(Source: PR News Wire)

Yesterday Southwest announced at its annual Media Day a “green plane,” an innovative idea that marries efficiency, environmentally responsible products, Customer comfort, and reduced waste and weight. This plane, a Boeing 737-700, will serve as a test environment for new environmentally responsible materials and Customer comfort products.  All of the initiatives being tested on this Green Plane, when combined, will equate to a weight savings of almost five pounds per seat, thus saving fuel and reducing emissions, along with adding recyclable elements to the cabin interior and reducing waste.

“Southwest is committed to continuing to lead the industry in emissions reductions through fuel efficiency. Efficiency in fuel consumption benefits our Company as well as the environment, and this has been part of our business model since the beginning,” said Gary Kelly, Southwest’s Chairman, President, and CEO. “As we look to the future, we know climate change remains of vital importance to our industry, our Company, and our Customers, so Southwest works hard every day in every area to be a responsible steward of the environment.”

Southwest has designated one aircraft to serve as a test for eco-friendly products, which include:

• InterfaceFlor Carpet – reduces labor and material costs because it is laid in carpet squares, thus eliminating the total replacement of areas such as aisles. The carpet is totally recyclable and the manufacturing process is dedicated to being completely carbon neutral.
• Seat covers – offers more than twice the durability than the current leather seats as well as a weight savings per seat of almost two pounds. They are recyclable and have an environmentally- friendly manufacturing process.
• Life Vest Pouch – more environmentally friendly because it offers a weight savings of one pound per passenger. The smaller pouch creates more room under the seat for carryon items.
• Foam Fill – A lighter weight fill from Garnier PURtec in the back of the seats that reduces weight while providing increased customer comfort.
• Wind Screen – bulkhead product that lasts longer than the current leather product, thus reducing labor costs and waste.
• Aisle Rub Strips – switching from plastic to aluminum will help with durability, which reduces waste, as well as being recyclable.

In addition to the green plane, Southwest also announced the Nov. 1 kickoff of its more robust onboard recycling program, which is a co-mingled system that will allow the airline to capture more recyclable material and divert it from the waste stream. This 18-month process involved team work from all areas of the Company to implement the program on the ground at its Provisioning Bases and re-working of waste collection procedures in the cabin. The following are what Southwest calls “Doing the Right Thing”, published on their website:

Recycling And Waste Recovery: Southwest is implementing a more robust, systemwide recycling program. This systemwide co-mingled recycling program will take our current recycling efforts to the next level. By identifying opportunities to reduce, eliminate, or recover energy from our waste streams, we improve our waste management efficiencies and divert a substantial amount of material from landfills.

Water Conservation: Water is one of our most valuable resources and reducing our consumption is important to Southwest Airlines. We implement water savings ideas, including low flow water saving plumbing, auto shutoff water faucets, meeting LEED™ standards for efficient water use at new facilities, landscaping with native and drought-tolerant plants, and recycling the water used in our engine wash program. Along with reducing our water use, it is important that we keep water sources pure and support pollution prevention by reducing the chance of contamination.

Energy Savings: We are committed to pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) standards in new construction. By taking steps to reduce the amount of energy we consume, and to purchase our energy from renewable resources. We are proud to be a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Leadership Club for our purchase of renewable energy credits.

Noise Reduction: Southwest strives to be a good neighbor in every community we serve. We have taken steps to mitigate noise by ensuring our entire fleet meets current aircraft noise standards. The addition of our winglets and engine modifications have yielded a quieter aircraft that creates less noise when taking off and landing, plus our Pilots typically use noise abatement procedures that enable us to minimize noise impact in communities near the airports we serve.

Click here to read more. Also, click here for an interesting Green Plane FAQ published on the airline’s website.

(Source: Mashable)

Mashable.com reports that the Bay Area Rapid Transit system (BART) in San Francisco has just made history as the first transit agency to partner withFoursquare, the location-based application and game that we think has the potential to be as important as Twitter (they also just launched 15 new cities).

