Nissan Carwings

The idea behind CarbonGage for Auto has taken hold in Japan. The Japanese government has awarded Nissan's Carwings Eco-drive navigation system program its Energy Conservation Prize. Eco-drive tracks fuel efficiency and charts personal performance, ranks the driver's performance against other Carwings members, gives tips on how to cut fuel consumption and then calculates how much money has been saved on gasoline over time. The system is currently offered only in Japan where it has been available since 2007. Carwings has an advantage in Japan due to the ability to use a nationwide database of real-time traffic conditions operated by the Japanese Transportation Ministry and police, however it can be reproduced here in the Americas, you just wait...

One Century Down, One to Go?

John Hofmeister, President of Houston based Shell Oil Company, was featured on the Charlie Rose show two nights ago. With current gasoline prices reaching $4/gallon in the US, it was fascinating to hear his thoughts on the future for energy consumption.

At the current rate, the United States consumes roughly a "swimming pool" amount of oil every second. Furthermore, Mr. Hofmeister estimated that the natural global petroleum reserves will be depleted in less than a century. With the acceleration of growth in emerging countries (China, India, etc), this may even be a conservative estimate.

With Ford and GM celebrating 100 year anniversaries in the last several years, what does this say for their future?

Is the internal combustion engine over the hill? Will it be able to make the switch to efficient alternative energy? Moreover, what is the source? Hydrogen? Celluosic Ethanol? Ambient Energy?

How will automotive design change to meet the energy crisis needs of tomorrow? If you have a suggestion, you may want to sketch it out and post it on the updated Local Motors website.

On another note, MIT has an interesting article on a new chip co-developed by Texas Instruments that's power consumption is so low that devices may even be able to be recharged using the owner's body heat!

Detroit Electric

Yesterday, I visited the observation deck of Rockefeller Center for the first time after living in NYC for six months. I was fascinated to learn about about John D. Rockefeller Jr. - his actions to erect the building during the depression, his teetotaler lifestyle, and his "Detroit Electric" car.

It appears that history is repeating itself - our economy is experiencing a recession and the "Detroit Electric" name and century-old design is now resurfacing. Although the Anderson Electric Car Company is extinct, the rights were purchased by a joint venture between Zap and China's Youngman Automotive Group. I am sure the new design will get more than 65 miles at 6-25 mph on a single charge as it did in 1917, however, I doubt it will be produced in Detroit this time.

Zap is based in Santa Rosa, California - a state that pushing stringent emissions regulations, has a booming local economy, and now holds a record number of startup car companies. Most of these startups are for specialty vehicles (Zap&Youngman - carriage car, Tesla - sports car, Fisker - sports car) , but as they capture traditionally unattractive portions of the market they will move upstream and may disrupt the larger automakers.

So what about Detroit? Their response? The companies? The economy? The future?

Are they too distracted with their own problems to respond? Will they cede their share to the new entrants? Will the electric motor disrupt the internal combustion engine? More to come...

A123

It wasn't that long ago that I was exposed to the amazing potential of electric vehicles at Wrightspeed and Tesla - not just horsepower, but also energy efficiency. If you look at the internal combustion automobile as a system, the energy input is gas and the output is primarily kinetic energy (motion, friction, heat, sound). The loss is large, but in the past is was easier to tap and refine the source, oil.

In the next decade, I believe that electric vehicles will play a larger role in the automotive industry than they do today. The reality is that if you exclude the source of the electricity, the total loss in the electric automotive system is diminutive.

As companies (e.g. A123 systems) continue to improve their cell capacity, the rise of electric vehicles is increasing faster than we may expect. Companies that don't plan accordingly for these advanced powertrains may be lost in the dust. More importantly, regulation may force their hand into conformity or extinction.

Rain Power

In posts last year, I detailed how solar energy is becoming more efficient and how an independent researcher is gathering energy from the wind in tiny increments for individual power sources. Now researchers at the CEA Leti-Minatec in Grenoble, France, have been able to capture energy from rain!

If used in conjunction with solar energy, rain energy can smooth out power generation in rainy/sunny regions. According to Discovery News, "as the drops hit the material, they create vibrations, which creates a charge. The electrodes recover the charge for use as power. Not surprisingly, the largest drops cause the biggest vibrations. The researchers found the system could scavenge 12 milliwatts from the largest drops and generate at least 1 microwatt of continuous power. "

If these systems are refined, rain energy can act as another method to remove our dependence from non-renewable sources.

