References

[Dr Emma Archer, Feb 2010: ENSO and the tropical Pacific [in " Climate Change – A Critical Emerging Issue"]

[South Africa’s Clean technology fund investment portfolio. http://soer.deat.gov.za/State_of_the_Environment.html. 27 October 2009]

[unknown, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-cobb-demonstrates-first-solar-powered-car. accessed 17 August 2010]

[Erin Riches. 2010 Toyota Prius Sales Will Hit 100,000 in 2009, Toyota Says. http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2009/03/2010-toyota-prius-sales-will-hit-100000-in-2009-toyota-says.html. 17-august-2010]

[Hydrogen Fuel cars now. http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/gm-electrovan.htm. 17-august-2010]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6294133.stm

http://www.hybridcars.com/frontpage

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/bams_state_of_the_climate/2008.php

http://www.environment.gov.za/

http://soer.dect.gov.za/570.html


Pictures

http://arabicpicture.net/data/media/68/honda_fcx_concept_2010.jpg

http://keetsa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/co2cycle.jpg

http://www.bmwblog.com/wp-content/uploads/i-car-500x333.jpg

http://thehottestgadgets.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/saabaero.jpg

http://keetsa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/2004_renault_fluence_concept.jpg

http://www.inautonews.com/wp-content/plugins/yet-another-photoblog/cache/bmw_m1_hommage1.btv16jhbg80k8oow0wocwco4o.a5fuq7lrqzkgc0ccw4ss08gso.th.jpeg

http://www.caradvice.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/land_rover_lrx_concept_003.jpg

http://www.greenzer.com/blog/blog_image_store/2009/06/biofuel-ferrari-spider-1024x580.jpg

The Environment Vs Technology: The Great Irony!

Ever since man has discovered how to use tools, there has been an insatiable quest to create tools that make survival easier in our environment. As mans needs increased, technologies have been developed to better utilize the environment to satisfy our ever increasing needs. The environment is essentially a resource that renews, regulates and sustains itself in a continuous circle of life. However some resources, such as oil and fossil fuels are not renewable and have a limited supply that will eventually cease. Human industries have become so efficient in extracting these resources from the environment, that certain ecosystems that regulate the environment are becoming threatened. Weather patterns are changing, climate temperatures are increasing, our oceans are warming, Polar ice caps are melting at increased rates and natural disasters are occurring more frequently.



Many scientists believe that the increased CO2 emissions are to blame (Kruger & Shongwe, 2004; New et al., 2006). As you may know, CO2 is mostly produced when fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, coal and their by-products are combusted or burnt. The CO2 is the most well known contributor to greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases naturally form part of the Earth’s atmosphere and are essential in keeping the Sun’s warmth in our atmosphere. Without greenhouse gases Earth would be a cold barren place. However, human activity is pushing out more CO2 than the Earth needs, and this is holding more of the Sun’s heat in our atmosphere. This is where the term Global warming stems from and is theorized by scientists to be the main driver of climate change. [Dr Emma Archer, Feb 2010: ENSO and the tropical Pacific [in " Climate Change – A Critical Emerging Issue"]. Dept. Environmental Affairs..

THE SOUTH AFRICAN GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION PROFILE - 2000

[South Africa’s Clean technology fund investment portfolio. http://soer.deat.gov.za/State_of_the_Environment.html. 27 October 2009]



The sheer magnitude of how much CO2 humans produce is astounding. Five minutes in a smoking section is bad enough, but just imagine living in one your entire life. Put simply, human technology has become the source of damage to the natural environment.

The Gallery

Gone are the days when you have to look like a geek when trying to save the environment, have a look at these environmentally friendly cars:

And the good news!

When I think of making a significant difference to the environment, I am thinking of changing my old lightbulbs with energy efficient ones from Eksdom. Or I will switch off my plugs at night and when I leave the house in order to save electricity. Maybe I will even separate my trash into glass, paper and plastics. But have you ever thought of changing the one thing you own which probably creates the most CO2…your car? Maybe you have, and if you are like me, you cringe at the idea of looking like a hippy, nerd in one of those solar powered alien looking flying saucers that have three wheels. Thats about when I laugh and think that changing my car is asking too much.


SOLAR POWER

“In 1955, William G. Cobb of the General Motors Corp. (GM) demonstrates his 15-inch-long "Sunmobile," the world's first solar-powered automobile, at the General Motors Powerama auto show held in Chicago, Illinois.