We’ve already seen local businesses take the plunge, offering up special location-based deals that Foursquare automatically serves up to users as they check-in, but now BART is getting in on the action to encourage more public transit use.

BART’s presser has the following interesting info:  Foursquare combines social networking elements with game mechanics, urging users to explore neighborhoods and recommend places to others. You can check in from different venues and earn badges and points for doing different types of things – like a “gym rat” badge if you check in 10 times at a gym during a 30-day period. As part of the partnership with BART, Foursquare will offer a BART-themed badge that can be unlocked by regular riders of BART, which provides train service in the San Francisco Bay Area. BART will award $25 promotional tickets each month for the next three months to riders chosen at random from all the riders who have logged Foursquare check-ins at BART stations, starting in November.

One popular element of Foursquare is a competition to become “mayor” of different places. If you check in more than anyone else, you claim rights as “the mayor” of that place. Regular BART riders already are trading back and forth as “mayors” of the 43 stations. Foursquare updates are shared across other social networking and microblogging sites such as Facebook and Twitter, announcing who has ousted whom as mayor. BART also will look at other ways to coordinate promotions with new and existing venue partners, through www.mybart.org, its free service offering contests and discounts for entertainment, sports and other events. BART is listing tips for things to do near BART stations on its Foursquare profile page (www.foursquare.com/user/SFBART).

Note: As a transportation nerd, Transportgooru thinks this is a bloody brilliant idea.  Hope other transit agencies around the country take note (at least the ones in the 15 cities that Four Square currently has a lock).

We all have seen many community development programs for children that aims to make them better citizens and keep them out of trouble.  Bike Church, run by Ms. Kerri Martin with the support of Holy Spirit Church,  is one such program that makes you go “wow”.  Martin, 37, offers two programs that teach Asbury Park youths job skills such as bicycle mechanics, the value of volunteerism and work ethics. It is a youth earn-a-bike program operating in the community of Asbury Park, New Jersey. The organization website notes that every Monday, between 4pm-7pm,children in middle school and younger come to The Bike Church to learn how to fix bikes, to practice riding, and to learn about safetyissues related to bicycles.

Martin’s idea for the bike church came from a previous job. While living in Brooklyn prior to her move in 2003 to the Shore, Martin worked for Recycle-a-Bicycle in New York City. The program teaches youths bicycle mechanics and offers job and environmental training.

When Martin, a.k.a. the Bike Lady for some in  Asbury Park,  met the Rev. William McLaughlin in 2006 at Holy Spirit Church, she told him about her idea to salvage bicycles and educate children.   He liked the idea and told her she could use the church’s basement, she said. Martin spent a summer cleaning out the basement, and The Bike Church was founded shortly afterword.

With the growing popularity of the program in the community, Kerri and her team had opened, Second Life Bikes, which is for high school age youth.  At Second Life they also learn bike mechanic skills but in more of a structured bike shop environment. After 15 hours of work, they earn themselves a bicycle.  If you would like to donate your time, your old bicycles, parts, and/or helmets, check out the organization’s Website or email to staff@thebikechurch.org for more information regarding donations.

Thanks to my favorite biking website Copenhagenize.com, now I know how bringing bikes and kids together can make a huge difference in the community.   Here are two wonderful videos about Bike Church:

“I loved the idea of rescuing old bikes from the landfill and just giving them a new life,” says  Martin.  Hey anything that keeps the planet green and the kids off the bad things, I am all for it.  Transportgooru salutes Kerri and her team for this inspiring work.  Keep up the good work, Kerri!

(via Copenhagenize.com & App.com)

(Source:  XKCD via Gizmodo)

The very first comment on Gizmodo for this article says ” The TSA checkpoints are staffed primarily by those who were under-qualified to seat people at IHOP”.. Damnnn! TSA should take a note of this soon and get on some image/brand control. BTW, I love this site XKCD, which identifies itself correctly as the webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. They sure got some really awesome stuff that will make you chuckle!

