Recently the Secretary of the Department of transportation put a proposal to mildly accelerate fuel standards from 3% per year to 4.5% per year up to 2015. However this was a ploy to put circumvent the Clean Air act and block California and several other states from adopting more aggressive car and truck fuel standards.
Jerry Brown called the Bush tactic: This fuel economy plan, while attractive on the surface, is a shameful and unlawful [covert] assault on California's landmark vehicle emissions standard.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and 11 of his counterparts sent a letter to President Bush on Thursday protesting a federal proposal to limit California's right to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from autos.
The letter came two days after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration published a proposed set of fuel-efficiency standards that included a provision that would override California laws that set limits on carbon emissions from cars.
Thursday's letter called the language "an end run around 40 years of precedent" and said that if the provision was not dropped, the states would sue NHTSA.
In a separate letter, sent to the top four leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the governors called the proposed rule a "cynical attempt . . . to unilaterally rewrite the Clean Air Act and claim authority over greenhouse gas emissions."
Country Current Standard Proposed Standard
China: 36 mpg 43 mpg. (2009)
Canada: 27 mpg (current avg, no standard) TBA (starting in 2011)
United States: 25 mpg (current average) 35 mpg. (proposed, 2020
new proposal 31.5 by 2015
California: 25 mpg (current) 36 mpg. (proposed, 2016)
Europe: 40 mpg (current) 48.9 mpg. (proposed 2012)
Japan: 40 mpg. (current) 48.9 mpg. (proposed, 2015)
Here is how Bush drones were trying to spin the "strengthening of CAFE standards.
On page 387 of the Department of Transportation proposal they had placed
any state regulation regulating tailpipe carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles is expressly pre-empted.
Some analysts are projecting $200/barrel oil prices and $7 per gallon for gasoline in the United States by 2012
Many electric and fuel efficient cars are and will be available.
Read More...
Summary only...
California Broadband Task Force (commissioned by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in Nov 2006) has published an 84 page plan on how it wants to make the broadband communication available in California competitive with world leaders like Japan (average advertised download speed of 95Mbps).
The Task Force recommended that the state issue "broadband bonds," found an "Advanced Services Fund" that would make one-time payouts to subsidize broadband infrastructure in rural areas, and issue tax incentives for broadband deployments in unserved areas.
Recommendations
#1: Build Out High-Speed Broadband Infrastructure to All Californians
#2: Develop Model Permitting Standards and Encourage Collaboration Among Providers
#3: Increase the Use and Adoption of Broadband and Computer Technology
#4: Engage and Reward Broadband Innovation and Research
#5: Create a Statewide E-Health Network
#6: Leverage Educational Opportunities to Increase Broadband Use
#7: Continue State-Level and Statewide Leadership
The goals recommended by the taskforce in broadband speed and adoption levels
Here is a table with the applications that are possible at different communication speeds.
DSL is today capable of providing service up to 25 Mbps, and even more in exceptional circumstances. Cable can provide 150 Mbps with current technology, and will be able to provide more in the future. Recently launched and next-generation
satellites will offer significantly higher capacity and performance. A satellite system planned to enter service next year is designed to provide 10-30 Mbps aggregate bandwidth, though latency issues will continue to limit the usability of
satellite for certain broadband applications. Wireless speeds will largely be constrained by spectrum availability. Fiber technologies hold practically unlimited capabilities. However, to realize these speeds, all of these technologies require
significant infrastructure investments.
Technology Advertised Broadband Speed Ranges in California (Downstream rate)
Cable 768 kbps - 15 Mbps
DSL 384 kbps - 6 Mbps
Fixed Wireless 768 kbps - 3 Mbps
FTTH 1 Mbps - 50 Mbps
Mobile Wireless 200 kbps - 1.4 Mbps
Satellite 512 kbps - 2 Mbps
Read More...
Summary only...
The EPA made a [politically based] ruling that denied California a waiver to set its own fuel standard
This will be overturned in a lawsuit.
California's standard would be 36mpg by 2016 versus the recently passed 34 mpg by 2020 CAFE.
Read More...
Summary only...
New batteries using silicon nanowire, developed through research led by Yi Cui, assistant professor of materials science and engineering, produces 10 times the amount of electricity of existing lithium-ion, known as Li-ion, batteries. If these batteries are produced in high volume at a reasonable cost this will enable high performance all electric cars and plug in hybrid vehicles. The researchers do believe that they can commercialize quickly.
The breakthrough is described in a paper, "High-performance lithium battery anodes using silicon nanowires," published online Dec. 16 in Nature Nanotechnology, written by Cui, his graduate chemistry student Candace Chan and five others.
The greatly expanded storage capacity could make Li-ion batteries attractive to electric car manufacturers. Cui suggested that they could also be used in homes or offices to store electricity generated by rooftop solar panels.
"Given the mature infrastructure behind silicon, this new technology can be pushed to real life quickly," Cui said.
The electrical storage capacity of a Li-ion battery is limited by how much lithium can be held in the battery's anode, which is typically made of carbon. Silicon has a much higher capacity than carbon, but also has a drawback.
