Archive for 2011

Happy New Year!

December 31, 2011 1 Comment Edit

In 2011 people got increasingly involved with efforts to combat climate change. President Obama listened to demonstrators and postponed the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline pending further investigation. More businesses than ever assumed a leadership role by engaging environmental sustainability and...

December 31, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Consumer electronics leader LG Group, the second largest South Korean conglomerate, is expanding its collaborating with with automotive giant General Motors (GM), the largest US automaker. The new partnership will see the two companies team up to design and build hybrid and fully electric vehicles....

The Crucial Role of Public Private Partnerships in US Battery Technology

December 31, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Public private collaborations have played a fundamental role advancing the US position in the development of commercial scale energy storage systems for cell phones, laptops, hybrids and electric vehicles. National laboratories conduct vital research that make it possible for the private sector to...

December 31, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Ford and Zipcar are collaborating to deploy hundreds of car-sharing vehicles in college campuses. Car sharing is a more environmentally sustainable approach to transportation than ownership. It is an important way of minimizing traffic and emissions. Through the Students with Drive grant program, Ford...

Ford and Toyota Collaborating on Hybrid Technology and Telematics

December 30, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Ford and Toyota announced that they are working together on a new more efficient hybrid system and advanced telematics. Ford has developed an excellent reputation for trucks, and Toyota has owned the hybrid car market for a couple decades. So, it stands to reason that the two should be partnering to...

Fisker Buying Engines from BMW for New Cars

December 30, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Electric vehicle developer California based Fisker Automotive is collaborating with Germany's BMW to procure the engines for upcoming Fisker mid-sized cars. Since its inception in 2007 Fisker has been working on luxury high-performing extended-range electric cars. The current generation of cars is...

GM and BMW are Collaborating on Hydrogen Fuel Cell Development

December 30, 2011 Add Comment Edit

General Motors and BMW are planning to collaborate on hydrogen fuel-cell technology for passenger cars. GM has invested almost $2 billion in development costs of hydrogen fuel-cell systems. GM focuses its fuel-cell R&D in Germany, which lends itself well to the possible collaboration. BMW failed...

Hybrids Could Substantially Reduce US Fossil Fuel Consumption

December 30, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Barry Stevens, PhD, is the Managing Director of TBD America, Inc., here is his response to a question about the impact on petroleum usage if all passenger vehicles in the US were as energy efficient as Toyota's Prius.To respond to this question Mr Stevens analyzed the fuel requirements for the 137...

December 29, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The worldwide market for all vehicles will grow by about four percent per year over the next six years, analysts at Pike Research estimate that the electric vehicle market will grow at a rate of almost 20 percent over the same time frame.According to the report, “Electric Vehicle Market Forecasts”,...

December 28, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Analysts expect the sales of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) to significantly increase in the US over the next several years. The anticipated annual growth rate is expected to be 43 percent between 2011 and 2017. Annual sales will reach approximately 360,000 vehicles by 2017.According to the report,...

December 28, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Ford Motor Company is using SunPower Corp.’s panels for its solar electric vehicle charging system. The charging stations will fuel Ford's new EVs (Focus Electric and C-Max Energi). The system employs rooftop solar panels which feeds power to an electric vehicle charger. Under Ford’s “Drive...

December 28, 2011 Add Comment Edit

GM Ventures L.L.C., the venture capital arm of General Motors Corporation is investing $7.5 million in Sunlogics P.L.C. a maker of electric vehicle charging stations. As part of the Chevrolet Green Zone program, Sunlogics will construct solar charging stations for GM. These “solar canopies” charge...

December 27, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Since 1990, GM has decreased its manufacturing emissions by 60 percent. GM produces fuel efficient cars like the Cruze Eco, which gets an EPA-estimated 42 mpg on the highway. GM also produces the well known Chevy Volt which allows up to 50 miles of pure electric driving on a single charge after which...

Chevrolet is Investing 40 Million to Offset its Car's Emissions

December 27, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Chevrolet has announced that it is investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Its goal is to reduce 8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over next few years. The company plans to invest $40 million on efforts that reduce environmental impacts. The initiative is focused on projects...

State of the Climate Global Analysis Nov 2011

December 27, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Anyone who remains unconvinced of the veracity of climate change need only review the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) State of the Climate Global Analysis for November 2011.According to NOAA data, 2010 is tied with 2005 as the warmest year in 131 years of global land and sea...

Canada’s White Christmas Isn’t So White Anymore

December 26, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Enjoying a white Christmas is an honored tradition for many all over the world, and nowhere more than for those in Canada’s Great White North. But for most Canadians, the tradition of a white Christmas is becoming more a dream than a reality.David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada...

December 24, 2011 1 Comment Edit

Happy Holidays and a special thank you to readers of The Green Market. In the spirit of the season we wish you a safe, happy and healthy holiday and a prosperous 2012. Together we are making the world a greener more sustainable place. © 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.Related PostsEnvironmentally...

Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to Traditional Christmas Lighting

December 23, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Millions of lights are used to decorate and illuminate the Christmas season, but traditional light bulbs are a huge drain on energy. Thankfully there are more environmentally friendly alternatives to the traditional Christmas light bulb. LED Christmas lighting uses significantly less electricity and...

Environmentally Friendly Alternatives to the Traditional Christmas Tree

December 23, 2011 Add Comment Edit

There are over two billion Christians in the world and many in North America and Europe are following the time honoured tradition of decorating a Christmas tree. This Christmas millions of Christmas trees have been bought around the world. The question is what type of tree is best for the environment?...

Global Warming and the Shortage of Mistletoe

December 23, 2011 Add Comment Edit

The effects of climate change are ubiquitous, and this year it is even impacting the availability of mistletoe. Droughts, one of the corollaries of global warming, is behind the shortage. The small parasitic plant grows on trees in humid climates in Europe and the US. Because of dry conditions in the...

The Koch Brother’s Ties to GOP Presidential Candidates

December 22, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Oil billionaires David and Charles Koch use their oil wealth to misinform Americans and influence the GOP. The Koch brothers have spent $55 million to fund climate denial front groups, their agenda includes efforts to undermine the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Koch Industries has given generously...

Republicans are Playing Scrooge this Christmas

December 21, 2011 Add Comment Edit

Republicans in the House are looking more and more like Ebenezer Scrooge. The GOP is well known for its anti-environmental ambitions and now through their refusal to support the payroll tax cut extension, they are launching an assault on average Americans. Although many in the GOP signed a pledge refusing...