Pardon my enthusiasm, but I love my new Prius
About a month ago we took the plunge. I have to give my husband, John, the credit. After months of on-and-off talk about getting a new car, he went online and found a dealer nearby who’d just gotten a shipment of 6 or 8 new Priuses. Two days later we went over, test drove one of the 3 that were left, turned in our Volvo and drove away in our brand new Prius.

It’s so cool. I love the little power button you press to turn it on (like on a computer or DVD player) and the tiny gearshift on the dashboard to put it in drive or reverse. And the key that isn’t a key. The car is totally quiet when you turn it on, and very roomy and comfortable, with a hatchback for easy stowing of groceries. But best of all is the display that shows the mileage you’re getting. It makes me turn down the air conditioning and keep the speed below 60 to see if I can eke out another 0.1 mpg.

We’ve found we can make the 60-mile round trip to see the grandkids in the suburbs at a rate of between 54-59 mpg, and that includes doing some errands and car-pooling around town while we’re there. In Chicago, though, it’s not getting great mileage – in the 30s or 40s for a series of very short trips. But we’ve only filled the gas tank twice since we got it, and we’ve gone nearly 1,200 miles (and have half a tank left). Even people who don’t think about the environment are impressed with how little gas it requires.

I don’t see a lot of Priuses around Chicago, though a friend visiting from California said they’re very popular there. I read that driving a Prius makes a statement. And I do feel there’s no need to have bumper stickers. The car is one big bumper sticker: Fight Global Warming.

Prius, the only car built from the ground up as a hybrid, was introduced in 1997 and has had 10 years of customer feedback to make improvements. It also gets the best gas mileage. Prius passed 1 million in sales in June and is the overwhelming leader in the class. Sales in the U.S. were up almost 94% the first 6 months of 2007, almost as much as all of 2006.

Toyota will add a less expensive Prius ($20,000) to its lineup for 2008 (current price is about $25,000). And it’s thinking about creating a Prius brand, with several different models.

I’m disappointed in Toyota, though. It lobbied with the Big 3 automakers against corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards in Congress. I have to think the company, which is expected to pass up General Motors soon as the world’s largest automaker, is worried it will lose its advantage if American companies are forced to start producing more efficient models.

Mileage on new cars not so good
All vehicles are going to see their mileage rating drop in 2008. Turns out the mpg the EPA slapped on all new cars has been bogus, and now the agency is adjusting numbers downward to account for the way real people drive – considering such things as air conditioning, sudden stops, a heavy foot on the gas and traveling at speeds above 50 mph.

The Toyoto Camry hybrid, for example, had been listed at 39 highway and 38 city. Under the new system it’s down to a more realistic 34 and 33 respectively. The Ford Escape hybrid is reduced from 37 combined to 32. A couple of non-hybrid examples: Honda Pilot 4WD and Volvo XC70 4WD were both at 19 combined. Now they’re at 17. You can check out other models at http://www.fueleconomy.gov. (click Find and Compare Cars) to see what kind of mileage you can expect from a hybrid or a regular car of your choice under the new, more realistic, system.

Looking to the future: hybrids, plug-ins and fuel cells
Despite auto companies’ resistance to changes imposed by government, most are planning to offer some new, more efficient models in the short run and experimenting with very different vehicles for the future. Last year, for the first time since 2002, cars outsold SUVs and pickup trucks, as consumers became more conscious of the high cost and environmental hazards of guzzling gas. Automakers prefer SUVs and trucks because they make a bigger profit on them. Nonetheless, they are facing up to change. Here are some recent announcements:

* General Motors will sell a hybrid GMC Yukon SUV later this year, with an estimated combined 20 mph. GM also plans to make hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe, Saturn Aura and Chevy Malibu.
* Porsche it will have a hybrid in about 3 years.
* Chrysler, which has lagged, is introducing hybrid engines in its Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen, which currently get 13 mpg in the city and 18 on the highway. The hybrid versions should get 18.2 and 22.5, respectively, the company says.
* Honda plans to create a new hybrid-only model to have the same cache as Prius. The company dropped its Accord and Insight hybrids, for lack of consumer interest. It gets good sales on its Civic hybrid, though.
* Nissan, which is running behind other Japanese makers, plans to launch a line of low-emissions cars.

Plug-ins
Hybrid electric-gasoline cars with bigger batteries that are recharged at night are in the testing phase, slowed down by the difficulty of coming up with a reliable lithium-ion battery for greater range.

