California, Tasmania, and Tierra Del Fuego.

via [NASA]

 

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Filed under: Food, Health, Home, Shopping Guide, Natural Body Care, Green on Campus

I first found out about Teaopia as I was wandering around the mall last night and stumbled upon it. Brightly colored and styled with eastern and oriental themes, I couldn't resist entering.

It would be perfect for any student, as well as both the curious and the connoisseurs.

On the wall were large canisters, all containing exotic loose leaf teas, and in front of me, a display with smaller tins tiered up before me. The sign urged me to open them and take in the aromas.

Needless to say, it was a wonderful experience.

In the back was a tea bar, at which I could have ordered teas, iced teas, and tea lattes that they would have brewed for me, before my eyes, with their loose teas.

Although I didn't indulge, knowing little myself about most of the teas featured, I think next time I won't be so shy.

When I left with my $4 air-tight reusable canister and 50g of loose leaf Jasmine Superior for a friend, I was informed that the shopping bag holding the tin and the receipt was in fact meant to be composted.

They sell a variety of green, black, and white teas, as well as flavored black, white and green teas, herbal, oolong, and rooibos teas. Their fruit blends, containing real fruit and a pile of vitamin c, are recommended for introducing children to teas, and make excellent hot or iced teas.

They also have a selection of 'wellness teas,' blends of different ingredients to produce desired effects. Several would be perfect for college students, and would make great care packages or back to school gifts.

• Sleep Well helps with nausea and headaches as well as helping with sleep.
  
• Fit Active contains a lot of vitamin C, and helps prevent colds. Elixir of Life is also preventative, and great for chest infections.
  
• Rise 'n' Shine provides stimulation without the side effects associated with coffee.
  
• Organic Camomile has anti-inflammatory properties, and helps with insomnia and anxiety.
  

Although all of the current store locations are in Ontario, Americans can still purchase their products online, which include not only teas, but all sorts of tools for brewing the perfect cup, and of course, gift cards.

 

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Filed under: Etc., Green Culture, Green Daily, USA

Well, the only Toyota Camrys on which you'll see Barack Obama's name are those driven by civilians, like the one pictured above. The Obama campaign had offered a sponsorship opportunity on the #49 BAM Racing Sprint Cup car, driven by Ken Schrader, at the August 3rd race at Pocono. It's not at all uncommon for Presidential candidates to try and woo NASCAR voters, but perhaps it's best that the Democratic candidate has decided to turn down this offer. After all, it seems that sponsorship of a NASCAR ride might have been awkward, as stock car racing could be seen as being antithetical to any green automotive policies that Obama might support. Obamaniacs interested in seeing their candidate's name on a vehicle can go get themselves bumper stickers, since it won't be hurtling down a speedway anytime soon.

[Source: AP via Yahoo! News | Photo: lizardking]

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Filed under: Fashion, Movies, TV and Books

Hold on to your hats football cheerleader fans -- it looks like the NFL's greenest franchise is about to stick another feather in it's eco-pimped cap. The Eagles Cheerleaders have put together the first eco-friendly swimsuit calendar in professional sports history. Previews of the 2008-2009 Eagles Cheerleaders "eco-sexy" calendar were released today, and I've got to say, they live up to their name.

Not only is the calendar printed on post consumer recycled paper, but each of the 38 beauties featured in its pages are decked out in eco-friendly beachwear. Organic cotton thongs, biknis made from recycled plastic bottles, and bamboo jewelry, these are just a few of the things you can look forward to when you crack open the 16-month calendar. If you're going to be in the Philadelphia area next Wednesday you can snag an invite to the calendar's unveiling, or you can check out some previews here. The official release date is August 1st.

[via Ecorazzi]

 

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