Canadian Company is Making History and the Business Case for All Electric Commercial Aviation

On December 11th Vancouver based Harbour Air will test fly the world's first all-electric plane for an all electric commercial airline. The converted 6 passenger de Havilland DHC-2 beaver will take off from from the middle arm of the Fraser River near Richmond British Columbia.  In February of this year Harbour Air announced that it would be converting all of its 40 propeller-driven seaplanes to electric to make it the first emissions free all-electric airline. This is revolutionary because air travel is notoriously harmful to the environment.

Oil Train Derails and Explodes in Oregon Adjacent to the Columbia River (Video)

An oil train derailment and explosion along the Columbia river in Oregon has once again highlighted the dangers of transporting oil by rail. Around noon on Friday June 2nd, 2016, at least 12 rail cars carrying Bakken oil operated by Union Pacific derailed and caught fire. The wreck occurred in the Columbia River Gorge near the community of Mosier in Oregon which is about about 70 miles east of Portland. The derailment and subsequent fire has forced the evacuation of local schools and nearby homes. The I-84 highway has also been closed to traffic. The fire burned overnight and plumes of black smoke were seen billowing from the scene.

The rail line runs adjacent to the Columbia river which is widely used for both recreation and commerce. Residents of the town of Mosier are being asked to boil their water.

Montana Oil Train Derailment and Spill

On Tuesday July 14th, a train containing 106 oil cars derailed in eastern Montana. A total of 22 cars came off the tracks and at least two of those cars are known to have spilled their load. The derailment took place near Culbertson close to the North Dakota border. In May another oil train derailed and 10 tanker cars caught fire in an incident near Hamberg, North Dakota.

Solar Powered Plane Traverses the Pacific Ocean Highlighting the Importance of Renewable Energy (Video)

The Solar Impulse, a plane powered by nothing other than the sun has succeeded in crossing the Pacific Ocean. This amazing accomplishment highlights the capabilities and the importance of renewable energy. This record setting voyage was flown by pilot Andre Borschberg. The 118-hours it took to make the journey breaks a record for the longest nonstop solo flight ever.

New Charges Against MMA Employees in Lac Mégantic Train Wreck

Several people have been indicted 2 years after the tragic oil train derailment that killed 47 people and decimated the town of Lac Mégantic Quebec. This includes President and CEO of the now defunct Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA) rail company Robert Gindrod, managers and the train's engineer. These people face the possibility of jail terms or fines for violations of the Rail Safety Act and the Fisheries Act.

Three Electric Scooters: From Functional to Fast and Fancy

Scooters are by far the most popular vehicles in the world and the next generation of scooters includes a vast selection of electric options. Electric scooters run the gamut from the functional city vehicles to those capable of reaching highway speeds.

Israeli-native Amir Ziad has invented an inexpensive and innovative personal transportation vehicle called muvE. This highly portable ultra lightweight scooter can be folded into a trolley, making it an optimal vehicle for urban transport.

Electric Bikes: 11 Climate Friendly e-Bikes

Due to their low price points and minimal operating costs, electric bikes are an increasingly popular way to travel. All around the world, we are seeing growing consumer interest in low carbon hybrids and emissions free electric bikes. Many of these bikes are being designed and built in the US to meet increasing domestic demand.

Some studies have shown that a family can save as much as $2,500 per year by using bikes as a primary source of transportation.

According to Pike Research, sales of electric bikes grew to 158,000 units in 2013 and they are expected to keep growing. A wide range of electronic bikes are providing consumers with a wide selection to choose from. Here are 9 options:

Floating Electric Car

There are a diverse range of electric vehicles from the mundane to the wildly esoteric. Some of the more exotic electric craft can actually navigate on the water. There is an electric car that actually floats on the water in the case of an emergency. Built by Japanese venture campany FOMM the vehicle is called the Concept One.

Hideo Tsurumaki, the president of FOMM says the car was constructed in response to the devastating Japanese tsunami of 2011. He invented the car because his hometown is prone to tsunamis.

3 Electric Tricycles: Raht Racer, Adventure Vehicle, Kylad-e (Videos)

Summary of 18 Electric Trike Vehicles

An electric tricycle has all of the advantages of a two wheeled bike with the extra stability provided by a third wheel. Many electric trikes can be propelled with the motor or through pedal power or a combination of both. Unlike four wheeled electric golf carts many of electric trikes have virtually no restrictions in terms of where they can be ridden. Most of these trikes can travel at least 30 miles on a single charge. Many of them come with an abundance of bells and whistles including things like turn signals, speedometer and a suspension system. Some cruise at typical bicycle speeds while others are capable of driving at highway speeds. Despite their functionality they can be hard to find.

Innovative Self-Balancing Electric Vehicles

There are some very novel electric vehicles being developed some of which are incorporating some creative innovations. Two examples of such innovative technologies are Toyota's i-Road and the Future Motion's Onewheel both of which use gyros to be self-balancing.

