Austria’s transportation association, the Austrian Transport Club (VCÖ), has been counting the cyclists on the road daily between April and August since 2003. This year, they’ve got good news for Austrians and the rest of the world – more cyclists are on the road than ever before.

Bicycle Traffic Up an Average of 25%

Martin Blum of the VCÖ reports that cycle traffic is up all over town – nearly 5,000 cyclists daily go through the Opernring section of Vienna’s Ringstrasse, and well over 2,000 pass Vienna West Station each day. The Vienna Row saw nearly double its previous numbers of cyclists – just shy of 1,200 per day!

In addition to putting out traffic counters and recording the number of cyclists each day, the VCÖ also polled the city – 44% of the respondents reported they were cycling more often because of high gasoline prices, not to mention health or environmental concerns. Regardless of the reason to cycle, Blum strongly supports his fellow citizens: “Anyone on a bicycle not only saves money, but reduces traffic congestion, improves air quality, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The cyclists deserve our heartfelt thanks,” he said.

Vienna Responds to the Cycling Crowd

Vienna is responding to the rapid increase of cyclists; the cycling infrastructure is expanding to accommodate the new cycle traffic, and existing bottlenecks are being removed. Blum also advocates abolishing mandatory use of the bicycle lane. “If experienced cyclists are allowed to slip into normal traffic lanes, then the newer riders have more space in the bike lane,” he explains. “That’s where they’ll feel the safest.”

The VCÖ is promoting further infrastructure improvements, including opening one-way streets to two-way bike traffic. Belgium and the Canton of Bern have already adopted this practice, allowing cyclists to ride either way on all but the narrowest of streets. Another example the VCÖ would like to see followed is the Cycle Superhighway seen in London.

Traffic Increase By Location

The VCÖ compiled a list of the most popular cycling locations in Vienna and tracked the increase in cyclists for each of them between 2010 and 2011, summarized in the list below.

• Vienna Row: up 76%
• Vienna West Station: up 25%
• Argentinierstrasse: up 24%
• Opernring: up 22%
• Lasallestrasse: up 16%
• Donaukanal: up 13%

We know a lot of our readers are cyclists themselves, or interact with them on the road – any stories? Impressions? Tell us what you think of cycling in major cities in the comments, below.

Source: Oekonews.at | Image: Eurobike.

The Zero Contact system is Nissan’s proprietary technology, and uses the electromagnetic induction method. Testing performed and reported by Nissan claim about 80-90% efficiency when compared to charging the EV with a standard cable.

When a vehicle with the appropriate integrated charging equipment parks on the Zero Contact Charging System mat, the above-ground supply unit’s coils transmit current using magnetic force. The current is then sent to the receiver’s coils on the EV. Parking doesn’t even need to be that precise – the EV can still charge even if the supply unit isn’t perfectly aligned with the receiver.

No word yet on pricing or availability.

Source | Picture: Response.jp.

The longtime Gas 2 friends, contributors, and all-around awesome people over at One Block Off the Grid (1BOG) have just released a shiny new infographic comparing the carbon footprints of planes, trains, and automobiles as they make trips across town, and across the country. Despite missing some obvious “ringers” (I’m pretty sure a 150+ cc scooter or small-displacement motorcycle would have walked away with top honors here) the graph has a ton of great information … and some surprising results for trains and planes in some circumstances.

Were you surprised by the numbers? Do you think they skewed too heavily against cagers cars? Let us know what you thought, in the all-new Gas 2 comments section!

Source: 1BOG.

Wall Street, big oil, and American auto companies that took bailout money—you are all on notice.

The Occupy Wall Street Movement has now spread well beyond the confines of The Island of Manhattan. Occupy Movements have sprung up in just about every major city within the United States.

Admittedly, it is not easy to figure out what members of the Occupy Movement want. The Occupy Movement is practically leaderless and the reasons that the supporters have shown up are as varied as the social economic backgrounds of the supporters themselves. While there might not be a crystal clear message, the Occupy Movement does have a common theme – the 99% of people within the United States have had enough with the 1% of America who has the majority of the population’s wealth.

