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A fungus found in a rainforest in Patagonia, South America, could prove to be the answer to our green fuel prayers.
The fungus- Gliocladium roseum, which grows inside the ulmo tree, produces a mixture of hydrocarbon molecules that a practically identical to diesel. Other organisms such as algae, also make chemicals similar to those found in the fungus, however none produce such high energy density.
The hydrocarbon mixture is so spot-on in fact, that it is believed it could be used in a diesel engine without any modification!
This discovery, despite requiring more research to the definite costs and benefits, provides hope for a truely green fuel, in the midst of concerns over the sustainability of biofuels. Biofuels have come under criticism in recent months regarding the competition they cause for arable land, which affects food production and raises food prices, and also as to whether they proivide net savings in greenhouse gases.
Source: The Guardian, Scientists discover Patagonian diesel that grows on trees, 4/11/08
Two big green announcements this week shows that the Government is taking environmental concerns seriously.
Firstly, the Government has caved in to public pressure and the more green- inclined MPs and decided to include shipping and aviation sources in emission targets. This amendment to the Climate Change Bill, due to become law next month, will outline Britain’s commitment to curb its carbon footprint by 80% by 2050. Tackling shipping and aviation emissions is therefore a step in the right direction, as they account for 7.5% of all emissions.
Second up, the Government has announced that millions of pounds of public money is to spent be on environmentally friendly vehicles. This investment, which will encompass both the research and manufacture of electric cars, will lead to some hands on trials for local authorities and the public.
1. Some local authorities and other public bodies will be given money to purchase and run electric vans;
2. 100 electric cars will be distributed across the UK for people to try out and charging points will put in place.
This is certainly a step in the right direction – but there is the argument that being less technologically prescriptive and leaving the industry to come up with the right solutions might have been a more suitable way forwards. Time will tell…
A scheme to encourage the scrapping of old cars to increase the rate at which motorists trade them for newer, more fuel-efficient models, could achieve environmental benefits according to new research published last week by the Royal Automobile Club Foundation.
The report, Car Ownership in Great Britain*, concludes that financial encouragement for car owners to scrap older vehicles could encourage fleet renewal, but intervention must be done carefully if the vehicle market is not to be distorted. The report relates to use of vehicles but policy must also take account of the environmental implications involved in the manufacture of new vehicles.
The research shows that in the UK, to reduce emissions, the ideal age to incentivise car scrappage would be for 17-18 year old cars. Such a scheme would remove most of the last non-catalytic cars. Incentivising the scrappage of younger cars would only result in payment being made for cars which are going to be scrapped in large numbers anyway.
Encouraging motorists to switch to newer models is a vital part of the fight to cut carbon emissions from road transport. The average new car emits 3.8% less carbon than just 12 months ago (158.6g/km, down from 164.9g/km at the end of 2007) and 16.4% less than the in 1997 (189.8g/km)**.
Despite this, tax changes announced in the March budget, including the introduction of a “showroom tax,” will make buying a new vehicle more expensive. The Treasury’s decision to raise Vehicle Excise Duty retrospectively also increases the financial burden of owning the more fuel-hungry older cars, leaving motorists stuck with inefficient vehicles.
The credit crunch is also slowing the rate at which people buy new cars, with sales falling for the last five months***.
The RAC Foundation believes that a carefully-designed scrappage scheme would have a double benefit of boosting the new and second hand car industry, whilst helping to make road transport greener by removing the most-polluting vehicles from the road.
According to the report, cars are scrapped for four main reasons:-
· The car is too expensive to repair
· The car has been in an accident
· The car was not worth very much money
· The car had stopped working
Scrapped cars are not normally replaced by brand new models, but by vehicles typically three to four years younger than the ones scrapped. A vehicle purchased brand new typically replaces a three year old car which has been traded in on the basis of age and mileage. Most new cars are traded in within 4 years.
