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December 26, 2009 07:32 AM EST
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recommended: 8
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 As the year draws to an end, and I receive best wishes from many friends, I like to take the opportunity to return the wishes.
Some asked me about the meaning of my motto: We CAN change the World. Of course, the line has been used by many people before. In 1968, Graham Nash wrote the song Chicago/We can change the world in reference to the trial of anti-war protesters. I also like to acknowledge David Stratman's 1991 book We CAN change the world, which points out that ordinary persons can bring about revolutionary changes, as opposed to being passive pawns playing insignificant roles in a struggle between social systems such as capitalism and communism. My take on this is that emissions need to be reduced dramatically to avoid catastrophic global warming. While it would be nice for new technologies to emerge to help us with that, terra preta, electric cars, wind turbines and solar power all have been around for a long time - we need to act now to shift to cleaner energy, agriculture, waste processing, etc.  We need a sustainable energy plan focusing on wind, water and solar power (WWS).  We need an 80% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. And a framework of local feebates CAN achieve all this.
I know, solar/PV and wind energy comprised a mere 6% of renewables in 2007, while renewables itself constituted only 6.7% of U.S. energy supply. Indeed, there are only a few electric cars on the road, while only few places have ever implemented feebates.
Some will also say that the grip of the farming lobby, the oil barons and the coal and car industries on politics is too strong, making it hard to even contemplate the kind of changes that I suggest. If politicians will accept anything at all, they say, it will be something minimal, such as an ineffective cap-and-trade scheme.
So yes, there's a lot of work to be done. But to achieve all this, what's needed most of all is to point out that it CAN be done. It may take many people to realize all the work, but it takes just one person to realize that it CAN be done, and then to point this out to others. That's why I like to remain anonymous. This is the view of an ordinary person, not of some famous celebrity, of a well-paid bureaucrat or of an elite CEO. And if an ordinary person can come to this realization, then we all can, meaning that we CAN change the world. And that is my wish for 2010, my friends, that more people will come to realize that we CAN change the world!
December 24, 2009 01:10 AM EST
Below are Sam Carana's 20 most viewed posts at Gather, as at 24 December 2009.  | February 15, 2009 10:31 PM EST -- The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has in many respects underestimated the severity of global warming and the speed at which it strikes. "From 2000 to 2007, greenhouse gas emissions . . . more |
| March 07, 2007 12:18 AM EST -- Let's have a look at the many concerns and dangers associated with global warming and the resulting changes in climate around the world. I've tentatively grouped them into ten points. . . . more |
 | September 01, 2008 06:31 AM EDT -- All-electric cars Toyota has announced plans to launch an electric car. It will be an all-electric car (rather than a hybrid) and it will be a small car, limited to commuting or city driving, powered . . . more |
| April 08, 2007 03:30 AM EDT -- There are many things we can all do to reduce our contributions to global warming. Here are ten things politians can do now to make a difference: 1. Tax energy supply that adds extra heat to global . . . more |
 | May 15, 2008 03:46 AM EDT -- The US government has listed polar bears as a threatened species, as Arctic sea ice shows dramatic reductions. On Wednesday, US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne referred to the Endangered Species Act . . . more |
 | April 20, 2008 04:24 AM EDT -- Last month, at the New York International Automobile Show, Mitsubishi displayed the i MiEV (i indicates it's a minivan, while MIEV stands for M itsubishi i nnovative E lectric V ehicle). Mitsubishi . . . more |
 | October 09, 2008 03:00 AM EDT -- The electric helicopter pictured below is an invention of Sean Herbert, who started testing the concept two years ago. With Sydney-based Wieland Helicopter Technologies , Sean has now developed an range . . . more |
 | November 10, 2007 05:20 AM EST -- The commitment of Iceland towards creating the world's first hydrogen society has reached new heights with project SMART-H2 (Sustainable Marine and Road Transport - Hydrogen). Fuel cell . . . more |
 | April 03, 2008 09:49 AM EDT -- In November 2007, I wrote an article about Project Better Place , which was planning to deliver subsidized electric vehicles, while recovering costs through a network of recharging points and battery . . . more |
