Category Archives: Green

What ever happened to the Hydrogen Car?

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President George Bush passed a $1.2 billion plan for research and development of the hydrogen car.  He believed that this was the future of private transport in the United States as it was a pollution free alternative to the combustion engine.  Little do people know, President Obama actually killed this plan in 2009 which is contrary to his known position to increase investments in alternative energies.  The rationale behind this decision according Energy Secretary Steven Chu is that it will not be practical over the next 10 to 20 years.  Electric vehicles were thought to be a better investment for federal monies.

There are too many hurdles to overcome for hydrogen cars; we lack the current infrastructure for it (fuel stations and pipelines), hydrogen is not as efficient as petroleum,  it is expensive (because of the expensive platinum components in the battery), and it is not quite pollution-free (some hydrogen is produced by the refinement of fossil fuels) .  These prohibitive reasons are why President Obama rejected a further continuance on research for hydrogen vehicles.

However, I believe that we can solve these problems if the federal government had continued funding the hydrogen program. There are other methods of producing hydrogen through wind, solar, and nuclear.  If enough money is granted we can figure out alternative battery components that are cheaper and easily produced.  Infrastructure can be built by building in targeted regions such as Hawaii where driving patterns are predictable or Los Angeles where there is a large population to be served.  GM and the U.S. Army launched a test fleet of 16 hydrogen fuel-cell cars in Hawaii earlier this year.

Furthermore, hydrogen vehicles are better than electric vehicles with respect to the driving range and energy required.  Hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles can be refueled in as few as three minutes, then travel for 250 or 300 miles straight.  Electrified cars, on the other hand, require about eight hours for complete recharging. Depending on the vehicle, they can go only 40 to 100 miles on pure battery.  The electrified vehicle is not completely pollution free because conventional electric generation that is required still pollutes.  There has to be a complete overhaul in the energy industry for electric vehicles to not have a footprint on the Earth.

I would like to see the day where I can drive my personal vehicle without contributing to poorer air quality and pollution.  If the hydrogen car is successful and people are confident in the technology and purchase these vehicles it will revolutionize the energy and automobile industry.  However, it will not solve the congestion problem in urban areas, but it will make the air much cleaner.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/08/science/earth/08energy.html

http://voices.yahoo.com/the-hydrogen-car-george-bush-doesnt-want-you-364518.html?cat=27

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2012/05/hydrogen_fuel_cell_vehicles_and_the_obama_administration_.single.html

“Smart Highways” will glow in the dark, plus a lot more

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Glow-in-the-Dark Pavement Markings which would improve vision and safety at night.

What if a highway had luminescent markings that absorbed sunlight during the day and can shine during the night.  What if a highway had little pinwheels on the side of the road that generated electricity due to drafts by passing cars.  What if a highway had a lane that charged electric vehicles that drive in a designated lane.  These are only some the futuristic concepts made by Studio Roosegaarde and Heijmans Infrastructure, a Dutch design firm.

Electric Vehicle Charging Lane which will encourage people to leave the combustion engine automobiles.

They say that this is the future of roads instead of just sitting their doing nothing.  However,  I cannot help, but think that the cost alone will be a huge disadvantage as well as the extreme maintenance needed.  I would love to see these concepts implemented one day.  Check out this linkfor more future plans for roads.

 

Source: http://www.gizmag.com/smart-highways/24836/

Electricity Generating Pinwheels will generate electricity and light the road in front of the vehicle at night.

 

Redeveloping Communities Bisected by Expressways

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A submerged section of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway in Brooklyn, New York.

In the 1950s, the construction of elevated and sunken highways marred many cities in the name of progress and the almighty automobile.  The Brooklyn Queens Expressway in New York City is a great example.  The picture on the right shows a portion of it in a trench and it is an eyesore that splits a neighborhood in half.  But what if we could bring the community back together by incorporating a design that would cover it and provide additional green spaces while also enhancing the bicycle and pedestrian environment?

Some options were unveiled by artists that really should be considered by the NYSDOT to bring a community back together.  Some of those options are shown below.  Cities across the country should incorporate these designs for redeveloping areas that were mauled during the construction of these expressways.

Artist rendition of creating a trellis Structure over the trenched rows which includes Photo-voltaic panels that generate revenue for the City. Photo-voltaic array could earn the city $USD312,500 per year through energy generation.

Artist rendition of maximum green. It creates a green streetscape with traffic calming, tree plantings, water sensitive design with the option for green screens/artistic fences.

Artist rendition of creating “green machine” bridges equipped with greenscreen or acoustic panels, PV, and decorative lighting, with the option of adding treatments from the ‘Maximum Green’ concept.

Source 1: http://buildipedia.com/in-studio/urban-planning/fix-the-ditch-enhancing-the-brooklyn-queens-expressway

Source 2: http://worldlandscapearchitect.com/starr-whitehouse-unveil-brooklyn-queens-expressway-options/#.UIh2Q51lR4d

Greenest Street in America Eats Smog

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The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) unveiled “the greenest street in America.” It’s the first phase of a two-mile stretch along Blue Island Avenue and Cermak Road on the city’s southwest side.  “This project demonstrates a full range of sustainable design techniques that improve the urban ecosystem, promote economic development, increase the safety and usability of streets for all users, and build healthy communities,” said CDOT Commissioner Gabe Klein. “It provides both mitigation and adaptation strategies by reducing its carbon footprint and integrating technologies that allow the infrastructure to address and adapt to climate change.”

Up to 80 percent of the typical average rainfall will be diverted through a combination of bioswales, rain gardens, permeable pavements and storm water features. More than 60 percent of the project’s construction waste was recycled and more than 23 percent of all new materials were sourced from recycled content.

By installing dark-sky friendly light fixtures, energy use of the street will be reduced by 42 percent. To help cut down on Chicago’s sweltering summer heat, nearly 40 percent of the public right of way was paved with light-colored, reflective material. Also, developers added a 131 percent increase in landscape and tree canopy cover.

The $14 million project was funded largely through Tax Increment Financing, along with $800,000 worth of grants from the Federal Highway Administration, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Midwest Generation.

This is a policy that should be implemented throughout every city, however it can easily become very expensive.  $14 million for a two-mile stretch of road, is a heck of a lot of money.  There needs to be more of a push from our federal and state government to help cities and other local municipalities fund such programs.  We cannot continue to keep cities the way they are.  It is unsustainable and initiatives such as this is the right path for a sustainable future.

Source: http://news.discovery.com/autos/chicago-constructing-greenest-street-121016.html          http://specials.news.msn.com/americas-greenest-street-eats-smog

Impact of Rising Gas Prices on our Transportation

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It is well known that gasoline prices are rising everywhere in the world and this has a direct impact on our transportation choices.  Gas prices are almost at $4 per gallon of regular and as gasoline prices continue to rise people are less likely to drive to their destinations.  A new report from the American Public Transportation Association finds that $4 per-gallon gas prices could result in an additional 670 million public transit passenger trips.  If pump prices jump to $5 a gallon, the report predicts an additional 1.5 billion passenger trips can be expected.  (http://transportation.nationaljournal.com/2011/03/the-impact-of-high-gas-prices.php)

Gasoline prices are rising because it is becoming increasingly harder to find and drill for oil.  The current transportation modes of choice are becoming more and more unsustainable and something must be done to curtail this trend.  We need to invest more in alternative sources of energy and get our environmental record out of the gutter and back on track.