Additionally, there is a view within the Occupy Movements that Wall Street has had no accountably. The people who destroyed the American Dream were not prosecuted but were bailed out by tax payers with the hope that these masters of the economy would do what was right with the bailout funds. The people who are a part of the Occupy Movement feel that the people of Wall Street failed to properly spend the bailout funds and failed to make the economic system better for the average American after the 2008 economic collapse.

So what is left to do when there is seemingly nothing left to do? Go someplace; and that is what is happening. The people are going someplace and they are showing their discontent and venting their frustrations.

As the Occupy Movement spreads new causes are brought up by supporters. The foundation of the movement might be based on the misallocation of public funds by Wall Street but there are many issues being addressed – including the endless wars in the Middle East, veterans benefits, big oil companies control of the energy policy, and casting shame on American auto companies who took bailout funds.

Occupy Boston is located near the Federal Reserve Building and Boston’s South Station, locally known as the city’s financial district. The Occupy Boston Movement might not have as many supporters as the Occupy Wall Street gathering in New York, but that has not stopped big name civil rights and social activates like Cornel West from coming and marching with protestors in Boston. Most recently, over one hundred Occupy Boston protestors were arrested, sadly, bringing an end to what had been a very peaceful occupation.

While the Occupy Movement is leaderless there are people who more or less act in a managerial role; Ryan Cahill is one of those people for the Occupy Boston zone.

“Right now we have one hundred individual tent structures in the park. We have been in direct contact with he people who lease the land, the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservatory, they have been really cool about letting use the space. They are not trying to kick us off, but their one request is that we stay in this space, there are twenty plots all the way to the North End.” Cahill said.

One of the events that spurred on the recent police action in Boston was the occupation of additional Greenway plots as more and more occupiers have shown up and set up additional tents. It should be noted that the Occupy Boston Movement is committed to replacing any of the grass that may be damaged due to the occupation of Boston’s Greenway. The other event that sparked police action was the attempt by Occupy Boston protests to occupy the Charlestown Bridge. The protestors were tuned around by police not because of any aggressive actions done by the protestors but because the Charlestown Bridge is in such poor shape the bridge itself might buckle under the weight of the all protestors. Legitimate safety concerns due to poor infrastructure; and it just so happens that protestors had planned to hang a banner from the Charlestown Bridge reading “Fix This Bridge”.

As more people show up to the occupation the message is changing, as Cahill put it,

“The message is evolving. My message would be come out and show your support, voice your own support. We want to know what the people’s message is, not just the message of the people camping here. We obviously have our message; we are against corporatism and political lobbying. We want other people to voice their concerns. There’s trouble all over the country and that is why this movement has grown so quickly. Boston‘s troubles are not necessarily New York’s troubles, are not necessarily Miami’s troubles, are not necessarily Chicago’s troubles.  I am not sure is there is ever going to be a concise and unified message from the Occupy Together Group and that is what makes it so unique. We are getting a lot of flak from the mainstream media because they are like, so you guys are just camping out and don’t have any demands?  This is not a hostage situation, we are not holding anyone hostage, this is a demonstration.”

With an evolving message it is not just Wall Street who needs to watch out, according to Mr. Cahill it is also big oil and American car industries that took federal bailout funds;

“There has been a lot of talk in our general assembles about cutting our dependency on foreign oil, we need to find alterative energy. It’s an important issue and it goes along with the corporate mentality that we are trying to get rid of. Car companies taking bailouts and yet still building these huge trucks… they have not changed their business strategy. They took our money with the assumption that they would change their business strategy and sell cars that people wanted. With gas on a roller coaster right now, it could easily go back up to $100 a barrel, what good is a big truck at 0% interest if you can’t drive it.”

Other members of the occupation echoed Mr. Cahill’s concerns about the auto industry,

“Anyone who receives federal bailout money is wrong. If a company’s leaders run it into the ground the government and tax payers should not step in and bail them out. People need to be prosecuted. You can’t do something that horrendous and walk away with millions of dollars.”

Other protestors chimed in saying,

“As far as the car industry goes, I mean, I think all the bailouts are bullshit, they made their bed and should have slept in it. I think the car industry could have done it themselves and that they took the easy way out.”

