Author: Emissions

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

Carbon dioxide has long been public enemy no. 1 for whistle-blowers of climate change. The gas is notorious as the most effective of all greenhouse gases. Its increasing concentrations in the atmosphere the world over pose a grave threat to human life as well as the surrounding ecosystems.

These increasing concentrations can be attributed in chief, to the heedless burning of fossil fuel. Efforts at reducing these emissions have produced splendid results and awareness of this pestilence is now widespread.

But what about all the CO2 that’s already there? What about all the CO2 that will undoubtedly be produced and released into the air for years to come? Many CO2-producing activities are crucial daily activities.

A radical new solution has got scientists in a tizzy everywhere. The solution lies in recycling this atmospheric CO2 into a handy liquid called methanol. Methanol, which is primarily used as a clean fuel, has a plethora of other uses. It is one of the primary ingredients of several important solvents, paints, plastics, and adhesives. Methanol also finds importance as an antifreeze, battery fluid as well as being used to “denature alcohol”.

Carbon dioxide is mixed with water to form a mixture known as “Syn-gas”. The syn-gas, a cocktail of water, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, is catalyzed under high pressure to produce methanol and other carbonaceous compounds.

This process is very financially demanding. It requires a high supply of CO2 and a great deal of energy.  Plants of this kind, however, are no longer fiction and are operational in places like Iceland, Netherlands etc. One particular such facility, in Iceland’s South Peninsula region, uses carbon dioxide spewed by a nearby geothermal energy plant.

The above examples clearly bring to light the special circumstances that permit the operation of such a plant. Iceland is among the least expensive nations when it comes to cost of energy and the nearby energy plant accounts for their CO2 fuel.

Recently, a joint research by Stanford University and the Technical University of Denmark pointed out that using an alternative catalyst could make it possible for the process to be carried out under less demanding conditions. This new method also increases the yield of methanol while reducing the amount of harmful carbon monoxide produced.The scientists used a new Nickel-Gallium catalyst instead of the conventional one made from copper, aluminum, and zinc. The process was able to persist at low pressures, greatly reducing the demand for energy, and, by extension, the operating cost. The results were favorable enough to allow the scientists to dream of using the same process for synthesizing even more complex materials from the same two basic ingredients.

Another upcoming facility in Qatar aims at recycling 500 tonnes of CO2 per day. This is the rough equivalent of the annual CO2 emission of 32 million cars and would take 4.2 million trees ten years to recycle.

That carbon dioxide emission is one of the great malaise’s plaguing our society is indubitable. Efforts at treating atmospheric CO2 should be accorded equal gravity as those aimed at reducing the emissions. These recycling processes may just be the answer.

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

Toyota has recently announced that it is having success in using a rather new technology called “silicon carbide”  (SiC) power semiconductors in its hugely successful hybrid cars such as the Prius, Lexus, Camry, Highlander, and others.  This technology will reduce emissions by increasing the efficiency of the energy conversion processes in Toyota’s hybrid cars.

The new technology will be used in the complex computer-driven power controllers which govern the different phases of power conversion involved in charging the batteries of the hybrid car. Choosing the mix of gas and electric which is most efficient.  There is a great deal of energy loss in the various phases of converting mechanical to electrical energy and vice versa, and the SiC power semiconductors replace earlier, less efficient components used in the power conversion processes.

Toyota, which is conducting practical tests on the new components now, is optimistic that the use of the SiC power semiconductors will result in a significant decrease in the energy loss in, for example, charging the batteries from the braking energy.

Toyota is universally recognized as the premier pioneer of using “hybrid” technology to improve the efficiency of gasoline-powered automobiles.

Hybrid cars, like the Toyota Prius, are using several of technologies designed to reduce the energy loss which is unavoidable in converting gasoline into power for a moving vehicle.  Toyota’s take on this technology is one of many methods to combine internal combustion engines, like the typical automotive engine, with electric motors, braking energy recapture, and other techniques.

I recently bought a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid, a largish crossover SUV which is available with several drivetrains, including the hybrid drivetrain of my car.

