Paul Simons
Exactly a century ago John Hassall drew his poster of a jolly fisherman skipping over a sandy beach with the slogan “Skegness is SO Bracing.” It summed up how the Victorians loved the seaside air, as a tonic to breathe in deep for health and wellbeing. But new evidence shows it to be the opposite.
A recent study discovered that dirty smoke from ships is polluting coastal air. Ships burning a cheap sulphur-rich fuel called “bunker oil” produce clouds of tiny sulphate particles. These specks of dirt pose a serious health hazard when breathed in. Air samples taken from the coast of California revealed that sulphates from ships made up almost half the fine particles floating in the air. However, from 2015 United Nations international maritime regulations will make ships burn cleaner fuels when they come near to coastlines.
Another problem floating around at the seaside is entirely natural. The Victorians thought that the bracing air and distinctive smell of the seaside was created by ozone, and that this was wonderful for health. They were wrong on both counts – the smell is not ozone, which is extremely harmful. Instead, University of East Anglia scientists found the smell comes from dimethyl sulphide (DMS), which in high concentrations can irritate the eyes and lungs. DMS released from the oceans affects the weather by helping to seed clouds. With more clouds, less sunlight reaches the sea and so cools off temperatures over oceans. Many scientists believe that DMS is one of Nature’s checks and balances to keep the climate in harmony, and may help to offset global warming.
Friday, 29 August 2008
Africa climate conference delegates not offsetting flights
By Mike Pflanz
Last Updated: 1:01pm BST 28/08/2008
More than 1,700 delegates at two conferences on global warming being held in Kenya and Ghana have largely failed to carbon-offset their travel to the meetings, The Telegraph has learned.
Some 140 participants have flown from as far as Japan to Nairobi for a forum of scientists and African and European MPs to discuss the devastating impact of climate change on the world's poorest people.
The flights to the Nairobi conference will produce 2.6 tonnes of CO2
But few have opted to pay for the greenhouse gases that their travel to Nairobi produced, which totals 2.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide for each return flight from Japan, for example.
That is almost nine times the per capita CO2 output for the average Kenyan.
A straw poll of 29 participants found only one, a British climate researcher, who had offset his flight. Ten members of the organising committee had also paid the surcharge.
"We were not told anything about that, and these flights are expensive enough already", said Adam Boni Tessi, an MP from Benin in West Africa, whose 5,300 mile round trip produced 0.9 tonnes of CO2.
Others from Germany, Uganda and Ivory Coast all admitted that they had not paid. One Ugandan delegate said the conference organisers should have told them about carbon offset schemes.
"Whether to fly carbon neutral was a decision which was left up to each of the delegates themselves," said Femke Brouwer from European Parliamentarians for Africa (Awepa), the organisers of the Nairobi forum.
"I think you will find that the vast majority will not have [paid], but we as Awepa are developing a policy which will allow our members to fly carbon neutral, which will be in place for the next meeting early next year."
A separate conference with 1,600 participants is being held at the same time in Ghana's capital, Accra, for the latest round of UN-backed talks linked to implementing the Kyoto Protocol.
Again, organisers could not confirm that air travel was carbon neutral because the decision whether to pay the green surcharge on each flight was left to each delegation.
"It's up to the parties to decide for themselves," said Caroline Keulemans, spokesman for the Accra conference.
"The UN is working towards a mechanism in which all emissions for UN conferences will be offset. For now it's up to the parties, but as the UN we would very much like that all of these conferences would be carbon neutral."
Ms Keulemans could not say when this scheme would be introduced.
The conference organisers had advised delegates not to wear jackets and ties, to allow "discussions in a more comfortable environment, as well as [to] limit the use of air conditioning and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions", its website said.
Indonesia paid to offset all greenhouse gases produced during last year's Bali climate conference by planting 79m trees, but it was not clear if Ghana had made plans to do anything similar.
Last Updated: 1:01pm BST 28/08/2008
More than 1,700 delegates at two conferences on global warming being held in Kenya and Ghana have largely failed to carbon-offset their travel to the meetings, The Telegraph has learned.
Some 140 participants have flown from as far as Japan to Nairobi for a forum of scientists and African and European MPs to discuss the devastating impact of climate change on the world's poorest people.
The flights to the Nairobi conference will produce 2.6 tonnes of CO2
But few have opted to pay for the greenhouse gases that their travel to Nairobi produced, which totals 2.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide for each return flight from Japan, for example.
That is almost nine times the per capita CO2 output for the average Kenyan.
A straw poll of 29 participants found only one, a British climate researcher, who had offset his flight. Ten members of the organising committee had also paid the surcharge.
"We were not told anything about that, and these flights are expensive enough already", said Adam Boni Tessi, an MP from Benin in West Africa, whose 5,300 mile round trip produced 0.9 tonnes of CO2.
Others from Germany, Uganda and Ivory Coast all admitted that they had not paid. One Ugandan delegate said the conference organisers should have told them about carbon offset schemes.
