[Peace-presence] ATC Newsletter and Meeting Reminder

Bob Tregilus lakeport104 at yahoo.com
Sun Sep 2 21:55:15 MST 2007 

Electric vehicles - No gas or war required!

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ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION CLUB & 
ELECTRIC AUTO ASSOCIATION OF NORTHERN NEVADA

ATC eNews, Volume 1, Number 5, September 1, 2007
Published _hopefully_ once a month. 

Website: http://ElectricNevada.org

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### CONTENTS -

*** SPECIAL BIOFUELS ISSUE - A BIO-DEBATE! *** 

* Next Meeting - Show 'N Shine

* Meeting Review

* Events Calendar

* Listservs - Get Involved & Informed via Email!

* Watt's Up? Chair's Report

* Biofuel Websites of the Month

* Biofuels In the News
	Agrofuels and the expansion of agribusiness
	Volvo's CO2-free/neutral trucks
	EU biofuel policy is a 'mistake'
	Agriculture to play bigger environmental role
	What it Costs Us
	Debunking the Myth of EVs and Smokestacks

* Biofuels video clips
	Biofuels -- the "Holy Grail" of Clean Energy
	Biofuels & Ethanol: The Real Story
	Biodiesel for Better Health
	Climate Camp: 'biofuels critique'
	Motor Week feature on biodiesel
	Doing more harm than good

* Article Contributions and Legal Stuff

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### NEXT MEETING -

REGULAR MEETING -

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007, NORTHWEST RENO LIBRARY,
6:00 P.M., 2325 Robb Dr. Map here:
<http://tinyurl.com/2u84s2>

The September 6th meeting will feature area EVs in a
casual Show 'N Shine in the library's parking lot. ATC
members and the public who are bringing EVs or other
alternative forms of transportation to the Show 'N
Shine are requested to park in the North parking lot
(lot immediately adjacent to the building and closest
to the street). 

And don't miss the special October 11 meeting. It will
be held at the Regional Transportation Commission's
(RTC) headquarters. We will learn about their new trip
planning software and about the new hybrid buses. I'm
also told the RTC has been toying around with fuel
cells so we will find out what they are up to in that
field as well.

A flier and handbill are posted on our website:
<http://electricnevada.org> (Please download a few to
handout to friends and post at your favorite store or
work break room!)

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### MEETING REVIEW -

Russ, from the Independent Power Corporation
<http://www.independentpowercorp.com/>, discussed off
grid photo-voltaic power generation and what kind of
system it would take to charge EVs at the August
meeting.

For more information:
The Independent Power Corporation Showroom
890 E. Patriot Blvd., Suite C 
Reno, Nevada 89511
Toll-free: (877) 729-0228
Phone: (775) 331-0228
FAX: (775) 331-8474
Email: info'AT'independentpowercorp.com

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### EVENTS CALENDAR -

No events this month. :>(

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### LISTSERVS - GET INVOLVED AND INFORMED VIA EMAIL! -

Besides the two club listservs (see the ATC website
for more information) Bill Brinsmead alerted us to a
national list. The Electric Vehicle Email Discussion
is located at <http://www.madkatz.com/ev/evlist.html>.

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### WATT'S UP? -
by Bob Tregilus, ATC Chair

Talk about biofuels and renewable energy production,
that's what.

A couple of weeks ago I attended the inaugural Nevada
Clean Energy Summit at the Peppermill. Among the five
to six hundred attendees I saw several of you who
sacrificed your Saturday morning to learn about energy
issues in Nevada. Actually, I think there were more
ATC members in attendance than there were politicians!

Senator Harry Reid open the event reiterating his
opposition to the construction of new coal-fired power
plants in Nevada. "There are no clean coal plants,
only cleaner ones," Reid said.

And although Nevada has, according to assemblywomen
Sheila Leslie, the highest energy use per capita in
the west (lay some blame on the casinos) we also have
the most sunshine. I was surprised to learn that by
the end of the year we will have the most watts per
capita of installed photo voltaic (solar or PV panels)
as well! That's pretty impressive, but when compared
to "cloudy" Germany, who consumes over 50% of the
world's production of PV panels, Nevada and the United
States, at a measly 6% consumption of PV panels, are
way behind in the move toward renewable energy
development and installation.

Nevada is also number one in the nation in geothermal
watts generated per capita.

The Summit's focus, however, was primarily on
renewable energy production. Energy consumption, while
briefly addressed by several of the speakers, received
little mention and transportation issues almost none.
That's unfortunate as combined transportation energy
consumption accounts for over 40% of total energy use
in the United States.* One notable exception was the
Phoenix Motorcar and Altairnano display during the
lunch portion of the Summit. Dr. Alan Gotcher, CEO of
Alairnano, also had the opportunity to addressed the
Summit as well.

I think the imbalance of addressing production verses
consumption speaks volumes to the wasteful nature of
our society: That we can continue our lavish energy
use and technology will continue to provide.