(Source: NPR)

NPR’s three part special series titled ” Flight Mechanics: The Business of Airline Repairs” examines the industry practices to cut costs and how they  are battling to survive the economic downturn.  The short blurb of the special report says “Recent maintenance mistakes raise questions about a growing practice at U.S. airlines: Since an economic crisis began shaking the industry in 2002, most major airlines have stopped repairing and overhauling most of their own planes. Instead, they are sending the planes to be fixed for less money by private repair companies — often in developing countries.” Here is an (Text and Audio) excerpt from Part 2 of the three-part series.

———————————————————————————————–

“Shortly before sunrise on Jan. 23, 2009, passengers on US Airways Flight 518, who were flying from Omaha to Phoenix, were startled by a terrifying shriek.

The pressure seal around the main cabin door was failing, and that shriek was the sound of air leaking through. The plane diverted to Denver. Everybody was safe.

In the weeks before the door seal started to fail, US Airways had sent that Boeing 737 to be overhauled at Aeroman, a repair company in El Salvador. And mechanics installed a key part on the door — a “snubber” — backward.

Source: FAA Inspector General, Aeronautical Repair Station Association Credit: NPR

But that was before 2002 — when US Airways filed for bankruptcy, American Airlines slashed flights, and other airlines teetered at the brink. Since then, airlines have been trying to survive by cutting back on any expenses they can control — including the little bags of peanuts.

One of the biggest areas airlines can cut costs is maintenance. Consider this: If an airline fixes its own planes in the U.S., it spends up to $100 per hour for every union mechanic, including overhead and other expenses, according to industry analysts. The airline spends roughly half as much at an independent, nonunion shop in America. And it spends only a third as much in a developing country, such as El Salvador.

Since the airline crisis hit seven years ago, the statistics have flip-flopped: The industry is now sending most of its planes to be overhauled and fixed at private repair shops both in the U.S. and overseas. And roughly 20 percent of planes are going to facilities in developing countries, according to industry surveys.

Industry analysts say there are roughly 700 FAA-approved repair companies in other countries — including repair shops in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Kenya, China and Indonesia. The Aeroman company in El Salvador is becoming one of the more popular, drawing business from US Airways, JetBlue, Frontier, Southwest and other U.S. carriers.

The way the system works, the airlines fly empty planes needing an overhaul to Aeroman’s hangars at the international airport near the capital, San Salvador. Salvadoran mechanics strip the inside of the plane down to the bare metal. They fix cracks and rust and bad wiring. Then they put everything back together, and the plane is flown back to the U.S.

When people hear that U.S. airlines are getting their planes fixed in developing countries, they often raise their eyebrows and ask, “Should I worry?”

—————————————————————————————————-

Part I – To Cut Costs, Airlines Send Repairs Abroad: Recent malfunctions affecting US Airways planes raise questions about a controversial and growing practice at most U.S. airlines: The industry is sending almost 1 out of every 5 planes needing overhaul or repair to developing countries, from Central America to Asia.

Part II – Crossed Wires: Flaws In Airline Repairs Abroad: Mechanics have made some mistakes fixing US Airways planes at an FAA-approved facility in El Salvador. Industry executives and the FAA say the maintenance work is just as safe as any work done in the U.S. But airlines and the FAA don’t make maintenance problems public.

Part III – Bucking Trend, Airline Keeps Repairs In-House: As many major U.S. airlines shift their repair and maintenance work to outside firms, American Airlines is taking a different approach. The airline has its own crew of 6,000 mechanics based in Tulsa, Okla., who service its fleet and even contract for outside business.

Click here to read/listen the entire series. Don’t forget to check the interactive map while you are reading the special report.

This webinar will explore the findings of Transportation Research Board Special Report 298: Driving and the Built Environment:  Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions.  This congressionally mandated study examines the relationship between land development patterns and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the United States to assess whether petroleum use, and by extension greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, could be reduced by changes in the design of development patterns.   The study estimates the contributions that changes in residential and mixed-use development patterns and transit investments could make in reducing VMT by 2030 and 2050, and the impact this could have in meeting future transportation-related GHG reduction goals.