This is a big, heavy car.  The hybrid drivetrain adds about 35hp to the mix when accelerating, it can drive the car by itself at low speeds (giving a weird experience), and it gives a combined 26-27mpg as compared to perhaps 20-21mpg for a comparable gas-only car from 2007.  And it gets about the same mileage in town as on the highway.  The acceleration to 60mph is one second faster than for the standard Highlander.

The drivetrain is very smooth, and it is fascinating to watch the dashboard energy diagram, which is a submenu of the trip computer.  The diagram shows a wheel, an engine, and a battery.  Arrows, updated in real time, show when the car is running on gas alone, electricity alone, together, or when the battery is being charged by the regenerative braking energy subsystem or when going downhill.  You can test the system in different real-world scenarios and see directly what the average mpg is at different speeds, and how the system optimizes usage to achieve that.

The hybrid system saves energy and emissions by stopping the motor at stoplights and while you are waiting in line at your local Burger Lord. And the energy used in braking is partially recaptured by a system of motor generators which are governed by the power control system.  The superior capabilities of the SiC power semiconductors will add several percents of efficiency to the battery charging process.  Several presents (and it may be considerably more when the product development process is complete) do not sound like much, but it is through incremental advances like this, year in and year out, that Toyota has developed the most efficient hybrid system presently available.

Hybrid technologies are only now making their breakthrough in the automotive world.  However, similar technologies have been in use for decades in trains, cranes, and other heavy applications.  Hybrid technologies have proven their ability to save much energy and it seems likely that most or all cars will be using some form of hybrid technology ten years from now.

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

Despite being the hottest item on the car market, electric cars still occupy only a niche in car sales in the United States. Tesla Motors, the poster child of a new-generation electric car manufacturer based in California. Counts sales of its cars in thousands rather than millions that General Motors or Toyota rely on annually with their gasoline-powered cars. Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk cites enormous costs and hurdles that go into the design, assembly and testing of an electric car, not to mention the urgent need to invest in a viable charging station network. Despite the difficulties, Tesla Motors presses on.

The first car model developed and sold by Tesla was its Roadster all-electric sports car that ran on lithium-ion battery cells and  had been selling out consistently until the end of its production in 2012. A limited batch of right-wheel Roadsters was produced in 2012 to be sold in the UK, Japan, and Australia. The Roadster had a top speed of 125 miles per hour and could travel 245 miles on average, with 313 miles being its record. The Roadster was expensive and aimed at early adopters – wealthy adventurous people who didn’t mind a yet lacking network of power stations and a hefty price tag attached to the sleek and colorful body. Yet it signaled a brighter future for the worldwide car market tired of the oil price fluctuations and hungry for change.

Tesla’s next model, the sedan Model S, is the one currently being produced and sold in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. There are two batteries available for Model S – 60 kW and 85 kW, with the traveling range of 208 miles and 265 miles, respectively. Model S can go up to 130 miles per hour in speed. Naturally, most of Tesla’s shares of Model S sales come from the United States, where it sold 2650 units in 2012, the year Model S entered the market. In 2014, 21 821 Model S cars were sold in the first three quarters of the year alone, while the cumulative global sales surpassed 45 000 the same year. Tesla Model S had a glowing debut in Norway, where in 2013 it became the first ever electric car to top the new vehicle sales chart in any country. On the other hand, the hugely lucrative Chinese market remains a challenge for Tesla: two of company executives overlooking the operation in China was fired this January after Tesla sold only 120 cars there in the preceding month.

Tesla closed 2014 with financial losses, but its revenue has been on the rise, and it hardly sees all the red ink as a sign of a failing business. Elon Musk is adamant about pushing sales and tech development as far as they can go. Tesla remains a dream car for the younger generation who, as of yet, cannot afford Model S, which Tesla intends to rectify – the Model 3. A 200-mile range car with a starting price of $35 000, could be within reach of an average customer by 2017.

Last updated on March 20th, 2018

This is concerning as according to Statista.com, 254.6 million passenger cars were registered in the US alone in 2012. When we take into consideration that the average CO2 emissions from an average passenger vehicle is calculated at 14.3 kg CO2 per gallon, the number quickly adds up to an amount that very quickly becomes unfathomable. The danger if this is that the world is slowly but surely losing touch with what is being done, not only to our atmosphere, but the quality of life on earth. The US Government responds to its query regarding the Green Tax, by answering it with two other taxes currently being levied, which according to them cover both these bases.

