MPs back Heathrow expansion
by David Masters
MPs have voted in favour of a third runway at Heathrow airport despite widespread public opposition. The vote, won with a majority of just 19, has angered environmentalists, public officials and local communities. More than 25 Labour MPs voted against the plans, which are opposed by the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. The Conservatives have pledged to stop the bulldozers in their tracks if they win the next election. Meanwhile, Greenpeace is leading a ...
Sewage-powered buses for Norway’s capital
by David Masters
Buses in Oslo, Norway, are to be powered using biomethane from human sewage. Starting this year, 200 public buses in Norway's capital will be fueled using biomethane, cutting back carbon emissions and saving the city council money on fuel costs. Biomethane gas is a by-product of treated sewage. Previously, the gas was flared off at sewage plants, releasing 17,000 tonnes of CO2 per year. Now the gas will be used in slightly ...
The world’s fastest (charging) electric car
by David Masters
US-based Shelby Super Cars has unveiled the blueprint for an eco-friendly sports car with a top speed of 208mph. The SSC Ultimate Aero EV will accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 2.5 seconds - and needs just 10 minutes charging to travel up to 200 miles. It will be the fastest electric car in production, adding to SSC's accolade of releasing the fastest ever production car. Although making an electric sports car may ...
Bike, Boat, Car: 3 cutting-edge eco-vehicles
by David Masters
Backpack Bike German Bike 'Der Bergmönch' folds down into an easy-carry backpack. Weighing in at just 9.5kg and designed for off-road use, it's ideal for campers, hikers and other adventurous types. It has no pedals, though, so it's best for those who like climbing hills, but would prefer an easy ride for the descent. Brakes are included, and the backpack has 12 litres of free space for lunch and a waterproof ...
Portable bike lane makes cycling safer
by David Masters
As all cyclists know too well, riding the city streets without a bike lane is a dangerous past time - especially at night. In the US, nearly two people a day are killed on the road in cycling accidents, whilst 43,000 cyclists are injured every year. With bike lanes costing up to £25,000 per mile to install, local authorities are often reluctant to help. However, the newly invented portable bicycle lane is designed ...
Anti-Airport Celebs buy Heathrow land
by David Masters
A football pitch-sized plot of land on the proposed site for Heathrow's third runway has been bought by an unlikely coalition of celebrities, MPs, scientists, and eco-campaigners. The four owners on the legal deeds are actress Emma Thompson, impressionist Alistair McGowan, Conservative Party green advisor Zac Goldsmith, and Greenpeace director John Sauven. An additional 10,000 people have signed up to be 'beneficial owners', including MPs Justine Greening, Susan Kramer and John McDonnell. With ...
Spaniards abandon planes for high-speed trains
by David Masters
A new fleet of high speed trains in Spain has stolen hundreds of thousands of passengers from the airlines, slashing the country's carbon emissions. Passenger numbers on domestic flights fell 20% in the twelve months to November, as passengers shunned cramped airline seats in favour of spacious, convenient, and fast trains. Over the same period, high speed rail travel grew 28%, boosted by a 220mph line that zooms from Barcelona to Madrid ...
Toyota to launch 10 hybrids by 2015
by David Masters
Toyota has announced plans to launch up to 10 hybrid cars by 2015, starting with the third generation Prius and the new HS250h Lexus Hybrid, both unveiled this week at the North American International Motor Show in Detroit. The 3G Prius is the first ever 'plug in' model, and is being launched a year early. Toyota has also confirmed plans to release a battery powered urban commuting vehicle by 2012. The FT-EV battery ...
Koreans joyful over bicycle sharing
by David Masters
In Chongwan, Korea's eco-capital, 2,500 people have signed up as members of the city's first ever bicycle sharing scheme, which opened in October. Members of the NUBIJA scheme can use any of the 430 bicycles, placed at 20 locations around the city centre, free for up to an hour, whilst one day's hire costs around $1.50. Over 8,000 rentals have already been recorded. According to NUBIJA's policy aide, Ha Seung-woo, if ...
New road surface generates power
by David Masters
A new road surface has been discovered that generates electricity as cars drive over it. Developed in Israel and announced last month by the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), the road surface contains thousands of miniscule piezoelectric crystal that generate electricity when squeezed together. According to the ETA, if the surface were installed on every British motorway, it would generate enough electricity to power 34,500 small cars. The problem with this 'solution' is ...