Fuel Wars: E85 vs. Clean Diesel

Believe it or not, at this stage E85 fuel (85% Ethanol) adoption for vehicles in the United States is a bit less promising than one may expect, whereas clean diesel is showing some serious promise. Not that the goal of complete energy independence isn't noble (at present the United States is importing around 70%), it may take a bit longer than we expect. One way to help, is to purchase vehicles that run on energy-efficient technologies - including the energy used in downstream growing and processing of the fuel (complete value chain).

Some of the challenges to E85 adoption include:
1.) Lower Fuel Efficiency - 20-25% less efficient on a per mile basis than gasoline
2.) Price Volatility - price would need to be below the price of gas and stable
3.) Infrastructure - less than 1% of gas stations carry E85
4.) Customer Concern - do you really want to fill up your vehicle with more fuel?
5.) Technology - investment in R&D for cellulosic ethanol is needed to ensure effective supply

Some of the advantages of Clean Diesel include:
1.) Higher Fuel Efficiency - 25-30% more efficient than gasoline
2.) Refines Easier - Requires less energy to process than gasoline
3.) Engine - Higher Compression Ratio, Unthrottled Lean-Burn Operation, Torque
4.) Emissions - 20-25% Less CO2 emissions than gasoline
5.) Infrastructure - Although the network is not as robust gas, 42% of the stations carry diesel

So before you make your next vehicle purchase, don't forget to consider clean diesel - the vehicle may be more expensive at the outset, but should pay off in four to five years. Until cellulosic ethanol technology matures, clean diesel may be the better choice. Just remember that it needs to be "clean" - many of the current diesels don't have after-treatment systems to also reduce Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM).

Fuel Prices and Energy Use

This week at CES, Ford unveiled a new feature in its navigation system on the upcoming Lincoln MKS. Using a downstream data path from Sirius, the unit will place current gas prices on the map display. Neat idea, but does it encourage more or less consumption of fuel?

In an earlier post, I mentioned our goal to tap the real-time fuel use data from the vehicle (through Onstar/SYNC) and pipe it into CarbonGage's online energy tracking system. Recently I have been working on a few ways to also display part of this data to the driver to affect behavior when he or she is behind the wheel. Most hybrid systems have a "current usage" display, but this system will go a step further by showing the monetary and environmental impact to the driver in real-time.

Carbon "Gauges" may take a few forms, but they should be easy to use and seamless to drivers.

1.) E-ink based stick on LCDs that refresh via Bluetooth/WiFi
2.) Existing vehicle display integration (use a return path)
3.) Other mobile devices (cell phones, etc.)

If you have any thoughts on modifying driving habits in real time, please respond in the comments sections below.

Is a Green Times Square Ball Enough?

The new ball that will drop tonight in Times Square will be lit by 9,576 tiny LEDs and will only draw 10kW of energy (roughly the same as 10 toasters) when lit. Unfortunately, the remaining advertisements in Times Square are not yet that Green, and collectively they draw enough energy to power hundreds of homes.

When thinking about forming your New Year's resolutions for 2008, please don't forget about setting personal goals for energy reduction. Don't forget about using less gasoline, electricity and water - you can make a difference!

Happy New Year and may 2008 be a fantastic year!

Carbon is Posioning our Coral Reefs

For those of you who have read my bio, you may already know that one of my catalysts to start CarbonGage was the destruction of our oceanic coral reefs. Ironically, as I was working for a global automotive company who's product mix primarily consisted of gas hogs (inefficient Trucks and SUVs), I moonlighted as an coral reef aquarist in my free time. Unfortunately, my custom three-room two-floor aquarium system was not very efficient with regard to electricity usage, however, it did provide an artificial replacement for many endangered species that are currently dwindling away in our coral reefs. Soon coral will only grow in artificial "labs" like these.