"Whether to fly carbon neutral was a decision which was left up to each of the delegates themselves," said Femke Brouwer from European Parliamentarians for Africa (Awepa), the organisers of the Nairobi forum.
"I think you will find that the vast majority will not have [paid], but we as Awepa are developing a policy which will allow our members to fly carbon neutral, which will be in place for the next meeting early next year."
A separate conference with 1,600 participants is being held at the same time in Ghana's capital, Accra, for the latest round of UN-backed talks linked to implementing the Kyoto Protocol.
Again, organisers could not confirm that air travel was carbon neutral because the decision whether to pay the green surcharge on each flight was left to each delegation.
"It's up to the parties to decide for themselves," said Caroline Keulemans, spokesman for the Accra conference.
"The UN is working towards a mechanism in which all emissions for UN conferences will be offset. For now it's up to the parties, but as the UN we would very much like that all of these conferences would be carbon neutral."
Ms Keulemans could not say when this scheme would be introduced.
The conference organisers had advised delegates not to wear jackets and ties, to allow "discussions in a more comfortable environment, as well as [to] limit the use of air conditioning and thereby reduce greenhouse gas emissions", its website said.
Indonesia paid to offset all greenhouse gases produced during last year's Bali climate conference by planting 79m trees, but it was not clear if Ghana had made plans to do anything similar.
Households paying £800 too much in green taxes, says report
James Kirkup, Political Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 28/08/2008
Households are paying hundreds of pounds more in "green taxes" than is justified by the environmental cost of their carbon emissions, a new study claims today.
Britain paid £19.6 billion too much in green taxes lastyear, or £783.34 per household
The Taxpayers' Alliance has calculated that every household in the UK is paying as much as £800 a year more in environmental taxes than is necessary.
Its analysis claims the Treasury made £20 billion in "excess" revenue from environmental taxes last year - from supposedly "green" levies on motoring, energy bills and waste disposal.
The report is the latest attack on the Government's use of green taxes and will strengthen suspicions that ministers are using the environment as a cover for revenue-raising measures.
The TPA said its figures showed ministers were "wrapping revenue-raising tax hikes in a green banner." However, the Treasury rejected the group's figures as misleading.
The study focuses on five so-called "green" taxes: fuel duty; Vehicle Excise Duty - or car tax as it is commonly known; the landfill tax paid by council tax payers; the climate change levy and the renewables obligation.
These final two are both levied on utility bills and are intended to fund investment in renewable energy sources.
The TPA report calculates that in 2007/08, the Exchequer took a net £24.2 billion from those taxes, after the costs of maintaining the roads network are subtracted. The equivalent financial "cost" of Britain's carbon dioxide emissions is significantly less, it says.
According the methods used by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UK's emissions in 2007 did £4.6 billion worth of damage to the environment.
By that figure, Britain paid £19.6 billion too much in green taxes last year, or £783.34 per household.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs uses a much higher figure, based on the Stern Report by Sir Nicholas Stern, a former Treasury economist. It says that the cost of Britain's emissions is £16.3 billion.
But even using that total, the annual "excess" green tax revenue is £7.9 billion or £315.81 per household.
Matthew Sinclair, the author of the TPA report, said green taxes were putting an "unfair burden" on families and companies.
He said: "With the credit crunch squeezing household budgets, people can ill afford this extra tax grab. It's dishonest and unjust for politicians to wrap revenue-raising tax hikes in a green banner. The Government are talking about raising taxes even further, but our conclusions show that green taxes should be kept as they are or cut."
By far the biggest "green tax" cited by the TPA is fuel duty. Levied at 50.35 pence per litre, the tax raised a gross total of £24.9 billion for the Treasury in 2007/08
The Treasury strongly disputed the TPA's calculations last night, insisting that fuel duty should not be considered a "green" tax because it is not imposed purely to reflect the environmental impacts of fuel consumption.
Still, the TPA report is not the first to suggest that road tax revenues exceed environmental costs.
In July, an academic study commissioned by the Institute for Fiscal Studies concluded that road fuel duty is already well above the level that can be justified by the damage done by vehicles' CO2 emissions.
Ministers are also under intense pressure over a plan to raise road tax by as much as £245, a plan justified as "green" despite the Treasury having no estimate of how much carbon dioxide it will save.
A Treasury spokesperson said: "The estimate of green taxes is wrong as it includes taxes used to fund core public services, rather than simply offsetting the cost of CO2.
"For example, while fuel duty recognises the environmental costs of driving, it also pays for important public services, including new roads and public transport and efforts to tackle child poverty."
The TPA analysis also found that the gap between emissions and green tax payments "varies significantly" between suburban and rural areas and urban districts. Residents of rural areas may face much higher "excess" green taxes compared to residents of cities and towns.
Last Updated: 12:01am BST 28/08/2008
Households are paying hundreds of pounds more in "green taxes" than is justified by the environmental cost of their carbon emissions, a new study claims today.
