Green Options » Long Beach

EV and Fleets: Electric Heat Hits the Streets

Richard Lowenthal — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 18:59:46 +0000

Scanning the week’s news of the leading fleet magazine, more than half the headlines are focused on automotive manufacturers including Toyota, Ford, Nissan and their commitment to greening of their fleets by moving to electric vehicle technologies.

For example, Nissan plans to use a $1.6 billion U.S. loan to rework a Tennessee factory so that battery-powered cars can be manufactured there. Ford Motor Company said it has developed an intelligent vehicle-to-grid communications and control system for its plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that “talks” with the nation’s electric grid.

Indeed it is exciting to read on a daily basis how much closer we are to the reality of EV’s for consumers and fleets. Fleets will be the first mass adopters of EVs and PHEVs. We are already seeing businesses, government agencies, cities and countries across the world that are making significant and meaningful steps to reducing their fuel costs, our nation’s dependence on imported fuel, and our carbon footprint by converting their gas guzzling and polluting fleets to eco friendly EV’s…but what about the infrastructure needed to support such vehicles? Is there different technology needed to support EV fleets vs. consumer EVs? Just what are the needs of fleet managers when it comes to EV fleets?

Huge Solar Ship Docked in Long Beach

Jake Richardson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:26:35 +0000

The Auriga Leader, a Japanese owned NYK cargo ship capable of carrying 6,400 cars and using over 300 solar panels as part of its power supply was docked in Long Beach yesterday, and just departed. It is the first commerical cargo ship employing solar power technology to reduce diesel emissions. The solar panels can supply up to 15% of the vessel’s electrical power when docked. The ship will probably return to Long Beach in about 30 days, and could be available for visitation. Call the Port of Long Beach to find out specific details about the possibility of seeing the solar panels. The ship is in the service of Toyota, carrying its’ vehicles from Japan.

» See also: Check out a 1BOG Solar Installation in the SF Bay Area
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At 665 feet long, and about 100 feet deep and wide it has a carrying capacity of 60,000 gross tons. 1.6 million dollars was the cost of the solar technology - to install and make it operational. The Auriga is the first in a generation of new cargo ships which will use solar power to reduce their diesel consumption. Emissions from cargo ships are a globally massive source of air pollutants…” just 15 of the world’s biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world’s 760m cars” according to a recent publication. Shipping pollution has been found by research to contribute to human deaths.

The Long Beach port is one of the busiest in the nation, and is a very large air polluter due to the activities of large ships and approximately 100,000 diesel trucks. The Long Beach and Los Angeles ports may be the number one polluter in the state of California. A special report was produced on the problem by California Connected.

Solar technology used by the Auriga Leader is a small attempt to start reducing emissions from cargo ships. Lessons learned from the Auriga can be utilized for solar technologies on other vessels, which will need to start going green if there is to be any reduction in air pollution and carbon emissions. NYK engineers are considering similar solar power installations for their 800 other ships.

The Port of Long Beach has been making efforts to reduce air pollution and was commended recently with an EPA Green Flag for trying to slow cargo vessels as they motor towards the docks, in order to reduce their emissions.

Image Credit: ships-info.info

Vectrix Vx-1 Electric Vehicle Unveiled at International Motorcycle Show Long Beach

Derek Markham — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 01:01:37 +0000

Not everyone attending the motorcycle show this weekend is looking for a Harley or a fast sport bike. They’re not all looking for powerful bikes with lots of flash. Some of them are commuters looking for ways to save money and maybe even lessen the environmental impact of their driving.

And they’re in luck.

At this year’s Cycle World International Motorcycle Show in Long Beach, scooters get their own section, the Scooter Pavilion.

One electric vehicle company, Vectrix, is debuting their 2009 model of the Vx-1 this weekend, a highway-capable scooter with tons of style. The Vx-1 has a top speed of 62 mph, and a 35 to 55 mile range.

Palin Tells Schwarzenegger to Veto Bill Aimed at Port Pollution

Jerry James Stone — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:14:52 +0000

Just a day before being picked as the GOP vice president, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin wrote a letter to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urging him to shoot down a groundbreaking pollution-reduction effort aimed at cargo containers: she asked the Governator not to sign a bill that would impose heavy fees on ships entering the ports of Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Oakland.