The Toyota i-Road is a cross between a car and a motorcycle. What makes this two seater vehicle truly innovative is the way it leans into corners.

Electric, Air, Water and Thorium Vehicles

Fossil fuel powered vehicles are a leading source of global warming causing emissions. If we are curtail climate change we must find alternatives to gas power cars. Gas consumption has remained flat due to improved vehicle fuel economy. The prospects for electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles look good, however, these are not the only alternatives to the combustion engine. There are some lesser known emissions free alternative vehicles that run on everything from air to radioactive thorium.

Highly Efficient Three wheeled Tadpole Designed Vehicles

When we think about cars we automatically think about four wheels, but that is not necessarily the best configuration. To start with four wheels have more drag and are therefore less efficient than three wheels. When it comes to three wheeled vehicles there are two basic designs Delta and Tadpole. Delta has one wheel in front, two in back and Tadpole has two wheels in front and one in back.

The Tadpole design offers better dynamic stability, meaning it reacts more safely and predictably under various driving conditions than the Delta design. The Tadpole also offers better breaking. Because the front wheels do the most the breaking and considering the Tadpole's two wheels in the front are better than the Delta's one. Although it may appear counter-intuitive the Tadpole's teardrop shape is also a more aerodynamic design than the Delta. Despite the relative simplicity of the Delta's steering and suspension the the Tadpole is the better overall design. A Tadpole's rear mounted engine and batteries provide for more stability than if all the weight was in the front as with a Delta design.

New Oil Train Rules Do Not Go Far Enough

Over the last few years a spate of exploding oil trains in North America has prompted politicians in the US and Canada to introduce new rules designed to make rail transportation safer. We have seen many more derailments and explosions recently due to the 4,000 percent increase in oil shipments by rail between 2008 to 2014. It is a statistical certainty that derailments increase in proportion to the amount of oil shipped by rail.

The actual number of derailments and explosions have exceeded government predictions by 20 percent. A federal government report predicted an average of 10 oil train derailments each year and at a cost of four and a half billion dollars over the next 20 years. However, in the last year alone there have been 12 oil train derailments and in the past two years there have been almost two dozen such derailments.

Solar Plane in the Process of Setting a Record by Circumnavigating the Globe

A solar powered plane is making its way around the world. The lightweight plane is called Solar Impulse 2, it has a wingspan wider than a 747. The carbon fiber and polymer impregnated paper plane incorporates high performance energy management software, advanced lithium-ion batteries powered by 17,000 high efficiency solar cells.

The two rotating pilots hope to fly the plane into the record books. The flight began in Abu Dhabi on March 9 and is expected to conclude its global voyage in July of this year. The first leg of the journey took the plane to Muscat, Oman and then on to India on March 10.

The End of Oil Trains?

Early in July, people from across North America and around the world paused to remember the one year anniversary of the Lac-Mégantic oil train disaster. This tragic anniversary and the recent spate of rail accidents has increased calls to reign-in oil trains.

The environmental and emotional legacy of the Lac-Mégantic disaster

On July 6, 2013, a runaway train carrying crude oil derailed and exploded killing 47 people and destroying a large part of the little town of Lac-Mégantic. On the anniversary of the disaster, dignitaries joined the people of the town to mourn the tragic events.

Oil Train Derailments: How Many Wake-Up Calls do we Need?

If you need proof of the dangers of transporting oil by rail you need look no further than the spate of accidents that plagued oil trains in the past year. Recent incidence are a statistical outgrowth of the radically increased volume of trains bearing crude.

There have been a number of serious derailments and oil spills, however none were more terrible than the tragic events in Lac Megantic on July 6, 2013.

The growing volume of oil being moved by rail increases the risks from accidents. The equation is simple the more oil that is moved by rail the more risk we incur.

The events in Lac Megantic are but the tip of the iceberg. There have been numerous other oil train incidents in the last year including accidents in:

Tables - Rail Traffic in North America

Curtailing the Transport of Oil by Pipe and Rail

There are a host of benefits associated with decreasing the amount of oil transported by rail. This will not only prevent deaths, injuries and environmental contamination, it will also reduce the amount of oil that makes it to market, which will in turn minimize emissions and drive up the price. Pipelines are the cheapest way to move oil. The cost of moving oil by pipeline is estimated to be between $5 to $10 per barrel of oil compared to $10 to $20 per barrel by train.

Rail industry regulations on the transport of fossil fuels will go a long way to help minimize dangerous accidents. They also have the ancillary benefit of driving up the price of oil which will increase the relative value of renewable sources of energy.

New Government Regulation of Oil Trains

In the wake of an unprecedented spike in oil train accidents both the US and Canadian governments have introduced regulations to address the dangers of shipping oil by rail.

In the US, federal regulators have tightened some rules for oil shippers. On June 7, 2014, in the wake of an emergency order from the Department of Transportation, railroads now have to disclose the times and locations of oil trains to state emergency responders. Railroads that do not release information face a fine of $175,000 per day and risk being banned from being able to transport Bakken oil.