Earlier this month there was a study published in the Journal of Science that warned that our Coral Reefs will be extinct in less than fifty years! Our oceans are increasing in pH (acidity), linked to an increase in carbon emissions, a third of which is absorbed by water. Thus, global warming is not the only cause of coral death, as shown on the cover of Science (left), wherein coral polyps with exquisite coral pigments (pocilloporin) remain after bleaching of the southern Great Barrier Reef around Great Keppel Island (Wappaburra), a result of elevated sea temperatures in January 2006. During heat stress, the symbiosis between corals and dinoflagellates fails, leading to mass exodus of the brown plant-like symbionts from the tissues of the coral host.

The acidic damage will have dire socio–economic impacts, particularly in the Caribbean, where dive tourism alone is estimated to generate more than $100 billion a year. It doesn't help when people stress and touch the coral (primarily tourists on vacation and in local fisheries). At the end of this summer I got a chance to visit Saona Island in Dominica, and I was appalled by snorkelers touching the fragile coral and locals illegally "trapping" the reef fish.

According to the report, “Under–resourced and developing countries have the lowest capacity to respond to climate change, but many have tourism as their sole income earner and thus are at risk economically if their coral reefs deteriorate. For instance, tourism is a major foreign exchange earner in the Caribbean basin and in some countries accounts for up to half of the gross domestic product.”

It is time for us to make a difference by using less energy and focusing on reducing "dirty" fuel usage.

Green Holidays Are Happier Holidays!

So what did you do with all that used wrapping paper from the holidays? Did you ball it up and throw it into a large trash bag? Did you give out those cookies on a disposable plastic tray?

I hope not!

First of all, when thinking about what to do with all of the used wrapping paper, follow these steps to recycle it:

• Check that your local authority can accept wrapping paper (website, phone). Some organizations accept it as is, other communities will want it placed with the cardboard containers. The glossy materials that go into making certain types of wrapping paper result in it not always being accepted for recycling. I have personally observed shiny, reflective paper that is laminated over a silver surface, which was a clear indicator to place it in the non-recycled trash area.


• Buy recycled wrapping paper - this paper is usually of a thickness and consistency which is perfect for further recycling after use. It can be found in many stores and the following online retailers:
  
  Recycled Paper Supplies sell recycled wrapping paper
  Recycled Products Gui de is a searchable directory of products made from recycled materials and contains over 1,000 products

Secondly, think twice about using disposable dishes for those holiday cookies. Reusable, ceramic or glass plates can make an excellent gift in addition to the cookies. Furthermore, they don't fill up our trash landfills!

Have a safe and happy holiday season!

GreenOrder and The Climate Group

I met with representatives from GreenOrder and The Climate Group in the last two weeks. It was fascinating to hear about their business models and the services that they are providing to those residing in the city of New York and beyond.

What was more amazing was the sense of empowerment and appreciation that their employees feel about their work. They work hard because they are making a difference in our world, and it shows by the organizations and individuals they touch to help improve our environment.

As we begin to discuss ways to work together, I wanted to point out the importance of the rapidly growing green sector - not just for monetary gain - but for personal empowerment: Make a Difference!

When Mass Trans Fails to Reduce Energy

First off, let me apologize for the delay in posting - I have been traveling a bit and bogged down with some extra work.

Actually, in my travels, I decided to use mass transportation to keep my carbon footprint down. I decided a low budget bus line that leaves New York City from Chinatown every hour - it is convenient and inexpensive. However, after four trips on this bus line in the last week, I have determined it is not at all "green." Part of that is due to a nearby rival, which has buses that leave at an identical schedule to the same city, and in certain hours they are grossly underutilized. Because they have a set schedule and usually at least one passenger shows up, they have to make the trip (even if they do lose money) to stay in business.

For example on my 4PM trip back to NYC, I found that I was only one of four people on the bus (excluding the driver)! If you assume that the bus holds fifty people, that means that it was 92% under capacity - as was the competing bus line beside it. Because bus emissions in peak traffic periods are much worse than a personal vehicle, I actually increased my carbon footprint and by giving money to the bus lines, encouraged their behavior.

According to a report by the Tyndall Centre, simply switching to using our current bus lines (mostly non-green versions) does not make a significant impact on our environment:

"Under current conditions the average emissions per bus passenger are not markedly better than those for car. This partly explains the small impact on emissions 2.9% for a 10.6% reduction in car use. Under scenario one most of the switching from car is to other modes including cycle and the resulting changes in emissions are greater, car use has now fallen by 19.2% and emissions by 16.4%. None of the households reach their targets under current or improved scenarios. Once efficiency and technological gains reduce emissions by 30% targets become more achievable."