Britain paid £19.6 billion too much in green taxes lastyear, or £783.34 per household
The Taxpayers' Alliance has calculated that every household in the UK is paying as much as £800 a year more in environmental taxes than is necessary.
Its analysis claims the Treasury made £20 billion in "excess" revenue from environmental taxes last year - from supposedly "green" levies on motoring, energy bills and waste disposal.
The report is the latest attack on the Government's use of green taxes and will strengthen suspicions that ministers are using the environment as a cover for revenue-raising measures.
The TPA said its figures showed ministers were "wrapping revenue-raising tax hikes in a green banner." However, the Treasury rejected the group's figures as misleading.
The study focuses on five so-called "green" taxes: fuel duty; Vehicle Excise Duty - or car tax as it is commonly known; the landfill tax paid by council tax payers; the climate change levy and the renewables obligation.
These final two are both levied on utility bills and are intended to fund investment in renewable energy sources.
The TPA report calculates that in 2007/08, the Exchequer took a net £24.2 billion from those taxes, after the costs of maintaining the roads network are subtracted. The equivalent financial "cost" of Britain's carbon dioxide emissions is significantly less, it says.
According the methods used by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the UK's emissions in 2007 did £4.6 billion worth of damage to the environment.
By that figure, Britain paid £19.6 billion too much in green taxes last year, or £783.34 per household.
The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs uses a much higher figure, based on the Stern Report by Sir Nicholas Stern, a former Treasury economist. It says that the cost of Britain's emissions is £16.3 billion.
But even using that total, the annual "excess" green tax revenue is £7.9 billion or £315.81 per household.
Matthew Sinclair, the author of the TPA report, said green taxes were putting an "unfair burden" on families and companies.
He said: "With the credit crunch squeezing household budgets, people can ill afford this extra tax grab. It's dishonest and unjust for politicians to wrap revenue-raising tax hikes in a green banner. The Government are talking about raising taxes even further, but our conclusions show that green taxes should be kept as they are or cut."
By far the biggest "green tax" cited by the TPA is fuel duty. Levied at 50.35 pence per litre, the tax raised a gross total of £24.9 billion for the Treasury in 2007/08
The Treasury strongly disputed the TPA's calculations last night, insisting that fuel duty should not be considered a "green" tax because it is not imposed purely to reflect the environmental impacts of fuel consumption.
Still, the TPA report is not the first to suggest that road tax revenues exceed environmental costs.
In July, an academic study commissioned by the Institute for Fiscal Studies concluded that road fuel duty is already well above the level that can be justified by the damage done by vehicles' CO2 emissions.
Ministers are also under intense pressure over a plan to raise road tax by as much as £245, a plan justified as "green" despite the Treasury having no estimate of how much carbon dioxide it will save.
A Treasury spokesperson said: "The estimate of green taxes is wrong as it includes taxes used to fund core public services, rather than simply offsetting the cost of CO2.
"For example, while fuel duty recognises the environmental costs of driving, it also pays for important public services, including new roads and public transport and efforts to tackle child poverty."
The TPA analysis also found that the gap between emissions and green tax payments "varies significantly" between suburban and rural areas and urban districts. Residents of rural areas may face much higher "excess" green taxes compared to residents of cities and towns.
HK gas terminal on hold in green move
By Robin Kwong in Hong Kong
Published: August 28 2008 17:46
The Hong Kong government has backed away from approving a controversial natural gas terminal in an ecologically sensitive area, in what is seen as its first serious attempt to tackle air pollution in the territory in recent years.
China Light and Power, Hong Kong’s biggest energy company, has long argued that it needed to build an HK$8bn ($1bn) liquid natural gas receiving terminal to ensure a stable future gas supply for the territory.
Having more natural gas was also a prerequisite for improving Hong Kong’s air quality, according to CLP, which said it now had to burn more coal to conserve its dwindling gas supplies.
However, environmental activists claim that the terminal, which CLP proposed to build on two small islands on the edge of Hong Kong’s territorial waters, will endanger marine life, particularly the rare pink dolphins and finless porpoises that are Hong Kong’s only indigenous marine mammals.
Edward Yau, environment secretary, said on Thursday that the need for the terminal was greatly reduced after Hong Kong signed a series of energy deals with Beijing that will ensure a stable supply of gas to the territory for the next 20 years.
Under the agreement, the state-controlled China National Offshore Oil Corporation will renew its supply agreement to Hong Kong for another 20 years, and Petrochina will still study the feasibility of supplying gas to Hong Kong from central Asia via pipeline as well as an LNG terminal that Petrochina is planning to build in neighbouring Shenzhen economic zone.
A senior government official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the government expected that, with this agreement in place, CLP would increase its use of natural gas from a third of its fuel mix to half, thus improving Hong Kong’s air quality. CLP is the biggest polluter within Hong Kong, though the territory also suffers from pollution generated by factories across the border.