Cobb's Sunmobile introduced, however briefly, the field of photovoltaics--the process by which the sun's rays are converted into electricity when exposed to certain surfaces--into the gasoline-drenched automotive industry.” [unknown, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/william-cobb-demonstrates-first-solar-powered-car. accessed 17 August 2010]



HYBRIDS

Toyota Prius

With rising petrol prices and climate conscious consumers ever increasing, car manufacturers have realised a market exists to make alternative power sources for their cars. Forget early home-made solar panels with wheels, some of these cars are powered with state of the art technologies using Hydrogen combustion. The same type of combustion used in an Atomic bomb or H-bomb. For example, a technology developed by Toyota has been implemented in a number of cars. The most well-known being the Toyota Prius. This car is actually a Hybrid. Hybrid motor vehicles consist of two technologies combined to create a vehicle that emits less greenhouse gases. The Prius specifically combines a petroleum engine and an electric motor. The Prius has become the first mass produced hybrid vehicle and sales have reached record levels, with more than 100000 vehicles sold in 2009. [Erin Riches. 2010 Toyota Prius Sales Will Hit 100,000 in 2009, Toyota Says. http://blogs.insideline.com/straightline/2009/03/2010-toyota-prius-sales-will-hit-100000-in-2009-toyota-says.html. 17-august-2010]

Battery pack of the Toyota Prius

HYDROGEN FUEL CELL

Another technology developed by GM in 1966 [Hydrogen Fuel cars now. http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/gm-electrovan.htm. 17-august-2010] was the hydrogen fuel-cell powered motor vehicle. The Electrovan as it was called was the earliest use of Hydrogen to power a motor vehicle and was quite primitive. The reason Hydrogen fuel cells are actually the cleanest form of fuel is based on the fact its by-product or emission is actually pure water. No harmful greenhouse gases are produced when using a Hydrogen fuel cell. The top speed of the Electrovan was around 103 km/h and had a range of 193 kilometres. Eventually the costs of producing these vehicles outweighed their economic viability. A significant amount of Platinum metal was used to produce the fuel cell making the Electrovan exorbitantly expensive. The project was scrapped later due safety issues and the significant weight of the fuel cell which topped 250 kilograms.

General Motors Electrovan

GM's fuel cell operation diagram

Honda Motor Group has taken the Hydrogen fuel cell technology seriously and made some impressive technological developments over the past two decades. Honda began road testing fuel-cell vehicles in 1999 and in 2007 revealed its FCX Clarity vehicle. According to its website, Honda has began operation of a next generation solar hydrogen station that is meant to create the hydrogen fuel cell power needed to commute a car for one day. This can be done overnight. It is considered a home plug in unit and definitely is a step in the right direction. Making these technologies more accessible and less hippy will definitely make the technology more mainstream and appeal to a wider audiences.

For more information on the Fuel Cell technology and how it works visit http://world.honda.com/FuelCell/FCX/fuelcell/structure/

BIOFUELS
 
Biofuels has become quite popular in recent years, mostly due to the fact that it is cheaper than regular petroleum and gas. Biofuel is derived from biomass or bio-waste and the top five crops used to produce it are: Maize, Canola, Sugar Cane, Palm oil and Jatropha. [The Top Five Biofuel Crops. http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/energy_co2/renewable_energy/biofuels_crops.html. 17-aug-2010]. When these crops are processed, ethanol or alcohol is produced. This is mixed with regular diesel or petrol to produce biofuel. Biofuel is used in heavy industries such as long-haul transport, shipping and agriculture mostly. The fact that crops are cheaper to produce than extracting petroleum from oil makes this an attractive alternative to fossil fuels. In some countries, people are moving away from harvesting crops for agriculture and rather growing crops that are used for biofuel. The sad reality is that because farmers are moving away from traditional crops that will feed people, there will be a drop in the amount of food produced. In poorer countries like Mali and Gambia, where many people rely on staples such as corn and rice, there is now less crops being produced to feed the poor. So there are upsides and downsides to biofuel and governments around the world vary in their point of view on this issue.

http://keetsa.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/co2cycle.jpg

For more information on biofuels, visit this site... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6294133.stm

http://www.bigpictureblog.info/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/biofuels-cartoon.gif

 

The bad news though, is you will not save money buying a so called “eco-car”. According to an article featured on the UK’s motoring website, Parker’s, after purchasing an eco-friendly car you could only see cost savings after 28 years. The reason being that despite lower running costs, your savings will be outweighed by the high prices attached to these cars. This is blamed on the cost of buying state of the art technology that makes the car environmentally friendly. For example, the Skoda Octavia Greenline costs ₤960 more than its petrol variant. The difference in fuel economy is just 2 miles per gallon(mpg) which would save you around ₤17.72 per year, which means 28 years before seeing actual savings. Lets hope the car lasts that long!
 
What I think the author of this article is missing though is fact that these cars are designed to save the environment, not around saving you money. In the not too distant future, petrol will run out and we will be forced to use alternative sustainable fuel sources for our transportation, and this technology is setting a precedent for the inevitable.