 | May 04, 2008 09:41 PM EDT -- OptiSolar is developing a 550-megawatt photovoltaic solar farm on the northwestern corner of Carrisa Plains, some 100 miles north of Los Angeles. The project will produce enough electricity to power . . . more |
 | October 06, 2007 02:39 AM EDT -- Most households only use one or at most two different rubbish bins, one for recyclables (paper & packaging) and one for general waste. It makes a lot of sense to add a third type of rubbish bin, . . . more |
| October 08, 2008 10:22 PM EDT -- Intro: I received a message from Cathy Zoi, CEO of www.wecansolveit.org urging people to tell the ABC to air the Repower America ad. I fully support Cathy's call and share the message below . . . more |
 | October 22, 2007 08:28 PM EDT -- Reducing greenhouse gases Reducing greenhouse gases is one of the biggest challenges of our times. The main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. Over half of all greenhouse . . . more |
 | April 24, 2008 01:32 AM EDT -- In discussions about global warming, many are reluctant to make 'the first move'. The coal industry points at figures by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), showing that coal accounted . . . more |
 | November 07, 2007 05:06 AM EST -- Would you like to get a cheap electric car? Project Better Place has raised more than $200 million in funding to source electric cars and batteries for a network of charging spots and battery exchange . . . more |
 | May 22, 2008 07:32 AM EDT -- Rising Sun for Electric Cars Originally published 04/22/08 (Earth Day) by Roy Morrison in Policy Innovations Earth Day 2008 is a time to ask: Is my sustainability work consonant . . . more |
 | October 23, 2008 08:23 AM EDT -- Professor David Keith of the University of Calgary is working on a device that removes carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) directly from ambient air. Keith has built a tower, 4 feet wide and 20 feet tall, . . . more |
 | April 14, 2008 06:12 AM EDT -- To reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), it makes a lot of sense to look at buildings and pavement. In the United States, buildings account for 38% of total CO 2 emissions. This is partly due to . . . more |
 | December 20, 2008 06:54 AM EST -- When it's hot, should you turn on the car's air-conditioner? As many will have experienced, driving with the air-conditioner on can incr more |
 | January 28, 2009 02:26 AM EST -- In Greek mythology, Ceto was a sea goddess. Ceto was a daughter of Gaia and Pontus, and she personified the power of the sea. In a current incarnation, CETO is the name of a wave power technology . . . more |
Above figures as at 24 December 2009 -- for an update, go to Sam Carana's posts, and select the most viewed posts. Had profile visits been included, then Sam Carana's profile page would have come in at the third place (figures as at 24 December 2009). |
Of the above 20 posts, only two are from 2009, the top one and the bottom one -- older posts will have accumulated more views over the years. To make up for that, here are some more recent posts by Sam Carana, figures as at 24 December 2009: February 03, 2009 01:10 AM EST -- President Obama, please read this! The energy and environmental policy that you have proposed for the U.S. is a patchwork of policies, ranging from higher fuel efficiency standards and subsidies for . . . more  | March 10, 2009 09:30 PM EDT -- Climate Congress, Copenhagen, 10-12 March, 2009 Open letter to Dr Rajendra K. Pachauri, IPCC chair Dear Dr Pachauri, The Climate Congress presents an important opportunity to present all facets . . . more |
 | March 24, 2009 09:04 PM EDT -- China recently called for a World Currency, or global reserve currency , to be operated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) via its Special Drawing Rights (SDR). The governor of the People’s . . . more |
 | April 02, 2009 01:51 AM EDT -- President Obama and Russian President Medvedev have agreed to negotiate a new treaty designed to further reduce and limit strategic weapons. Their joint statement says: "We committed our . . . more |
 | April 30, 2009 02:09 AM EDT -- NASA scientists are proposing algae bags as a way to produce renewable energy that does not compete with agriculture for land or fresh water. It uses algae to produce biofuel from sewage, using nutrients . . . more |
 | May 19, 2009 01:15 AM EDT -- Cycle A: Inorganic Waste We're all familiar with the idea that we're running out of scarce resources. We just cannot continue to keep drilling and mining for more fossil fuel, metals and . . . more |
 | May 21, 2009 08:32 AM EDT -- Will America be a desert by 2100? Or Africa, India or China, for that matter? Chances are, according to MIT projections , that global median surface temperature will rise by 9.4 o F (5.2 o C) by 2100, . . . more |
 | May 28, 2009 09:21 AM EDT -- What will power your next car? Will it be gasoline, diesel, perhaps mixed with biofuel? Or will it be electricity? In case electricity will power your next car, how will it be produced? From coal, natural . . . more |
