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Yes, that’s a ‘green’ Ferrari

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
The HY-KERS vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle). (Photo: PRNewsFoto/Ferrari North America, Inc.)

The HY-KERS vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle). (Photo: PRNewsFoto/Ferrari North America, Inc.)

By Tom Kessler

At the Geneva Auto Show this week Ferrari, a company whose products are normally associated with red, flashed a bit of green. And we’re not just talking about the paint job.

Ferrari’s HY-KERS vettura laboratorio (experimental vehicle) is a hybrid version of the 599 GTB Fiorano that slips in a high-voltage electric motor capable of producing 100 horsepower.  The test car reduces CO2 emissions by 35 per cent.

The iconic company says the hybrid project is aimed at ensuring that Ferrari will be in a position to comply with future CO2 emissions standards, particularly in urban environments. City driving is traditionally where sports cars typically become major fuel hogs because their engines are designed for maximum efficiency and performance at high RPMs rather than the low revs and low engine loads of city driving.

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U.S. car fever waning after a century of growth

Monday, February 22nd, 2010

In 2009, the number of cars scrapped exceeded the number of new cars sold.

(This article, originally entitled U.S. Car Fleet Shrank by Four Million in 2009 – After a Century of Growth, U.S. Fleet Entering Era of Decline, previously ran on the Earth Policy Institute website. Lester R. Brown is president of the EPI and author of Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization.)

By Lester R. Brown

America’s century-old love affair with the automobile may be coming to an end. The U.S. fleet has apparently peaked and started to decline. In 2009, the 14 million cars scrapped exceeded the 10 million new cars sold, shrinking the U.S. fleet by 4 million, or nearly 2 percent in one year. While this is widely associated with the recession, it is in fact caused by several converging forces.

Future U.S. fleet size will be determined by the relationship between two trends: new car sales and cars scrapped. Cars scrapped exceeded new car sales in 2009 for the first time since World War II, shrinking the U.S. vehicle fleet from the all-time high of 250 million to 246 million. It now appears that this new trend of scrappage exceeding sales could continue through at least 2020. (See data.)

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MIT program will help companies develop sustainable supply chains

Friday, February 19th, 2010

From Green Right Now Reports

MIT’s Center for Transportation & Logistics will launch the Global LEAP (Leaders in Environmental Assessment and Performance) research consortium at its annual Crossroads Conference on March 25, in Cambridge, Mass.

Chiquita Brands and Lockheed Martin are the first commercial organizations to sign up for this new project to design supply chains that meet the sustainability goals that are redefining the way companies operate. Inaugural members have pledged comprehensive support for the new consortium including a financial commitment, in-kind resources, thought leadership, and active participation.

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Enterprise Holdings will move its fleet of buses to biodiesel

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Pictured at the press conference are (l-r) Joe Jobe, CEO of NBB; Dr. Richard Sayre, Director, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels; and Lee Broughton, director of corporate identity and sustainability for Enterprise Holdings. (Photo:

Joe Jobe, CEO of the National Biodiesel Board; Dr. Richard Sayre, Director of Enterprise Rent-A-Car Institute for Renewable Fuels; and Lee Broughton, director of corporate identity and sustainability for Enterprise Holdings. (Photo: National Biodiesel Board)


From Green Right Now Reports

Enterprise Holdings has announced that it will convert its entire fleet of more than 600 Alamo Rent A Car, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental airport shuttle buses  in 50 North American markets to begin using at least 5 percent biodiesel (B5). The company said it will immediately convert buses in nine markets to 20 percent biodiesel (B20) as a first step toward the company’s goal of converting its entire bus fleet to B20 over the next five years.

Enterprise Holdings expects to complete the conversion to all B5 by spring of this year, with at least 50 percent converted to B20 by the end of next year. Buses in nine markets are immediately being converted to run on B20 where the fuel is centrally stored and available: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Raleigh/Durham, San Antonio and San Diego.

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Audi’s ‘Green Police’ hit the funny bone on Super Bowl broadcast

Monday, February 8th, 2010
(Photo: Audi)

(Photo: Audi)

By Harriet Blake

Audi’s 2010 Green Police commercial during Super Bowl was ingenious and hilarious.

You didn’t have to be an environmentalist to enjoy the plug for Audi’s A3 TDI clean diesel car. In fact, the commercial pokes fun at the extreme measures an environmentally conscious police force might take:

Arresting a customer for choosing plastic over paper at the grocery store; storming a home after finding a battery in the trash collection; arresting a man for possession of an incandescent bulb; swarming a homeowner for a compost infraction; chasing a speedo-clad hot tub user for setting the water temperature too high; stopping a driver for using a styrofoam cup – extreme tactics, no doubt, but too funny.