Commissioned papers used by the committee to help develop Special Report 298 are available online.  A four page summary of and a press release on the report is also available online.

Image Courtesy: TRB - Click the image to access the report

The committee chair, José A. Gómez-Ibáñez, Derek C. Bok Professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy of Harvard University, will present the study findings.   The report estimates the contributions that changes in residential and mixed-use development patterns and transit investments could make in reducing VMT by 2030 and 2050, and the impact this could have in meeting future transportation-related GHG reduction goals.

Questions from the audience will be addressed by Dr. Gómez-Ibáñez and two committee members who also contributed to the report:

• Dr. Marlon Boarnet, University of California, Irvine
• Mr. Andrew Cotugno, Portland METRO

Questions may be posed any time during the webinar, and will be answered at the end of the session.
Registration:  There is no fee to join this webinar. Space is limited, so we encourage participants to register 24 hours prior to the start of the webinar.

For questions about using this software, including webinar audio or visual complications, please contact Reggie Gillum at rgillum@nas.edu or 202-334-2382.

Prepared by the Office of Planning, Environment and Realty, Federal Highway Administration(FHWA)

Recent Events

DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Propose Landmark Joint Regulations to Establish Light-Duty Vehicle Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emission Standards and Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFE). The proposed regulations, published in the Federal Register on September 28, 2009, have two goals: reduce GHG emissions and improve fuel economy. The proposal follows from the National Fuel Efficiency Policy announced by President Obama on May 19, 2009, responding to the country’s critical need to address global climate change and to reduce oil consumption. EPA is proposing the first-ever GHG emissions standards under the Clean Air Act; NHTSA is proposing CAFE standards under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. These standards apply to passenger cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles, covering model years 2012 through 2016 and would result in an overall fleet fuel economy of 35.5 mpg. Comments must be received on or before November 27, 2009. To read the proposed rulemaking and find out how to submit comments, go to http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/E9-22516.htm. (See related article on trends in fuel economy from 1923-2006)

Climate Change Bill Introduced in the Senate. On September 30, Senators Kerry and Boxer introduced the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act “to create clean energy jobs, promote energy independence, reduce global warming pollution, and transition to a clean energy economy.” The bill would add two new sections (Titles VII and VIII) to the Clean Air Act, which would set declining limits on GHG emissions and establish a Pollution Reduction Investment (PRI) program, also known as cap-and-trade. The Act would require EPA to establish 1) GHG emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles and engines, and for nonroad vehicles and engines and 2) to standardized emission models and related methodologies for States and MPOs. It would create an emissions reduction program, allowing DOT to provide grants to States and MPOs to help them reduce GHG emissions from the transportation sector. It would establish goals to reduce GHG emissions from the nation’s largest stationary sources-initially around 7,500 facilities that account for nearly three-quarters of U.S. carbon pollution-to 97% of 2005 levels by 2012, 80% by 2020, 58% by 2030, and 17% by 2050 (versus a reduction to 20% of 2005 GHG emissions by 2050 called for in the House bill, the American Security and Clean Energy Act, introduced by Congressmen Waxman and Markey, which passed the House on June 26, 2009). The Boxer-Kerry bill also would establish a National Climate Change Adaptation Program and require EPA to distribute formula-based funding to States for projects and activities that address impacts on coastal watersheds.