 | June 07, 2009 04:27 AM EDT -- Fuji Heavy Industries will start selling the plug-in battery electric Subaru Stella in Japan from July 2009. The Stella seats four, has a top speed of 100 km/h (62 mph) and can travel up to 90km . . . more |
 | July 06, 2009 03:35 AM EDT -- The Electric Ford F-150 uses four in-wheel motors, one in each of the wheels. The concept car was on display at the 2008 SEMA Show in the Ford Motor Company booth. PML Flightlink supplied the . . . more |
 | July 16, 2009 08:46 AM EDT -- In Canada, the Ontario government has announced that it wants to have one out of every 20 vehicles driven in Ontario to be electrically powered by 2020. To help achieve that target, buyers . . . more |
 | July 22, 2009 02:36 AM EDT -- The Hydrogen Initiative Ex-President G. W. Bush loved photo opportunities that portrayed him as an advocate of hydrogen cars. The photo on the right shows Bush inspecting a scooter powered by solid . . . more |
 | July 22, 2009 05:27 AM EDT -- On July 19, 2009, the Flightstar e-Spyder flew at South Woodstock doing two flights about 10 minutes each. The plane reached an altitude of 400 feet and speeds of up to 55 mph, according to this article . . . more |
 | August 02, 2009 04:37 AM EDT -- Nissan has unveiled the Nissan LEAF Electric Vehicle (EV), a zero-emission car. The Nissan LEAF is a medium-size hatchback seating five adults, with a 24kWh lithium-ion battery pack that generates a . . . more |
 | August 07, 2009 07:13 AM EDT -- Best target? Best policies? With the Copenhagen Conference fast approaching, what targets should be aimed for? What are the best targets? What policies can best achieve such targets? Many suggest . . . more |
 | August 15, 2009 04:57 AM EDT -- 1. Are electric cars expensive? The Nissan LEAF EV promises to be as cheap as a similar-sized conventional car. EVs qualify for rebates, tax breaks and further incentives. Furthermore, electricity . . . more |
 | September 10, 2009 09:14 AM EDT -- French President Nicolas Sarkozy has decided, as French newspaper Le Monde reports: an environmental levy will be introduced with the starting price of 17 euros ($24.8) per ton of CO2. While the . . . more |
 | September 13, 2009 09:56 PM EDT -- The Frankfurt Motor Show , held every two years, is the world's largest motor show. It will be held from September 17th - 27th, 2009, in Frankfurt, Germany. At the Frankfurt Motor Show, Hyundai will . . . more |
 | September 19, 2009 09:41 AM EDT -- In 2008, Michelin first introduced the Active Wheel concept. Now, at the Frunkfurt Motor Show , Michelin has taken the concept one step further, introducing a wheel that not only integrates the brake . . . more |
 | September 22, 2009 03:23 AM EDT -- Large-scale afforestation, in the form of bringing vegetation into the desert by means of desalinated water, is proposed by a team of scientists. A study by Leonard Ornstein, a cell biologist at the Mount . . . more |
 | September 26, 2009 05:18 AM EDT -- As I discussed in What will power your next car? , solar/PV energy represented a meager 0.081% of the energy produced in the US in 2007, barely more than the 0.066% it produced back in 2000. Renewables' . . . more |
Five Electrifying Transport Ideas  | November 17, 2009 06:09 AM EST -- 1. High Speed Rail High speed rail can move large amounts of people and freight fast, conveniently and economically. High speed rail systems have been operating successfully in Europe and Japan . . . more |
 | December 05, 2009 09:23 AM EST -- The Solar Impulse made its maiden flight on 3 December 2009, at Dübendorf Airfield in Switzerland. During a run down the runway, the plane was for the first time brought to takeoff speed (35 . . . more |
 | December 11, 2009 03:09 AM EST -- Solar electric vehicles feature prominently at the Sanyo display at the Eco Products 2009 International Exhibition at Tokyo Big Sight , held from December 10 - 12. The Solar Electric Vehicle . . . more |
December 15, 2009 05:32 AM EST -- A Plan for a Sustainable Future is the theme of the November 2009 issue of Scientific American. It contains A Plan to Power 100 Percent of the Planet with Renewables , by Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi, . . . more  | December 18, 2009 05:38 AM EST -- The American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on December 16, 2009, by Congressman José E. Serrano . Bill H.R. 4399, or “e-Drive”, . . . more |
 | December 19, 2009 04:32 PM EST -- CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES Fifteenth session Copenhagen, 18 December 2009 Agenda item 9 High-level segment FCCC/CP/2009/L7 Draft decision -/CP.15 Proposal by the President . . . more |
We CAN change the world! Cheers,
Sam Carana
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December 18, 2009 05:38 AM EST
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recommended: 7
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comments: 20
 The American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on December 16, 2009, by Congressman José E. Serrano.
