Devastated forests could be replanted from the air

A new technology has the potential to regenerate dilapidated forests much quicker than previous techniques.

Full Story [NewScientist]

Financial crisis and nuclear energy

The impact of the global credit crunch is far reaching, touching everything from manufacturing to retail shopping. Even professional sports has not escaped the harsh realities of a global financial meltdown. But what about the future of energy?

It’s an unfortunate reality, but when times are tough, our focus shifts away from costly sustainable energy initiatives and toward conservation of capital.

And that’s exactly what is happening with nuclear energy. Far from the “nuclear renaissance” of dependable, zero-emissions nuclear plant construction, today’s nuclear energy industry is very much at risk, according to U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman. 

The shift in focus will be toward short-term gains, not long term sustainability. Energy projects that are proven to be profitable in the short-term will continue to be approved, like oil drilling. But long-term projects, and nuclear plants are very long-term, are going to experience difficulty in obtaining financing.

The economic crisis may also have tangible effects in the near term. There is a very real chance electricity will become pricier. Not five years ago, 50 million North Americans in places like Ontario, Ohio and California endured rolling blackouts. Simply, demand outstripped supply. 

Well, demand hasn’t slowed since then and attempts to increase supply by building new plants and more power lines have been hampered by the crisis.

Utilities are scrambling to appease furious customers. In Montana, a regulatory deadline forced developers to start constructing an $800 million coal plant – with barely enough funds to pour the foundation. Customers will have to pay the rest if the utilities can’t obtain financing. 

Utilities are forced to navigate the tightrope between delivering cheap energy and meeting stricter environmental standards. Forced to install better technology to control carbon dioxide, utilities can’t bank on credit to fund the changeover.

The energy world of tomorrow may look strangely like today – just stretched thin.

Friday Facts

The upstream petroleum industry employs more than 365,000 people directly and indirectly in activities related to finding, producing and processing oil and natural gas.

Source: Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, 2007

Car sharing

How often do you use your car? Seriously, how often?

Suppose you live in a central neighborhood and for day-to-day activities, like commuting to and from work and picking up groceries, you don’t need to drive. You’ve picked where you live based on your lifestyle and that lifestyle doesn’t really include owning a car.

Plus, the typical downtown dweller has less access to parking than your average suburbanite, making owning a vehicle more of a hassle than a convenience. So it’s not surprising that many people just want access to a car for occasional excursions – a weekend trip, or across town to visit the in-laws.

For people who want part-time access to a car, but not the hassle of full-time ownership, one solution is a car-sharing co-op. One such example is the Calgary Alternative Transportation Co-operative, or CATCO.

Around 200 active members share joint access to eight cars, stationed around the inner city. The cars are booked online and rented on a per-hour or per-kilometre basis. Members of the co-op have to meet certain criteria, including possession of a valid driver’s licence with a relatively clean driving record and at least three years of driving experience.

The benefits are easy to understand: cost. CATCO members pay an initial $25 lifetime membership fee, and a $48 annual maintenance fee. The only other cost is the $500 damage deposit, which is returned once they leave the program. As driver’s insurance and downtown parking rates continue to skyrocket, that can look increasingly attractive.

Do eight cars sound like enough for 200 people? CATCO generally has utilization rate of 25 per cent to 35 per cent, meaning more than half the fleet is available on any given day.

CATCO is far from unique. It was inspired by similar programs across Canada. Victoria, Montreal, and Vancouver also have car-sharing co-ops, and one in Ottawa works in conjunction with public transit.

Sure, if you live deep in the ‘burbs and drive every day, a car-sharing co-op might not be for you. But anything that keeps unnecessary vehicles from clogging downtown lots and roads can’t be a bad thing.

Reebok will make eco-friendly Super Bowl T-shirts

The 2009 Super Bowl champions will be receiving “eco-friendly, 100 percent organic cotton” championship T-shirts.