The Foundation commissioned the report after scrappage was recommended by the Environmental Audit Committee**** as a means of encouraging “lower income households … to trade in their cars for low emission replacements,” in order to offer an informed contribution to the debate.
Schemes can offer payments not linked to further action by the car owner, or payments conditional on purchase of a less-polluting newer car. The RAC Foundation’s report concludes that in the UK, it would not be necessary to link the incentive to buying a new car as the natural dynamics of the car market will lead to the owners buying a car three or four years younger than the one scrapped, which in turn would lead to a ripple effect of car purchases up the age chain of the vehicle parc.
The Foundation has rejected the alternatives of higher taxes on older cars, calculated on the basis of their emissions; or more rigorous annual inspection routines which make older cars more expensive to maintain, as these will place a heavier financial burden on the owners of older cars, who tend to be lower income motorists in the first place.
Commenting, RAC Foundation Director Stephen Glaister said: “Making it affordable for motorists to scrap clapped-out cars and opt instead for a cleaner, more fuel-efficient and more reliable vehicle could be a way for the Government to support greener motoring. This study identifies a number of countries that have tried scrappage schemes and offers important new evidence to help design a balanced and effective scheme for Britain. This is an essential ingredient of a proper “dust-to-dust” emissions assessment.”
“Motorists can’t afford to be on the receiving end of another muddled, poorly thought out scheme like the VED proposals unveiled in March. Any scrappage scheme should be further researched before implementation in order to benefit the environment, motorists and manufacturers, without distorting the market.”
Sources:
* Car Ownership in Great Britain. Prepared for the RAC Foundation by David Leibling.
**SMMT, ninth annual sustainability report, 2008
*** SMMT figures reported in http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/oct/06/automotive.creditcrunch
**** Vehicle Excise Duty as an Environmental Tax: “We recommend that the Treasury urgently reviews and consults on how lower income households could be economically supported to trade in their cars for low emission replacements. In particular, we recommend that the Treasury urgently examines the proposal for a “car scrappage scheme”, which would provide payments in return for taking high emission cars off the road. In any scheme that were implemented, it would be important to ensure that high emission vehicles were genuinely scrapped—with as much of their materials recycled as possible—rather than allowed to stay on the road under different ownership, for instance in another country. (Paragraph 38)”
Last week the Department for Transport published their latest consultation on the future of biofuels standing by Professor Gallagher’s recommendations to carry out more research into the sustainability of their production.
The consultation comes about in response to widely held concerns about the indirect impacts of their production namely:
· Environmental: Unsustainable land use change and even net increases in greenhouse gas emissions.
· Social: Rising food prices due to increased rent for land as a result of competition from people wishing to use land to grow crops for fuel. This leads to lower production of food crops and farmers have to increase the price of their output to make any money.
The consultation recommended the following steps be implemented to ensure a sustainable future of biofuel production:
1. The rate of increase of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation be slowed to reach 5% by 2013/14 as opposed to the earlier suggested date of 2010/11. This will require the rate of increase to be reduced to 0.5% per annum.
2. The EU target of 10% renewable transport fuels by 2020 should continue to be supported but closely monitored, and if evidence showing unsustainable production or adverse impacts on food prices arises, support should be withdrawn.
3. Sustainability criteria must address the indirect as well as the direct effects on land use.
4. The Government will work to establish international standards and controls, which reflect the international nature of the biofuels industry.
The RAC Foundation agrees with the Government’s decision to “amend but not abandon its biofuel policy” as the sustainability of fuel production is crucial for the future of transport. According to the latest evidence in the Gallagher review by 2020 ” Biofuels have the potential to deliver annual global greenhouse gas savings of approximately 338-371 million tonnes of carbon dioxide”, making biofuels an issue worth persuing – if somewhat more cautiously than before.
A new report commissioned by NatCen has uncovered the feelings of the British public about the link between driving and the environment.
Beliefs….
8 in 10 people agreed with the statement that current levels of car use are having a serious effect on climate change, and 6 in 10 said they believed individual action can make a difference.
