The electric car revolution will soon take to the streets
The electric car revolution will soon take to the streets
For years, the promise and hype surrounding electric cars failed to materialize. But as this year’s Detroit auto show demonstrated, major car companies and well-funded startups — fueled by federal clean-energy funding and rapid improvement in lithium-ion batteries — are now producing electric vehicles that will soon be in showrooms. From Yale Environment 360, part of the Guardian Environment Network
- guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 January 2010 11.50 GMT
- Article history
Media gather around the new Tesla Model S all-electric sedan car, at the car’s unveiling in Hawthorne, California on 26 March 2009. Musk said the state-of-the-art, five-seat sedan will be the world’s first mass-produced, highway-capable electric car. Photograph: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images
Electric cars are a green movement that is finally moving. Shunted to the side as the public indulged its love affair with gas-guzzling SUVs and four-wheel-drive trucks, history has finally caught up with the plug-in vehicle.
The open-source hydrogen car set to change the industry
The open-source hydrogen car set to change the industry Alex McDonald 20th January, 2010 Cars are evil, right? But what if they ran on hydrogen, did 300 miles per gallon, were leased rather than owned, and were produced under an open source business model… We have often been introduced to the car of tomorrow, but Continue Reading →
One quarter of US grain crops fed to cars- not people. new figures show
One quarter of US grain crops fed to cars – not people, new figures show
New analysis of 2009 US Department of Agriculture figures suggests biofuel revolution is impacting on world food supplies
- guardian.co.uk, Friday 22 January 2010 15.09 GMT
- Article history
A grain elevator in Illinois, US. In 2009, 107m tonnes of grain was grown by US farmers to be blended with petrol. Photograph: AP Photo/Monty Davis
One-quarter of all the maize and other grain crops grown in the US now ends up as biofuel in cars rather than being used to feed people, according to new analysis which suggests that the biofuel revolution launched by former President George Bush in 2007 is impacting on world food supplies.
The 2009 figures from the US Department of Agriculture shows ethanol production rising to record levels driven by farm subsidies and laws which require vehicles to use increasing amounts of biofuels.
Kevin Rudd’s speech in full
Kevin Rudd’s speech in full
January 20, 2010 03:30pm
I ACKNOWLEDGE the First Australians on whose land we meet, and whose cultures we celebrate as among the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
It is a great pleasure to be here in Adelaide to mark the celebration of Australia Day for 2010. Here in South Australia people will be celebrating Australia Day 2010 in many different ways: at home in the backyard; at the beach; in a local park; and perhaps some taking the opportunity to visit the zoo and meet the latest additions to the list of distinguished citizens of Adelaide – Wang Wang and Funi.
I understand Australia Day will see a strong gathering at West Terrace Cemetery, to remember the pioneers of South Australia and to engage in the customary rousing rendition of The Song of Australia, a song that came close to becoming our national anthem at the 1977 referendum.
PM warns of ageing population time bomb
PM warns of ageing population time bomb
DAN HARRISON
January 20, 2010
Australia must dramatically raise productivity if it to meet the challenges of an ageing population, the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, said last night.
Speaking in Melbourne on the first day of a national tour in the lead-up to Australia Day, Mr Rudd said by 2050, there would be only 2.7 working-age Australians for every one aged 65 or more. There are now about five working-age Australians for each citizen over 65. Four decades ago there were 7.5.
The grim predictions come from the third intergenerational report, to be released by the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, in coming weeks. The report predicts the proportion of the population aged 65 and over will jump from about 14 per cent now to about 23 per cent by 2050.
Shell faces shareholder revolt over Canadian tar sands project
Shell faces shareholder revolt over Canadian tar sands project
• Investors call for review of oil production in Alberta
• Tar sands deliver less than 2.5% of total oil and gas products
- The Guardian, Monday 18 January 2010
- Article history
Royal Dutch Shell group’s dissident shareholders will press for a review of its tar sands project in Canada, at the oil firm’s annual meeting in May. Photograph: Jeff McIntosh/AP
Shell chief executive Peter Voser will be forced to defend the company’s controversial investment in Canada‘s tar sands at his first annual general meeting, after calls from shareholders that the project be put under further scrutiny.
A coalition of institutional investors has forced a resolution onto the agenda calling for the Anglo-Dutch group’s audit committee to undertake a special review of the risks attached to the carbon-heavy oil production at Athabasca in Alberta.
Co-operative Asset Management and 141 other institutional and individual shareholders raise “concerns for the long-term success of the company arising from the risks associated with oil sands.”