Full Story [boston.com]

Prowling the Pumps – January 27, 2009

Canadian Gasoline Prices

Average across Canada

Despite most provinces and territories showing a slight gain in prices, the average price of gasoline actually dropped 1.8¢ per litre this week. The discrepancy lies in the population-based weighting. Gasoline in major cities declined, but elsewhere, it rose. The average price of gasoline in Canada this week was 81.8¢ per litre. And although that’s 21.9¢ per litre cheaper than it was last year at this time, it’s still 10.7¢ more expensive than the 71.7¢ we were paying at the start of 2009.

Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec saw modest decreases in price, and Prince Edward Island remained steady, the rest of Canada saw increased prices – as much as 4.7¢ per litre in Nova Scotia.

In 15 cities, prices were between 70¢ and 80¢ per litre; in 37 prices were between 80¢ and 90¢; and in 7 it higher than 90¢. And one city broke the $1.00 barrier on the way up.

Least Expensive Gasoline in Canada (per litre)

Last week, New Brunswick dominated the low-cost five; this week it’s back to Ontario with Lethbridge sneaking in.

Most Expensive Gasoline in Canada (per litre)

Once again Whitehorse dodged the costly five, and the trend this year seems to be Newfoundland and Labrador and British Columbia with a special guest from another province. And other than Yellowknife, higher taxes are another trend.

With the price of oil bouncing around between $40 US to $48 US per barrel, and good reasons for it staying in that range – lots of production, lots in storage and little demand; it seems to the Prowler that gasoline prices may stabilize for a while.

We’ll see what happens next week.

Pricing by Province

	Last Week	This Week	Change
BC	0.910	0.912	0.002
AB	0.792	0.798	0.006
SK	0.899	0.897	-0.002
MB	0.843	0.842	-0.001
ON	0.801	0.803	0.002
QC	0.834	0.824	-0.010
NB	0.759	0.810	0.051
PE	0.789	0.789	0.000
NS	0.818	0.865	0.047
NL	0.885	0.942	0.057
YT	0.849	0.869	0.020
NT	0.972	1.002	0.030

Why do wind turbines have three narrow blades, but ceiling fans have five wide blades?

Gain some insight into wind turbine technology from an expert.

Full Story [Scientific American]

How meat contributes to global warming

The production of some foods generates far more greenhouse gasses than others.

Full Story [Scientific American]

Google Canada’s eco-friendly office

It would be hard to find a more modern, eco-friendly, cutting-edge office than Google Canada’s new Toronto digs.

The new suite of offices and board rooms mark the completion of a research project: the creation of an innovative workspace balancing environmental responsibility with a relaxed working environment.

From the entrance hall floor, made from reclaimed (and polished) concrete, to doors are made from wheat trees, to floors made from recycled bicycle tires, no effort was spared to make the office as green as possible.

Examples? Where to begin? All the lighting fixtures were chosen on the basis of lifespan (longest) and the wattage (lowest). The ceiling tiles, completely soundproof, use 70% recycled materials. Wall frames and structural paneling are made with 60-80% of recycled galvanized steel.

Consideration was even given to which colour to paint the walls – “green.” Not literally, of course – Google would never be so drab. Google used 100% acrylic low-odour, low VOC paints, cleaned using only water.

Besides eco-friendly design, Google eschews traditional office design and encourages its workers to find spots that suit them best. Employees are free to take their laptops into any yoga ball or massage chair-filled nook to work as they see fit.

Of course, a comprehensive green strategy extends beyond office walls. Google encourages their employees to use public transportation, offering a monthly subsidy added to that employee’s pay – no need to submit receipts or proof.

Google has reliably pushed the boundaries of contemporary office design, and its Toronto headquarters is no different.

Wednesday Words

Abiogenic theory | theory of petroleum formation in which petroleum is thought to have formed from hydrocarbons trapped inside the earth while the planet was forming

Biogenic theory | theory of petroleum formation in which the petroleum is thought to have originated from plant and animal matter that has undergone transformation by heat and pressure resulting from deep burial

Organic theory | most widely accepted theory explaining the origins of petroleum: as organic materials become deeply buried over time, heat and pressure transform them into hydrocarbons

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