Clean Air Act’s New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

This act was particularly brought to the fore in order to target those emitting toxic gases from a stationery position. Think factories and manufacturing plants, research laboratories and refineries. This, however, does nothing for the 254.6 million vehicles on the road, unless the car is cemented to the ground and kept running.

Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards for automobiles

This is where the US seems to be winning environmental brownie points, however, when you dig deeper this does not really guarantee a cleaner and safer environment, as a lot of the act focuses on the fuel economy of vehicles. The Fuel economy is great for the environment; however, it does not solve the issue created by the emission of CO2 gas. CAFÉ does not address pollution directly, and more needs to be done.

Green Taxes yes or no?

Levying a tax on a fragile ecosystem is no way to save it, unless all the funds that come in from taxes will be used for creating other modes of transport where the emission of CO2 is not prevalent. More research is needed to improve current patents already busy exercised and tested, where the use of carbon fuels will not even be needed. Entrepreneurs, scientists and inventors need to be encouraged to find other modes of transport as opposed to just improve the existing economy. The resources on this planet are fragile and at an all-time low, and bureaucracy and red tape will not alleviate the situation. Only support and extensive research will, where the eye is not just making tonnes of profit, but more about creating a sustainable future. The ground work in terms of punishing people with taxes for emitting CO2 is not viable if there is no alternative. The exception to the rule, of course, would be typical gas guzzlers. Australia has already tried to implement Green Taxes, and have done so unsuccessfully. This unfavorable tax was brought to an end by the current Prime Minister, Tony Abbott. Unless it is carefully thought out and not just a way to fill the Treasury coffers, the success rate of Green Tax remains dubious.

Last updated on September 21st, 2023

Everyone knows about the rise of hybrids, and many people may even know several people that own one type or another. These cars have been lauded as the wave of the future but it seems the future is already here and happening, and we are still vastly reliant on oil and gas to keep our cars running. One alternative that has been presented time and time again is a car that runs only on battery power. The batteries we’ve seen up to this point have been unable to deliver a car that keeps a charge and is a reasonable price, but experts say that this could change very quickly.

Car makers such as Tesla have been working tirelessly to attempt to discover how to optimize the battery itself. As is well known, these cars with a hefty price tag, but researchers have predicted that we will start seeing solely battery powered cars in the very near future and that they could become prevalent as quickly as 5 years from now. These cars will have the capacity to hold a charge for up to 200 miles, and the impact on the environment will be major.

One of the problems with hybrid cars such as the Prius is the reliance on gas, however, reduced from a traditional car. Running the vehicle solely on battery power will reduce the battery’s lifespan, and the replacement batteries are extremely pricey. This is the car was meant for the fuel system and battery system to work hard in hand for maximum efficiency and also simply because when the car was introduced in the early 2000’s, the technology for a better system just wasn’t there. Flash forward a decade or so, and we find ourselves almost perfecting the technology outside of incredibly expensive cars that have thus far mainly served as novelties for the wealthy. A widespread knowledge and more available materials will drive the cost down and make these cars more attainable for the working class. Once this large subset of drivers has the ability to own a purely battery powered car, the emissions rate will steadily drop.

The middle class is the class that drives the most, as they must commute to and from their jobs rather than take public transportation and often drive further for leisure time, as the cost of airfare can sometimes evade them. Targeting the middle class with affordable Eco-friendly cars will make the most impact on pollution caused by cars in major metropolitan areas. Fortunately, the future is upon on, and if the experts are to be believed, it may happen sooner than anyone thought possible.

The environment has been at the forefront of many recent discussions and people are starting to realize how urgent the need to change our ways is becoming. Though hybrids filled the void for a while, the time has come to move on to even cleaner technology. Since battery powered cars are just around the corner, we need to start getting used to the idea and finally accept something other than gas-powered cars.