Andrew Brandler, chief executive of CLP, said he welcomed the agreement, but the new supply will only “partly fill the gas shortage being faced by us”.
“Imports of LNG will still be needed to meet our full requirements as our need for clean natural gas continues to grow,” Mr Brandler said.
While the new gas supply is still subject to CLP reaching a commercial agreement with CNOOC and Petrochina, the senior official said it was “an obvious choice” over CLP building its own terminal within Hong Kong.
The lack of government support for a Hong Kong terminal also calls into question a 20-year gas supply deal that CLP had initially agreed on with BG Group, the UK gas company, in June. CLP declined to comment on the impact the latest developments would have for the BG deal.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Published: August 28 2008 17:46
The Hong Kong government has backed away from approving a controversial natural gas terminal in an ecologically sensitive area, in what is seen as its first serious attempt to tackle air pollution in the territory in recent years.
China Light and Power, Hong Kong’s biggest energy company, has long argued that it needed to build an HK$8bn ($1bn) liquid natural gas receiving terminal to ensure a stable future gas supply for the territory.
Having more natural gas was also a prerequisite for improving Hong Kong’s air quality, according to CLP, which said it now had to burn more coal to conserve its dwindling gas supplies.
However, environmental activists claim that the terminal, which CLP proposed to build on two small islands on the edge of Hong Kong’s territorial waters, will endanger marine life, particularly the rare pink dolphins and finless porpoises that are Hong Kong’s only indigenous marine mammals.
Edward Yau, environment secretary, said on Thursday that the need for the terminal was greatly reduced after Hong Kong signed a series of energy deals with Beijing that will ensure a stable supply of gas to the territory for the next 20 years.
Under the agreement, the state-controlled China National Offshore Oil Corporation will renew its supply agreement to Hong Kong for another 20 years, and Petrochina will still study the feasibility of supplying gas to Hong Kong from central Asia via pipeline as well as an LNG terminal that Petrochina is planning to build in neighbouring Shenzhen economic zone.
A senior government official, who preferred to remain anonymous, said the government expected that, with this agreement in place, CLP would increase its use of natural gas from a third of its fuel mix to half, thus improving Hong Kong’s air quality. CLP is the biggest polluter within Hong Kong, though the territory also suffers from pollution generated by factories across the border.
Andrew Brandler, chief executive of CLP, said he welcomed the agreement, but the new supply will only “partly fill the gas shortage being faced by us”.
“Imports of LNG will still be needed to meet our full requirements as our need for clean natural gas continues to grow,” Mr Brandler said.
While the new gas supply is still subject to CLP reaching a commercial agreement with CNOOC and Petrochina, the senior official said it was “an obvious choice” over CLP building its own terminal within Hong Kong.
The lack of government support for a Hong Kong terminal also calls into question a 20-year gas supply deal that CLP had initially agreed on with BG Group, the UK gas company, in June. CLP declined to comment on the impact the latest developments would have for the BG deal.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2008
Renewable Energy Holdings
REH, the AIM-quoted investor and operator of renewable energy technologies, said its three CETO II pumps have been installed in the test site at Perth, Western Australia, and are performing within their design specifications. CETO pumps produce electricity and fresh water by harnessing power from the sea.
To Greece, by car, on grease
Carbon-conscious enthusiasts beg restaurants and cafes for waste vegetable oil to power their European journey, converting an estimated 350 litres of oil into fuel on their 11 day trip
Helena Smith
guardian.co.uk,
Thursday August 28 2008 13:04 BST
The 'Grease to Greece' rally makes its way to central Athens to promote awareness of alternative biofuels. Photograph: Yiorgos Karahalis/Reuters
A group of British eco-enthusiasts have just pulled off the greenest and grubbiest car rally ever, driving from London to Athens in vehicles powered exclusively on waste vegetable oil.
The team motored with unexpected ease across Europe on the proceeds of the grease thrown away by restaurants and cafes along the way. Their hope is that the 2,500-mile feat will help a drive to create a commodity out of cooking oils that otherwise end up in landfills or the sea. Unlike ethanol and other controversial biofuels, recycled cooking fat does not impact on food production.
"I think we can safely say that this is the first long-distance car journey in Europe that has relied on restaurants and burger bars as an informal network of filling stations," said Andy Pag, a 34-year-old Londoner, who organised the rally.
"It's true we spent a lot of time fat-finding, knocking on the doors of restaurants begging for their waste, but it worked. And the beauty, of course, is that when such supplies are collected straight from a restaurant and used as fuel they have a zero-carbon footprint," he told the Guardian, after an awards ceremony highlighting alternatives to fossil fuels at the British embassy in Athens.
Eight teams took part, driving cars that ranged from a brand new Renault to, in Pag's case, a 13–year-old former taxi. They estimate that 350 litres of cooking oil were used to fuel the 11-day expedition.