“The car companies play into the large budget crisis we have, the big 1% crisis we have. When they are shutting down factories but giving out bonuses we want to know where that tax money went. There has been some discussion about all the subsidies that the government is giving toward the wrong direction of the car companies; we want to get the lobbyists out. If we had subsidies on energy efficient cars I know everyone here would definitely switch to it if we had a more price friendly solution, I know the majority of Americans would. But unfortunately we are stuck with these small payments that we can get on these huge gas guzzles right now because they want to just get them off the lots and its not fair.”

The crowd is diverse at the Occupy Boston Movement. This is not just a group of young people shouting liberal dogma as some might think. The Tea Party was present at the occupation and welcomed with open arms at the Occupy Movement. Not long ago the Tea Party was angry at the banks, the Tea Party was angry with the Federal Government bailing out corporations that had failed in a free market society — the Tea Party’s early message was eerily the same as those in the Occupy Movement.  Members of the Baby Boomer Generation were on hand, even bankers who worked in the towering buildings surrounding the occupation zone were milling about in the crowd.

A banker, who did not wish to disclose their name or place of business, but passed ‘tent city’ each morning said,

“First and foremost, I am excited about OWS (Occupy Wall Street). I do not think there is a centralized message, but it is starting the discussions I have been talking about for years. I do not think this is a movement against banks. It is a movement for the common man. People are frustrated and feel cheated. I do see a parallel to the Tea Party in sentiment of gripes, but not in the demands. Tea Party people want their country back and government to leave their money alone. The OWS people want our country back and assistance for the masses, aka, the 99%. It is really the same old conservative VS liberal divide. Conservatives don’t care about people they don’t know, or at least are not able to relate to, liberals care about people they have never met and are different.”

The discussions that that particular banker had been talking privately about for years are right on par with issues of importance to the members of the Occupy Movement:

- College debt is an absolutely massive problem. Education is essential to ascend the social ranks. It is virtually impossible to go to college without taking out crippling debt in the form of student loans.

- Corporate money now has no limit. Lobbyists always have had their ways in Washington DC. This is the beginning of a whole new era. Corporate responsibility is to the shareholder not the public and this will lead to structural political changes.

- Unemployment, with specific emphasis on the young and minorities.

- Underemployment. Too many people are working three service industry jobs and not developing their skills and knowledge. We are losing critical development years from a generation that will impact us decades from now.

- The American Dream is dead for many.

The American Dream is dead for many —maybe, but before a funeral is held what would the American Dream look like now? A house with a white picket fence and a shiny new American built Ford in the driveway; yes that was the American Dream for the Baby Boomers Generation, defined as people born after World War II during the post war baby boom in the 1960s and 1970s. But, sadly that is not the American Dream anymore, assuming an American Dream is still alive. For Millennials, also known as Generation Y and mostly recognized as the children of the Baby Boomers, the American Dream is surrounded by fog and filled with shattered hopes.

In order to get the house you need to have a job and the Millennials cannot just go out and get a job in these times. When a Millennial does get a job the majority of the Millennials are saddled with such high education debt, an education that is needed in order to get the job, a home in the suburbs, once seen at the heart of the American Dream, is now out of reach. Add to this the fact that the Millennials witnessed the loss of wealth of their parents, people and role models who had supposedly achieved the American Dream only to have it ripped away, and you are left with a very confused, bitter, and lost generation.

There is a growing generational divide between the Baby Boomers and the Millennials and it can be seen clearly at the Occupation Movements. Case in point, a business man in his late 50s, waiting for his wife so they could go to dinner, walked down to the Occupation in Boston site to get some answers and had some words to say,

“Answers? I can’t get any. What I did hear was that people who make money, over $250 thousand are not evil, but damn near it. I’m curious because I thought if you worked hard in America you can make it. So why are people who are young not willing to give it a shot? I worked every menial job there is, there is no shame in hard work, so why don’t people do that? Am I wrong, are people expecting to get what took twenty five years to get and get in only a few? I got where I am by working hard for years, back then I certainly wouldn’t have had the time to come, I would have looked at passing from one job to another.”

Interesting points, but it does illustrate the generational divide. Yes, at one time an American could work hard and make it, but it is harder than ever now to do that. The once admired factory jobs have all been shipped overseas and there is no such thing as corporate loyalty anymore – corporate employees are just numbers these days. The people who support the Occupation Movement are not slackers, they are people who have been working hard, they are not expecting to get high paying jobs right off the bat—but they are expecting to get some jobs and they are not.