Timeline: History of the Electric Car

1832-1839

Scottish inventor Robert Anderson invents the first crude electric carriage powered by non-rechargeable primary cells.

1835

American Thomas Davenport is credited with building the first practical electric vehicle -- a small locomotive.

1859

French physicist Gaston Planté invents the rechargeable lead-acid storage battery. In 1881, his countryman Camille Faure will improve the storage battery's ability to supply current and invent the basic lead-acid battery used in automobiles.

1891

William Morrison of Des Moines, Iowa builds the first successful electric automobile in the United States.

Thomas Edison and an electric car. Courtesy of the Smithsonian

1893

A handful of different makes and models of electric cars are exhibited in Chicago.

1897

The first electric taxis hit the streets of New York City early in the year. The Pope Manufacturing Company of Connecticut becomes the first large-scale American electric automobile manufacturer.

1899

Believing that electricity will run autos in the future, Thomas Alva Edison begins his mission to create a long-lasting, powerful battery for commercial automobiles. Though his research yields some improvements to the alkaline battery, he ultimately abandons his quest a decade later.

1900

The electric automobile is in its heyday. Of the 4,192 cars produced in the United States 28 percent are powered by electricity, and electric autos represent about one-third of all cars found on the roads of New York City, Boston, and Chicago.

A Ford Model T

1908

Henry Ford introduces the mass-produced and gasoline-powered Model T, which will have a profound effect on the U.S. automobile market.

1912

Charles Kettering invents the first practical electric automobile starter. Kettering's invention makes gasoline-powered autos more alluring to consumers by eliminating the unwieldy hand crank starter and ultimately helps pave the way for the electric car's demise.

1920

During the 1920s the electric car ceases to be a viable commercial product. The electric car's downfall is attributable to a number of factors, including the desire for longer distance vehicles, their lack of horsepower, and the ready availability of gasoline.

1966

Congress introduces the earliest bills recommending use of electric vehicles as a means of reducing air pollution. A Gallup poll indicates that 33 million Americans are interested in electric vehicles.

1970s

Concerns about the soaring price of oil -- peaking with the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973 -- and a growing environmental movement result in renewed interests in electric cars from both consumers and producers.

1972

Victor Wouk, the "Godfather of the Hybrid," builds the first full-powered, full-size hybrid vehicle out of a 1972 Buick Skylark provided by General Motors (G.M.) for the 1970 Federal Clean Car Incentive Program. The Environmental Protection Association later kills the program in 1976.

Vanguard-Sebring's CitiCar

1974

Vanguard-Sebring's CitiCar makes its debut at the Electric Vehicle Symposium in Washington, D.C. The CitiCar has a top speed of over 30 mph and a reliable warm-weather range of 40 miles. By 1975 the company is the sixth largest automaker in the U.S. but is dissolved only a few years later.

1975

The U.S. Postal Service purchases 350 electric delivery jeeps from AM General, a division of AMC, to be used in a test program.

1976

Congress passes the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act. The law is intended to spur the development of new technologies including improved batteries, motors, and other hybrid-electric components.

1988

Roger Smith, CEO of G.M. , agrees to fund research efforts to build a practical consumer electric car. G.M. teams up with California's AeroVironment to design what would become the EV1, which one employee called "the world's most efficient production vehicle." Some electric vehicle enthusiasts have speculated that the EV1 was never undertaken as a serious commercial venture by the large automaker.

1990

California passes its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Mandate, which requires two percent of the state's vehicles to have no emissions by 1998 and 10 percent by 2003. The law is repeatedly weakened over the next decade to reduce the number of pure ZEVs it requires.

1997

Toyota unveils the Prius -- the world's first commercially mass-produced and marketed hybrid car -- in Japan. Nearly 18,000 units are sold during the first production year.

1997 - 2000

A few thousand all-electric cars (such as Honda's EV Plus, G.M.'s EV1, Ford's Ranger pickup EV, Nissan's Altra EV, Chevy's S-10 EV, and Toyota's RAV4 EV) are produced by big car manufacturers, but most of them are available for lease only. All of the major automakers' advanced all-electric production programs will be discontinued by the early 2000s.

2002

G.M. and DaimlerChrysler sue the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to repeal the ZEV mandate first passed in 1990. The Bush Administration joins that suit.

Crushed EV1 electric cars

2003

G.M. announces that it will not renew leases on its EV1 cars saying it can no longer supply parts to repair the vehicles and that it plans to reclaim the cars by the end of 2004.

2005

On February 16, electric vehicle enthusiasts begin a "Don't Crush" vigil to stop G.M. from demolishing 78 impounded EV1s in Burbank, California. The vigil ends twenty-eight days later when G.M. removes the cars from the facility. In the film "Who Killed the Electric Car" G.M. spokesman Dave Barthmuss states that the EV1s are to be recycled, not just crushed.