Silicon placed in a battery swells as it absorbs positively charged lithium atoms during charging, then shrinks during use (i.e., when playing your iPod) as the lithium is drawn out of the silicon. This expand/shrink cycle typically causes the silicon (often in the form of particles or a thin film) to pulverize, degrading the performance of the battery.
Cui's battery gets around this problem with nanotechnology. The lithium is stored in a forest of tiny silicon nanowires, each with a diameter one-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper. The nanowires inflate four times their normal size as they soak up lithium. But, unlike other silicon shapes, they do not fracture.
Chan grew the nanowires on a stainless steel substrate, providing an excellent electrical connection.
Cui said that a patent application has been filed. He is considering formation of a company or an agreement with a battery manufacturer. Manufacturing the nanowire batteries would require "one or two different steps, but the process can certainly be scaled up," he added. "It's a well understood process."
FURTHER READING
Publications from Cui research group
Read More...
Summary only...
A U.S. appeals court on Thursday threw out the government's new fuel economy standards for many sport-utility vehicles, minivans and pickup trucks in a victory for environmentalists.
The decision stemmed from a lawsuit filed by 11 states and environmental groups that argued federal regulators ignored the effects of carbon dioxide emissions when calculating fuel economy standards for light trucks.
Filed last year, the suit sought to force the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to recalculate its mileage standards from scratch, with carbon dioxide emissions taken into account as a major factor in the agency's analysis.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Thursday that California won't back down from the lawsuit — but will stick to its plan to put tougher standards in place by the 2009 model year despite protests from the auto industry.
Last week, California sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, seeking to force the agency to decide whether California can enact the country's first emissions standards for cars and light trucks.
Read More...
Summary only...
There is an initiative in California to enable a vote to repeal the ban on new nuclear plants In order to reach CO2 targets, California needs 4-5 new reactors and increase renewable power from 8% to 20% of energy generated.
Current California energy situation and three scenarios
Go to this link to sign up and support the initiative.
Read More...
Summary only...
I had an article about USA and California's population projected in Q1 of 2007.
There is a new San francisco Chronicle article about California expected population.
In the new report, state demographers used the latest county population estimates as a baseline to make assumptions about future migration patterns. The formulas they used accounted for undocumented immigrants, Martindale said.
Future predictions also have to take the economy into account, he said. It's unclear how many Hispanics will move out of California by 2042, especially if the state remains one of the country's most expensive places to live.
By midcentury, it's estimated that Hispanics will comprise 52 percent of California's 59.5 million residents.
The projections are from the California Department of Finance, which tends to have higher projections than some other sources. I mostly agree with these projections
Read More...
Summary only...
A legislator from Southern California has introduced a bill to lift the state's ban on new nuclear power plants. The bill would give a boost to plans by investors to bring nuclear power to the heart of the San Joaquin Valley.
Update: Contact your california state assembly representative to indicate your support for this bill
Those who support the bill:
Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine. (introduced the bill)
"I think we need to at least advance the discussion," he said. "And if we're not ready to do it this year, I'm prepared to bring this bill back again and again."
"The entire Southern California area is really in a precarious position in terms of energy consumption and energy needs," said . "And it's only going to get worse before it gets better."
John Hutson, the Fresno Nuclear Energy Group's chief executive
Terry Caldwell, mayor of Victorville (population 100,000) in San Bernardino County
The Fresno Nuclear Energy Group LLC, which formed last year, signed a letter of intent with UniStar Nuclear Development LLC, a subsidiary of Constellation Energy in Baltimore, to design, build and operate a plant. Their preliminary plan calls for a single reactor generating 1,600 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 1.2 million homes. The Fresno firm is hoping to build the nuclear power plant next to a large sewage treatment plant and use its wastewater to cool the reactor.
Those who are against the bill:
The chairs of both the Assembly Committee on Natural Resources and the Utilities and Commerce Committee argue that there are plenty of other environment-friendly methods of generating electricity, such as geothermal, wind and solar power.
Less against:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, has softened her previously hard-line stance against nuclear power.
Polling trends indicates shift to support for nuclear power:
July, 2006 poll by the Public Policy Institute of California, 39 percent of Californians surveyed said they supported the building of additional nuclear power plants, while 52 percent opposed the idea.
In 2005, the results were 33 percent in support and 59 percent opposed.
Opinions have shifted even more dramatically among likely voters. Last summer, that group was split down the middle at 46 percent on each side of the issue. In 2005, the result was 37 percent in support and 55 percent opposed.
Read More...
Summary only...
A measure will be submitted to ban ordinary light bulbs in California starting in 2012 The measure will be submitted and voted upon this year.
Rosenfeld, winner of the Enrico Fermi Presidential Award in 2006, said the switch from incandescent bulbs became feasible about five years ago when CFL (compact Florescent lights) performance improved.
I think that this is a reasonable move. Energy efficient bulbs are better for the environment and will help save people money. Saving energy will reduce the number of people killed by coal. This measure and copying this measure in other places is not enough. Conservation by itself will not be enough. We also need to get cleaner power sources to replace the coal that we are using. More nuclear power, solar, wind are needed as well as conservation.
Read More...
Summary only...
