According to a recent study conducted by Yale and George Mason Universities, most Americans are firmly behind the development and implementation of cleaner energy technologies.  The majority – across the political spectrum – would even support taxing carbon emissions to help reduce industrial pollution.

The Yale Project on Climate Change Communication coordinated the study, which took place during October and November of this year.  Among the feedback from “Climate Change in the American Mind:  Public Support for Climate & Energy Policies in November 2011″ were the following findings:

90 percent of Americans say developing sources of clean energy should be a very high (30%), high (35%), or medium (25%) priority for the president and Congress, including 82 percent of registered Republicans, 91 percent of Independents, and 97 percent of Democrats.

85 percent of Americans (including 76% of registered Republicans, 83% of Independents, and 90% of Democrats) say that protecting the environment either improves economic growth and provides new jobs (54%), or has no effect (31%). Only 15 percent say environmental protection reduces economic growth and costs jobs.

69 percent of Americans oppose federal subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, including 67 percent of registered Republicans, 80 percent of Independents, and 68 percent of Democrats.

Most Americans Would Support Carbon Taxes To Cut Pollution & Offset Personal Income Tax

Not surprisingly, respondents found the idea of additional taxes to be more agreeable when they considered that the revenues could actually offset their personal income taxes by targeting industrial polluters:

60 percent of Americans support a $10 per ton carbon tax if the revenue were used to reduce federal income taxes, even when told this would “slightly increase the cost of many things you buy, including food, clothing, and electricity.” This policy is supported by 48 percent of registered Republicans, 50 percent of Independents, and 74 percent of Democrats.

The bottom line?  Clean energy solutions don’t need to be a financial compromise – they can be healthy for the nation’s economy as well as the environment.  More and more individuals are recognizing this, which will be crucial as American energy policy evolves over the next few years.

You can view the entire study, or download it in PDF format at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies website.

Bicycle City is a planned community built around bicycles. No cars are allowed. A real world cycling utopia, the project, started by Ohio-based Bicycle City LLC, has been in the design phase since the early 1990s, but in 2010 the town of Gaston, South Carolina near Columbia was chosen as the first location for Bicycle City. A community where cycling and walking are the main forms of transportation promotes a healthy lifestyle and reduces dependency on oil. In addition, Bicycle City’s vision is to build eco-friendly homes- all LEED certified- with a heavy reliance on clean energy such as wind and solar power.

The 160-acre property in Lexington County, South Carolina was chosen due to its proximity to an Amtrak station, the college town of Columbia, nearby organic and farmers’ markets, as well as the Three Rivers Greenway, an existing bike trail along the Columbia riverbanks. The area also lies between the mountains and the ocean, has access to lake recreation, and boasts mild weather for year-round riding. Citizens in this region are already embracing cycling as a way of life and are avid outdoors enthusiasts. The town of Columbia earned bronze level status from the League of American Bicyclists as a bicycle-friendly city.

A bike taxi in South Carolina, home of Bicycle City’s first planned development.

The land was purchased for $1 million and while the the trail work is underway, other parts of the project are currently on hold. Co-founder Joe Mellett isn’t too concerned about a timeline though, as he says that the company is more interested in quality than in speed and size. The website is currently taking reservations for home sites. In the meantime, developers get their inspiration from other car-free communities, such as Mackinac Island.

For those who would like to live in Bicycle City, but aren’t quite ready to go completely car-free, parking is planned for the outskirts of the community. The die-hard car-free enthusiasts can choose to live more toward the center of Bicycle City. You can receive a $5,000 reduction on the cost of your home if you do any of the following: grow and maintain an organic garden, bike to work, or walk to work. Emergency vehicles will still have access to homes. Visit Bicycle City South Carolina for more information.

Hybrid Solar Energy Plant In Florida

The newest hybrid model isn’t a car, but the world’s first hybrid solar energy plant that went on the grid last week in Martin County Florida. The Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center is Florida Power and Light’s (FPL) latest innovation to launch Florida as the clean energy state. Working in conjunction with an existing natural gas power plant, the 190,000 solar thermal mirrors track and harness the sun’s rays via hydraulic motors. That energy is then converted into electricity and offsets the use of the natural gas. The natural gas plant then becomes a stored energy plant serving as a back-up energy source.

