Concerns About Development of Hydrogen Tech for Vehicles/Transportation

This article illustrates exactly the concerns I have about the development of hydrogen technology for vehicle/transportation. 

The core issues in Vancouver boil down to the cost of operation, availability of hydrogen, and lack of infrastructure. 

This is exactly why I lobby against further investments in this hydrogen technology and misguided policy based on the promise of this fuel source.  

Hydrogen Fuel Run Bus in Vancouver, B.C.

If the technology was perfected and $ billions spent on infrastructure over the next 1 to 2 decades - the result could not begin to equal the performance, availability and cost of electric vehicle technology available today.

Is this worth the wasted capital investments and time consumed when we have competing electric or even natural gas NOW? The pursuit of hydrogen is as much a possibility as building small, individual nuclear reactors for every car and truck in the US in our pursuit of 'cleaner' energy - nonexistent.

Government policy and the dedication of resources devoted to hydrogen when electricity represents a ubiquitous source of clean energy for transportation especially when sourced from wind & solar, is akin to rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, while we are witnessing the catastrophic impacts from Climate Change.

Don Bowen

Principal 

Meridian Associates, Inc.

Vancouver Ends Hydrogen Bus Program Amid HighCosts

"Additional Incentives Offered for Those Who Reach 500kW or More..."

Con Edison and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have teamed up to offer Con Edison customers increased incentives for developing and installing energy efficiency and demand management projects. Their aim is to get business to reduce high demand on the electric system during peak usage times in the summer, which they define as between 2pm and 6pm Monday through Friday from June 1st to September 30th, excluding days of recognized holidays. This measure will have save energy and hopefully reduce the high-cost, financially and environmentally, of business energy usage. 

Under the terms of the agreement, new systems must be in place before June 1st, 2016 in order to qualify, and must reduce peak demand usage by 50 kW or more, with additional incentives offered for those who reach 500kW or more in reduction (although financial incentives are capped at 50% of installed project cost). This reduction will help stabilize and fortify the electric grid, so brown-outs and dropping won't be as prevalent while reducing costs all around. 

Thermal and battery storage are the largest incentives available, but other projects, including revamping the lighting and switching the fuel system for the AC in the building are also available. However, before any modifications take place, Con Edison must evaluate qualification for the program with pre-installation inspections and technical reviews. Doing all that work and failing to qualify would be a real disappointment. 

For more information on the program and technical requirements, visit: 

http://www.coned.com/energyefficiency/demand_management_incentives.asp 

Liked what you heard above but don't live in New York or are a customer of Con Edison? Con Edison may not be in every state, but energy companies like National Grid offer many incentive programs for more efficient technology, and State Governments generally do so as well. To find energy efficiency incentives in your state, 

visit http://www.dsireusa.org/. 

Written & researched by Meridian Associates, Inc's.
intern Deborah Manchester from Montserrat College of Art.

Climate Change not real?

Can we really say that climate change is not real? In Massachusetts we have broken almost every record possible with the snow fall in less than a month. With the snow piles, it has become a "norm" to drive by multiple "Snow Farms" on one's left and on one's right.Look for your house as you pull down the street.
A movie that has been on a great deal of late is "The Day After Tomorrow". It is a story of the world basically freezing over...

Was this a premonition in 2004?

Google Doodle Celebrates Alessandro Volta's 270th Birthday!

Today's Google doodle is a great one!

It teaches us about Alessandro Volta's contribution to Electric batteries! 

Select the image to see the animation!

Alessandro Giuseppe Antonio Anastasio Volta (18 February 1745 – 5 March 1827) was an Italian physicist^[2][3] credited with the invention of the first electrical battery, the Voltaic pile, which he invented in 1799 and the results of which he reported in 1800 in a two part letter to the President of the Royal Society.^[4][5] With this invention Volta proved that electricity could be generated chemically and debased the prevalent theory that electricity was generated solely by living beings. Volta's invention sparked a great amount of scientific excitement and led others to conduct similar experiments which eventually led to the development of the field of electrochemistry.^[5]

Alessandro Volta also drew admiration from Napoleon Bonaparte for his invention, and was invited to the Institute of France to demonstrate his invention to the members of the Institute. Volta enjoyed a certain amount of closeness with the Emperor throughout his life and he was conferred numerous honours by him.^[1] Alessandro Volta held the chair of experimental physics at the University of Paviafor nearly 40 years and was widely idolised by his students.^[1]

Despite his professional success Volta tended to be a person inclined towards domestic life and this was more apparent in his later years. At this time he tended to live secluded from public life and more for the sake of his family until his eventual death in 1827 from a series of illnesses which began in 1823.^[1] The SI unit of electric potential is named in his honour as the volt.

Wikipedia

In Fact!!! Toyota has a concept car named after him! 

Climate Scientist Wins $50,000 In Libel Lawsuit Against Conservative Newspaper - Thinkprogress.com

A prominent Canadian climatologist won his libel lawsuit against The National Post on Friday, after a judge decided that the newspaper had published several articles that were both inaccurate and defamatory to his character.

British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Emily Burke said that Dr. Andrew Weaver should be awarded $50,000 in damages from the Post, which she said unfairly diminished Weaver’s credibility as a climate scientist by publishing articles that falsely painted Weaver as incompetent. The articles claimed that Weaver, a former member of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), was “untrustworthy, unscientific and incompetent; and that he distorts and conceals scientific data to promote a public agenda and receive government funding.”

The decision did not touch on the accuracy of climate science itself, instead focusing on statements the Post and its columnists repeatedly made about Weaver — such as claims that he was attempting to distract the public from a (now-discredited) scandal involving climate scientists e-mails; that Weaver was a government employee; that he wanted the head of the IPCC to step down; and that he used data despite knowing it was “unadulterated rubbish.” Justice Burke found that those statements were either untrue or misleading.

To read more: ThinkProgress.com

The "Historical" Blizzard of 2015

On January 26, 2015 all Massachusetts residents were put on a high alert and snow warning for the Blizzard of "Historic proportions". since then, the news stations have issued apologies for using the words "Historic". Though as one might imagine, regardless the name, if asking a person who shoveled a driveway... Historic might not scratch the surface.

The estimate for the snow fall was approximately 15" in Beverly, MA

Climate Change rearing its ugly head in Beverly, MA

Net Zero Home Video

The completed video/low resolution view.