Reality…
Almost half of drivers said that they would be willing to reduce their car use for short journeys and had the capacity to follow this through, whilst 1 in 4 people said that they wouldn’t even consider the notion of leaving their car in the driveway. Middle groups also arose with 12% of drivers being in two minds about changing their ways but admitting that were able to do so. On the other hand, 18% said that they were willing to cut down on their car use but felt that they were unable to do so.
The RAC Foundation supports the use of sustainable travel and stresses that the relationship between cars and environmental damage is more complex than restraining use. Lower carbon cars, greener fuels, eco-driving and car sharing can all do their bit to reduce emissions if giving up the car completely is not an option.
World soyabean prices have climbed to a record level this week, partly because farmers in the US and Asia have been growing corn, palm oil and other crops to supply the biofuel industry. Poor harvests in Latin America and rising demand in China have added to price pressures.
One commentatorsaid ‘It is finally a trade-off between filling stomachs and filling diesel tanks in cars and trucks’ (Ashok Gulati, Director of the International Food Policy Institute)
Soyabeans are a staple product for Asian cuisine especially for the poor, as it is a key source of protein. For many Indonesians, a piece of fermented soyabean cake is often their only source of protein and last year soya products accounted for 22% of Indonesians’ protein intake, excluding rice, according to Government data.
Authorities in the countries effected are starting to take action to contain the effects of the price surge by importing lower quality soya-beans and prioritising debate on the issue, but currently producers are directly passing increased costs onto consumers.
This is just one example of how finding new ways to power vehicles is starting to have tangible unintended consequences. As the biofuel debate progresses it is essential that the overall impact of their use is considered and kept under review.
Source: Financial Times Friday 18th January 2008
Forget the hype about green fuels- well don’t forget it exactly- but focus some of your recycling efforts (which I’m sure are well established in your households) to your car.
This message is particularly aimed at car manufacturers of whom the EU is requiring to build cars of 95% recyclable materials by 2015. At present, an impressive 75% of scrap car parts are recycled, however the remaining 25% is contributing to our ever growing waste mountains.
The growth in car demand which is spreading worldwide has been predicted by Oxford Brookes University to be so steep that in the 25 years more cars will be built than have been built so far! This prediction if correct would clearly require a near 100% recycling effort combined with- of course- reduced emission technology.
Source: whatcar.com Car recycling must improve, warns report
Changing your driving style can both save you money and lessen your impact on the environment. This is the message being taught through a new form of driving lessons- eco driving lessons.
Here are some top tips from a RoSPA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents) awarded driver instructor, on how you should be driving if you want to save the pennies as well as the planet:
- Curb your speed: As well as providing clear safety benefits to yourself and other road users, driving at 70mph instead of 85mph will make you a 40% fuel saving.*
- Change gear only when necessary: In a petrol car, the ‘right’ time to change gear is at the 2,500 revs mark* and abiding by this rule can save you 15% on fuel consumption.*
- Adopt an smooth approach: Gradual acceleration and smooth gear changes fair better on the environment.*
- De- clutter: Carrying unecessary weight in your car, whether it be garden tools in the boot or a full tank of petrol, adds an additional strain on your fuel expenditure, because for every 45kg, 1% of fuel is used up.*
- Don’t idle: Switch off your engine where possible*- running the engine when you’re stuck in a traffic jam is using fuel just for the sake of it.
- Don’t coast: Being in neutral uses up more fuel than when the car is in gear*, so don’t fall for this fuel saving myth.
- Carry out routine checks on your vehicle: maintaining your vehicle will ensure that economically you get the best out of your vehicle.*
- Purchase a fuel- flow meter: This clever device tracks your fuel consumption and thereby aims to prompt you to follow the above eco- driving style to keep the figure as low as you can.
The RAC Foundation supports the eco- driving approach and would encourage motorists to adopt this green and economical style as not only does lessen one’s carbon footprint without having to reduce the amount you drive, but it can save you money too- and just in time for Christmas!
