Plaid Cymru and the SNP will propose a new mechanism to cap petrol prices in Parliament this week. The two parties want to see the creation of a Fuel Duty Regulator that would freeze fuel duty rates in the event of a rise in fuel prices. The parties would also like to see any additional funds raised for the Treasury from VAT on petrol or diesel spent on an equivalent cut in fuel duty.

Santa Monica in California has seen the addition of another hydrogen and gasoline fuel station. Shell have placed a combined hydrogen / gasoline station slap bang next to the busiest South California freeway with the intention of making hydrogen as accessible to motorists as gasoline.

The new Shell station brings the total of hydrogen fuel enabled stations in the state to twenty-five and has established California as a forerunner in the move away from fossil fuels and into zero-emissions forms of power. California currently has the most fuel cell vehicles in the world.

Hydrogen as a source of fuel is still very much in development as ways to produce it from renewable sources are still under investigation. Research is currently in progress to discover effective methods of producing hydrogen using sources such as bioethanol and solar energy.

This news comes at the same time as GM are making excellent progress with its environmental effort, entitled  “Project Driveway” which has launched over 100 hydrogen powered Chevrolet Equinox vehicles plus the creation of a single hydrogen fuel station near LAX.

Source: Shell Hydrogen

Reuters has reported that The European Union is very close to agreeing standards for biofuels. The effect of biofuels on human rights and endangered species is high on the agenda, as is the decisive issue of the actual reduction in CO2 that may be achieved.

The use of biofuel is growing rapidly as developed countries look to remove complete dependence on imported oil and also reduce CO2 emissions. There are fears that the biofuel industry may lead to deforestation and an increase in food prices. The European Union aims to have 10% of its transport fuel from renewable sources by 2020.

Oxfam believes that the knock-on effects of biofuel production could push thirty million people worldwide into poverty. A report on the side-effects of biofuel is expected in the United Kingdom this week. Aid agencies also feel that the EU targets will encourage exploitation of workers in the exporting countries.

Brazil is a large producer of biofuels and they are closely following the EUs progress as this could lead to demand for their product. Even biofuel that does not meet EU standards will still be available in the EU but will not count towards the member states renewable fuel targets.

Environmentalists have also argued that the existing production of biofuel has already led to deforestation, both directly and indirectly by using up agricultural land, forcing farmers to slash into virgin rainforest to make room for food crops. The problem that remains is how to monitor that situation outside the EU, with satellite photography one possible solution.

Biofuel: the pros and cons

South Wales Echo reported recently on a series of fines being given to drivers for stopping to collect passengers as part of car-sharing schemes. Drivers who use the M4 which stretches between Newport, Cardiff and Swansea are being fined for stopping on the hard-shoulder of adjoining duel carriageways in order to collect passengers. 

Police have been accused of lacking sympathy for these environmentally motivated motorists. However, South Wales Police maintain that it is an offence to park on the hard shoulder.  Inspector Carwyn Evans told South Wales Echo;

“We applaud the concept of people car sharing but it cannot be at the expense of illegal or inconsiderate parking.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/06/28/attempts-to-go-green-falling-foul-of-police-91466-21165248/

Country and Western songster Willie Nelson had a lot to do with Carlos Guzman and Larry Walter venturing into the biodiesel industry. His biodiesel venture in Texas now markets biodiesel under the BioWillie brand.

Walter, 59, a retired Army sergeant, said he encouraged Guzman to create a business and then decided to depart from his job as a computer specialist to help Guzman form Global Alternative Fuels (GAF).

The North American Development Bank lately approved a $20 million loan to help finance completion and growth of the biodiesel plant at the former Southwestern Irrigated Cotton Growers Association cotton-processing and cotton-storage plant.

The loan, which still has to be finalised, is the biggest given by the bank to a private company and the first alternative fuels endeavour funded by the bank.

The company is estimated to start producing biodiesel in September from used vegetable oil (or grease) collected from El Paso restaurants plus  vegetable oil and animal fat shipped from other places. Eventually, it will also use oil from the beans of the Jatropha plants the company is growing in Mexico. The company plans to initially generate 5 million gallons, or more than 119,000 barrels, of biodiesel a year.  Its goal is to deliver 100 million gallons a year by 2012.

Last year, 500 million gallons of biodiesel were produced in the United States, displacing 20 million barrels of oil imports. The United States has 171 biodiesel plants in operation, and 57 under construction at the start of this year. Global Alternative Fuels has a contract to sell its biodiesel to Western Refining in El Paso to be mixed with ordinary diesel.

Guzman said El Paso has an estimated 1.2 million gallons of grease available annually from area restaurants. So, besides shipping in used vegetable oil and animal fat from out of town, the company is looking to Juarez for more grease, where the company is part of a co-op growing Jatropha plants on 500 acres. Beans from the plants contain oil, which can’t be used for cooking because it’s poisonous, but are used in other parts of the world to make biodiesel.

Grease or other vegetable oils are put through a biodiesel processor at the GAF plant and chemicals help break down the grease. No water is used in the process. The skyrocketing price of petroleum diesel, which was selling for an average $4.64 per gallon in El Paso last week, is helping the biodiesel business, which also is boosted by government price subsidies.