Yes, years ago you could work three service jobs and get by, but not anymore. Food prices have increased, rent has increased, cloths are more expensive, the price of everything has gone up and the wages paid to people have not kept up. Families are losing their homes, shops are closing, and people are filing for bankruptcy. Meanwhile, the people responsible for the economic collapse, and loss of some 20% of the nation’s wealth, got a second chance in the form of a bailout footed by tax dollars. The Millennials see their future dimming while some groups within the Baby Boomers are sitting by wondering what all the commotion is about—they cannot relate because they have been outside the rat race for so long. Times have sure changed and not for the better.

A hope that is shared is that the Baby Boomer Generation will see how different things are now, how much the American dream has been lost for their children.  Let’s face it, it is the Baby Boomers who are doing most of the hiring in this nation, and if they see young people as simply not willing to work for “it” and that negative view gets reflected in the hiring process, then things are only going to get worse.

How long the Occupation Movements will last is anyone guess. The protestors in Boston have no intentions of leaving and the same can be said for New York. One interesting factor that will indeed test the strength of the Occupation Movements will be the impending winter. A Northeastern winter is nothing to mess with, especially if your only shelter is a tent. If these movements that originated on the East Coast can survive the winter in Boston, and especially in New York, than the sky is the limit as to what changes the Occupy Movement might bring.

In the meantime the protests are spreading and more and more coverage from the media is occurring. As for the overall feeling at the Occupy Boston zone one protestor, who been camping out for five days, said best,

“Compassion. I thought it was dead, I thought it was gone. I know in government it’s gone, but in Boston its kicking ass.”

Andrew Meggison was born in the state of Maine and educated in Massachusetts. Andrew earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Relations from Clark University and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. Being an Eagle Scout, Andrew has a passion for all things environmental. In his free time Andrew enjoys writing, exploring the great outdoors, a good film, and a creative cocktail.

Two variations of the open platform RoboCar are available for rent. Type A includes drive control, high precision vehicle speed sensors, and deceleration control with regenerative braking, while Type B adds steering control to everything in the Type A package. It will cost the renter 1,220,000 yen (about $15,870 USD) for a two week rental period, while Type A runs 720,000 yen (about $9370 USD). Both Type A and Type B are equipped with on-board LAN and standard CAN (Control Area Network) protocol.

ZMP has a reputation already as a next-generation development platform supplier; the RoboCar expands its lineup to a total of two. Also available is its RoboCar 1/10th, a model vehicle 1/10th the size of a normal vehicle.

The RoboCar MEV is on exhibition at the EVEX 2011 (Electric Vehicle Development Technology Exhibition) at Pacifico Yokohama from October 12th to 14th, and is currently available.

Source | Picture: Response.jp.

One of the best alternative fuels on this planet is human energy expended on bicycles. Many major cities are in the process of making their streets and their citizens bike-friendly, or at least bike aware. Most of these movements are led by grassroots groups like Bike SoMi and affect change at a local government level. Some serious citizens over in Copenhagen went private, and petitioned Norwegian energy company Statoil ASA to support the City of Cyclists.

In response, Statoil has turned a bare, unused wall in five of its gas stations into a sort of bike repair center for cyclists. Cyclists have access to free bike repair kits inside the gas station, a pull-down shelf to lift the bike for easy repairs, an air hose, gloves, and paper towels. It appears that there is no purchase necessary to enjoy these new amenities.

This is a simple and inexpensive way to benefit both the oil company and bike owners. Cyclists may spend some money on refreshments once they’ve finished using the facilities. I would imagine that those who own cars in addition to bikes would pump Statoil gas out of appreciation. And, in addition to benefiting from this free service, cyclists will also get to mingle with the larger vehicles that share the roads, expanding awareness that yes, they too exist. Maybe that’s not a huge deal in Copenhagen, where cyclists pretty much get respect and the right of way. But I can imagine that in cities like Miami, which is still somewhat bike unfriendly, drivers may see their neighbors or friends at their gas station and perhaps strike up a conversation.

This solution may represent little cost to the oil company for a huge gain in public perception, and it seems easy to do. What a great way to expand the existing bike infrastructure in major cities! Couple this with Bike Fixation kiosks and the ongoing local movements to create bike friendly paths, and cyclists might just yet become the kings and queens of the road.