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

Traditional taxis are no longer the only ones with some still competition.  Ever since an Uber entered the market, taxicab companies worldwide have been protesting.  They sensed a threat to their own existence the likes of which had never been seen and they weren’t going to take it lying down.  The fresh, new, technology friendly approach to getting a ride seemed to welcome and immediately took the world by storm.  Uber was and is everywhere!  They’re not, however, the only tech-savvy show on the road.  There are others, and they’re doing it big.  They’ve entered the market, as Uber did, with an edge…a green edge.

There’s a new kid on the block called Lyft.  They currently service San Francisco, LA and New York.  They are currently romancing their clientele with special programs that promote savings and a healthier environment.  One such program is called Lyft Line.  What’s Lyft Line does is offer its customers the option of sharing a lift.  A customer can arrange ahead, sharing their scheduled ride with two or three additional riders.  The result in this can be a saving all the way around.  The riders save anywhere from ten to sixty percent off standard fares.  The fuel and greenhouse emissions savings of driving four passengers in one car rather than four separate vehicles being on the road speak for itself, as does the inherent reduction in traffic.

Another innovative program that Lyft has in place is called Lyft Pioneer.  Lyft Pioneer is designed to promote its arrival in new areas.  Enrolling in such a program, when service becomes available, can result in savings for new riders, credits for their referral friends and ride credit vouchers.  Every new service area will have unique opportunities to save and will bring all the technology-friendly services to its clients that Lyft users have come to enjoy.

These technologies driven services, like Apps that can be downloaded to your phone or other device and get you a ride quickly are just the market-driven services that put Uber in demand.  They are the services that have traditional taxicab companies shaking in their shoes and protesting.  Gone are the days of unfriendly dispatchers and waiting out in inclement weather for your dirty, outrageously expensive cab.

Now that we’ve touched on the unpleasant traditional experience of days gone by, we look to the horizon of experiences yet to come.  The experiences I speak of are those of the new and well-dressed Driver.  Driver steps onto the scene with a sheik and best foot forward approach.  The feather in their cap is a fleet of luxurious Tesla electric cars.  These guys definitely know how to make being environmentally friendly look good!

With your mobile device, you can summon your state of the art carriage in a matter of seconds.  Each car has a “panoramic” glass roof and concierge service to ensure you receive only the most thoroughly enjoyable and remarkable services.  They even give you the option to do a little additional shopping or errand running at a reasonable hourly rate.  Though new to the market and not quite close to home yet, these gallant knights will soon be contenders in the marketplace.  That is, so long as the educated “other half” wants a ride fast, in style and for less…oh!  And greenly!

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

It’s the age of staying relevant, Nissan is all over it!  Brilliant marketing and tactics are obviously at work here.  This group knows how to make having a moral compass more sheik.  They also know how to create a buzz doing it.  If you’re no stranger to the Internet, you may already know that Nissan had unleashed a Glow-In-The-Dark Leaf!  It’s the entire rave right now, but it’s not even for sale! (NOT YET, anyway)

If you’re like me, you’re already fully aware of the lure of that entire glow!  Glowworms, glow sticks at Halloween, lightsabers and my favorite…glow-in-the-dark-stars (making bedroom walls and ceilings cooler since I don’t know when) have been around for decades and have NEVER lost their appeal.  In fact, they’re still in demand and growing in popularity if you ask my kids or their cousins and friends.  Glowing in the dark is hot, but is not, no.

What’s new, and refreshing, is Nissan’s approach!  They’re causing a scene while raising awareness and they’re partnering with the right people do it.  Hamish Scott is a brilliant inventor, forward thinker and business owner in the U.K.  His company, Pro-Teq Surfacing, is the creator of STARPATH.  They’ve been busy lighting up pathways in England for a while now.   He started with a pathway at Cambridge University for testing and product development and it didn’t take long for the brilliance and potential of such an idea to catch on.  His product uses the rays of sunlight (UV rays) by storing them up and then releasing them after the sun goes down.  The result is a beautiful luminescence that adds visibility and takes nothing away.  His product is environmentally friendly.