Bill H.R. 4399, or “e-Drive”, aims to equip the U.S. Postal Service with at least 20,000 EVs (electric vehicles). Besides the environmental benefits and vast fuel savings this would achieve, this would also enable the Postal Service fleet to store electricity for the nation’s power grid. V2G (vehicle-to-grid) technology would enable new and converted electric postal vehicles to supply power to the grid. V2G can help the grid with load balancing, by storing electricity from intermittent or fluctuating sources, such as wind turbines. Wind is strong at night when there's little demand for electricity. Vehicles can store such a surplus that would otherwise go to waste. Then, at peak times during the day and in the evening, V2G can supply electricity to help the grid cope with demand. V2G can also make the grid more robust and resilient in three ways: firstly by decentralizing supply of electricity to the grid; secondly, by providing capacity where and when it's needed most; and thirdly, by acting as back-up power supply in case of outages and emergencies. The bill would allocate up to $2 billion to a program, to be administered by the Department of Energy (DOE), that will cover vehicle cost and cost of associated power grid infrastructure. The Postal Service operates the largest civilian fleet of vehicles in the world, with an estimated 260,000 vehicles, such as the Chevrolet/Grumman LLV (Long-Life Vehicle, photo below). Fuel efficiency for these vehicles is low, as they typically make frequent starts and stops while driving in congested urban areas with traffic lights. Additionally, the vehicles make frequent stops between mailboxes. This makes these vehicles particularly suited for EV technologies that recover power when slowing down or braking. 
Links:
News release - by Congressman José E. Serrano
Time for Postal Service fleet to go green, lawmaker says - by the Washington Post
V2G - Vehicle to Grid - by Sam Carana
December 07, 2009 09:40 PM EST
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recommended: 2
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comments: 33
On December 7, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Greenhouse Gases (GHG) constitute a threat to public health and to the environment.
The finding enables the EPA to set standards for emissions of six greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6).
Such standards include the proposed greenhouse gas emission standards for light-duty vehicles. On-road vehicles cause over 23% of total U.S. GHG emissions. The EPA will require model year 2012-2016 vehicles to meet an estimated combined average emissions level of 250 grams of carbon dioxide per mile, equivalent to 35.5 miles per gallon (MPG) if the automobile industry were to meet this carbon dioxide level solely through fuel economy improvements.
The finding also supports the waiver granted in June 2009 to California to implement stricter standards for motor vehicles beginning with model year 2009.
The finding follows a 60-day public comment period during which the EPA received more than 380,000 comments.
Dec 26, 2009 7:32AM ESTSam Carana shared a post 
As the year draws to an end, and I receive best wishes from many friends, I like to take the opportunity to return the wishes.
Some asked me about the meaning of my motto: We CAN change the World. . . . more
Dec 24, 2009 1:10AM ESTSam Carana shared a post
Below are Sam Carana 's 20 most viewed posts at Gather, as at 24 December 2009.
Global Warming - Red Alert!
views: 10820 | comments: 146
February 15, 2009 . . . more
Dec 18, 2009 5:38AM ESTSam Carana shared a post 
The American Electric Vehicle Manufacturing Act was introduced in the House of Representatives on December 16, 2009, by Congressman José E. Serrano .
Bill H.R. 4399, or “e-Drive”, . . . more
Dec 07, 2009 9:40PM ESTSam Carana shared a post On December 7, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Greenhouse Gases (GHG) constitute a threat to public health and to the environment .
The finding enables the EPA to set . . . more
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