Via Good.is Images: Mads Odgaard Copenhagenzie.com

A few weeks ago, the Finnish electric ERA made a big splash by setting a record for the fastest street-legal EV around the legendary Nurburgring, setting a time of 9 minutes 40 seconds. It has set a new record, covering the 13 miles in just 8 minutes 43 seconds and reaching a top speed of 148 mph – 57 seconds faster than it was last August.

The ERA isn’t the fastest EV to zoom around the Nurburgring – that honor belongs to a Toyota Motorsports EV – but it holds the record there for street-legal electric cars. The ERA goes 0-60 in six seconds, and had an average speed of 88 mph during its record-breaking lap (there’s a DeLorean joke in here somewhere).

Built in the Helsinki Metropolia University of Applied Science, the ERA runs on a high performance electric motor with a peak output of 330 kW (449 HP) and a continuous output of 200 kW (272 HP) – or about 30 more HP than a Tesla Roadster motor’s peak output of 248 HP.

Advanced lithium-titanate batteries and Z G2 eco-tires from Nokian (with super low rolling resistance) also help the ERA run cheaply and efficiently; according to the development team, it costs just 3.48 Euros (about $4.74 USD) per 60 miles.

Check out photos of the ERA and its stopwatch in the gallery, below.

Source | Gallery: Motorvision.

Over on Gas 2′s sister site, Cleantechnica, Zachary Shahan has put together some hard-hitting comparative reporting that utterly busts the myth of a liberal media bias. In his report, Shahan shows nearly 200 major media outlet mentions of the Solyndra solar-energy “scandal”, and a whopping 0 (zero, “goose-egg”, nada, etc.) about the Canadian tar sand/Yukon XL pipeline – and the report covers all the major networks, not just Fox the usual suspects.

We’ve covered Canada’s tar sand problem before here on Gas 2 (more than once, in fact – as well as what Canada can do to help clean up the millions of gallons of fresh water contaminated every day in Canada’s forests, but Canada keeps pumping out the crude and pumping the waste back into the water table.

Bad news all around, in other words. Read up, write to representatives, and (if all else fails) stock up on fresh water, I guess (?).

Source: Cleantechnica.

Nissan has developed, for production and sale, a uniquely shaped home on stilts totally compatible with – of course – the Nissan Leaf as its main energy source. The smart house is called the “NSH-2012” and the idea behind it is titled “Leaf to Home.”

As the Leaf does not itself actually generate power, the house is equipped with both solar cells and fuel cells to provide electricity for daily use. The Leaf’s power controller, when hooked into the house, can either charge the Leaf from an energy surplus or replenish the house’s supplies. In theory, according to Nissan, between the Leaf’s capacity as a giant rolling battery and the house’s twin energy sources, it should be possible to live off the electric grid completely.

Suzuki is particularly enthusiastic about the project. “Development is nearly finished,” he said. “We’re in the middle of technical disclosures to the relevant appliance and home manufacturers, and if possible, the smart home will go on sale by the end of the year,” he said.

“Cars are used for transporting people and animals, and to have fun behind the wheel. This has been the measure of value of a car until now,” Suzuki added. “We would like to propose a car as not only a tool for driving, but also as a means of supporting energy use for a self-sufficient lifestyle. This is the kind of fun idea we want to make into reality.”

Source | Gallery: Response.jp.

World’s Longest Solar Bridge to be Built in London [Inhabitat]

Chicago Residents Spend 70 Hours a Year in Traffic on Average [Carbuzz]

Mitsubishi to Market i-MiEV as Electric Commuter Car [AutoObserver]

Can High Speed Rail Be Saved? [Infrastructurist]

Fuel Cell Vehicle Sales to Cross 1-Million by 2020 [Green Car Congress]

Renault Twizy Gets Priced at $10,350 [Green Car Reports]

Actually, of the three teams that met the requirements for the challenge, two of them managed to complete the 200 mile circuit using half the required energy equivalent. The Green Flight Challenge asked teams to make a 200 mile flight in less than two hours, deliver a decibel level of less than 78 dBA, and take off in a distance of less than 2,000 feet while using the energy equivalent of less than one gallon of gasoline per-passenger.