Nissan partnered with Hamish in developing the paint for the glowing Leaf.  Even though the glowing paint is not the first glowing paint, it’s the first of its kind.  It’s the first to have an environmental conscience.  It’s the first with a hidden motive, which is to raise awareness of the benefits of solar energy!  BRILLIANT!  Nissan’s point, it’s argued, that if your home power by solar energy, then it’d be essentially free to own and perform your battery-powered Leaf!  That’s a forward-thinking idea.  It may validly since it’s not free to outfit your home with solar panels.  It’s not free to buy a Nissan Leaf. This does, however, raise an interesting question.  How long would it take for these to pay for themselves and start giving back?  Is it not necessary and responsible to start thinking with these NOW or even YESTERDAY?

For the Internet-obsessed generation that watches reality T.V., the real question is…”When can I get my glow-in-the-dark Nissan Leaf?”  The sooner Nissan answers this question for us the better!  Who doesn’t want a car that glows in the dark up to 10 hours after the sun goes down?  That’s longer than stars on the ceiling glow!  It would seem they’ve managed to become the coolest of cool Auto manufacturers, in that they’ve got their finger on the pulse of the relevant and they’re making it look good, too!  I WANT ONE!

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

With rising awareness of environmental pollution due to cars, the onus has been on car manufacturers to produce vehicles that do not emit fewer greenhouse gases. Electric vehicles have been a roaring success. They are a common sight around the globe.

Electric vehicles do have a fair few drawbacks as well. Recharging them takes ages and the range they offer is, more often than not, unsatisfactory. They are also more expensive as compared to normal cars. Their engines are not that powerful and have restricted their use to small-to-medium passenger cars only.

Fuel Cell Vehicles (FCVs) are said to be the next big thing in eco-friendly vehicles. These use fuel cells containing the highly combustible hydrogen gas. The gas powers the battery by burning in the presence of oxygen. This powers an engine similar to the ones found in Electric Vehicles (EVs).

So what’s so special about them? Well, for starters you won’t have any of those awkward moments where you’re delaying your departure as you wait for your car to charge up. Refueling FCVs takes up to a maximum of 10 minutes. Besides this, the claimed range of most FCVs is nearly double that of its electric contemporaries. They have a better power output and can be used in a variety of vehicle types. Their only emissions are heat and pure steam.

So what’s the problem? Well, there are several. For starters, while these eco-friendly automobiles may not be leaking any pollutants into the atmosphere; the same can’t be said of the hydrogen that powers them. Hydrogen can be obtained in a clean manner by reversing the electrolysis process of water. This, however, requires a tremendous amount of energy, which has a direct and significant effect on the operating costs. The way most hydrogen fuel is currently obtained is by methane reforming. This process has harmful by-products like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Methane – which is 86 times as potent as CO2 as a greenhouse gas – leaks are known to have occurred during the production of hydrogen.

Next is cost.  Toyota is planning to release its first FCV offering in the state of California at $499 a month on a 3-year lease. Toyota EVs can be rented for less than half that price. Refueling can be a cumbersome activity. EV recharging centers are ubiquitous. FCVs can be refueled at barely 50 locations around the country. Although that number is expected to rise in the future, it’s going to be a tough ordeal. Hydrogen is notoriously difficult to handle and store. It cannot be stored underground and is stored in above-ground tanks in a liquid state at temperatures ranging around -250°C (-418°F). All this place makes keeping an FCV functional a highly expensive exercise. On average, an EV-charging station costs around $300,000. Cheap as compared to $1-2 million for a hydrogen refueling station.

All this being said, hydrogen fuel for cars is still a concept in its infancy. There is scope for a lot of development in the technology. tests are Already being conducted on using solar energy to split water. This process will make the production clean hydrogen considerably cheaper. They may not be the best choices available at the moment, but FCVs will surely rule the roads a few years down the line.

Last updated on March 21st, 2018

It is no secret that air pollution is a significant environmental concern that contributes not only to diminished air quality in cities and counties, impacts the health of citizens, and is a significant factor in global warming. It is widely recognized that one of the major contributors to air pollution, along with industrial plants and wildfires, is the car industry. Car exhaust in gas-powered vehicles contains nitrogen dioxide, a common pollutant, but there is also benzene, an air pollutant that is very toxic and can frequently be detected at gas stations.