FPL- Solar Thermal Mirrors

Sitting on 500 acres of FPL-owned land, the 75 megawatt facility will power 11,000 Florida homes and has already created over 1,000 jobs. According to FPL’s press release, the hybrid plant is expected to

reduce fossil fuel consumption by approximately 41 billion cubic feet of natural gas and more than 600,000 barrels of oil – which would prevent the release of more than 2.75 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions and save FPL customers approximately $178 million in fuel costs over the facility’s estimated 30-year lifetime.

Though many solar thermal plants function as hybrids by burning oil at times of low sunlight, the Martin Energy Center is the first to combine a natural gas plant with solar thermal energy. It’s the last of 3 solar facilities built by FPL in the past 2 years, yet plans are underway to add another 500 megawatts of solar power to the state.

While the 75 megawatt system may seem small in comparison to the 3,800 megawatt gas plant, the environmental benefits are still quite significant. Florida is setting itself up to be a leader in using innovative technology and finding economic solutions in the effort to diversify energy sources and harness that abundant Florida sunshine. Oh, and in the event of one of those Florida hurricanes, the solar mirrors turn upside down for protection.

Via: Palm Beach Post

Sunpower Solar Panels

Princeton University will soon be home to the largest solar field on a U.S. college campus. Scheduled for completion by summer 2012, the 5.3 megawatt system will be comprised of 16,500 photovoltaic solar panels, estimated to generate 5.5 % of electrical power to reduce campus energy costs by 8 %. The solar field will cover 27 acres on the university’s land. The panels will be designed and built by Sunpower, a leader in advanced solar energy systems. To maximize efficiency, 80% of the system will contain Sunpower Trackers that use a global positioning system to capture the sun at the highest intensity, while the remaining solar panels will be fixed at a 25 degree angle.

Atrium in Princeton's Frick Chemistry Laboratory Building

As part of a sustainability plan to reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2020 to the level it had in 1990, Princeton has also installed solar panels on the roofs of two campus buildings, including the stunning atrium located in the Frick Chemistry Laboratory. Partly funded by New Jersey’s Solar Renewable Energy Certificate program as well as environmental incentives under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Princeton is leading the way for renewable energy systems to be economically accessible.

Princeton University Halls

Their dedication to solar energy will also provide unique research and learning opportunities for both students and faculty. Perhaps the most important aspect of the project is the awareness it will generate about solar energy. As chemical and biological engineering professor, Ilhan Aksay says, “The fact that Princeton University took a lead in this sends out a signal that Princeton is serious about this. I expect that more students will now be interested in pursuing related research, and this will affect the faculty as well”.

Via: Daily Princetonian

SolaRoad Solar Bike Path

What could make bike riding even more efficient? How about a bike path embedded with solar panels to produce clean energy while encouraging people to get on their bikes? The town of Krommenie in the Netherlands, just north of Amsterdam, will be receiving the SolaRoad bike path, scheduled to open in 2012.

Developed by the Province of North Holland, the Ooms Avenhorn Group and Imtech, the solar bike path will be constructed with a concrete base, topped with a 1 cm thick layer of crystalline silicon solar cells. The solar cells will then be protected by a thick, heavy-duty glass surface strong enough to drive a truck over it. The SolaRoad is estimated to generate 50 kw hours of electricity per square meter per year which will be used to power street lights, traffic systems, and perhaps even households along the SolaRoad system.

SolaRoad Project In The Netherlands

The SolaRoad project is part of the Dutch government’s commitment to renewable energy. Their vision is to have an entire network of roads encapsulated with solar panels throughout the country. In the meantime, it will be interesting to learn what cyclists in North Holland think of riding on this glass-surfaced bike path.

Springwise via Inhabitat

High Speed Trains In The U.S.

With the high speed rail debate officially jumping the tracks into the political arena, American citizens are left to sort through the onslaught of bureaucratic bantering which so often leads to misinformation. The question that’s causing tempers to flare on both sides is whether the government should be funding high speed rail projects across the nation. Many believe that high speed rail is vital to the future of transportation in America.  Yet, all politics aside, is it even feasible now to consider that the U.S. could develop a framework of true and efficient high speed rail?

