Imagine The Impact (EV1)::YouTube

YouTube - Imagine The Impact (EV1) I: "GM May 1990 Issue Update video about the phenomenal Impact (EV1) prototype development program, testing, and future possibilities for electric vehicles. The Impact prototype and EV1s had the lowest..."

The right balance on climate change and clean energy - OregonLive.com

The right balance on climate change and clean energy - OregonLive.com: "leading proponents in the Oregon Senate for Senate Bill 80, we were pleased to see The Oregonian's editorial board offer support for many of the changes we've proposed to the governor's cap-and-trade approach. The revised bill strikes the right balance in charting a clear path for reducing our global-warming pollution in a safe, predictable way that would protect existing industries and drive the growth of green jobs and businesses.

Unlike a hard cap on emissions, SB 80 would adopt a planning process for state agencies to help Oregon meet the scientifically based reduction goals set by the Legislature in 2007. The different sectors of the economy would be given flexibility to identify the most cost-effective and efficient ways to implement the goals without severe economic consequences."

Priorities

YouTube - Cap & Dividend Explained

YouTube - Cap & Dividend Explained: "The 7-minute explanation of the 50-year solution to global climate change all laid out by the director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Mike Tidwell."

GM Says Chevrolet Volt Won't 'Pay the Rent' | Autopia from Wired.com

GM Says Chevrolet Volt Won't 'Pay the Rent' | Autopia from Wired.com: "GM remains committed to the Volt with or without federal help.

'The Volt continues to be one of our highest priorities among all GM's future product programs and remains on track for a November 2010 launch,' spokesman David Darovitz told Automotive News."

Is methane really worse for the environment than carbon dioxide? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine

Is methane really worse for the environment than carbon dioxide? - By Brendan I. Koerner - Slate Magazine: "Yet methane deserves more attention than it's received so far because, as you note, it's arguably more deleterious to the environment than the widely feared CO2. The Environmental Protection Agency uses a statistic called Global Warming Potential (GWP) to assess the threat posed by various greenhouse gases. GWP measures how much heat one molecule of a gas will trap relative to a molecule of carbon dioxide. Methane has a GWP of 21, which means it's 21 times more effective at preventing infrared radiation from escaping the planet. So, although methane emissions may be relatively piddling, they're definitely a cause for concern. (Their one saving grace is an atmospheric lifetime of just 12 years, versus between 50 and 200 years for carbon dioxide.)"

State tax break aids SolarWorld, Wal-Mart

State tax break aids SolarWorld, Wal-Mart: "“We could have said, ‘Let’s give SolarWorld $7.3 million.’ That’s all SolarWorld wanted, but instead we’re spending $11 million because of the tax scheme,” Sheketoff says. “It’s ridiculous.”"

Another zappy car for Oregon - OregonLive.com

Another zappy car for Oregon - OregonLive.com: "Gov. Ted Kulongoski will get to test drive yet another electric car on Earth Day, April 22, as automakers compete to plug into Oregon for its environmental vibe.

Mitsubishi Motors North America plans to announce today at the New York International Auto Show that Oregon will be the first state to partner with the company in testing electric vehicles for the U.S. market.

The deal, following a similar agreement with Nissan and interest in manufacturing from Norwegian carmaker Think, doesn't make Oregon a green Detroit just yet. But it will capture international attention as Kulongoski tries to attract more clean-energy jobs."

daVinci shows off new solar panels at open house – OregonLive.com

daVinci shows off new solar panels at open house – OregonLive.com: "Students and project sponsors will be on hand for an open house to celebrate progress on the daVinci Middle School's Evans-Harvard Music Conservatory high performance classroom.

The classroom is under construction but is targeted to become the first LEED platinum, net-zero energy consumption free-standing public school classroom in the country. The reception, from 10 to 11 a.m. Friday at daVinci, welcomes the arrival of integrated solar roofing tiles that will generate 5.2 kilowatts of power."

Plugs and Cars: Honda Kills CNG Home FuelMaker

Plugs and Cars: Honda Kills CNG Home FuelMaker: "Honda has pulled the plug on its wholly owned subsidiary Fuelmaker, which made the device for home CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicle refueling, calling a loan, and throwing Fuelmaker into receivership.

