Test drives reveal that 2010 hybrids and other fuel efficient vehicles deliver better performance and fuel economy. Drives include the Honda Insight, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, and the MINI Cooper Convertible.
A central transportation hub in California is the Diridon Station in San Jose. In ten years, the Diridon Station is likely to see high volumes of travelers as high-speed rail shuttles people to and from San Francisco in 30 minutes. Intermodal transportation is likely to include light-rail, bus rapid transit, zero-emission buses, people-movers, and electric vehicles.
Walking up to the new Nissan Electric Vehicle prototype car, my first surprise was getting into the right hand front seat. This car was only one of two in existence and driving in Japan is like the UK, on the left side of the road.
According to the latest figures published by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) in its “Electric Power Monthly” report released on March 24, 2009, non-hydro renewable sources of electricity enjoyed double-digit growth during the past year while coal, natural gas, and petroleum experienced notable declines and nuclear power remained stagnant.
The Clean Fleet Top 10 Low Carbon cars of 2014 include a parade of electrified models, mostly small except for the large and expensive Tesla Model S. A variety of models give the carbon-conscious buyer several different models to choose from.
It is common to see trains with four locomotives moving over 100 cars and 15 million pounds of weight. 15 million pounds moving downhill could be converted to clean renewable energy instead of heat lost in braking.
No one has more at stake in the emerging climate crisis than today’s youth. Scientists have proven that greenhouse gases are accumulating in the stratosphere at record levels. As the earth heats, a billion people cannot get enough food and clean water. This twelve year old boy writes from an area that increasingly suffers from draught, wild fires, and homes lost to a rising ocean.
Despite falling gas prices and an economic recession, increasing numbers of Americans took 10.7 billion trips on public transportation in 2008, the highest level of ridership in 52 years and a modern ridership record, according to a report released today by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).
We must move past fuel from food and haste to fuels from wood and waste. Although the economics do not yet favor major production, pilot plants are taking wood and paper waste and converting it to fuel. Other cellulosic material is even more promising. Some grasses, energy crops, and hybrid poplar trees promise zero-emission fuel sources. These plants absorb CO2 and sequester it in the soil with their deep root systems.
This recession is hitting people hard. Transportation is 20 percent, or more, of many people’s expenses. American’s are finding smart ways to save. Public transportation use is at its highest in over 50 years. Commute program participation is breaking records. Americans drove 100 billion fewer miles in 2008 than the previous year. Most U.S. households have two vehicles, costing them over $16,000 per year.