Some of the vehicles had been converted to run on vegetable oil. Those driving "uncoverted" cars brewed up biodiesel using a portable "fuel pod" processor – a 2,500lb (1,134kg) contraption carried in a transit van that they described as being "as easy as a washing machine to use."
Pag conducted his first carbon neutral trip in 2007, driving from London to Timbuktu in a lorry powered by diesel made from cocoa butter, produced by a chocolate factory in the UK. He said he was amazed at the curiosity the rally engendered, with crowds invariably gathering to witness the re-fuelling process.
"We used what is known as an oily bits centrifuge system, the world's first mobile purification system for cars, to filter the waste en route," said Pag's co-driver, secondary school teacher Esther Obiri-Darko. "It gets rid of all the crud." Manufactured in the UK, the system costs around £500 and includes a pump.
The group's overarching aim is to encourage people to look at alternatives to fossil fuels. "I think we made quite a lot of converts along the way," said Pag. "There's a whole trail out there of restaurant owners who are now looking at their waste products with different eyes. Our hope is that others will start to realise the energy that is in waste, too."
Helena Smith
guardian.co.uk,
Thursday August 28 2008 13:04 BST
The 'Grease to Greece' rally makes its way to central Athens to promote awareness of alternative biofuels. Photograph: Yiorgos Karahalis/Reuters
A group of British eco-enthusiasts have just pulled off the greenest and grubbiest car rally ever, driving from London to Athens in vehicles powered exclusively on waste vegetable oil.
The team motored with unexpected ease across Europe on the proceeds of the grease thrown away by restaurants and cafes along the way. Their hope is that the 2,500-mile feat will help a drive to create a commodity out of cooking oils that otherwise end up in landfills or the sea. Unlike ethanol and other controversial biofuels, recycled cooking fat does not impact on food production.
"I think we can safely say that this is the first long-distance car journey in Europe that has relied on restaurants and burger bars as an informal network of filling stations," said Andy Pag, a 34-year-old Londoner, who organised the rally.
"It's true we spent a lot of time fat-finding, knocking on the doors of restaurants begging for their waste, but it worked. And the beauty, of course, is that when such supplies are collected straight from a restaurant and used as fuel they have a zero-carbon footprint," he told the Guardian, after an awards ceremony highlighting alternatives to fossil fuels at the British embassy in Athens.
Eight teams took part, driving cars that ranged from a brand new Renault to, in Pag's case, a 13–year-old former taxi. They estimate that 350 litres of cooking oil were used to fuel the 11-day expedition.
Some of the vehicles had been converted to run on vegetable oil. Those driving "uncoverted" cars brewed up biodiesel using a portable "fuel pod" processor – a 2,500lb (1,134kg) contraption carried in a transit van that they described as being "as easy as a washing machine to use."
Pag conducted his first carbon neutral trip in 2007, driving from London to Timbuktu in a lorry powered by diesel made from cocoa butter, produced by a chocolate factory in the UK. He said he was amazed at the curiosity the rally engendered, with crowds invariably gathering to witness the re-fuelling process.
"We used what is known as an oily bits centrifuge system, the world's first mobile purification system for cars, to filter the waste en route," said Pag's co-driver, secondary school teacher Esther Obiri-Darko. "It gets rid of all the crud." Manufactured in the UK, the system costs around £500 and includes a pump.
The group's overarching aim is to encourage people to look at alternatives to fossil fuels. "I think we made quite a lot of converts along the way," said Pag. "There's a whole trail out there of restaurant owners who are now looking at their waste products with different eyes. Our hope is that others will start to realise the energy that is in waste, too."
No hybrid race between Toyota, GM, exec says
The Associated Press
Published: August 28, 2008
JOLIET, Illinois: The race between General Motors Corp. and Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. to produce a rechargeable car is meaningless because the companies' vehicle designs are so different, GM's top product executive said Thursday.
Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Toyota's plug-in hybrid has a much shorter electric range than the Chevrolet Volt and must use a gasoline engine to go any farther. The Volt, he said, runs only on electricity but carries a small gasoline engine to recharge the batteries when they are depleted.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said Thursday that Toyota will speed up delivery of its plug-in hybrid from 2010 to the end of 2009, while the Volt is due in showrooms in late 2010.
But Lutz said he expects Toyota's plug-in will debut in controlled fleets and not in large numbers. He said GM will have production versions of the Volt working in a large test fleet in late 2009.
Lutz, speaking at an event in Joliet where GM showed reporters its 2009 model lineup, said the Volt's lithium-ion batteries can take it 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometers) on a single charge. If a driver stays within that range, the car would never use gasoline. To go farther, the motor would come on to recharge the batteries.
Toyota has not released an electric-only range for its plug-in hybrid, which operates similar to its current Prius model by using both gasoline and electricity to propel the vehicle.
Lutz said such hybrids generally have a short electric-only range.