Of course, the guy with the clean diesel Audi is stopped and allowed to proceed, hassle-free. The commercial’s “Green Police” anthem is a re-recording of Cheap Trick’s “Dream Police.”

If you missed it, check it out here.

Copyright © 2010 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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GM announces biodiesel-capable pickups

Monday, February 8th, 2010

From Green Right Now Reports

GM announced today that its new lineup of heavy-duty diesel pickups will run on B20 biodiesel, which is a blend of 20-percent biodiesel and 80-percent conventional diesel that produces lower carbon dioxide emissions.

The announcement was made at the National Biodiesel Conference in Grapevine, Texas.

GM said its new Duramax 6.6L turbo diesel engine has been substantially revised to include B20 capability, as well as meet strict new emissions standards effective this year. The Duramax will power the redesigned 2011 Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra heavy-duty pickups, as well as the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans. Chevrolet plans to unveil the 2011 Silverado heavy-duty trucks at the Chicago Auto Show on Feb. 10.

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Top states for federal high-speed rail funding

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

From Green Right Now Reports

California has ambitious rail plans.

California has ambitious rail plans.

California is No. 1 with a bullet … train that is.

When the federal government recently awarded $8 billion for the development of high speed railway projects, the Golden State took the big prize — $2.3 billion. California High-Speed Rail Authority chairman Curt Pringle called the award “fantastic news for California and for our state’s high-speed rail project.”

“It is an award that will lead to the creation of tens of thousands of quality jobs in the near-term and to continued economic strength and enhance our transportation network in the longterm,” Pringle said in a statement.

California, he noted, is closer than any other state or region to building the first true high-speed rail system in the United States.” The federal money recognizes California’s work in partnering with local governments and state legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to put the plan into action, he said.

Here’s a look at the states that were winners, the amount of funding, and a brief description of the projects being funded:

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LA tops electric vehicle-ready U.S. cities

Monday, February 1st, 2010

From Green Right Now Reports

Electric vehicle company THINK has released its first U.S. EV-Ready Cities Index. The THINK EV-Ready Cities Index takes into account purchase and usage incentives – such as HOV lane access and infrastructure support, and market fit, including hybrid sales, traffic congestion, EPA air quality zone status, and potential energy sources for vehicle recharging. The index was compiled for THINK by ASG Renaissance, a market research and business services firm located in Dearborn, Mich.

los_angeles

Los Angeles is the most EV-ready U.S. city.

1. Los Angeles
2. San Francisco
3. Chicago (tie)
4. New York (tie)
5. San Diego
6. Portland
7. Sacramento
8. Newark
9. Seattle
10. Atlanta
11. Denver
12. Boston
13. Washington DC
14. Philadelphia
15. Phoenix

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Navy initiates green development policies

Thursday, January 21st, 2010

From Green Right Now Reports

Photo: Navy.org

Photo: Navy.org

With 40 installations in the Chesapeake Bay watershed alone, the United States Navy has an enormous environmental impact on the region. New construction and regular improvements of existing facilities pose a major challenge in terms of limiting damage to the local ecosystem.

Development in the region is increasing the number of impervious surfaces (roofs, driveways, parking lots, etc.) at a rate four times greater than population growth. As a result, stormwater runoff has become a major threat in terms of polluting the Bay.

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Ahmedabad, India wins 2010 Sustainable Transport Award

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

The city's Janmarg Bus Rapid Transit System reduces carbon emissions and dramatically improves residents access. (Photo: Chris Kost/Institute for Transportation and Development Policy)

The developing world is leapfrogging developed countries when it comes to urban transport, with the city of Ahmedabad, India, today announced as winner of the 2010 Sustainable Transport Award for the successful implementation of Janmarg, India’s first full bus rapid transit (BRT) system.

“This year’s Sustainable Transport Award nominees demonstrate the relevance of the developing world in the fight against climate change while improving citizen’s quality of life and enhancing their international competitiveness,” Walter Hook, executive director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, said in a statement. “Cities have the power to significantly reduce carbon emissions by actively seeking ways to improve transport.”

The Sustainable Transport Award is given annually to a city that uses transport innovations to increase mobility for all residents, while reducing transportation greenhouse and air pollution emissions and increasing cyclist and pedestrian safety and access.

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