While you cannot necessarily influence how much pollution your local Shell or BP station spews into the air, you are in control over your vehicle. Measuring car emissions and making sure they stay at acceptable levels is the law in the vast majority of states in the United States. Your registration may not be renewed if your vehicle fails to pass the emission level test, but even if it does, finding ways to lower your carbon footprint and drive “greener” should be at the back of any environmentally-conscious driver’s mind.

The best thing you can do is to switch to an electric vehicle! Not only are there 20 car models available across the country and over 25,000 charging stations set to appear in California alone within the next five years, as reported by CBS SF Bay area, but there are also tax breaks and reimbursements available to EV (electric vehicle) buyers. For instance, a $7500 federal tax credit is offered to EV owners, and there are state-specific tax credits available as well: consider, for instance, an additional $5000 in credits for electric car drivers in Georgia or up to $2500 in credits in California along with carpool lane access. The highest incentive is offered by Oklahoma, where you can claim up to 50% of the cost of the vehicle in credits! Depending on the state, these incentives are available both for plug-in vehicles (think Chevy Volt) and for battery-operated cars (like Nissan LEAF).

It is true that even electric vehicles leave a carbon footprint, because you have to charge them electrically, and 67% of electricity in the United States is generated by natural gas and coal-burning. However, the percentage of electricity generated  from renewable energy like wind and solar energy is steadily on the rise and up to 6% in 2013, while coal energy consumption is decreasing. Electric cars contribute to less fuel burned and less gasoline consumed: according to UCS.org, driving an electric vehicle in 2014 in Georgia alone helped reduce car emissions by 220000 tons and burning of gasoline by 4.5 million gallons. In general, no matter the state, emissions from electric vehicles are significantly lower than those from compact gas-powered cars, even the most fuel-efficient ones.

Last but not least, rapidly developing electric vehicle technology makes electric car progressively easier to operate and cheaper to own. Reduced emissions, decreased air pollution and carbon footprint go hand in hand with tax credits and the fun of driving a new-generation vehicle – sounds like everybody wins! Now is definitely the time to own one.

Last updated on April 23rd, 2021

It is one to create awareness on a serious matter, levy taxes and spend billions, and another to be successful in the pursuit of emission reductions. Since the cat was let out the bag regarding the effect our planet is having on the ozone and the environment, in general, the world has gone into emission reduction overdrive. For the first time in the history of the planet, the entire world was in shock and started thinking that we may not have this beautiful planet forever.

Suddenly started changing, people started picketing outside factories and the gas guzzlers were slowly being changed to hybrids and bicycles. This was not enough and the world was shocked to hear the biggest contributors to CO2 were, in fact, livestock, particularly cows. Either we needed to let the steak go or more drastic measures were needed to reduce the pressure. The taxes soon followed and legislation was being passed to ensure the new engines would be more fuel efficient and there would be lower emissions. Science projects regarding alternative energy sources were funded and a few alternatives were found.

Through this phase, however, individuals started coming forward that and said that they designed alternative energy years before the effect on the ozone was even just a thought, however, was paid off and threatened as this would have cost big business too much money in terms of the conversion that needed to take place. The sad reality was the energy alternatives that existed in other parts of the world were also treated in this manner, as it would reduce the demand for oil, which is after a slowly depleting. The effect on our planet was devastated, and whether we are in time to reverse the effects of the diminishing ozone remains to be seen, as the changes in the weather patterns and the melting ice caps should be at the forefront of decision making. The dollar won’t matter when the entire world floods or the ozone is virtually nonexistent and even the tiniest solar flare is the end of humanity.

There is hope

Studies have shown that since to implement the Kyoto Protocol, there have been significant reductions in the emissions in the UK and US. This is to reduce the effects of global warming. The protocol was put in place to first acknowledge that global warming exists and that man’s CO2 emissions caused it. For this to have been successful, it was important for all governments accept not only responsibility but also ownership of the problem which was, and still is, global warming. The UK and the US seem to be heading in the right direction, and only time will tell whether it is in time to repair the damage that has been done. In order for a government to be successful, it is crucial that the individual is successful as the power of reducing emissions is in the hands of everyone.