* General Motors’ Volt plug-in should be ready by 2010, but rollout depends on developing a better battery. GM says Volt has a range of 40 miles without using gas.
* Toyota is road-testing a modified Prius plug-in that gets 73 mpg, but with the battery it’s using it has only a 7-mile range in its pure electric mode.
* Ford is road-testing plug-ins based on Escape and hopes they’ll be ready to sell in 5-10 years.

Widespread use of plug-ins could cut U.S. GHG emissions the equivalent of removing one-third of vehicles from the road, according to new research from the Electric Power Research Institute and Natural Resources Defense Council. Their middle scenario shows a reduction of 3-4 million barrels of oil per day but an increase of 7-8% in electricity use. Plug-ins could be introduced by 2010, and have full penetration by 2050, according to the study. NRDC said improved battery technology and cleaner electric plants are needed. Carbon capture and sequestration are needed for the full environmental benefit.

Electric cars
*India’s Reva Electric Cars is ready to mass-produce its zero-emission 2-door hatchback. The hope is to sell 3,000 this year and 30,000 next. It’s been test-marketed in India and Europe.
* Zap Electric Vehicle Co. plans to sell mini-cars (a cross between a compact car and a golf cart) to universities, local governments and companies that deliver. This 3-wheeler has a range of 25 miles. They’re working on a Zap X, with a range of 350 miles.

Hydrogen-powered fuel cells, etc.
* Ford is close to introducing hydrogen technology. In 3-5 years it
could have a zero-emission car. Problems for hydrogen include infrastructure and storage.
* GM has 2 prototype hydrogen-powered Sequel SUV fuel-cell vehicles, which set a world record of 300 miles in New York. The company said it will announce by year’s end if this car is feasible. Meanwhile it will test a Chevy Equinox SUV with fuel cells on 100 consumers later this year.
* Honda has a fuel-cell model it will test on the streets of Japan and the U.S. next year. The range is 270 miles, but like other prototypes it’s extremely expensive -- $1.5 million.
* Smart Cars will introduce its tiny 2-door Smartfortwo in the U.S. next year. It gets 40 mpg, but has an unproved safety record on roads where it’s up against many SUVs.
* China unveiled prototype hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fuel-cell cars at the Shanghai Auto Show in April.

Stay tuned for new developments. And meanwhile, if you rent a car, ask for a hybrid, or at least a highly fuel-efficient car, to drive up demand. Or try I-GO Car Sharing in Chicago at http://www.igocars.com or ZipCar at http://www.zipcar.com in 10 cities around the country. Both specialize in environmentally friendly rentals by the day or for extended times.
(Sources: Greenwire, PlanetArk.com, Associated Press, Chicago Sun-Times, Sierra magazine)


News briefs

1. Asia-Pacific draft asks for voluntary, not binding GHG goals
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries will be asked in September to support “aspirational goals” of reducing GHG intensity 25% by 2030, according to a draft obtained last week by the Sydney Morning Herald. “Intensity” is related to growth of the economy and may not mean real reductions. The 21 APEC countries, which include the U.S. and Russia, are expected to announce the agreement at the end of their meeting in Sydney Sept. 7-9. The goals are regional and there won’t be targets for individual countries, according to the draft. It sets up a network to share technology, promotes investment in renewable sources, and advocates preservation of forests as carbon sinks. Environmentalists said this won’t do. GHG goals must be real, firm and legally binding. (Sources: PlanetArk.com, E&E News PM)

2. Antarctic melting faster than predicted by UN climate panel
With both Antarctic and Greenland ice thawing faster than expected, sea levels could rise 3 feet or more by the end of the century, some climate experts say. Chris Rapley, outgoing head of the British Antarctic Survey, told Reuters, “The realistic view is nearer 1 meter (3 feet) than the 40 cm” (15.75 inches) predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In a worst-case scenario, seas could rise 2 meters (6 feet) by 2100, but that is extremely unlikely, he said. Rapley was at a climate seminar in Ny Alesund, Norway, on an Arctic island where glaciers are in fast retreat. (Source: Reuters)

