Hello there!
It's about halfway through the winter quarter, and I think it is time to reflect on my sustainability efforts. So without further adieu, here it is:
Recycling:
I have made a conscious effort to sort my recycle properly, and make sure I recycle everything that can be recycled. I have two bins set up in my room, one for recycle and one for garbage. When I take out my recycle, I then sort it out and put it into our SCC bins. So everything on the recycling front is going well!
Reusable Water Bottles:
After realizing how bad plastic water bottles are for the environment, I invested in a reusable water bottle that I liked very much. Then I lost it. So I reinvested in another. This one somehow also disappeared. As they say, "the third time's the charm", and so it is. I am on my third reusable water bottle this quarter, and this time I am not going to let it get away! Even though it required a $50 investment in hydration capital (water bottles), this effort has eliminated my plastic bottle waste, and will therefore be considered a success!
Reduced Fuel Consumption:
Because I work in Seattle on the weekends and go to school in Bellingham on the weekdays, driving has become a necessity. With that in mind, I couldn't eliminate my fuel consumption, but I have become much smarter about how and when I use fuel. I have begun making lists of errands and consolidated my trips as much as possible. This has saved quite a bit in terms of gasoline usage. Also, I now attempt to carpool as much as possible. I try to bring at least one person with me when I make the jaunt up and down I-5. Reducing fuel consumption has been achieved!
Turning off Lights/Electronics:
This has been a difficult thing to do, seeing as I live in a house with 3 other guys. Often I will find lights on in a room or a TV on when no one has been in the house for hours. This needs to stop. I have had many conversations with my roommates about turning these things off when not in use, and they are slowly beginning to show improvements. It's not on purpose, it is simply forgetting to turn them off. As for myself, I have been very diligent on turning unused electronics off. It will save on my energy bill and the environment. That's what I call a win-win!
Overall, I am surprised as to how much of an impact these simple actions can have. I feel better about my ecological footprint, it hasn't been very difficult and I am saving money in the process. Now that's what I call a win-win-win! That's all for now, stay tuned for more exciting sustainability efforts!
Cheers,
Nick
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Honda FCX-Clarity, The Hydrogen Car of the Future?
Hello there my Green Friends!
Today, I was watching old re-runs of the BBC television show, Top Gear, when they stumbled upon the most important vehicle of the past 100 years: a hydrogen powered electric car.
They call this car the Honda FCX-Clarity.
To be as concise as possible, I have stolen "how it works" from the FCX-Clarity website:
"The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn propels the vehicle. Water is the only byproduct the FCX Clarity FCEV leaves behind."
This means that you no longer have to plug your car into the wall and wait 16 hours just so you can go 200 miles, your car generates energy via hydrogen as you drive. The only thing you have to do is fill up with hydrogen rather than gas as we are accustomed.
You use this car just as you would use any other. When your tank is empty (after about 270 miles), go to your local Shell Station and fill up with compressed Hydrogen--which is eco-conscious because it just happens to be the world's most abundant resource. It takes about as long as filling up a tank of gas and also costs about the same. Unfortunately, at this time, this vehicle is only available in California as they are testing the system out before a widespread global release.
Jay Leno thinks that the FCX and others of its kind will be the saving grace for petroleum fueled cars. He suggests that people should use the FCX on a day to day basis and only use our "fun" cars as necessary. Which is a nice sentiment, but not everyone in the world has the money for a brand new Hydrogen powered electric Honda and a Lamborghini for the weekends. Many people in the world are happy just to have a car, rather than think about spending the $600 per month lease for a hydrogen powered car.
Obviously there are issues that need to be solved, as with any other innovation, but I would say that Honda has a head start in an industry that will potentially change the automotive market as we know it. There will be a transition period to go from gas to hydrogen, but in my opinion a necessary transition because of oil's finite life. When the price goes down, I will definitely consider trading in my Accord for and FCX-Clarity.
Signing Off,
Nick Richards
Today, I was watching old re-runs of the BBC television show, Top Gear, when they stumbled upon the most important vehicle of the past 100 years: a hydrogen powered electric car.
They call this car the Honda FCX-Clarity.
To be as concise as possible, I have stolen "how it works" from the FCX-Clarity website:
"The fuel cell combines hydrogen with oxygen to make electricity. The electricity then powers the electric motor, which in turn propels the vehicle. Water is the only byproduct the FCX Clarity FCEV leaves behind."
This means that you no longer have to plug your car into the wall and wait 16 hours just so you can go 200 miles, your car generates energy via hydrogen as you drive. The only thing you have to do is fill up with hydrogen rather than gas as we are accustomed.
You use this car just as you would use any other. When your tank is empty (after about 270 miles), go to your local Shell Station and fill up with compressed Hydrogen--which is eco-conscious because it just happens to be the world's most abundant resource. It takes about as long as filling up a tank of gas and also costs about the same. Unfortunately, at this time, this vehicle is only available in California as they are testing the system out before a widespread global release.
Jay Leno thinks that the FCX and others of its kind will be the saving grace for petroleum fueled cars. He suggests that people should use the FCX on a day to day basis and only use our "fun" cars as necessary. Which is a nice sentiment, but not everyone in the world has the money for a brand new Hydrogen powered electric Honda and a Lamborghini for the weekends. Many people in the world are happy just to have a car, rather than think about spending the $600 per month lease for a hydrogen powered car.
Obviously there are issues that need to be solved, as with any other innovation, but I would say that Honda has a head start in an industry that will potentially change the automotive market as we know it. There will be a transition period to go from gas to hydrogen, but in my opinion a necessary transition because of oil's finite life. When the price goes down, I will definitely consider trading in my Accord for and FCX-Clarity.
Signing Off,
Nick Richards
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