EPA Finalizes Nation’s First GHG Emissions’ Reporting System/Monitoring to Begin in 2010. On January 1, 2010, EPA will, for the first time, require large, stationary-source emitters of GHGs to begin collecting data under a new reporting system, which will cover approximately 85 percent of the nation’s GHG emissions and apply to roughly 10,000 facilities. The reporting system will provide a better understanding of where GHGs are coming from and will guide development of policies and programs to reduce emissions. The data will also allow businesses to track their emissions, compare them with those of similar facilities, and provide assistance in identifying cost-effective ways to reduce emissions in the future. Fossil fuel and industrial GHG suppliers, motor vehicle and engine manufacturers, and facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons or more of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per year will be required to report GHG emissions data to EPA annually. More information on the new reporting system and reporting requirements is available at:http://epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html. State and local officials interested in additional information about developing and implementing cost-effective climate and energy strategies that help further environmental goals and achieve public health and economic benefits may visit: http://epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-programs/state-and-local/index.html.

U.S. Climate Envoy Elaborates on President Obama’s Speech at United Nations Climate Summit Regarding Climate Change and December U.N. Conference of Parties (COP15). Speaking at a White House press briefing after the President’s climate change speech at the U.N., Todd Stern, the U.S. climate envoy, said that the U.S. would still have a solid bargaining position in Copenhagen even if the Administration fails to push its own GHG legislation through Congress before the intergovernmental conference. “We would like to see the maximum possible progress… on our domestic legislation,” Stern said. “In the event that there’s not domestic legislation done by the time of Copenhagen, we will negotiate with that in mind. But certainly the most progress we can get would be helpful.” At the U.N., the President said that the major developing countries, where virtually all of the growth in emissions over the next 30 years is going to occur, also have to take actions. Elaborating on that Stern said “[The major developing countries] have to stand behind those actions to the same degree that the US and other developed countries do. The President is making that very clear. And that has not traditionally been the way that the climate change negotiations and the whole climate change international debate have gone on.” (See related “FYI” article.)

Driving and the Built Environment: The Effects of Compact Development on Motorized Travel, Energy Use, and CO2 Emissions (TRB Special Report 298) Published. This recently-released report examines the relationship between land development patterns and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the United States to assess whether petroleum use, and by extension GHG emissions, could be reduced by changes in the design of development patterns. The report estimates the contributions that changes in residential and mixed-use development patterns and transit investments could make in reducing VMT by 2030 and 2050, and the impact this could have in meeting future transportation-related GHG reduction goals. Increasing population and employment density in metropolitan areas could reduce vehicle travel, energy use, and CO2 emissions from less than 1 percent up to 11 percent by 2050 compared to a base case for household vehicle usage, depending on the assumptions used. Commissioned papers used by the committee to help develop Special Report 298 are available online. A four page summary of and a press release onthe report is also downloadable at http://books.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12747&utm_medium=etmail&utm_source=National%20Academies%20Press&utm_campaign=NAP+mail+new+09.8.09&utm_content=Downloader&utm_term=. On Wednesday, October 21, TRB will be hosting a webinar to explore the findings of this congressionally-mandated study. Space is limited. To reserve a “seat,” go to https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/606169224.

NSF Awards NCSE $1.67M Climate Change Education Grant. The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) has been awarded a three-year grant of $1,666,820 by the National Science Foundation to create a nationwide cyber-enabled learning community for solutions to climate change to be known as CAMEL (Climate, Adaptation, and Mitigation e-Learning). CAMEL will engage experts in science, policy and decision-making, education, and assessment in the production of a virtual toolbox of curricular resources designed for teaching climate change causes, consequences, and solutions.The project was developed by theCouncil of Environmental Deans and Directors (CEDD), which is managed by NCSE. More information on CAMEL, including a PowerPoint presentation by principal investigator David Hassenzahl and a video thereof, can be found at the CEDD website (http://ncseonline.org/Updates/cms.cfm?id=3274).

U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) Releases Its Annual Energy Review (AER).The AER is EIA’s primary report of historical annual energy statistics. For many series, data begin with the year 1949. Included are data on total energy production, consumption, and trade; overviews of petroleum, natural gas, coal, electricity, nuclear energy, renewable energy, international energy, as well as financial and environmental indicators; and data unit conversion tables. Two especially interesting graphics are for Primary Energy Consumption by Source and Sector, 2008 (the most recent year for which data is available) and the Petroleum Overview, 1949-2008, which shows how closely petroleum consumption in the U.S. tracks with petroleum imports (see below).

