SOLAR POWERED MOTOR BIKE

This proto type solar bike with its elegant folding solar panels, looks straight out of science fiction movie. Sun red a Spanish automotive engineering company has developed this solar powered bike, with a top speed of 30 mph, sun red is claming a journey of 13 to 15 miles before another charge. It’s not a direct solar-power machine; the panels top up batteries when parked. This is because the panels fold up to give a large surface area (over 3 square meters), but fold down out of the way when the bike is on the go. Leave it in the sun, and when you get back to it you can fold up the panels and be on your way. The bike will be coming with a 6.4" LCD screen, for controls and functions. The 30 mph speed and the need of recharge after every 13 to 15 miles is quite disappointing and surely that got to improve, if Sun red wishes to launch this motor bike on commercial level. Yet this is one environment friendly machine that should be brought under consideration seriously

A success story: USA AIR POLLUTION FACTS

According to the Foundation for Clean Air Progress air pollution in USA has decreased dramatically within the past 29 years as a result of the efforts taken by both public and private sector.
A considerable reduction in CO2 emissions has been achieved and the situation is getting batter day by day yet there is a long way go.

Air Pollution Fact #1: Since 1970, Americans have cut releases of air pollutants by more than 50 million tons. If you put that many tons into dump trucks lined up bumper to bumper, they would stretch from Baltimore to Dallas the long way -- around the world!

Air Pollution Fact #2: It would take 20 of today's new cars to generate the same amount of air pollution as one mid-1960s model car. In another 10 years, thanks to new automotive and fuel technologies, it will take 33 cars to produce the air pollution emissions of one mid-1960s model.

Air Pollution Fact #3: Compared with just 10 years ago, America's largest cities are recording dramatically fewer days on which air pollution exceeds federal standards.

Air Pollution Fact #4: One major air pollutant, lead, is nearly gone from our air. Since the mid-1970s, levels of airborne lead are down 96 percent. Despite these facts, there's still room for improvement. Everyone can help make a difference in this effort.

Air Pollution Fact #5: Reducing the use of the air conditioner in your car will you'll continue to reduce the air pollution you create.

Air Pollution Fact #6: It would take 20 of today’s new cars to generate the same amount of pollution as one mid-1960s model car. In another 10 years, thanks to new automotive and fuel technologies, it will take 33 cars to produce the emissions of one mid-1960s model. As the American Automobile Association (AAA) has reported, in many of our major cities, cars and light trucks are no longer the primary or even secondary cause of summertime ozone ‘smog.’

Air Pollution Fact #7: Added weight makes your car's engine run less efficiently, increasing air pollution.

Air Pollution Fact #8: On average, the number of exceedance days of air pollution monitored in the Los Angeles-Long Beach metro area declined by 7.3 days per year between 1980 and 1999.

Air Pollution Fact #9: US EPA ozone exceedance data indicates that, on average, the number of exceedance days monitored in the US declined by 5.5 days per year between 1980 and 1999.

Air Pollution Fact #10: Between 1980 and 1999, a 43 percent reduction in the three-year average number of air pollution exceedance days was observed.

Air Pollution Fact #11: A reduction of 93.7 exceedance days (over a quarter of a year), from an average of 218.0 days in 1980-1982 to an average of 124.3 days in 1997-1999 ·

Air Pollution Fact #12: In the 1950s, smog levels in Southern California were worse than they are today in Mexico City, where current US standards for smog are violated every day of the year.

HYNOR: Norway’s green jump to lead the rest of world.

A country with a ratio of 4 trees to one person, building a hydrogen based highway shows a nations serious commitment towards the environment and sustainability.
What, where, when, why and how are the questions that come into our mind when we hear about HyNor. One of the worlds most environment friendly country Norway is working at a very fast pace to develop a hydrogen fuel based highway since 2005 some 350 miles in length between the cities of Oslo and Stavanger. This should be a mile stone in alternate fuel studies and practical implementations. Both government and private sector in Norway is involved in developing this hydrogen corridor. HyNor feathers hydrogen fuel stations, which means large-scale hydrogen fuel based vehicles such as cars, taxis, trucks and buses, completing there green journey effectively. Along with the extensive support from global environmental groups, the picture completes with energy and transportation companies with public authorities and research and development institutions taking keen interest, as HyNor is good news for energy business world over which is depressed with the ever souring oil prices. Norway has a long history of hydrogen generation by electrolysis through the use of hydro-power. Using renewable energy resources for creating hydrogen should dish up a model for other nations considering hydrogen-based economy. Norway is also providing tax incentives on hydrogen fuel based vehicles.
Quantum Fuel Systems provided HyNor project with 15 Toyota Prius Hybrids converted to run on hydrogen gas, as a part of test run.
With the expected success of HyNor, Norway plans on executing a national hydrogen fuel base transportation system. All this hard work and expected success might trigger a much needed rapid fuel shift, which will show its environmental, economical and commercial benefits.
At the moment two problems should be temperature and availability as the wide variations in climate and topology including very cold seasonal temperatures, not conducive to many fuel cell vehicles may cause some delays, cos most current car manufacturers have concept vehicles that are fueled by hydrogen though they have had very positive test results from these vehicles but assembly lines have not been modified for them. Still this alternative makes sense because the emissions from hydrogen vehicles is zero compared to fossil fuel based vehicles which chug 1.5 billion tons of gas emissions into the environment.
The ultimate achievement would be for the world to recognize that a model for hydrogen transportation is feasible, practical and happening right now.