Ecological Economics

A Cross-Disciplinary Conversation


The Air Car?

Until a few days ago I had no idea that people were playing with the idea of using compressed air to power vehicles. Now it looks like we may see some within the next few years. Add in a hybrid gas engine to compress more air and compressed air vehicles might go further than just city driving.

But even if just for the city, and particularly if power sources come increasingly from solar and wind, the idea just might be a life saver not only for those living in very polluted cityscapes, but also for the rest of us as air pollution is a global problem.

And the idea isn't limited to cars. The video below highlights both a rather conventional but all-aluminum piston engine from France, and a much smaller rotary engine design from Australia. The latter shows much promise for small vehicles, but also for recreation vehicles, lawnmowers, golf carts and much more. Take a look:

Compressed Air Vehicles

Hat tip: Barry Ritholtz at The Big Picture

See also: Compressed-Air Car at Wikipedia

OK.. Now that I've got some all hyped up, let's let the naysayers have a say. I just did a bit of after-the-postup Googling and found that

China's CO2 Emissions Staged to Get Even Worse

Via Brad DeLong who says, "This is, I think, very good work--and the worst news about the human future I have learned in months." :

Forecasting the Path of China's CO2 Emissions Using Province Level Information, Maximilian Auffhammer and Richard T. Carson (2008) ABSTRACT: Our results suggest that the anticipated path of China's Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emissions has dramatically increased over the last five years. The magnitude of the projected increase in Chinese emissions out to 2015 is several times larger than reductions embodied in the Kyoto Protocol. Our estimates are based on a unique provincial level panel data set from the Chinese Environmental Protection Agency. This dataset contains considerably more information relevant to the path of likely Chinese greenhouse gas emissions than national level time series models currently in use. Model selection criteria clearly reject the popular static environmental Kuznets curve specification in favor of a class of dynamic models with spatial dependence.
'The Story of Stuff'

Tired of being told to "go shopping" whenever a national or international crisis occurs?

Tired of hearing that "recycling" will save us?   Note: Recycling is a very good idea, just "not enough."

Want to know how our so-called Consumer Society was manufactured?

Want to know why the linear "produce, manufacture, CONSUME" model is so deeply flawed?

Ever wonder how stuff can be so damned cheap? And wonder who is really paying "the freight"?

Want to know more about the pathway to sustainability?

Then you'll be glad to see/hear how Annie Leonard exposes the dark underbelly of our Consumer Society in a little 20 minute educational video titled The Story of Stuff.

Here is a trailer:

More at storyofstuff.com.

PS.. If I'm the last person on the block (the Planet?) to hear about The Story of Stuff—having heard about it over coffee just yesterday—chalk it up to the fact that I'm an old, retired economist living in Utah, just a small step on the far side of nowhere. But damned good scenery!

Exclusively Renewable Energy by 2050: Germany Says Yes!

Can you envision a country that plans to rid itself of both Coal and Nuclear Energy source-dependence? Germany is on track to do so:

Germany's Plan on video (8 minutes)
Germany is looking to integrate wind, solar, and biofuel natural gas to supply 100% of its power generation needs by 2050 (40% by 2020). Germany plans to phase out both Nuclear and Coal-fired power generation.

Hat Tip: Brad Ewing, Environmental Economics & Sustainable Development

Global Forest & 'Env. Justice' Groups Condemn Bali Carbon Trading Schemes

Today, the Global Forest Coalition and the Global Justice Ecology Project strongly condemn—on both human rights and environmental accounts—recent carbon trade announcements/resolutions at the UN Bali Glogal Climate Change Conference. "They are going to use the failed model of carbon trading to supposedly protect forests, but just like agrofuels, the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility [3] is going to exacerbate deforestation at a faster rate, worsen human rights abuses and do nothing for the climate but make it less inhabitable", Dr. Miguel Lovera, Chairperson for the Global Forest Coalition.

14 December 2007 What's missing from the climate talks? Justice!

Bali Forest Outcomes Trample Indigenous Peoples' & Local Communities' Rights False "Solutions" to Climate Change Condemned at the UNFCCC

Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia-As the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change ends, Global Forest Coalition expresses great concern that market-based mechanisms promoted here do not give enough guarantees to indigenous peoples and forest dependent peoples to ensure their rights.

Global Forest Coalition's Managing Coordinator, Simone Lovera stated, "The outcomes of the forest negotiations here in Bali do not include any guarantee that the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communitie