"After eight or 11 miles (13 or 18 kilometers) it reverts to being a completely normal gasoline-electric hybrid, which means you get about a 25-30 percent fuel savings, but the point is they do burn fuel," he said.
Lutz said GM has chosen one of two competing battery suppliers for the Volt, but he wouldn't say which one.
Two battery makers — Compact Power Inc. of Troy, Michigan, which is working with parent LG Chem of Korea, and Frankfurt, Germany-based Continental Automotive Systems, which is working with GM and A123 Systems Inc. of Watertown, Massachusetts — are competing to win the Volt battery contract.
Lutz also stopped short of predicting when GM would return to profitability, but said if it can further reduce structural costs, get higher prices for small cars, and if the U.S. auto market recovers, its top executives say they hope to return to black ink in 2010. GM reported a $15.5 billion second-quarter loss and has been burning cash this year at a rate of more than $1 billion a month.
Justin Ward, manager of the Toyota's advanced powertrain program in the U.S., said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that Toyota's design of blending gasoline and electric propulsion will be less costly than the Volt's design.
He said "series" designs like the Volt have larger, heavier battery packs and bigger electronic components to go with them, making them more costly.
Ward would not reveal the target price for Toyota's new version, but GM has said it will price the Volt between $30,000 and $40,000. The current Prius, which can't be plugged in for recharging but runs on both gas and electric power, has a base price of $21,500.
Industry analysts say despite differences between the vehicles, there is image value for whichever automaker can come out with a rechargeable car first.
But Lutz says the two vehicles can't be compared.
"A plug-in hybrid with a limited range is a very nice thing to have," he said. "It's wonderful that Toyota is working on this. If they have some test fleets out next year that's great. But it's not the same thing as a Chevy Volt, which is not a plug-in hybrid."
Published: August 28, 2008
JOLIET, Illinois: The race between General Motors Corp. and Japanese rival Toyota Motor Corp. to produce a rechargeable car is meaningless because the companies' vehicle designs are so different, GM's top product executive said Thursday.
Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Toyota's plug-in hybrid has a much shorter electric range than the Chevrolet Volt and must use a gasoline engine to go any farther. The Volt, he said, runs only on electricity but carries a small gasoline engine to recharge the batteries when they are depleted.
Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe said Thursday that Toyota will speed up delivery of its plug-in hybrid from 2010 to the end of 2009, while the Volt is due in showrooms in late 2010.
But Lutz said he expects Toyota's plug-in will debut in controlled fleets and not in large numbers. He said GM will have production versions of the Volt working in a large test fleet in late 2009.
Lutz, speaking at an event in Joliet where GM showed reporters its 2009 model lineup, said the Volt's lithium-ion batteries can take it 40 to 50 miles (64 to 80 kilometers) on a single charge. If a driver stays within that range, the car would never use gasoline. To go farther, the motor would come on to recharge the batteries.
Toyota has not released an electric-only range for its plug-in hybrid, which operates similar to its current Prius model by using both gasoline and electricity to propel the vehicle.
Lutz said such hybrids generally have a short electric-only range.
"After eight or 11 miles (13 or 18 kilometers) it reverts to being a completely normal gasoline-electric hybrid, which means you get about a 25-30 percent fuel savings, but the point is they do burn fuel," he said.
Lutz said GM has chosen one of two competing battery suppliers for the Volt, but he wouldn't say which one.
Two battery makers — Compact Power Inc. of Troy, Michigan, which is working with parent LG Chem of Korea, and Frankfurt, Germany-based Continental Automotive Systems, which is working with GM and A123 Systems Inc. of Watertown, Massachusetts — are competing to win the Volt battery contract.
Lutz also stopped short of predicting when GM would return to profitability, but said if it can further reduce structural costs, get higher prices for small cars, and if the U.S. auto market recovers, its top executives say they hope to return to black ink in 2010. GM reported a $15.5 billion second-quarter loss and has been burning cash this year at a rate of more than $1 billion a month.
Justin Ward, manager of the Toyota's advanced powertrain program in the U.S., said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that Toyota's design of blending gasoline and electric propulsion will be less costly than the Volt's design.
He said "series" designs like the Volt have larger, heavier battery packs and bigger electronic components to go with them, making them more costly.
Ward would not reveal the target price for Toyota's new version, but GM has said it will price the Volt between $30,000 and $40,000. The current Prius, which can't be plugged in for recharging but runs on both gas and electric power, has a base price of $21,500.
Industry analysts say despite differences between the vehicles, there is image value for whichever automaker can come out with a rechargeable car first.
But Lutz says the two vehicles can't be compared.
"A plug-in hybrid with a limited range is a very nice thing to have," he said. "It's wonderful that Toyota is working on this. If they have some test fleets out next year that's great. But it's not the same thing as a Chevy Volt, which is not a plug-in hybrid."
E.ON to appeal over Scottish wind farm rejection
Reuters
Published: August 28, 2008
LONDON: E.ON UK is to appeal against a local government refusal to grant planning permission for a wind farm at Auchencorth Moss in Scotland, the German-owned utility said on Thursday.