All Fuelmaker employees were abruptly fired without severance or warning, and given just a few hours to gather up their belongings and leave the premises. All Fuelmaker operations were suspended without notice to dealers, clients or suppliers. All assets were immediately placed on the auction block for liquidation.

Huh? Wasn't Honda the big promoter of CNG? The only car company offering one in the US, the CNG Civic? Wasn't the home fueling device meant to blaze the path to a home hydrogen fueling device?

Edwin Black does the reporting on the machinations around FuelMaker's bankruptcy last week. Read about it here."

Portland/Vancouver as alt.energy hub? - Grid Insight

Portland/Vancouver as alt.energy hub? - Grid Insight: "I'm realizing more with each day that the Portland/Vancouver metro area has the potential to emerge as a regional, if not national, alternative energy hub. All the key ingredients are here; from an energy economy standpoint, Portland and Vancouver complement each other nicely.

I'm not a member of the Portland/Vancouver Booster Club, nor do I have anything directly to gain by talking up my city. I've just been piecing some things together that I want to share."

Aspiring To Inspire Before We Expire ~ Eco-Warriors 2012!: The Real Price of MEAT!

Aspiring To Inspire Before We Expire ~ Eco-Warriors 2012!: The Real Price of MEAT!: "Statistics: If every American (300 million) gave up meat for 1 day a week, this would have the same positive effect on reducing greenhouse gases as saving 90 million plane tickets from New York to Los Angeles! (source: “Meat the Truth” documentary, video clip) [1]

**Price of Meat is about the cost of meat on global warming and what people and governments are doing to reduce it’s production and consumption.

Livestock production is the #2 cause of greenhouse gas emissions, more than the emissions from all forms of transportation combined (UN). In addition, livestock production is the #1 source of anthropogenic (human-based) methane emissions, which is a gas that has 20 times the heat-trapping power (GWP) of CO2."

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EarthTalk: Are hybrid cars really better for the environment? - Environment - MiamiHerald.com

EarthTalk: Are hybrid cars really better for the environment? - Environment - MiamiHerald.com: "

Dear EarthTalk: If you have an electric or plug-in hybrid car, you're paying for electricity rather than gasoline all or most of the time. How does that cost compare to a gas-powered car's cost-per-mile? And since the electricity may be generated from some other polluting source, does it really work out to be better for the environment?

- Kevin DeMarco, Milford, Connecticut

When you compare battery to gasoline power, electricity wins hands down. A 2007 study by the nonprofit Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) calculated that powering a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) would cost the equivalent of roughly 75 cents per gallon of gasoline - a price not seen at the pump for 30 years.

The calculation was made using an average cost of electricity of 8.5 cents per kilowatt hour and the estimated distance the car would travel on one charge, versus a car that gets 25 miles per gallon and is powered by $3 per gallon gasoline. Change any of those variables and the relative costs change. For example, substituting a car that gets 50 miles per gallon doubles the comparative electrical cost (though it still works out much cheaper than gasoline). On the other hand, in some areas where wind or hydropower is wasted at night - just when the PHEV would be charging - the utility might drop the kilowatt hour cost to two to three cents, making the charge much less costly.

And don't worry that we'll run out of electrical power: A 2005 study by the U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory estimated that three-quarters of the country's current small vehicle fleet could be charged by our existing electrical grid without building new power plants. (And if all those cars were replaced by PHEVs, it would eliminate the need for 6.5 billion barrels of oil per day, or 52 percent of current U.S. oil imports.)

Regarding environmental impact, charging up your car with electricity from the grid also wins handily over filling up at the gas station. In the most comprehensive PHEV study to date, released in 2007 by EPRI and the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), results predict that all greenhouse gases will be reduced as PHEVs begin to penetrate the car market. Estimated cumulative greenhouse gas reductions from 2010 to 2050, depending upon how fast PHEVs take hold, range from 3.4 to 10.3 billion tons.