For more information: www.globalalternativefuels.com; www.biodiesel.org

Lawmakers from the wealthy G8 countries and emerging economies such as China decided on Sunday that developed countries should guarantee to cut CO2 emissions by 25-40% by the year 2020.

In an effort to battle global warming, it was agreed that developed countries should commit to reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 60-80% below the levels of 1990 by the year 2050. Emerging nations have also been encouraged to take “appropriate” actions to fight global warming. The proposal will be passed to G8 summit host Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda.

Climate change is high on the agenda for the July 7-9 Group of Eight (G8) summit at Lake Toya in Hokkaido, northern Japan. Fukuda hopes to encourage momentum for U.N.-led talks on a framework for after the Kyoto Protocol’s first phase ends in 2012.

The G8 summit will be held at Lake Toya in Hokkaido, Japan, between the 7th and 9th of July and global warming and climate change is high on the agenda. In 2007, G8 leaders agreed to ponder a global goal of decreasing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2050.

Last December, 190 countries agreed in Bali on a two-year U.N.-led negotiating process to forge a successor to the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol on cutting carbon emissions. Those talks are meant to conclude in Copenhagen in December 2009.

USA Today reported recently that two manufacturers are planning to lease batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles in the US in response to consumer concerns about the longevity of these expensive commodities.

Think Car USA plans to lease the batteries for its City electric vehicle which will go on sale next year in the US. They go on sale in the UK later this year yet there are no reports of a similar leasing schemes over here.

Nissan are also reported to be following suit when they launch their hybrid cars available from 2012 onwards.

The longevity and safety of lithium-ion batteries and the resale value of hybrids and electrics may for the immediate deter consumers these alternative vehicles. Signs are that manufacturers are eager to dispel our fears, and until the hybrid market is better established, leasing of batteries may become more widely available. While the US automotive market has been slower and more reluctant than the UK market to green up its act, it is possible that similar leasing scheme could start here too, in a bid to bolster the market for electric vehicles even further. TheGreenCarWebsite.co.uk will keep you up to date with any battery leasing schemes if they become available in the UK.

USA Today news: http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2008-06-19-hybrid-battery-lease_N.htm

Fionnan Sheahan of Independent.ie recently wrote about Eamon Ryan, the Green Party Minister, and his belief that electric vehicles will be seen as a mainstream option by 2020. Ireland is set to enter an era of lower carbon emissions as proposed changes to the Vehicle Registration Tax and motor tax become a reality. There is speculation mounting that the installation of the first ever electric vehicle charging point may not be far away, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council are currently exploring the prospect that will make the running of electric vehicles viable.

To read more on this story, visit Independent.ie using the following link – http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/motoring/electric-cars-will–be-norm-by-2020-says-minister-1423189.html

 In light of rocketing fuel prices across the UK, with diesel now hitting £6 a gallon, it is predicted that many drivers may turn to their car insurance policies in an effort to offset the extra cash they are paying – and even help the environment too.

There are a number of green car insurance products on the market. Most of them incorporate some form of carbon offsetting scheme, where you pay an extra premium to ‘offset’ the number of miles you drive through an environmental project such as planting trees. It sounds good in theory, but in practice few people are willing to pay extra on what are already expensive car insurance policies.
So what is the solution? Well, More Than now offers a Green Wheels insurance product. This works by allowing motorists to adapt their driving style to reduce their carbon emissions. It involves a green box being placed into your car which monitors your driving.

The green box gives you reports and feedback on the journeys you make, so you can adapt your technique and adjust your style accordingly – this includes looking at how you brake and accelerate, how long you leave your car idling and the number of short journeys you make. In the long term this should help lower your carbon emissions and save you cash.

If you don’t want a monitoring device inside your car then contact your existing provider directly – many insurers will offer discounts if you are willing to agree to a mileage limit or to avoid driving at certain hours of the day.

For more advice on green car insurance, check out our guide.

 It seems that when it comes to discussing the effects of vegetarianism on our bodies, there are an equal number of supporters and detractors. Some suggest there are infinite gains, while others suggest we miss out on vital nutrients by not eating meat. However, what about our cars drinking vegetable oil?

According to reports in The Scotsman, there has been a sharp rise in the number of people wanting to take home vegetable oil from the local chip shop to fuel their cars in the face of soaring petrol and diesel prices.

Powering a car by vegetable oil can have some significant advantages. For example, using a blend of vegetable oil will reduce your reliance on fuel and also reduce your carbon emissions. You can use up to 2,500 litres of vegetable oil a year without having to pay any extra tax.

However, it is important to carry out the filtering process in the correct manner and not to overuse the amount of oil you include. Some engines are simply not compatible with vegetable oil, and using the wrong amount can cause serious damage.

Graeme Barrie was interviewed in The Scotsman. He uses a blend of 20 per cent vegetable oil with the rest diesel in both his Land Rover and his wife’s Peugeot 306. He estimates that he has been able to reduce his wife’s spend from more than £3,000 a year to around £600 a year.  

Before applying the same strategy to your own vehicle read up on its compatibility – you should also check out our guides to bio-diesel, bio-ethanol and biofuels.

To read the Scotsman article in full, click here.