Midlothian Council rejected the plan to build a 45-megawatt onshore wind farm neat Penicuik in February, despite the project's potential to contribute towards Britain's already challenging renewable energy targets.
"We were disappointed in the decision made by Midlothian Council as we believe that Auchencorth Moss is the ideal location for the wind farm and a fantastic opportunity to help tackle the global threat of climate change," Darren Cuming, E.ON's onshore wind manager said.
"We are now satisfied that our proposal will comply with Scottish Government and Local Plan policy, with minimal impact on the environment and the local population."
E.ON says its 18-turbine wind farm could produce enough clean energy to supply up to 24,000 homes, saving over 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
Planning decisions on projects of over 50 megawatts are taken by central government in Scotland or London, but smaller wind farm planning decisions are made by local government.
(Reporting by Daniel Fineren, editing by Anthony Barker)
Published: August 28, 2008
LONDON: E.ON UK is to appeal against a local government refusal to grant planning permission for a wind farm at Auchencorth Moss in Scotland, the German-owned utility said on Thursday.
Midlothian Council rejected the plan to build a 45-megawatt onshore wind farm neat Penicuik in February, despite the project's potential to contribute towards Britain's already challenging renewable energy targets.
"We were disappointed in the decision made by Midlothian Council as we believe that Auchencorth Moss is the ideal location for the wind farm and a fantastic opportunity to help tackle the global threat of climate change," Darren Cuming, E.ON's onshore wind manager said.
"We are now satisfied that our proposal will comply with Scottish Government and Local Plan policy, with minimal impact on the environment and the local population."
E.ON says its 18-turbine wind farm could produce enough clean energy to supply up to 24,000 homes, saving over 43,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year.
Planning decisions on projects of over 50 megawatts are taken by central government in Scotland or London, but smaller wind farm planning decisions are made by local government.
(Reporting by Daniel Fineren, editing by Anthony Barker)
China's lead in race for new nuclear plants could create UK skills famine
· Rising fuel costs eclipse post-Chernobyl fears· Expert forecasts rush to build atomic stations
Mark Milner
The Guardian,
Friday August 29 2008
Britain's plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations will face a fierce challenge for skills and resources from countries keen to build their own, according to research published today.
China has plans for 24 nuclear plants and outline proposals for another 76, according to the Economic Research Council, using figures from the International Energy Agency and the IAEA.
"China's plans indicate its key role in new nuclear build, and the impact of just a small element of its projects being realised would have major implications for new nuclear build capacity — and the many constraints," according to the ERC.
The research into planned and proposed nuclear plants is part of the ERC's Digest of Energy Statistics 2008, tracking energy trends including consumption, reserves, prices and efficiency at theEuropean Union and world levels. The ERC defines planned plants as those with funding and planning consent , while proposed plants may lack funding, planning consent or both.
One of the digest's editors, Nigel Hawkins, said there had been little nuclear new-build in the world after the Chernobyl disaster 20 years ago, but rising fossil fuel prices and the need for new electricity capacity has meant that most leading countries are now looking at the possibility of new nuclear facilities.
"Over the next 20 to 30 years we are going to see a major ramp-up in nuclear build ," he said.
Hawkins pointed out that the number of companies capable of nuclear newbuild was limited. They include Areva, which has applied jointly with EDF for UK approval of the technology for the EPR reactor, General Electric, Westinghouse — which Toshiba bought from British Nuclear Fuels in early 2006 — and Atomic Energy of Canada.
In Britain, the authorities are looking at building a small number of nuclear power plants and are studying at least three reactor designs. British Energy and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority are expected to put forward a number of sites close to existing nuclear plants or former facilities which have been closed.
Hawkins warned that, given the volumes under consideration by Beijing, the relatively small programme being considered by Britain could mean China would be seen as more of a priority by nuclear plant construction companies
In June, business and enterprise secretary John Hutton said: "As more and more countries seek to insulate themselves against future energy price rises and the irrefutable reality of climate change, they're competing hard to enable their own nuclear programmes.
"The UK government has the ambition and commitment to build and maintain the best market in the world for companies to do business in nuclear power.
"The UK must aim to become the world's number one location for new nuclear investment."
The government owns more than a third of British Energy and has given its blessing to plans for EDF to make a bid for the company, though no offer has yet emerged because of opposition by other shareholders. EDF is seen as a good fit because it has the experience of running existing nuclear power plants and nuclear new -build. But the government is keen to stress that its nuclear policy does not rest entirely on a British Energy/EDF tie-up.
A spokesman from the Department for Business and Enterprise said: "We are not putting all our eggs into one basket. "
Mark Milner
The Guardian,
Friday August 29 2008
Britain's plans for a new generation of nuclear power stations will face a fierce challenge for skills and resources from countries keen to build their own, according to research published today.