Today saw the release of Road File 2007/08 from the Road Users’ Alliance (RUA); an edition which clearly highlighted the paucity of motorways in the UK in comparison to other EU countries.
The RUA Road File stresses the adverse impact that a lack of road capacity is having and will have on the UK’s economy, as well as safety and the environment.
On the economy, the effect that an insufficient motorway network will have on foreign investment was raised, as was the problem of congestion on business productivity, echoing Eddington’s research that congestion costs the UK £7-8 billion a year.
Public demand for more roads was also an issue which the Road File could not ignore, reminding us that in terms of cost, time and convenience, the car comes out a winning option. Unfortunately for car lovers, this high demand is simply not being met in the UK, whereas our European neighbours appear to have quite a bounty of highway…
A comparison with Germany:
- Motorway density: For every 1000km2 of land in the UK, there are 15km of motorway. In Germany, there are 35km of motorway.
- Share of GDP on building motorways: In the UK, for every billion dollars of GDP, there are 2km of motorway. In Germany, there are 5.5km.
Question: Is it right that £45 billion is collected from motorists every year, yet only £7.5 billion is spent on roads? - Ratio of motorways to cars: The UK has 8,000 cars for every km of motorway. Germany has half the number of cars for every km.
So, the pressing question from the RUA- why can’t the UK build more roads?
If the road network capacity is not increased, congestion will have to be reduced by other means. One suggestion, of course, is road user charging, which in turn would produce revenue to help fund the construction of an increased road network.
In research conducted by the Department for Transport, over half of those questioned (55%)said they believed that the amount of £ motorists pay should relate to how often, when and where they use the road.
Finally, the creation of motorways can bring about both environmental and safety benefits:
- Replacing a 2 lane road with a motorway would decrease carbon monoxide emissions by 48%, nitrogen oxide emissions by 61% and CO2 emissions by 26%.
- Motorways are 5 times safer than single lane roads.
The end of Peak Oil?
January 18, 2008 in Comment, Consumer Issues, Environment | by elizabethdainton | Leave a comment
The world’s oil supply is not running out according to a major new study of 800 oilfields by the Cambridge Energy Research Associates (CERA). They have concluded that rates of decline are only at 4.5% per year, which is almost half of the rate previously believed, which supports their conclusion that oil output will continue to rise over the next decade.
The report’s author Peter Jackson said ‘We will be able to grow supply to well over 100 million barrels per day by 2017.” Current oil world output is around 87 million barrell’s a day. Many will ask where this leaves theories on peak oil. Those at CERA conclude that world oil production will peak as demand is weakened by taxation and government efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Essentially politics, not geology is identified as the limiting factor.
The research and theory on the future of oil supply and demand can be interestingly compared with the human and current story of oil consumption in Venezuela reported in today’s Guardian.
In Venezuela, which has the seventh largest oil reserve in the world, the world where oil costs $100 a barrel is literally and metaphorically a million miles away. A litre of fuel costs 0.7p, meaning that filling the tank of a large car costs a total of 42p, which is equal to the cost of a cup of coffee in the area. When exchange rates are taken into account petrol is 45 times cheaper than in Britain, due to Government subsidy introduced in the 1940s. As a result people view cheap fuel as a birthright, which is also the case in other fuel producing countries such as Burma, Indonesia, Iran and Nigeria. Revolts are likely if prices rise. Domestic consumption in Venezuela has soared to 780,000 barrels a day and the subsidy costs the Government around £4.5 billlion annually. The consumer boom has doubled the number of cars on Venezuela’s roads and has caused significant pollution and grid lock.
This example provides a stark illustration of the CERA research findings working in todays world. It would certainly appear that politics rather than production drives use and consumption of fuel and in a future as the challenges of global warming become more pressing and prominent, theories of peak oil are likely to be less relevant to the debate than geo-political realities.
Source(s):
The Times Friday 18th January 2008
The Guardian Friday 18th January 2008