Publications released by University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, Ann Arbor, Michigan:

Effect of “Cash for Clunkers” Program on Overall Fuel Economy of Purchased New Vehicles. September 2009. Conclusions: Based on data from October 2007 through June 2009 and using unemployment rate and price of gasoline as predictors of the fuel economy, the program improved the average fuel economy of all vehicles purchased by 0.6 mpg in July 2009 and 0.7 mpg in August 2009.
Economic Indicators as Predictors of Number and Fuel Economy of Purchased New Vehicles. July 2009. Conclusions: During October 2007 through June 2009, average fuel economy of purchased light-duty vehicles improved by a substantial amount-1.1 mpg-as a result of unemployment and price of gasoline; however, significantly fewer vehicles were purchased as a result of unemployment. The price of gasoline did not reduce the number of vehicles purchased.
Recent Reductions in Carbon Dioxide Emissions from New Vehicles. July 2009. Conclusions: Improved fuel economy of purchased new vehicles and decrease in distances driven, resulted in lower CO2 emissions per driver from purchased new vehicles were lower in November 2007 through April 2009, when compared to October 2007. The greatest reduction in emissions-12%-occurred in July 2008. The reduction in April 2009 (the latest month examined) was 8%.
Mechanisms involved in recent large reductions in U.S. road fatalities. Injury Prevention, June 2009. Conclusion: One factor in the large reductions in U.S. road fatalities was the decrease in leisure driving related to the price of gasoline.
Fuel efficiency of vehicles on U.S. roads: 1923-2006. Energy Policy, 2009. Conclusions: Overall fleet fuel efficiency decreased from 14 mpg in 1923 to 11.9 mpg in 1973. Starting in 1974, efficiency increased rapidly to 16.9 mpg in 1991. Thereafter, improvements have been small, with efficiency reaching 17.2 mpg in 2006.

State and Local News

Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) Releases Regional GHG Emissions Inventory Available for Download at No Charge. This inventory will help regional policy makers and citizens understand the sources of GHG emissions so they can make well-informed decisions for regional and local policies to reduce them. In addition, the inventory has been allocated to the municipal level, supporting local action in cities, boroughs, and townships across the region. The U.S. EPA is actively engaged with this work as a pilot for developing a standard national protocol for carrying out GHG emissions inventories at the metropolitan level.

U.S. EPA Offers Free, Downloadable Webinars: Greenhouse Gas Inventory 101 for Local, Regional, and State Governments covering:
Creating an Inventory. Topics include understanding the purpose and scope of a GHG inventory, inventories vs. registries, setting a boundary, setting a baseline, quantification approaches, certification and reporting protocols, comparability, and level of effort.
Translating Inventory Results into Action. Topics include describing the various uses of GHG inventories, including benchmarking, tracking emissions and progress over time, setting emission reduction goals, policy options for meeting goals, evaluating policy options, and processes for setting goals and policies.
State Inventory Tool (SIT) Training. Topics include background information on the development of the SIT modules and a live demonstration of the CO2 from Fossil Fuel Combustion Module, Natural Gas and Oil Module, Synthesis Module, and Projection Tool.