That brings me to the topic of this month's column -
imbalances and equal treatment. Specifically, biofuels
verses electricity as energy carriers to power our
transportation needs.

Substances such as coal, oil, and natural gas are
"energy sources" because they come out of the ground
already "charged" with energy. Biofuels (with a couple
of exceptions most notably peat) and batteries are
"energy carriers" as both require charging. In the
case of biofuels they have to be grown thus energy is
expended to charge the product with useable energy.
Likewise, batteries have to be charged from external
sources of energy as well.

Efficiencies of an energy carrier are calculated based
on energy loss to charge the product and make it
useable. In the case of biofuels we expend energy to
produce and transform biomass into fuel. And to charge
our EV's batteries electricity must be generated by a
variety of methods all requiring an investment of
energy to produce and deliver electricity to our
chargers. Given that it takes more energy to produce a
useable energy carrier than can be ever be recovered
we need to consider the efficiencies of the system to
determine its efficacy. Finally, the First Law of
Thermodynamics prohibits a net gain of energy in any
process - energy will always be lost usually as heat.
Thus, all claims of perpetual motion are bogus. Never,
ever, can we gain energy at the same or greater rate
than we are expending energy in a closed system. 

In transportation, "well to tank" and "tank to wheel"
efficiencies are the standard for determining the
efficacy of a given fuel. Often, however, proponents
of a given energy carrier or source will quote
efficiencies from one or the other category -
whichever best makes their case - and ignore the
efficiencies of the entire system - "well to wheel."

The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy
Use in Transportation (GREET) modeling program is the
standard for calculating "well to wheel" efficiencies.
"To fully evaluate energy and emission impacts of
advanced vehicle technologies and new transportation
fuels, the fuel cycle from wells to wheels and the
vehicle cycle through material recovery and vehicle
disposal need to be considered." You can download the
modeling software by following this link
<http://tinyurl.com/z64nk>. The software (a
spreadsheet) is free. It's also amazingly complex as
well.

Originally, I was going to conclude this article by
comparing efficacies of biofuels in ICE vehicles
verses BEVs but I discovered that there is little
agreement in the available data and the GREET modeling
software is going to take a lot of time for me to
figure out how to use it - if ever.

So, I decided to offer several articles comparing and
contrasting biofuels in this edition of the ATC
newsletter as well as two websites representing both
sides of the debate. 

Clearly, the United States - the world - needs a
diverse energy portfolio going forward. No one energy
solution is sustainable. With peak oil emanate, not to
mention our desperate need to reduce our dependence on
foreign oil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, all
solutions need to be considered equally. Their
efficacies evaluated scientifically, not politically.
And not by constituencies that will benefit
economically, but by what's best for this and future
generations.

The debate must be vigorous and balanced. Energy
production and consumption, fuels and electric charge.

Hardly an objective survey, but a simple constrained
Google search of the terms "electric vehicles" and
"biofuel" returns two million verses five million hits
consecutively. And a similar news search returns a
greater imbalance of hits: for every one electric
vehicle article there are seven biofuel articles.

A more balanced approach is needed. An energy summit
needs to weigh both production and consumption
equally. Likewise, legislators, the media,
corporations, and the public need to shift their focus
from biofuels and consider the electric option more
vigorously.

I think the solution to our fuel and transportation
needs involves robust investment and incentives in
renewable energy generation and battery electric
vehicles (BEV). Plug-in (biofuel) hybrids (PHEV) are
already on the horizon and momentum is rapidly
building toward consumer education and acceptance. 

Given the average American commutes 33 miles per day
and the average household owns 1.9 (call it two)
vehicles the sustainable transportation solution for
the vast majority of Americans is trading in or
converting one vehicle to a BEV and replacing the
other with a PHEV.** Most miles would then be traveled
operating in pure electric mode and on the weekend,
when a trip to grandma's house is required, the PHEV's
biofuel engine would kick in to take you the distance.


* International Energy Association (IEA), Energy
Consumption by sector 2005.
** US Census Bureau.

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### BIOFUEL WEBSITES OF THE MONTH -

This month - in the interest of fairness - ATC is
featuring two websites of racially opposing views. 

NATIONAL BIODIESEL BOARD (NBB)
http://www.biodiesel.org/

"The mission of the National Biodiesel Board is to
advance the interests of its members by creating
sustainable biodiesel industry growth. NBB serves as
the industry's central coordinating entity and will be
the single voice for its diverse membership base.
Industry growth will be achieved through public
affairs, communications, technical, and quality
assurance programs. We are dedicated to inclusiveness
and integrity."

BIOFUEL WATCH
http://biofuelwatch.org.uk/

"Biofuelwatch campaigns against the use of bioenergy
from unsustainable sources, i.e. biofuels linked to
accelerated climate change, deforestation,
bio-diversity losses, human rights abuses, including
the impoverishment and dispossession of local
populations, water and soil degradation, loss of food
sovereignty and food security."