China has plans for 24 nuclear plants and outline proposals for another 76, according to the Economic Research Council, using figures from the International Energy Agency and the IAEA.
"China's plans indicate its key role in new nuclear build, and the impact of just a small element of its projects being realised would have major implications for new nuclear build capacity — and the many constraints," according to the ERC.
The research into planned and proposed nuclear plants is part of the ERC's Digest of Energy Statistics 2008, tracking energy trends including consumption, reserves, prices and efficiency at theEuropean Union and world levels. The ERC defines planned plants as those with funding and planning consent , while proposed plants may lack funding, planning consent or both.
One of the digest's editors, Nigel Hawkins, said there had been little nuclear new-build in the world after the Chernobyl disaster 20 years ago, but rising fossil fuel prices and the need for new electricity capacity has meant that most leading countries are now looking at the possibility of new nuclear facilities.
"Over the next 20 to 30 years we are going to see a major ramp-up in nuclear build ," he said.
Hawkins pointed out that the number of companies capable of nuclear newbuild was limited. They include Areva, which has applied jointly with EDF for UK approval of the technology for the EPR reactor, General Electric, Westinghouse — which Toshiba bought from British Nuclear Fuels in early 2006 — and Atomic Energy of Canada.
In Britain, the authorities are looking at building a small number of nuclear power plants and are studying at least three reactor designs. British Energy and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority are expected to put forward a number of sites close to existing nuclear plants or former facilities which have been closed.
Hawkins warned that, given the volumes under consideration by Beijing, the relatively small programme being considered by Britain could mean China would be seen as more of a priority by nuclear plant construction companies
In June, business and enterprise secretary John Hutton said: "As more and more countries seek to insulate themselves against future energy price rises and the irrefutable reality of climate change, they're competing hard to enable their own nuclear programmes.
"The UK government has the ambition and commitment to build and maintain the best market in the world for companies to do business in nuclear power.
"The UK must aim to become the world's number one location for new nuclear investment."
The government owns more than a third of British Energy and has given its blessing to plans for EDF to make a bid for the company, though no offer has yet emerged because of opposition by other shareholders. EDF is seen as a good fit because it has the experience of running existing nuclear power plants and nuclear new -build. But the government is keen to stress that its nuclear policy does not rest entirely on a British Energy/EDF tie-up.
A spokesman from the Department for Business and Enterprise said: "We are not putting all our eggs into one basket. "
Generators accused of putting profit before safety
Graham Keeley
The Guardian,
Friday August 29 2008
Iberdrola and Endesa, two of Spain's leading electricity companies, have been accused of cutting costs at nuclear power stations at the expense of safety.
The Catalan regional government said that failure to invest had caused several incidents at two nuclear stations including a leak which led to thousands of people having to undergo radiation tests.
The accusations came as Spain's socialist government vowed to gradually close down the country's six nuclear plants and get electricity from renewable sources.
Prime minister José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero has said his government will not build any more nuclear plants, which currently account for 20% of the country's electricity needs. Spain hopes wind and solar power will make it into a leading producer of electricity from renewable sources. But soaring oil prices have put the government under pressure to review its anti-nuclear policy.
In November, a radioactive leak occurred at the Asco 1 plant, but the owners did not tell the CSN, Spain's nuclear watchdog, until April. More than 2,000 people had to undergo radiation tests. Out of 47 reported incidents from Spain's six nuclear power stations, 25 occurred at Catalonia's three power plants. Xabier Sabater, a spokesman for the Catalan government, said on the local radio: "The problem behind the incidents is a lack of investments. Iberdrola and Endesa are spending less on maintenance and security."
He said the deterioration began in 2002 when both companies started to sub-contract work to reduce costs.
The Guardian,
Friday August 29 2008
Iberdrola and Endesa, two of Spain's leading electricity companies, have been accused of cutting costs at nuclear power stations at the expense of safety.
The Catalan regional government said that failure to invest had caused several incidents at two nuclear stations including a leak which led to thousands of people having to undergo radiation tests.
The accusations came as Spain's socialist government vowed to gradually close down the country's six nuclear plants and get electricity from renewable sources.
Prime minister José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero has said his government will not build any more nuclear plants, which currently account for 20% of the country's electricity needs. Spain hopes wind and solar power will make it into a leading producer of electricity from renewable sources. But soaring oil prices have put the government under pressure to review its anti-nuclear policy.
In November, a radioactive leak occurred at the Asco 1 plant, but the owners did not tell the CSN, Spain's nuclear watchdog, until April. More than 2,000 people had to undergo radiation tests. Out of 47 reported incidents from Spain's six nuclear power stations, 25 occurred at Catalonia's three power plants. Xabier Sabater, a spokesman for the Catalan government, said on the local radio: "The problem behind the incidents is a lack of investments. Iberdrola and Endesa are spending less on maintenance and security."
He said the deterioration began in 2002 when both companies started to sub-contract work to reduce costs.
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