3. Economic reward needed to keep tropical forests intact
Countries that have kept all or most of their tropical forests need to be able to sell carbon credits based on keeping those forests, a recent study says. While carbon-trading systems give credit for planting new trees, they do nothing for those who avoid cutting them down. Yet, deforestation contributes around 20% of the carbon emissions that cause Global Warming. As the international community debates carbon trading for a successor agreement when Kyoto expires in 2012, preserving forests must be rewarded, the study says. Countries with most of their tropical forests intact are Panama, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Peru, Belize, Gabon, Guyana, Suriname, Bhutan, Zambia and French Guiana. (Source: Reuters)

4. PG&E to buy solar -- it's amazing, it's the mirrors
Pacific Gas & Electric will purchase 550 megawatts of solar energy from a plant under construction in the Mojave Desert. The energy will be created by mirrors that cover 9 square miles. They will focus sunlight on a fluid-filled pipe, heating it up to 750 degrees to produce steam. The plant is expected to be operational by 2011 or 2012. (Source: Greenwire)


Congressional round-up

Who got energy industry donations this year? Hillary, for one
In the first half of 2007, electric utilities, oil companies, automakers and mining interests contributed nearly $4 million to lawmakers on key House and Senate committees dealing with climate change, according to Federal Election Commission records. Members of the House Energy Committee got a total of $1.5 million, while those on the Senate Environment Committee totaled $1.4 million and Senate Energy Committee members got $896,415 total. Those who favored industry or did not have a strong position on Global Warming legislation got the most, while environmental advocates like Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) got the least: $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) only got $250. On the House Energy Committee, Rick Boucher (D-Va.), chair of the subcommittee on energy and air quality, led with $123,422. Boucher represents a coal-mining district. Next was Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) with $84,850. Third was Energy Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.) with $81,000, mostly from power companies. On the Senate committees on Environment and Energy, top money went to presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), $647,297; followed by James (“Global Warming is a hoax”) Inhofe (R-Okla.), $233,800; Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), $185,859; Max Baucus (D-Mont.), $174,655; Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), $143,550; and Mary Landrieu (D-La.), $135,839; all of whom are up for re-election in 2008. (Source: Greenwire)


Xtreme weather watch

* Hurricane Dean was a Category 5 storm when it hit the Yucatan Tuesday. It was the most powerful Atlantic storm to hit land since 1988, with winds of more than 165 mph that tore off roofs, flooded streets and downed trees and power lines. The storm diminished in strength as it moved across Mexico. (NY Times)

* Firefighters gave up trying to quell fires in three national forests in Idaho last week, as the governor declared a state of emergency. Officials expect the fires to burn until snow hits the mountains, which could be awhile. In California, the third-largest wildfire in modern state history swept through Los Padres National Forest. “The fuel conditions are extreme,” a U.S. Fire Service official told Associated Press. (AP, NY Times)

* Flooding caused 5 Midwest governors to declare states of emergency last week, in Minnesota, Iowa, Ohio, Illinois and Wisconsin. The National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wis., said August was already the wettest month in the city’s history, with 12.22 inches of rain. Rainfall shattered records in parts of Minnesota as well. In northern Ohio some downtown areas were under water, and in the Chicago area fierce storms knocked out power for 600,000 and 36,000 trees were reported down. (NY Times, Chicago Sun-Times)

* 180 miners were trapped in flooded coalmines in China’s Shandong province, after a river broke through a levy last weekend. According to Xinhua news agency, 584 miners escaped from one mine, but efforts to rescue 172 others were blocked by continued flooding. Several days later, officials said there was no hope of a rescue. In another mine nearby, 9 miners were trapped. China has had severe rains and flooding for weeks. (Reuters, NYTimes)


Do something

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Global Warming film, “The 11th Hour” opened this week in many cities around the country. To see where it’s playing, go to
http://www.11thhouraction.com. You can also invite friends or post comments. The earlier you see the film the better, as that will help get it into more theaters.

Tell your senators and rep to support the strongest Global Warming bills introduced in Washington, the Sanders-Boxer bill (S309) and Waxman bill (H1590). Send the message that you don’t want a watered-down compromise just because industry lobbyists are pushing for it. Learn more about the two bills, find out who the co-sponsors are, and take action on the Physicians for Social Responsibility Web site, http://www.psr.org. Click Take Action and go to the Global Pollution Reduction Act (S309) and the Safe Climate Act (HR1590) to send your message.

Go to a Save Mass Transit rally in Chicago, at 11:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 28. Join Mayor Daley, other elected officials and environmentalists in protesting the Governor’s budget, which cuts CTA money, meaning service cuts and higher fares. We need more mass transit in this world, not less.