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### BIOFUELS IN THE NEWS -

AGROFUELS AND THE EXPANSION OF AGRIBUSINESS

"The wave of investment in agrofuels is restructuring
agribusiness itself. New, powerful players are
converging into the sector. Cosmetics corporations are
selling biodiesel. Big oil is buying up plantations.
Wall Street speculators are swinging deals with feudal
sugar barons. All of this money circulating around the
globe is reorganizing and intensifying transnational
structures, linking the most brutal landowning class
of the South with the most powerful corporations of
the North."

Full story here:
http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=478

-

VOLVO'S CO2-FREE/NEUTRAL TRUCKS
	
"In Sweden this past week, Volvo representatives
proudly displayed the company's lineup of
carbon-neutral trucks. The words Volvo uses to
describe the line-up are "carbon free," but emissions
still come out the tailpipe. The biomass components of
the fuels make the net result carbon neutral, Volvo
materials admit beneath the "carbon free" headline."

Full story here:
http://tinyurl.com/34z2c7

-

EU BIOFUEL POLICY IS A 'MISTAKE'

"The EU target of ensuring 10% of petrol and diesel
comes from renewable sources by 2020 is not an
effective way to curb carbon emissions, researchers
say."

Full story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6949861.stm

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AGRICULTURE WILL PLAY A BIGGER ROLE ON ENVIRONMENT

"Over the last five years, most of us in agriculture
have watched in amazement as our industry began a
transformation into a new economic paradigm. Today,
our farmers are not just feeding the world, they fuel
it as well."

Full story here:
http://tinyurl.com/3322y3

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WHAT IT COSTS US

"Many Americans think that coal went out with top hats
and corsets. In fact, we burn more than a billion tons
of coal each year in the United States -- about 20
pounds a day for every man, woman and child. We don't
burn it in coal stoves, of course, but in big power
plants that generate about half the electric power in
the country."

[Editor's note: Coal is clearly not a biofuel,
however, given EVers often use power generated by
coal-fired power plants to charge up our cars I
thought this piece of interest. Please bare in mind
that according to the California Air Resources Board
(CARB), "EVs reduce pollutants by more than 90 percent
when compared to the cleanest conventional
gasoline-powered vehicles (even when factoring in the
emissions from power plants generating the electricity
to the charge the vehicle)." Source:
<http://tinyurl.com/33ftza>]

Full story here:
http://tinyurl.com/2o2y3e

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DEBUNKING THE MYTH OF EVS AND SMOKESTACKS

"The purpose of this paper is to prove that EVs
recharging from today’s power plants are substantially
cleaner than even the most efficient ULEVs.  The myth
that EVs are “elsewhere emission vehicles” will be put
to the test with facts that clearly show EVs and power
plants are cleaner, more efficient and more reliable
then the infrastructure that supports ICE vehicles."

[Editor's note: This report is a bit dated. It was
written in 1996 but the research stills holds up in
2007. Additionally, in 2006 a "new study for the US
Department of Energy finds that off-peak electricity
production and transmission capacity could power 84%
of the country’s 220 million vehicles if they were
plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)." Source:
<http://tinyurl.com/34vhmy>]

Full story here:
http://www.evadc.org/pwrplnt.pdf

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### BIOFUEL VIDEO CLIPS -

BIOFUELS -- THE "HOLY GRAIL" OF CLEAN ENERGY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFVQPDUMPaU

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BIOFUELS & ETHANOL: THE REAL STORY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeVT7jMYZlo

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BIODIESEL FOR BETTER HEALTH
http://tinyurl.com/33b25m or if link does not work
click here
<http://www.biodiesel.org/multimedia/audiovideo/>

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CLIMATE CAMP: 'BIOFUELS CRITIQUE'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQNvZUVnVUU

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MOTOR WEEK FEATURE ON BIODIESEL
http://tinyurl.com/3a66g5 or if link does not work
click here
<http://www.biodiesel.org/multimedia/audiovideo/>

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DOING MORE HARM THAN GOOD
http://tinyurl.com/yv3bj7

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### ARTICLE CONTRIBUTIONS AND LEGAL STUFF -

CONTRIBUTIONS -
Your article contributions and letters to the editor
are welcome! Please submit original articles to Bob
Tregilus: lakeport104 at yahoo.com. In the interest of
accuracy you are requested to provide citations for
any facts stated in your article(s). This is a "plain
text" eNewsletter and as such no photographs can be
published. All contributions maybe edited for length
and clarity. They may be messed up by mistake as well.
Warning: dyslexic editor at work!

LEGAL -
Content of this eNewsletter is licensed under Creative
Commons Attribution 3.0 License. You may share, copy,
distribute, adapt, and transmit this work so long as
you retain the original attributions. Any adaptations
or changes to the original content of this eNewsletter
must be annotated with the new author's name and email
contact.
<http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/>.

COMMENTS -
Please call (775) 826-4514 or email your comments to
Bob Tregilus at <lakeport104 at yahoo.com>.

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