Announcements

Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations’ 2009 Annual Conference to be held October 28-30, 2009 in Savannah, GA. There will be sessions on Critical Issues Related to Land Use Planning in Transportation and Livability, plus a pre-conference workshop on Practical Examples of Integrating Land Use Planning with Transportation Planning. Three sessions will be devoted to climate change:
Strategies to Reduce GHG Emissions with presentations on Moving Cooler by David Jackson from Cambridge Systematics; TRB Special Report on Land Use, VMT, and GHG by Professor Jose Gomez-Ibanez, Harvard Kennedy School; and Global Climate Change: A “Top 10” List for MPOs by Cindy Burbank, Parsons Brinckerhoff.
GHG Emissions and Air Quality Standards with presentations on Alternative Regulatory and Incentive-Based Approaches to Reducing GHG Emissions: Potential Implications for MPOs by Michael Grant and Janet D’Ignazio, ICF International, and Implementing AQ Standards in the Context of New Planning Changes by Tracy Clymer, Cambridge Systematics. The session will be moderated by Sarah Siwek, Sarah Siwek & Associates.
Climate Change: Adaptation with presentations on Adapting to Climate Change Impacts by Michael Culp and Rob Ritter, FHWA, and Adaptation in Response to Global Climate Change: International Best Practices in Long Range Planning by Michael Flood and Chris Dorney, Parsons Brinckerhoff.

National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Holds National Rural Transportation Conference in coordination with the AMPO conference. A climate change session on October 29 will cover strategies for beginning to incorporate climate change into regional transportation planning in rural and small metro areas. FHWA will make a presentation and Stephen Lawe, RSG Inc., will talk about a new GHG emissions model that may be useful for RPOs and small MPOs that don’t have their own modeling capabilities.

FYI

What are the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark and COP15 that I’ve been hearing about? The 15th annual Conference of the Parties (COP 15), which will be held from December 7-18, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark, is the culmination of a series of meetings among the 192 parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP adopt decisions and resolutions related to reducing GHG emissions, which make up a detailed set of rules for implementation of the Convention. Concurrently with the COP, there is a Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol, which was adopted in 1997 and came into force in 2005 after a sufficient number of countries had ratified it. Together the Conferences are called the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

Next month: What is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)?

Previous Newsletters

• August 2009
• July 2009
• June 2009
• May 2009
• April 2009
• March 2009
• February 2009
• January 2009
• December 2008
• November 2008
• October 2008
• September 2008

If you have any suggestions for inclusion in future issues of Transportation and Climate Change News, or if someone forwarded this newsletter to you and you would like to receive it directly in the future, please send your suggestions or request to Kathy Daniel at Kathy.Daniel@dot.gov.

(Sources: AP via Yahoo; KMPH Fox26 & LA Times)

The 2009 Chevrolet Tahoe roared away with officers in pursuit, but shortly after the suspect made a right turn, operators at General Motors Co.’s OnStar service sent a command that electronically disabled the gas pedal and the SUV gradually came to a halt.

The flustered thief got out and ran, but was quickly nabbed after he climbed several fences and fell into a backyard swimming pool, police said.

It was the first time since OnStar began offering the service in the 2009 model year that it was used to end a chase that could otherwise have had dire consequences.

Click here to read the entire article.

(Source: Autoblog)

Earlier this week, Brammo’s director of product development Brian Wismann along with Dave Schiff of Crispin Porter Bugosky, began a ten-day journey meant to take them from Ann Arbor, Michigan to Washington, DC. The 520 mile trip, which is being chronicled on the site shockingbarack.com, is intended to raise awareness of the company’s new electric motorcycle, the Enertia, and electric vehicles in general.

The trek began at Zingerman’s deli in downtown Ann Arbor, MI, which just happens to be a a few blocks from this blogger’s office. Brian and Dave swung by the office for a visit to show off the bike – which they prefer to call a powercycle – and chat about what it can do. Along the route to the capital, they’ll be making plenty of similar stops, partly to demonstrate the bike but mostly out of necessity. While the Enertia is undoubtedly a neat ride, it underscores two of the major problems with EVs. They are expensive ($11,995 for the Enertia) and have limited range. This bike only has a 42-mile range and then takes four hours to charge. That means plenty of short hops to cover the 520-mile distance to DC.

The Brammo team has built a nice website that has a plenty of brilliant ideas to get the community involved (not just transportation geeks and gear heads with greasy finger nails). Here are some ways you can help the  Brammo team achieve their goals:

• Share an Outlet (to charge their battery packs)
• Spare a Couch (The team says: “If you live along the route and we can crash on your couch or floor let us know. We’d be genuinely happy to meet and hang out with you, and we’d be considerate guests in your home. You can email us or use or use couchsurfing.com.”)
• Help them meet Barack (The team says: “If you know Barack Obama, or you know someone who knows him, or you’re friends with someone who knows someone who knows him, please contact us. We’d be grateful for any help you can give us in meeting him.”)