The winning team was Pipistrel-USA.com, who won $1.35 million with their twin-fusalage Taurus G4 motor glider. It used a 145 kw electric motor, lithiuim-ion batteries, and a retractable landing gear. And while I don’t expect to take an international flight on an electric airplane anytime soon…these little puddle jumpers could certainly have their place hopping from city to city.

WiTricity has already developed and produced results using magnetic resonance equipment. Their system is more efficient than previously-developed electromagnetic induction and microwave transmission systems, and has a longer range. They claim that they can transmit over 3kW of power at a distance of 20 cm (eight inches) with 90% efficiency, thereby demonstrating that a wireless charging system is indeed possible.

While there are a number of steps before a wireless EV charging system can be produced and sold, the Mitsubishi/IHI/WiTricity partnership has decided on three issues as their first step, and are proceeding with research and development along those lines. The three issues in question are how to create the infrastructure, the legal issues and ramifications of such a system, and how to incorporate the transmission/receiving equipment into an EV frame.

If and when such a system is mass-produced for public consumption, the partnership hopes to market the product for use not only in the home and in commercial parking lots, but also in short-term public parking locations. Wish them luck – charging the car while it’s parked for half an hour downtown sounds awesome.

Source: Response.jp.

August has come and gone and the American Petroleum Institute (API) has released the U.S. gasoline demand for the month. For the month of August gasoline demand for the U.S. dropped 1.3% –a ten year low for the month of August.

API chief economist, John Felmy said,

“The U.S. economy is still struggling. Retail sales are weak, and we’re seeing a reflection of that in the gasoline demand numbers. The rise in distillate demand accords with data that suggest modest growth in manufacturing, but consumers remain cautious.”

Yes, it’s the economy and this is not great news. It is not as if Americans all ran out and bought a new plug in electric vehicle or hybrid car to replace their SUV. The reality is the economy in the United States is in such a slump and gas prices remain high, so people simply are not driving or filling up as much as they used to. Overall on a year to date basis, demand for gas is two percent lower than in 2010.

High gas prices cause other prices to increase and some that raise a few eyebrows. Compact, fuel efficient cars found on used car lots have all of a sudden seemingly increased in value. A three-year-old Honda Accord has soared in value by 24% since last September, as well as a used Civic and Sentra. Does this mean you can get a great deal on a used SUV—nope on many lots their prices have remained the same.

There is a silver lining however. Given the economic restraints it does seem that Americans are now trying to conserve gasoline. This not only helps environmentally but it is a paradigm shift away from America’s disposable minded society. In a way it has become “cool” to “go green”, just look at all of those movie stars driving a Prius.

Despite the dip in gas demand, U.S. refinery production of gasoline was up 0.6% over August 2010 and hit a record high for the first eight months of the year. Production of diesel fuel set a record for the month of August with industry demand for diesel fuel shooting up by 10.8%.

Interestingly, with the low demand of gasoline, total petroleum imports for the U.S. fell by 11% for the month of August. API sights that figure as a whopping 14-year low. So that is okay, less demand for foreign oil is good, but sadly the reason for the 14 year low is because Americans just cannot afford it.

Source: green.autoblog.com

Andrew Meggison was born in the state of Maine and educated in Massachusetts. Andrew earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Relations from Clark University and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. Being an Eagle Scout, Andrew has a passion for all things environmental. In his free time Andrew enjoys writing, exploring the great outdoors, a good film, and a creative cocktail.

Researchers at Penn State University claim to have developed a process which shows “that pure hydrogen gas can efficiently be produced from virtually limitless supplies of seawater and river water and biodegradable organic matter” … which is, of course, a fancy way of saying “poopy water”.

The process developed by Penn State researchers Bruce Logan and Younggy Kim extracts electricity between the small differences in charge between saltwater and fresh water, then adding this small charge to a waste-water solution containing microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). With the help of this added current, the MECs partially reverse the decomposition of the organic compounds found in waste-water to generate hydrogen and methane (two compounds which are considered viable alternative fuels for cars and large trucks motivated by natural gas or hydrogen fuel cells, assuming they can be generated in sufficient quantities).