2006

Tesla Motors publicly unveils the ultra-sporty Tesla Roadster at the San Francisco International Auto Show in November. The first production Roadsters will be sold in 2008 with a base price listing of $98,950.

2008

January

A Better Place charging spot

The Israeli government announces its support for a sweeping project to promote the use of electric cars in Israel. The effort will be a joint venture between Better Place, a Palo Alto start-up founded by software maven Shai Agassi, and French automaker Renault-Nissan. Agassi's plan is to create an extensive network of charging spots and to sell EV drivers mileage in their cars like minutes on a cell phone plan. The first Renault electric cars are scheduled to hit the streets of Tel Aviv and other cities in 2011. Better Place announces a host of partnerships to support electric vehicle projects in Denmark, Canada, Japan, Australia and the U.S.

July

Gas prices reach record highs of more than $4 a gallon and car sales drop to their lowest levels in a decade. American automakers begin to shift their production lines away from SUVs and other large vehicles toward smaller, more fuel-efficient cars.

August

On the campaign trail, presidential candidate Barack Obama says he will push to have one million plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles on America's roads by 2015.

November

Struggling to remain profitable during the economic downturn, executives from the Big Three American automakers go to Washington to make the case for a $25 billion Federal bailout of the U.S. automotive industry.

December

BYD, a Chinese battery manufacturer turned automaker, releases the F3DM, the world's first mass produced plug-in hybrid compact sedan. Though they pack less energy than more conventional lithium ion batteries, BYD opts to power the F3DM with a more stable lithium iron phosphate battery. BYD plans to release the F3DM in the U.S. in 2011, but some industry insiders have doubts about whether the car is ready for the U.S. market. Though sales of the car remain sluggish, Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway purchases a 10% stake in the company.

The National Bureau of Economic Research states officially that the U.S. has been in a recession since December 2007. The economic downturn is global in scope and will continue to exert financial pressures on the already battered U.S. auto industry.

2009

February

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 allocates $2 billion for development of electric vehicle batteries and related technologies. The Department of Energy adds another $400 million to fund building the infrastructure necessary to support plug-in electric vehicles.

April

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announces that the British government will promote the use of electric vehicles in the U.K. by offering a £2,000 subsidy to purchasers. A high-ranking government official estimates that 40% of all cars in Britain will need to be electric or hybrid for the country to reach it's goal of cutting 80% of its CO2 emissions by 2050.

Chrysler files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As part of its restructuring, Chrysler forms a partnership with the Italian car maker Fiat.

May

President Obama announces a new gas-mileage policy that will require automakers to meet a minimum fuel-efficiency standard of 35.5 miles a gallon by 2016.

June

The Tesla Roadster

The Department of Energy awards $8 billion in loans to Ford, Nissan, and Tesla Motors to support the development of fuel-efficient vehicles. The automaker loans are the first distributions from a larger $25 billion fund created under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.

General Motors, the leading producer of automobiles for most of the 20th Century, files for bankruptcy protection. While strong GM brands such as Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC are slated to continue, smaller names like Saturn, Hummer and Pontiac will be sold or closed. The federal government will hold a 61 percent stake in the reborn General Motors.

August

Nissan unveils its new electric car, called the LEAF ("Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car"). The LEAF is capable of a maximum speed of more than 90 mph, can travel 100 miles on a full charge, and has a battery that can be recharged to 80% of its capacity in 30 minutes. Similar to the Better Place initiative in Israel, Nissan plans to work with the Japanese government and private companies to set up charging station networks across several countries. The first production LEAFs are scheduled to go on sale in Japan, Europe, and the U.S. in the fall of 2010.

Late 2009

Though a few electric cars and plug-in hybrids are currently available on the market, several new models including the Nissan LEAF, Chevrolet Volt, and Mitsubishi i MiEV are scheduled to hit the streets in the near future. Toyota, creator of the popular Prius hybrid, has thus far declined to deliver a fully electric car.

Despite promising signs, the electric car will need to navigate a bumpy road before it can become a viable option for many drivers. Challenges to mass adoption include high sticker prices, limited battery life and travel range, and building charging stations and other infrastructure to support electric vehicles.

Sources: Hybridcars.com: History, Electric Auto Association: Electric Vehicle History, IEEE Power Engineering Society: "Electric Vehicles In The Early Years Of The Automobile" by Carl Sulzberger, About.com: The History of Electric Vehicles, Econogics: EV History, Smithsonian Institution: Edison After Forty, Who Killed the Electric Car?

[PBS. http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/223/electric-car-timeline.html. 17-August-2010]