U.S. Agencies Report: More Drought and Less Food Due to Greenhouse Gas Emissions

A new science report representing a consensus of 13 U.S. agencies details impacts such as: heat waves will become more frequent and intense, increasing threats to human health and quality of life, especially in cities; warming will decrease demand for heating energy in winter and increase demand for cooling energy in summer that will increase peak electricity demand in most regions; water resources will be stressed in many regions.

Americans Use Aftermarket Products to Fight Rising Gas Prices

In the past few months, oil prices have soared from $32 to over $70 per barrel. This creates an opportunity for a variety of fuel saving aftermarket products. Aftermarket products and service is big business. In 2007, aftermarket product U.S. sales were $285.5 billion. Sales in the automotive aftermarket (cars and light trucks) totaled $211.4 billion and sales in the heavy duty vehicle aftermarket totaled $74.1 billion.

Hybrid Truck Convoy in Washinton DC

“Even in the midst of the economic downturn, American truck and system makers are poised for a break-through in producing hybrid technology, leading to reduced fuel use and emissions and creating ‘green tech’ jobs,” says Bill Van Amburg, CALSTART senior vice president.

What Makes a Smart Grid Smart?

The answer is Intelligent Energy Transfer! It is smart to not waste energy and not waste money in power generation capacity, but it takes some intelligent technology and control to make it happen. Electricity energy storage is one of those key technologies to minimize transmission losses and enhance grid stability while adding more renewable wind and solar power.

Top Utilities Grow Solar Power Despite Recession

The new SEPA report demonstrates that the utility segment is making a major investment to increase the amount of solar energy in power portfolios, with many utilities doubling the amount of solar power in their portfolio in just one year. The installed solar capacity of the top ten ranked utilities rose 25 percent in a tough economy, from 711 megawatts to 882 megawatts.

New Cars that Already Meet 2016 Fuel Economy Standards

President Barack Obama announced that automakers must meet average U.S. fuel-economy standards of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016. This will be an exciting opportunity for automakers that already deliver vehicles that beat 35.5 mpg such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Toyota Prius, Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, and the Mercedes Smart Fortwo. You can buy these gas misers today.

Biofuel Industry Hopes to Recover with Next Generation Fuels

Scientists know how to make fuel from prairie grasses growing on marginal land. They know how to make fuel from fast growing trees with root systems that extend 25 feet into the ground, sequestering carbon emissions and enriching the soil. The problem is making cellulosic and algal fuel in large quantities at costs that compete with fuels from petroleum such as gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.

Biofuel Industry – No Money, No Respect

Companies that were once darlings of Wall Street have gone bankrupt. Dozens of ethanol plants have closed as oil prices dropped. Many promising second generation plants cannot get built due to lack of project financing. People with the money see the risk as too high. There continue to be zero commercial scale (20-million gallon per year and bigger) cellulosic ethanol plants, despite past glowing press releases that declared that they would now be running.

Zipcar Launches “FastFleet” First Integrated Service for Public Sector Vehicle Fleets

Zipcar today announced FastFleet by Zipcar, a new service that enables government and other fleet managers to save money, reduce risk and promote sustainability. With FastFleet, for the first time, fleet operators may leverage the same technology that powers Zipcar’s consumer fleet. Washington, D.C., which is the first city in the country to adopt the system, estimates it has saved more than $300,000 during a four month pilot of FastFleet.