So, are you ready ShockBarack (Oh man, won’t the republicans would die for that chance?)? If yes, just visit the team’s website to follow their progress. As we speak, the Google Map shows they are somewhere near Aurora, OH.   The team’s video logs of the journey are quite interesting and it is nice to see what all they endure as they make their way to Washington, DC battling some really nasty weather.  At least they will have a great story to tell their grand children someday, if not to Barack.

NOTE: Guys, Transportgooru would love to have a cup of coffee with  you when you arrive here in DC .  That is what you will be craving for before you even shake hands with Barack after driving in this damp & cold miserable weather (Tweet me @transportgooru).

(Sources: Washington Post, Fuel Cell Today & Huliq News)

The hydrogen car may have legions of fervent fans, but Energy Secretary Steven Chu apparently is not among them. Earlier this year, the Nobel prize-winning scientist essentially zeroed government funding for the clean vehicles and came close to mocking their potential, saying the technology needs four “miracles” before it can become widely adopted.

“Saints only need three,” he cracked in a magazine interview.

But the hydrogen car is back. On Thursday, the Senate agreed to restore nearly all the money for hydrogen car research that the administration had proposed to cut.

The measure, part of an appropriations bill previously approved by the House, is expected to be signed by President Obama.

“It’s the right set of priorities,” said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.), a leader in the effort to fund the technology. “If you discontinue the research, you shortchange the future.”

This year’s revival of government funding is unlikely to end the broader dispute over hydrogen cars, however. Before the cars can become much more than an experiment on American roads — it is estimated that there are fewer than 200 operating in the United States — the industry may need as much as $55 billion more in government support over the next 15 years, according to industry sources and a National Research Council report last year. That money would pay for more research and subsidies to build fueling stations.

By comparison, the amount appropriated Thursday is meager: $187 million. But even that level of government support has critics, who say the possibilities and benefits of the technology have been wildly exaggerated. In a press release published on the Fuel Cell Today, the USFCC said ” The bill approved by Congress is a significant win for fuel cells overall. The Obama administration requested $68 million for the EERE program. Under the final Congressional compromise, funding for fuel cells and hydrogen will receive $174 million, or $106 million higher than the Obama administration’s request.”

Funding for research into production of the hydrogen car is highly controversial. There are currently less than 200 of these cars operating in the United States.

The issue is the additional funding that will be required to establish fueling stations across the country to support these vehicles. It is currently estimated that an additional $55 billion of government support could be required to make that a reality.

Nevertheless, hydrogen cars might represent the future for automobiles in this country. These cars are fueled with hydrogen gas which combines with oxygen in the air. The only byproduct of this fuel is water vapor. This means that hydrogen fuel cell cars may provide the best means of reaching the goal of emission-free vehicles.

The reality of hydrogen powered vehicles is really not such a stretch. In Iceland, the first country to begin making a truly concerted effort to break free from the constraints and costs of fossil fuel, hydrogen powered cars and ships are already a reality. Iceland has been working on this technology for years, and does have an advantage over many other countries in the world because so much of the energy sources in Iceland are from renewable sources, such as geo-thermal and hydro-electric power.

The governments of Norway, Japan and Germany also are investing hundreds of millions in the technology, with the Germans aiming to build 1,000 stations by 2015, according to auto industry sources.

Here are some articles on the investments around the world:

• Europe’s love affair with hyrdogen technology continues; Germany Launches H2 Mobility Initiative to Expand Infrastructure for Refueling Hydrogen Vehicles
• Norway leaps ahead with its love for Hydrogen fuel – Dedicates 580 kilometer hydrogen highway

Click here to read more.