New London mayor undoes earlier steps to curb greenhouse gases, including driving charge

(Photo of London traffic congestion from Flickr and photographer gerdragon)

News Update 2: New London Mayor Boris Johnson, in office less than 100 days, has eliminated the emissions-based congestion charge for drivers and canceled contracts for a fleet of zero-carbon hydrogen powered cars, vans and motor bikes. He also is considering increased flights in and out of the city by 50% and building another airport in the Thames estuary. Angry green groups complain he has no environmental expert on the London Development Board and see his actions as harmful to the city’s goal of cutting CO2 emissions 60% by 2025. Johnson had campaigned on a promise of making London the greenest city in the world. (Sources: The Guardian, E&E News)

Honda starts producing hydrogen fuel-cell cars

(Photo of Honda FCX Clarity from Flickr and photographer BBQ Junkie/Luis Ramirez)

News Update 3: Honda is betting that the future is in fuel cells, and is starting production of 200 FCX Clarity hydrogen-powered cars that will emit only water vapor (which by-the-way is also a heat-trapping gas, but stays in the atmosphere a much shorter time than carbon dioxide and does less damage.) The auto company announced actress Jamie Lee Curtis will be among the first of the 200 drivers, who will lease the new cars for $600 a month for 3 years. The FCX can run about 270 miles before it needs refueling, which of course brings up the main drawback. There aren’t many (if any) refueling stations around, though one is being built near the LA airport. Honda has one solution to that problem – a home energy station that generates hydrogen from natural gas and can also heat and cool the home. To see the car and learn more, go to the Honda Web site. (Sources: Greenwire, CNN, Honda)