Palin’s concerns were aimed at the Alaskan economy, and well…not the environment. Duh! Claiming that shippers are already burdened by high fuel prices, she said this “may harm California by driving port business away from its ports.” As those three ports together account for over 40-percent of U.S. goods, that kinda seems unlikely. The bill’s author isn’t impressed by Palin’s suggestion either.

“We are losing about 3,400 Californians each year because of pollution. … I don’t think Gov. Palin truly understands the impacts going on here,” says state Sen. Alan Lowenthal (D), who sponsored the bill. “She certainly displays a lack of understanding,” Lowenthal went on to say.

Many California environmentalists consider this to be the most important pollution reduction effort made in the state this year.

“Why should Gov. Schwarzenegger take into account what out-of-state interests are saying?” said Lisa Warshaw, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for Clean Air. “It’s unfortunate that she is using her popularity to push her agenda on this state.”

The bill would impose a $60 fee for every 40-foot cargo container entering those ports. It would bring in about $400 million per year, which would go towards the installation of cleaner truck and train engines and projects aimed to reduce congestion and idling. That sounds pretty good to me!

Schwarzenegger has had concerns about the port fee and even threatened to veto it last year. He urged Lowenthal to meet with retail and shipping representatives to address their complaints that it will harm business. But Schwarzenegger has not yet responded to Palin’s letter, nor has he made a decision about whether to sign or veto the legislation, said spokeswoman Rachel Cameron.

Image source: tinou bao at Flickr

Cities Crack Down on Water Abuse

Cassie Walker — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:54:04 +0000

As Southern California faces an extended drought, cities here are taking steps to reduce consumption. Methods vary from the carrot to the stick.

Considering that I still see people washing sidewalks and driveways, and lawn sprinklers running at noon, I like the approach that Long Beach is taking. By educating the public through print, online, and television ads, the city has managed to reduce water use by 13% over this month last year. That’s a significant drop, considering that Long Beach was responsible for pumping 1.85 billion gallons in July.

Long Beach also provides rebates to companies, often the largest users of water, for water conservation devices. By installing new shower heads, low-flow toilets, or irrigation controls, businesses can get money back while reducing water costs at the same time. A win-win. Residents can also receive rebates on toilets, clothes washers, and irrigation devices.

The City of Los Angeles is taking a different tack, doubling fines for those who break the city’s rules. large water consumers (like businesses) that consistently flout regulations may face quadrupled fines. Restrictions include the obvious, like prohibiting the watering of lawns between 9am and 4pm or while it’s raining, the washing of sidewalks and driveways, and washing cars with a hose that lacks a shut-off nozzle. The city also prohibits restaurants from providing water to patrons unless they specifically ask for it. Though this last one seems minor, consider that it takes eight glasses of water just to wash the glass after use.

Though Los Angeles has a task force assigned to patrol for these violations, residents are asked to call 800-DIAL-DWP to report sightings of water misuse. Getting our citizens involved in policing water abusers will be key, as only a few inspectors are employed to issue citations and educate the public.

Southern California’s drought is real, and it’s here to stay. Do what you can to reduce your use!

Photo credit: Randy Son of Robert from Flickr under Creative Commons License

Journey to the Center of Floating Junk Earth

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:01:20 +0000

It’s one thing to be appalled by the monstrous accumulation of millions of square miles of plastic waste spinning slowly in the North Pacific gyre. It’s another thing entirely to build an ocean-going vessel out of plastic waste and set out across the sea to call attention to the environmental catastrophe.

That’s exactly what two men, one from California and one from Hawaii, are now doing. The two — Marcus Eriksen, a Ph.D., Gulf War vet and director of research and education for the Long Beach-based Algalita Marine Research Foundation, and Joel Paschal, a former businessman in Hawaii and a one-time employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — are sailing across the Pacific in a homemade vessel, Kon Tiki-style, to “raise awareness about plastic fouling our oceans.”