More than one half of our national energy grid is powered by coal, and in areas where PHEVs are charged through coal-provided electricity, says NRDC, there is the possibility of increased levels of soot and mercury emissions. However, charging up can be much less of a guilt-ridden affair where cleaner electrical sources like wind and solar are available. The website HybridCars.com points out that as more power plants are required to develop green power and emit fewer greenhouse gases, the environmental and health benefits will further increase.

CONTACTS: Electric Power Research Institute, www.epri.com; HybridCars.com, www.hybridcars.com; Natural Resources Defense Council, www.nrdc.org.

"

FOXNews.com - From the Brainroom: Electric Cars - America's Newsroom

FOXNews.com - From the Brainroom: Electric Cars - America's Newsroom: "

In an electric car, high performance batteries store electricity, and an electric motor provides propulsion with zero emissions.

Electric cars require no oil changes or tune ups.

Electric cars have fewer than 1/10th as many parts as a gas car.

Electric cars can usually be charged in ones garage overnight.

Electric cars have no engine, no gas tank, and no transmission.

GM plans to launch Chevy Volt Electric Car by the end of 2010.

Ford plans to seell 3 passenger electric vehicles in 2011.

Projection: Plug-in car sales will hit 4 mil in 2020.

Projection: Plug-in cars will account for more than 20 percent of new cars sold in 2020.

Facts on Tesla's Model S, all-electric car:

Entrepreneur Elon Musk is the South Africa-born co-founder of PayPal and the owner of Tesla Motors.

Tesla's all-electric Model S was unveiled on March 26, 2009.

Tesla's Model S is a four-door sedan with an optional third set of seats that can boost capacity to seven people.

Tesla's Model S is 196 inches long, 5 inches longer than a Honda Accord.

The Model S claims a 300-mile range and fast-charging technology that can have it ready to roll again in 45 minutes.

Model S battery packs will be easier to remove, so long-distance drivers may one day be able to stop at repair shops and borrow a fully charged pack.

The Model S won't be available until 2011.

Tesla is taking deposits now on the cars, which will cost $49,000 after a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles"

Green Car Congress: Oregon Department of Transportation Issues RFP for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Equipment

Green Car Congress: Oregon Department of Transportation Issues RFP for Electric Vehicle Charging Station Equipment: "The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has issued a first-in-the-nation solicitation for charging equipment to service electric vehicles (EVs). At the request of local entities and electric utilities throughout the state, ODOT is using its public/private partnership authority to establish consistent standards and uniformity in building an EV charging infrastructure for Oregon.

Oregon is poised to lead the nation in the early adoption of plug-in electric vehicles. Having one common, open system for all types of vehicles is the only way this will be successful. This effort to promote consistency in the EV charging network is vital to gaining public recognition and acceptance of the new technologies coming on the market.
—Gail Achterman, chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission"

Asus Eee PC 1000HE | Wired.com Product Reviews

Asus Eee PC 1000HE | Wired.com Product Reviews: "Netbook Gets a Heart Transplant, Crushes Benchmarks

Asus basically invented the netbook, so it didn't surprise us when the company's latest Eee PC opened a can of whoop-ass on its competitors.

From the outside, the 1000HE doesn't look much different from other models in the diminutive Eee line. But it's the machine's heart — the brand new 1.66-GHz Atom N280 processor — that makes it faster, stronger, smarter than its opponents.

Intel claims the silicon slab boosts computing power across the board, especially HD video playback — something that has been woefully horrid in past machines using Atom processors.

Intel ain't lying. Performance-wise, this netbook is the fastest we've tested (by about 7 percent) in our benchmarks. And HD video playback was noticeably smoother and devoid of chop. Yes! Finally we can take a bus trip from S.F. to L.A., watch four episodes of Lost (in HD), and still have enough power to peruse Perez Hilton when we get in.

Better video would be a complete waste without a decent battery, and fortunately Asus has that on lockdown. According to Asus, the 1000HE's six-cell battery last 9.5 hours. We're not quite sure how they got those results — in our testing the 1000HE ran about five hours till it conked out. But that's still enough time to power the PC for an entire tra"

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