So what can be done?
-Discourage use of underutilized bus lines, through regulation? That doesn't sound very capitalistic, but green tariffs are coming.
-Self-select to use mass transportation that is better utilized? -Read the report.
-Buy a bike? -Yes, biking is still a lot of fun!
-Walk. Yes, even if it is cold out - it takes a lot of energy to heat that car, just to drive you down the street to a mailbox.
-Fill up that car with people -you can then even split the gas costs.

Green Challenges and More Tips!

So when I initially envisioned CarbonGage.org, I thought it would be great for its users to challenge one another by sharing their usage towards “green” competitions. Well, now it makes more sense to partner with a startup called CarbonRally. According to the site, “CarbonRally offers a series of carbon reducing challenges, such as not drinking bottled water, dumping shopping bags and leaving your car at home, whereby users can compete against others to become the most carbon friendly participant. Current users include Google’s offices in Boston and Pittsburgh who are openly aiming to beat one and other.” It is definitely worth checking out!

Have you ever wondered: is it out of convenience or habit that the styrofoam and paper cups that are used to hold our many drinks continue to dominate outside the home? Why don’t people simply bring a mug along with them?

According to True Green @ Work: 100 Ways You Can Make the Environment Your Business, “life cycle analysis shows that, over a mug's average service of 3,000 uses, the energy it takes to scrub it is the cause of 30 times less solid waste and 60 times less air pollution than the equivalent number of drinks from disposable paper or foam.” Just remember that those paper cups are using precious natural resources as well!

You may want to also use these tips (also provided by the book):

1.) Re-use paper - Recycled paper uses 90% less water and about half the energy needed to make paper from virgin timber. But since paper makes up about 70% of the waste in a typical office, you can also cut your purchasing costs and waste removal expenses while fighting pollution if you make a habit of using less and using it more than once.

2.) Whenever possible, use both sides - Keep a tray on your desk to collect any single-side printed scrap paper that comes your way and use it for taking notes or for making copies and sending faxes.
Before hitting the "print" button on your computer, proofread carefully to avoid having to print a document more than once.

3.) Sleep more - On any given workday, what with meetings, coffee breaks, lunch, and phone calls, there's probably at least one hour when you aren't looking at your computer screen, so why not let it take a little nap? Switching a computer to "sleep" mode cuts its energy consumption by 95%

4.) Shut it off - "The idea that leaving a computer on is more efficient than turning it off has become something of an urban myth," says True Green @ Work. The fact is, left on 24 hours a day every day, a computer uses nearly 1,000 kilowatts of electricity in a year, resulting in more than a ton of carbon emissions (not to mention an unnecessarily high bill from the power company).

5.) Buy a plant (or two) - A pot of live greenery (maybe a begonia, or a ficus tree) not only looks good, it acts as a natural air filter, absorbing airborne pollutants and computer radiation while replenishing oxygen levels and reducing stress (somehow).

6.) Telecommute - If your boss still balks at letting you work from home or keep flexible hours, you might mention this: U.S. drivers waste nearly 6 billion gallons of fuel each year sitting in rush-hour traffic jams, which accounts for nearly 60 million tons of greenhouse gases added to the atmosphere.

Paper or Plastic? Neither

Two months ago, I purchased a small cart to help transport groceries home from the store. The cart is a fine enough mesh so I instantly stopped bothering with bags. For many of you who are rattled with the paper versus plastic decision now is your time to think outside the box!

The Natural Resources Defense Council recommends neither paper nor plastic. Plastic pollutes and floats toward the nearest tree branch, but 10 billion paper bags each year use about 14 million trees. The council suggests that if you can’t bring your own bag, the best choice is one you will, for sure, either reuse or recycle.

Plastic bags are far more trouble than you may think. Right now, up to 100 billion are used each year in this country, and they make bringing groceries home (especially in the rain) extremely easy. But they also choke wildlife, create litter and produce a large amount of waste for generations to come. It also takes 12 million barrels of oil to make a year’s supply!

The plastic bag, like the plastic water bottle, has plagued environmentalists for years but has only recently worried consumers. The way to correct the problem is to bring your own bag (or cart) with you!