Dawie, there are so many better solutions, I try not to pick one over another. Good today is better than perfect tomorrow, in many cases. No reason we can't have both, but I may only be able to work on one myself, today.
Darryl Dawie Coetzee wrote: > > Again urban form is merely glossed over. > > Darryl: the electrics you list sound valid, being low-speed delivery > vehicles (good old milk floats?), but electric-assisted handcarts would > be better, given the right operating environment. > > -D > > http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=078ca5ad-e025-4ed1 > <http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=078ca5ad-e025-4ed1> > -b349-1d99b1fd539f > > Scott Simpson > Vancouver Sun > > > Thursday, February 15, 2007 > > > British Columbia motorists in particular, and the transportation sector > in general, are going to face a tight squeeze if the province hopes to > come anywhere close to the greenhouse gas reduction targets proposed > this week by the provincial government. > > On a per-capita basis, residents of this province are already among the > lowest emitters in Canada, thanks in large part to a wealth of > hydroelectric power resources that don't contribute to global warming. > > In Tuesday's throne speech, the government promised to reduce the > province's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 33 per cent below > current levels by 2020. > > B.C.'s current annual greenhouse gas output is about 66 million tonnes, > so the province has to find ways to cut 22 million tonnes -- 33 per cent > -- and stick to that target despite one of the fastest population growth > rates in Canada. > > The province is still working out a formula for reaching that target -- > in fact, it's still working on short-term measures or 'interim' targets > that point the way to future gains. > > In the throne speech, the government promised to tackle emissions coming > from every sector, including agriculture, commercial activity, > residential energy consumption and methane emissions from landfills. > > However, those four sectors only account for 24 per cent of B.C. > greenhouse gas emissions, and any gains there will be more symbolic than > substantial. > > The biggest potential gains in B.C. lie in the transportation sector, > primarily the automobile. > > Nationally, transportation-related activities account for about 30 per > cent of the nation's greenhouse gas totals -- compared to 41 per cent in > B.C. > > Transportation plays a disproportionately large role in B.C. for two > reasons, according to Simon Fraser University energy economist Mark > Jaccard, in his book The Cost of Climate Policy. > > The absence of coal-fired electricity generation facilities -- which are > the No. 1 source of power in North America -- are one reason the B.C. > transportation sector looms relatively larger as a polluter here on the > West Coast. > > The other reason, Jaccard notes, is lack of good public transit and a > congested road system in the Lower Mainland, home to most of the > province's 2.6 million motorists. > > Greater Vancouver has "the highest average commuting time and one of the > lowest rates of public transit use and walking in Canada," Jaccard > wrote. > > Both Jaccard and Guy Dauncey, president of the B.C. Sustainable Energy > Association, worry that the government's continued commitment to its > Gateway transportation and port development strategy will undermine its > emission efforts by attracting more single-occupancy vehicles to an > expanded Lower Mainland road network. > > Dauncey says an improved public transit system could have the same > effect of improving travel times for the movement of goods around the > region -- without the cost of building new transportation > infrastructure. > > Ultimately, a major reduction in emissions will have to come from a > greater commitment by auto manufacturers to build more fuel-efficient, > hybrid, and electric-powered vehicles. > > B.C. doesn't have the economic muscle to compel such a transformation -- > although Dauncey suggests that California's recent announcement of > higher fuel efficiency requirements could make it happen. > > Widespread adoption of electric cars would put a major dent in > emissions, almost overnight. > > "The sheer efficiency of an electric vehicle strategy is stunning," > Dauncey said. "It would only cost $10 a month to run if you drive 10,000 > miles a year. There is a huge energy saving for the consumer, and all of > that money is no longer leaving the province. > > "All the money we spend at gas stations leaves the province, and goes > off to Saudi Arabia or somewhere. When we use locally generated > electricity, all that money stays in the province." > > Ian Bruce of the David Suzuki Foundation suggested B.C. has the > jurisdiction to enact other strategies that would help push auto > emissions lower. > > "B.C. could follow many of Quebec's climate protection solutions to > reduce transportation emissions," Bruce said, citing a carbon-pollution > tax on bulk sales of oil and "a significant long-term funding commitment > to public transit, including rail and buses." > > B.C.'s other major emission source, its industrial sector, has already > made huge reductions in its emissions. > > Emissions from the province's pulp and paper mills and sawmills are 39 > per cent lower than they were in 1979. > > Jock Finlayson of the Business Council of B.C. said it's possible that > pulp mills can squeeze out further gains if they find a way to employ > more biomass -- mainly wood waste -- to generate heat and energy to > support their manufacturing processes. > > Wood waste is considered a sort of 'free fuel' by climate scientists > because it releases the same amount of carbon dioxide whether you burn > it as fuel or leave it on the forest floor to rot. > > However, Finlayson notes that going after other potentially large > emitters such as B.C.'s natural gas and oil exploration sector, or the > mining sector, could lead to significant constraints on the provincial > economy. > > "About 23 per cent of emissions are from upstream energy production, of > which most is oil and [natural] gas," Finlayson said. > > "Getting back to 2000 emission levels by 2016 would seem to preclude > much growth in the oil and gas sector in B.C.," he said, adding that > applying a hard target "would certainly preclude" the expansion of the > gas industry to new regions of the province that are believed to hold > large gas reserves. > > It could also complicate B.C.'s ambitions to expand its mining sector -- > where 25 potential mine projects are moving through the > exploration-development process. > > "If a lot of new mines were to come onstream, it seems to me that would > drive up total emissions from the mining sector and I'm not sure what > could be done to mitigate that." > > Ultimately, he added, any strategy adopted by B.C. is going to need > federal support -- but Finlayson described the current situation in > Ottawa under the minority Conservative government as a "mad scramble." > > B.C., he added, may have to wait for a majority government to emerge > before it can cultivate a strong federal ally for its own provincial > ambitions. > > Meanwhile, B.C. Energy Minister Richard Neufeld suggested the province > may use the province's forests to generate carbon 'credits' that would > partially offset emissions from other sectors. > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Transportation: More than 40 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in > B.C. come from passenger vehicles, trucks, ships and other gasoline and > diesel-powered vehicles. > > Industry: Fossil fuel exploration and development, manufacturing, > mining, smelting and cement production account for 37 per cent of B.C. > emissions. > > Agriculture: 'Enteric fermentation' (methane from cow farts) and manure > management account for four per cent of B.C.'s emissions. > > Commercial: Five per cent of emissions come from commercial activity > such as dry cleaning. > > Residential: Waste gases from natural gas furnaces, and inefficient home > heating designs contribute seven per cent of emissions. > > Waste: Solid waste disposal, wastewater handling and waste incineration > contribute eight per cent of emissions. > > ==================== > Darryl's Notes: > British Columbia has at least three domestic EV and hybrid > manufacturers: > Dynasty produces the IT low-speed vehicle line of battery electrics. > Azure Dynamics produces hybrid trucks and small buses. > Canadian Electric Vehicles produces a line of light, low-speed electric > trucks. > > -- Darryl McMahon It's your planet. If you won't look after it, who will? The Emperor's New Hydrogen Economy (now in print and eBook) http://www.econogics.com/TENHE/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
