Jim Harris

Transportation

There’s More Oil in Detroit than Saudi Arabia

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Transportation accounts for 29 percent of US and 26 percent of Canada's Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. It also accounts for 70 per cent of oil consumed in North America is used for transportation. On average the US consumes about 367 million gallons (1,389 million litres) of gas a day, driving 8 billion miles (13 billion kilometres) per day while in Canada we consume 264 million litres daily. In the US, passenger cars, SUVs, pickup trucks and minivans account for 59 per cent of transportation GHG emissions while freight trucks represent 19 per cent and commercial aircraft (both domestic and international) account for 12 per cent. Canadians drive more than 300 billion kilometres (186 billion miles), each driving on average 16,000 km per year. All in all, it is billions of barrels per year. And what's the potential for savings? Huge! First off, if every car in North America got the same fuel efficiency as Jim's Toyota Prius, there'd be no need for oil imports into North America. And there'd be no need to drill in the Gulf of Mexico or to drill in the Arctic. In other words, the billions of dollars that the US sends to Middle Eastern countries to import is a choice. By choosing not to regulate for higher fuel efficiency standards, the US voluntarily sends billions of dollars to foreign countries every year and unnecessarily exposes itself to environmental, economic and political risk. Roughly half the … [Read more...] about There’s More Oil in Detroit than Saudi Arabia

$2500 Tata Nano gets 67mpg

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By: Jordana Levine The Tata Nano, launched in March 2009, is by far the cheapest car on the market, costing a mere $2,500.  It gets an average of 57mpg -- and with careful driving can get up to 67mpg, which is better than almost any car on the road; the Toyota Prius gets 48mpg driving in the city – and even the SmartCar can’t compete, getting 33mpg on city streets and 41mpg on the highway.[1] The Nano is in high demand; the first 100,000 cars produced will be distributed through a lottery.  Although the cars are cheap, customers are expected to pay deposits totalling up to $1 billion if they want to get their hands on the first batch of Nanos.  Also, while the basic Nano is only $2500, it is likely that the majority of the cars sold will be the more upscale models since the basic one doesn’t even include air conditioning or cup holders.[2][3] There are expected to be up to 300,000 Nanos on the roads in India by 2010[4], and although the car is exceptionally fuel efficient, critics are worried about the traffic and noise and air pollution that the sudden increase in cars could create.[5] Hopefully this innovation will help the environment, though, rather than hurt it, by providing developing countries with affordable cars that conserve fuel. 1  “Most and Least Efficient Vehicles.”  http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/best/bestworstNF.shtml 2  “The new people’s car.”  The Economist.  28 Mar 2009. 3  “Tata ‘NANO’ – The People’s … [Read more...] about $2500 Tata Nano gets 67mpg

Biodiesel can result in no GHG emissions

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By: Jordana Levine Biodiesel can produce 100 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petroleum diesel, depending on the components used to create it.[1]  The non-toxic diesel is a new way to decrease emissions from vehicles, without having to eliminate the concept of putting fuel in a car. Biodiesel is an alternative fuel that is usually made from vegetable oil, reused cooking oil, animal fat.  It is most often created through a process called transesterification, meaning the oil is combined with alcohol and a catalyst.  This results in the production of biodiesel.[2]  The biodisel can be used in any diesel engine and blended with regular diesel in any intensity. While pure biodiesel can emit 60 to 100 percent fewer greenhouse gases than petroleum, a 20 percent blend, called B-20, which is more commonly used, still produces 12 to 18 percent fewer emissions. In fact, even a two percent blend (B-2) has a small impact.[3] Biodiesel is kinder to the environment than regular petroleum diesel.  Not only is it a biodegradable fuel, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions, as well as particulate matter from tailpipes, hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide in many engines. Although lower concentrations of biodiesel are often used, pure biodiesel can eliminate 67 percent of unburned hydrocarbons and 48 percent of carbon monoxide compared to petroleum diesel.  The numbers change when using different concentrations of biodiesel, but they are still significant.[4] It also helps … [Read more...] about Biodiesel can result in no GHG emissions

