Market Competition Pushes Prius To Achieve 55 MPG To Remain Top Seller

Market competition does not always mean better environmental performance. Just look at China and see what competition and a lack of environmental regulation has wrought.

Despite the environmental disaster that China has become, market competition can produce good results for the environment. A top example of how competition can spur environmental improvement is the battle to bring to market highly fuel efficient vehicles.

The 2015 Toyota Prius is expected to achieve a combined 55 miles per gallon, as it seeks to stay on top.
http://gas2.org/2013/08/30/next-toyota-prius-aiming-for-55-mpg/.

The linked to article describes further gains in engine thermal efficiency, design, materials, and manufacturing processes that Toyota is using to increase mileage, while likely lowering costs. Toyota knows that the Prius has won its status as a top seller by combining high mileage, excellent performance, and reasonable pricing.

And it knows that it must improve mileage by about 10% to stay ahead of its improving competition.  Improving mileage lowers operating costs and environmental impact. Indeed, the Prius even now has a smaller carbon footprint than the all-electric Nissan Leaf, if the electricity charging the Leaf comes from predominantly coal-fired power plants.

Pollution Fact: TCE Is the Biggest Water Polluter About Which Most People Have Never Heard

"TCE" is the worst polluter of water about which most people have never heard anything.

The highly radioactive water leaking out of Fukushima, the massive sewage spills that regularly pollute our rivers, oil leaks, acidic water pouring out of coal mines, and pollution of water wells from gas drilling mistakes regularly hit the headlines.  But the huge damage done to ground water by Trichloroethylene or TCE dumping draws little attention at all.
http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/news/2013/tce-plume.

As the linked to story describes why, TCE,  however, most certainly is among America's worst water polluters and should command more attention. The article accurately states:

"Used in large volumes by an array of industries, TCE is one of the most widespread contaminants in U.S. water supplies."  

That's indeed a fact.  Just in Michigan there are 300 sites where TCE is leaching into groundwater. But Michigan is far from alone.

Pennsylvania too has major water pollution from TCE, a solvent that was used in many industries for decades and that was often improperly stored or removed.  Indeed, I have helped Pennsylvanians whose drinking water was fouled by TCE dumping over decades.

In fact, TCE plumes are in groundwater all over America. And TCE is nasty stuff for human beings to ingest.

"TCE was declared a human carcinogen in 2011, after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency spent three decades analyzing its health risks. TCE can lead to kidney and liver cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, according to the EPA’s report.The chemical also may be linked to bladder, esophageal, prostate, cervical and breast cancers, and leukemia."

High Mileage Fact: Tesla Drivers Get 388 Miles On One Charge But That's Not The World Record

A Tesla was just driven 388 miles on one charge in Holland. The car averaged 24 mph or what you could expect to do in New York City.  But the European Tesla distance record is not a world record.
http://cleantechnica.com/2013/09/04/tesla-model-s-driven-388-miles-on-one-charge/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter.

Apparently, the world record for Tesla range is 423 miles set by two Floridians.

Used normally, the Tesla Model S can be expected to go 265 miles between charges. And that is the key to its incredible success.

Political Fact: 6% Of Scientists Remain Registered Republicans

In the 1968 Presidential election, Richard Nixon got 43% of the popular vote and did well with scientists, winning 31% of physicists, 52% of geologists, and more than 60% of agriculture scientists.

That was then. By 2009, Pew found that just 6% of scientists remained registered Republicans.
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/56795477-90/science-scientists-gop-http.html.csp?page=1

Why have scientists left the GOP?  Perhaps, because the GOP left them, as explained by this tweet:

The Increase In Coal Generation Is 4 Times As Much As Combined Rise In Wind And Solar Output In 2013

Energy math is paradox. 

Wind and solar generation are growing much more rapidly than coal generation this year and in prior years.  But, in the first 6 months of 2013, the increase in coal electricity output is 4 times greater than the increase in the combined output of wind and solar.

Coal generation is up 72 billion kilowatt-hours this year, while wind and solar is up a combined 17 billion kilowatt-hours.  Wind and solar is growing more rapidly--wind generation is up 20% and solar 94%--but from very small totals.

http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.cfm?t=epmt_es1b

Wind's production in the first 6 months totaled 91 billion kilowatt-hours and coal's 764 billion kilowatt-hours.  There are 8 kilowatt-hours generated from coal for every 1 kilowatt-hour produced by wind.  Wind is growing rapidly, but an enormous gap remains between the production from coal and wind.

When all renewable resources are combined, including hydro, coal produces a bit less than 3 kilowatt-hours for every 1 produced by all renewable energy sources together. The gap between production from coal and all renewable energy is closing but will likely take about 15-20 years to close.

Disturbing Facts: TEPCO Uses New Equipment To Measure Radiation At Fukushima And Finds Massive Doses In Water

Sometimes you read an article and just hope it's wrong. That's my reaction to the report that Tokyo Electric Power workers just got new radiation measurement equipment and immediately found massive and lethal doses of radiation in water at the site.

According to NBC News, the workers at Fukushima had been working with devices that could record only a maximum dose of 100 millisieverts per hour.  They just got new ones that had a top reading of 10,0000 millisieverts per hour.  Quickly readings of 1,800 were measured in water at the site, enough radiation to be lethal in 4 hours.  In Japan, nuclear workers are limited to 50 millisieverts per YEAR.
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/01/20281539-radiation-spikes-to-lethal-levels-at-japans-fukushima-nuclear-plant?lite.

It's amazing to me that workers at Fukushima for more than 2 years since the calamity had inadequate radiation measuring systems. At this point, I am not sure what is more disturbing--the 2-year delay in getting the new measuring systems or the 1,800 millisiverts per hour reading they documented. Both are really disturbing facts.

Stunning Fact: 25% Of America's Residential Solar In 1 Utility Service Territory

While solar panels can be seen in growing numbers around America, an amazing 25% of home solar systems can be found in the service territory of Pacific Gas & Electric, an electric utility serving a substantial portion of Northern California. At least, that is what Business Week reports in this interesting article about how solar is exploding and undermining the traditional utility business model.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-08-22/homegrown-green-energy-is-making-power-utilities-irrelevant#p3.

The large concentration of solar in PGE service territory reflects the fact that California still dominates the US solar market.  Indeed, about 50% of the homes that are using solar to net meter are in California.

But what started in California is not staying there.  Rapid solar growth is taking place in numerous markets, including sun drenched Arizona and Hawaii, but also Colorado, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.

The on-going boom of solar around the USA means the days are numbered, when the service territory of Pacific Gas & Electric has 25% of America's residential solar systems.