Beijing bans heavy-polluting cars
by David Masters
One in ten cars in Beijing have been banned from entering the city centre in a bid to reduce the city's pollution. The 350,000 banned vehicles are responsible for half of the notorious auto pollution in China's capital. After a three month grace period, drivers caught in a high emissions 'yellow-label' vehicle inside the city's Fifth Ring Road will be fined 100 yuan ($15), 13% of the average Beijing-dweller's weekly income. The emissions ...
Credit crunch hits Norway’s electric car maker
by David Masters
Norway-based electric car maker, Think Global, has declared itself in a funding crisis, and has temporarily laid off half of its workforce until the end of January. The news comes just two months after the launch of Think's flagship model, the Think City. Extra-cautious suppliers have started demanding up front payment from Think, whilst the company is finding it increasingly difficult to secure financing following the global credit crunch. In a last ditch ...
Carbon busting is easy: Make public transport cheaper
by David Masters
Cutting the price of public transport would reduce the UK's carbon emissions. This is the conclusion of research released this month by Campaign for Better Transport (CfBT). According to the research, if public transport fares were reduced by 20% - bringing them in line with what our European brothers and sisters pay - bus travel would increase 13% and rail travel 17% by 2015. Combine this price decrease with increases in tax on ...
Ireland to debut hybrid-electric double decker
by David Masters
Yet again, Ireland is ahead of the UK in choosing the eco-friendly option. Dubliners travelling on route 16 from next week may find themselves sitting on Ireland's first ever hybrid-electric bus, the likes of which have never been spotted in a UK city. The double decker, built in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, contains a 2.4 litre diesel engine - more than two-thirds smaller than a standard bus engine. The diesel power is ...
Thirty-nine Plane Stupid eco-activisits arrested
by David Masters
Thirty-nine eco-activists have been arrested after protesting at the expansion of London Stansted Airport. Over 50 protesters from anti-airport expansion group Plane Stupid occupied Stansted's runway for three hours this morning, causing five hours of delays and cancellations. Tens of thousands of people found themselves stranded at the airport, and police had to be called in to help organise the huge queues. Budget airline Ryaniar was forced to cancel 52 flights because of ...
Plans scrapped for Scottish biofuel plant
by David Masters
Plans to build a £65 million biofuel refinery plant in Scotland have been indefinitely put on hold because of the credit crunch, much to the relief of eco-campaigners. Ineos Enterprises, the oil refinery company who planned to build the plant, said the current economic climate and doubts about the environmental sustainability of biofuels have made the project unviable. A statement from Ineos said the plans would be on hold until the company ...
TV star slams Top Gear eco-bashers
by David Masters
Former Top Gear presenter, Quentin Wilson, has blasted the popular BBC show for its antiquated and outdated approach to environmental issues. The Sunday evening show has an estimated 385 million viewers worldwide, and is notorious for its insults to the eco-conscious. In one episode the presenters announced they would be showcasing a new green car, before revealing a gas-guzzling Lamborghini, painted green. Speaking in Cardiff yesterday, Wilson said that Top Gear's main presenter, ...
Mercedes-Benz unveils eco-car
by David Masters
German car maker Mercedes-Benz has joined the recent trend of releasing an eco-friendly vehicle. The new environmentally friendly, C-Class 180 Kompressor BlueEfficiency saloon will be available from January. It replaces the existing C-Class model without any increase in purchase price. The C180's fuel-saving engine reduces petrol consumption by 11% and CO2 emissions by 19% to 149 grams per kilometre. This allows the car to run at 45 mpg, and cuts road tax by ...
Portugal Commits To Huge Electric Vehicle Deal
by Alan Harten
Nissan and Renault have signed a historic agreement with Portugal for the sale of electric vehicles, in order to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emission levels by around 20%. This would assist the country in reaching the European Unions emissions regulations by 2020. The deal calls for the two car manufacturers to begin delivery of large numbers of electric vehicles at the beginning of 2011. As part of the agreement, Portugal will ...
Florida Trains Run on Pure Biodiesel
by Alan Harten
South Florida transport company Tri-Rail will start operating 8 of its 10 locomotives with a 99 percent blend of biodiesel, according to the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority. For the U.S. company's trains the switch to biodiesel has been a long process. The company hopes to eventually use biodiesel in all 10 of its locomotives, but for now it has been prevented from doing so by technical restrictions within two ...