Planetsave

In order to cut harmful emissions from maritime vessels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the next steps of its coordinated effort on Wednesday. The steps include creating a rule under the Clean Air Act that would establish tough engine and fuel standards for U.S. flagged ships. The proposed rule would harmonize with international standards and lead to improved air quality throughout the country.

The new proposal follows a proposal made between the United States and Canada in March that would set aside thousands of miles of coast between the two countries as an Emission Control Area (ECA). The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, will begin review of the ECA plan this month. The passage of the ECA plan would result in the enforcement of stringent standards placed on large ships that operate within 200 nautical miles of U.S. or Canadian coasts.

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Editor’s Note: This was a multi-party contribution involving Kim Komenich (photos) Kwan Booth (text) NewsDesk.org (editing) Spot.Us (financial support). This is part of a series that we’ll be posting over the next week.

While much of the debate on reducing emissions from the Port of Oakland has revolved around trucks, diesel pollution from the trucks is estimated to make up only 4 percent of West Oakland’s overall toxic burden.

A much larger percentage has been attributed to the international shipping companies that rent the ports — yet attempts to impose fees to pay for pollution controls have been sidetracked by global trade regulations and opposition by the state of California and even special interest groups in Oakland and the Bay Area.

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Did you hear about KFC’s offer to fill the potholes in Louisville and four other US cities? Well, they’ve asked to be allowed to stencil an ad onto the pavement in exchange. Predictably, PETA and their KFC Cruelthy campaign now want some of the action.

“KFC might concentrate instead on improving conditions for the chickens it abuses, but it won’t, so we’re offering to double the money that KFC offered the City of Louisville—if the city will use our ads against KFC cruelty on its potholes instead,” reads a post today on PETA’s blog.

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In another case of Critical Mass road rage, the driver of a white SUV received nothing but a citation after ramming a cyclist during Washington, D.C.’s ride last night, according to witness accounts.

After the hit-and-run, bicyclists took off after the SUV, which tried to escape on the wrong side of the road. Police arrived shortly, and instead of arresting the driver, detained a cyclist who aggressively pursued the vehicle.

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By now you are aware that there are many ways to prevent global warming, but I would like to focus on things that you can do to help stop global warming on your way to work. First, it is useful to know exactly how Americans are commuting to work to realize just how much improvement can be made to make commuting more energy-efficient and less of an environmental impact.

And as the human population continues to grow, it will become an increasingly desperate race to find more effective modes of transport.

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The Soleckshaw, a new solar powered, motorized version of India’s humble rickshaw, has been unveiled this month in Delhi, and is being touted as a solution to traffic jams, pollution woes, and backbreaking human labor.

Logging its first miles in Delhi, the soleckshaw can be pedaled normally or powered by a 36-volt solar battery. Developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, (CSIR) the new solar-powered taxis have hit the streets for a test drive.  The soleckshaws include FM radios and the ability to power up cell phones while driving.  The battery allows the taxi to travel 15 km per hour (9.3 mph) for up to 42 miles.

CSIR director Sinha said:  “In the age of global warming, the soleckshaw, with improvements, can be successfully developed as competition for all the petrol and diesel run small cars.”

There are about 8 million rickshaw drivers in India. It is hoped that the new, solar power rickshaws will enhance the vehicle’s image, and allow it to become an even more favorable mode of transportation.  It is thought that the new powered rickshaws will attract an entirely new middle class clientele. Read the rest of this entry »

Tacked on last minute to the $700 billion bailout, bicycle commuters across the nation will be eligible for for a tax benefit that is already available to both train & bus commuters.

After $700 billion of our American tax dollars just went to bail out private banks, it’s a small relief that some laws were squeezed into that deal, with the sole purpose of benefiting people and the planet.

Starting January 1st, those who commute via bicycle to work are eligible to receive $20.00 per month in tax-free reimbursements from their employer.  The reimbursement is meant to defray the costs of owning and operating a bike.  Employers can deduct this expense from their federal taxes. Read the rest of this entry »

Every week sees so many developments and news stories about the environment, energy and sustainability, it’s impossible to cover them all in depth. So I thought it would be helpful to occasionally summarize some of the more interesting reports from the past week. Here are a few that caught my eye:

Two South African architects last week won the $100,000 Curry Stone Design Prize for their unique energy-efficient housing design using timber framing and sandbags. Based on traditional mud-and-wattle construction, the timber-sandbag structures are also inexpensive and easy to build, with no electricity required.

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