The group showed photos of their fuel cell stacks (below) and – in the way of such things – claimed that, since “biodegradable liquids and cellulose waste are abundant and with no energy in and hydrogen out we can get rid of wastewater and by-products. This could be an inexhaustible source of energy.”

Science.

Talk like that is usually a bad sign (inexhaustible is, after all, a Big and Serious word), but the science involved is way over my head. You can check it out for yourself in the 19SEP issue of the newsletter for the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and let us know if you think it’ll fly in the comments, below.

With any luck, these guys can pull it off and give the Saudi Princes something to fret about besides what to do with their AK-47s and Toyota Camry sedans.

Source: PANS, via Gizmag.

It was recently reported that an Australian couple had set the new Guinness Book world record for highest fuel economy getting 64.42 miles per gallon (mpg) across the 48 connected American states. Well, that record has been broken by a pair of hypermilers who just completed the 48 state trip with a fuel economy of 64.55 mpg.

Wayne Gerdes of Illinois and Chris Bernius or New York drove a 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid on a 14 day, 7,899 mile journey through each of the 48 contiguous states. At the end of their journey the American team had set a new record for fuel economy with 64.55 mpg. The former record holders, Australian couple Helen and John Taylor, used a Chevy Cruze Eco to achieve the previous record of 64.42 mpg while spending 22 days on the road and traveling 9,552 miles.

The American team used hypermiling techniques, as did the Australian team. Hypermiling is a unique style of driving to get the best fuel economy possible. Hypermilers use tactics to get such great mpg like emptying the vehicle spare ties and other features to cut weight; drafting behind 18-wheel trucks; accelerating and turning gradually; and using the brakes only when necessary. Hypermiling is a common tactic used by hybrid and electric vehicle drivers.

The American team did use a hybrid vehicle to set the record, a 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid; while the Austrian team used a Chevy Cruze Eco in their record attempt. The Eco is not a hybrid or electric vehicle—the Eco runs off gasoline. Given the slight difference between the two outcomes of similar trips with one team using a hybrid vehicle and one team using a gasoline powered vehicle; the very slight variation in mpg is indeed interesting and could spark debate between the hybrid/EV camp and gasoline/diesel camp.

As for the vehicles themselves, the 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is estimated to get a solid 40 mpg on the highway while the EPA puts an automatic Chevy Cruze Eco at 37 mpg highway and a manual Chevy Cruze Eco at 42 mpg highway. The 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid will have a base price of $26,500 and the Chevy Cruze Eco has base sticker price of $19,000.

Source: time.com

Andrew Meggison was born in the state of Maine and educated in Massachusetts. Andrew earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Relations from Clark University and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Northeastern University. Being an Eagle Scout, Andrew has a passion for all things environmental. In his free time Andrew enjoys writing, exploring the great outdoors, a good film, and a creative cocktail.

Solar energy has been in the news quite a bit these days with its ubiquity, advances in infrastructure, and expansion (as well as some major setbacks) making waves in the media. On the back of that publicity, Florida Power and Light Company (FPL) is working with the Florida Public Service Commission to offer rebates on solar panels to Florida residents and businesses, and also to give away photovoltaic (PV) systems to Florida’s public schools.

It’s hoped that these rebates and giveaways will allow lower-income families and small businesses to reap the rewards of long-term energy savings without having to face down high initial installation costs.

FPL will be distributing approximately $5 million in solar incentive funds on a first-come, first serve basis, and Gas 2 readers in Florida who would like to take advantage of the Sunshine State’s most plentiful product (sunlight, not oranges) can apply for there rebates at FPL’s website. FPL’s rebates apply to solar-energy devices ranging from simple water heaters to more complex PV systems.

Perhaps more interesting (and with more “propaganda power” to push for solar’s mainstream adoption in the future) is FPL’s “Photovoltaic for Schools Pilot Program“, which sees FPL donating a solar PV system to (at least) one public school in each of the 28 school districts the company serves, with plans to install solar PV systems in 81 Florida schools schools by 2016. FPL will also providing teacher training, classroom materials on reduced energy consumption, and will also maintain the PV arrays for five years after installation at no cost to the school system.

This is all great stuff, and – we hope! – just the beginning of Florida’s solar conversion.

Source: Earth Techling; Photo: Gas 2, Annoying Orange.