Former CIA Director, James Woolsey has told a biofuels conference that it is in the U.S.’s national security interest to continue developing transportation fuel derived from agricultural products because the country has become dangerously dependent on foreign oil. Woolsey said the US needs to significantly reduce its reliance on foreign oil. “The people who produce … Read More
transport
GM to Test-Drive Fuel-Cell Cars
General Motors is to give drivers the chance to try out hydrogen-powered vehicles, although it will help if you are a celebrity. As part of “Project Driveway“, GM will put more than 100 fuel-cell vehicles in the hands of customers before the end of the year. Ironically, the cars will be based on the Chevrolet … Read More
New York to Issue Congestion Charge
So New York plans to follow Oslo, Singapore and London in introducing a “Congestion Charge” for driving into the city. Michael Bloomberg, the city’s mayor, has unveiled plans for a congestion charge on cars entering the busiest parts of Manhattan. Compared with London’s $16, New York’s proposed charge will be a snip at $8.
US Carmakers Ask for Help
US carmakers have said told a House of Representatives subcommittee that the industry alone could not act on climate change. The heads of the big three – General Motors, Chrysler and Ford – Â said that measures to improve fuel efficiency were not enough and may cost thousands of jobs.
Germany Opposes Speed Restrictions
Germany may have often led the way in Europe on environmental issues, but Germans still love their cars. A sophisticated and intense campaign by the German motor industry recently scuppered new EU rules on tight emissions for motor vehicles. In the scrap it is widely seen as the European Commission’s Enterprise and Industry Commissioner GĂĽnter … Read More
London Aims 60 per Cent Cut in Carbon Emissions
London’s Mayor, Ken Livinstone will announce radical plans to slash London’s carbon emissions by 60% within 20 years. Livingstone wants a quarter of London’s electricity supply to be shifted from the national grid to local combined heat-and-power systems by 2025.
Chávez Provides Cheap Fuel for London Buses
President Chávez’s “21st century socialism” reached London yesterday when Venezuela signed an agreement to subsidise the fuel bill for the capital’s buses by up to $32m a year to fund cheap travel for the poor. Ken Livingstone, London’s mayor, said the 20 per cent discount would fund half-price rates on buses or trams for 250,000 … Read More
EU Carmakers Complain Over CO2 Targets
On Wednesday the EU Commission will vote on whether to impose tough new CO2 emission limits for new motor vehicles. In a predictable response, European carmakers are warning that jobs will be lost and their brands will “suffer” if strict targets are imposed.
General Motors Pushes Alternatives to Oil
The CEO of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, is pushing for government tax credits and fuel subsidies to encourage the development and use of alternative fuel technologies. With the price of oil at its lowest level in 19 months, Wagoner said that the US runs “the risk of reverting back to our traditional energy policy … … Read More
Chrysler Questions Climate Change
“Green” cars may all be the rage at the Detroit motor show, but Chrysler’s chief economist Van Jolissaint has launched a fierce attack on “quasi-hysterical Europeans” and their “Chicken Little” attitudes to climate change. Mr Jolissaint was speaking at a private breakfast where the chief economists of the “Big Three” US car firms presented their … Read More