“Locavores” shorten the gap between farmer and plate

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By: Jordana Levine In North America, food travels an average of 1,500 to 3,000 miles before it reaches your plate.[1]  This means high levels of greenhouse gases are emitted from the vehicles that get it there. “Locavores” are some of the latest environmentalists, eating only foods that are produced within a 100-mile radius.  Although these people may feel that they are eating locally for the environment, the truth is that their best contribution is to their own communities.  Locally grown food is great for the local economy, providing distinction for small businesses and promoting unity within the community. “On the other hand,” says Mike Schreiner, co-founder of Local Food Plus (LFP), a national organization in Canada that certifies farmers and food processors committed to sustainable food, and links them to local buyers, “There’s a whole host of other environmental ramifications from production.” “One issue,” Schreiner says, “Is just the scale of production.”  He mentions that large-scale farms limit biodiversity and use more fertilizers, heavier equipment, and lead to more greenhouse gas emissions than on smaller farms.  He adds, “There are some studies out there suggesting that methane gas emissions from cattle [contribute] more to greenhouse gases than any other part of a food system.” “Those are issues… that are of equal concern to the transporting of food and/or of greater concern,” says Schreiner. Eating locally grown … [Read more...] about “Locavores” shorten the gap between farmer and plate

US carmakers need 7 years to match Toyota’s efficiency

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Yesterday was historic: US car makers agreed to produce 35 mpg cars by 2016. Wow! My Prius gets 60 mpg now. But US car makers apparently aren't that innovative. European car makers by 2016 are going to have to get 45 mpg. So this ensures that US car makers market share will continue to decline as oil prices inevitably rise. If you doubt oil prices will rise here's an interesting tidbit: Chinese consumer are now buying more than a million cars a month -- that's going to increase demand for oil and drive the price up. Just wait till we come out of the current recession and oil prices race back to $147 a barrel. But back to fuel efficiency: Volkswagen has a 235 mpg car -- already. But US car makers need another seven years to take a baby step. Now a truly impressive goal would be to see the US commit to 100 mpg average fuel efficiency by 2016. That's what I would call a stretch goal. A goal akin to JFK telling the nation that within a decade the US would put a man on the moon -- and then eight years later acheiving it. … [Read more...] about US carmakers need 7 years to match Toyota’s efficiency

Saving 1.5B tonnes of gravel

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By: Jordana Levine On April 15, the Toronto Environmental Alliance (TEA) released Dig Conservation, Not Holes: A Report on the GTA’s Thirst for Gravel and How to Quench it. The report shows how the Greater Toronto Area is destroying rural lands and wildlife through its demands for gravel around the city.  The report urges municipalities in the GTA to start using less virgin gravel and more recycled materials to build roads, sidewalks and buildings.  It also says that there should be policies to limit the projected use of 1.5 billion tonnes of aggregate over the next 25 years.[1] The latest data from The Ontario Aggregate Resources Corporation showed that Ontario used 173 million tones of aggregate in 2007 and, if the estimate is correct, the next 25 years’ worth of aggregate used would be enough to create the equivalent of a 60-foot deep hole roughly 35 square kilometres.[2]   This would fill the area between Toronto's Bloor Street and the waterfront, between Greenwood Avenue and The Kingsway: This sort of extraction from the earth could have a devastating impact on the environment and its inhabitants. As the TEA explains in its report, because the process of retrieving the aggregate impacts the landscape so dramatically, it can have highly detrimental effects on the environment.  Pits or quarries must be created to extract the pebbles, stones, and sand used to make gravel, which impacts everything near, or in the way of, the … [Read more...] about Saving 1.5B tonnes of gravel

Clearing the air: Milan’s Ecopass

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By: Jordana Levine Milan’s Ecopass is curbing pollution and traffic. The city has one of the highest levels of car ownership in the world, in a country known across Europe to be heavily polluted.[1]   However, the Ecopass is changing Milan’s grimy image. The Ecopass involves a toll that is based on the amount of emissions a vehicle gives off, and is meant to control the levels of emissions and congestion in the streets of downtown Milan. The eight-square-kilometre area controlled by the Ecopass, called the ZTL (Zona a Traffico Limitato), has 43 electric gates to enter and exit from with cameras to monitor the area.  To come in, drivers must buy a daily or annual pass that admits them into the area. The price of the ticket is based on how kind their vehicle is to the environment.  While hybrid and electric cars can enter for free, old or large vehicles that pollute the air can be charged up to 10 Euros (approximately $16 Canadian) every day. The test period in 2008 was a success, causing the scheme to extend until the end of 2009. In 2008, over 21,000 fewer vehicles entered Milan’s ZTL every day and an additional 19,100 people began using public transportation daily. The largest drop in cars was seen with those that polluted the most, since it’s so expensive for them to enter the ZTL zone.[2] With the decrease in traffic, the smog has begun to clear. Milan Ecopass noted that the number of high pollution days in the ZTL dropped by 60, compared to the average … [Read more...] about Clearing the air: Milan’s Ecopass