U.S. GG1 Electric Train From the 50s

At one time, we had the best passenger rail system in the world. But while other countries like France, England, Japan, and China were building their high speed rail lines, the U.S. placed priorities in the auto and airline industries. Now we’re left with crumbling train stations, watching while the price of gas inches toward that $5 a gallon mark. In an effort to play catch-up with those countries in Europe and Asia, the U.S. government is ready to build a high speed rail infrastructure. The question is not should we have high speed rail that rivals the rest of the world (because we should) but can we do it the right way so that the U.S. gets the most benefit out of this most efficient form of travel.

If We Build It, They Will Come

America 2050 Map

According to this report, 9 out of 10 Americans are open to long distance high speed train travel in the United States. America 2050, a national committee devoted to the renewing of the country’s deteriorating infrastructure, talks about an efficiency gap that exists in American transportation when it comes to traveling a distance of 200 to 400 miles. With trains being 3 times as energy efficient as cars and 6 times that of planes per passenger mile, high speed rail can more than fill that gap.

The map above shows the outcome of a recent study by America 2050 on the rail corridors that showed the highest potential for ridership. The darker the red lines, the higher score those routes received. We can also look to Amtrak to predict the success of ridership for high speed trains in the U.S. Last year marked a new annual ridership record for Amtrak, with every route carrying more passengers. And Amtrak doesn’t even operate efficiently. As pointed out in this article, not everyone has to use a community service in order to benefit from it.

Dedicated High Speed Train Tracks: The Key To Efficient Train Travel

Freight Locomotive Assisting Amtrak

For a high speed train to run most efficiently it needs its’ own track. Many current governmental high speed rail projects are calling for trains to run on the already existing network of tracks owned and operated by the nation’s freight railroads. Not only would this cause a slow down of freight trains since they’d have to give the right of way to high speed trains, but the safety issues involved would be unparalleled. Of course the freight railroads aren’t psyched about the idea and are preparing to derail the plans before they get started as explained in this WSJ article. The U.S. has the largest and most successful freight rail system in the world. It would be detrimental to jeopardize this industry in an attempt to get another one up and running due to time and money restraints.

Yet another problem in running on existing track would be the fact that this would not be true high speed rail.  Under current rules set forth by the Federal Railroad Administration, trains cannot exceed 89 mph. Even if the Surface Transportation Board, who overlook the nation’s railways, is willing to raise the maximum train speeds, the freight railroads still have the right to set their own limitations and CSX has already said they won’t allow passenger trains to travel over 90 mph on their tracks. Not exactly the high speed bullet trains we’re used to hearing about in France and China that exceed speeds of 220 mph. The entire design and structure of a high speed train would have to meet guidelines set forth by the FRA in order to run on the same track with a freight train as shown in the above picture where an Amtrak engine needed assistance from a freight engine. Also railroad crossings are designed to safely handle freight trains that typically only run at 50-60 mph.

France's TGV

Anyone who has ever ridden the TGV in France will tell you that it is a smooth and comfortable ride. This is because the train runs on smooth welded track that sits on a concrete base rather than wooden rail ties. According to French rail executive, Denis Doute, who is interested in investing in high speed rail in Texas, the operating costs of a true high speed rail line “are only slightly higher than that of a conventional rail line“. Doute advises the U.S. to have the highest aspirations when it comes to train speed. After all, we already accomplished the 100 mph electric train service back in the 40s and 50s. As he states, “It makes no sense to build rail lines that don’t do better than that”. It should also be noted that there has never been a fatality on a French or Japanese high speed train. All of these issues point to the need of dedicated high speed track to run these trains in the efficient way they are meant to operate.

High Speed Rail In California

Click here to view the embedded video.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority may be on the right track, so to speak, in creating the nation’s first true high speed rail line. It will run on 800 miles of electrified track with speeds up to 220 mph and will be emissions free. Though still in the planning stages, the project is on a schedule to be completed by 2030. The plan involves connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco by building new track, but also by using some existing track along the way. This is where costs could get exorbitant as developers attempt to reach agreements with the freight railroads and may even be forced to purchase land due to eminent domain. However, the California High-Speed Rail Authority is committed to seeking guidance from experienced developers of high speed rail.

For more on high speed rail in California click here.

For more on high speed rail projects across the U.S. see here.

I’m an advocate for car-free cities (on this note, see the newly published Carfree Design Manual by J. H. Crawford). But 100% electric cars are certainly preferable to gasoline-powered cars. Therefore I found this recent presentation by Shai Agassi of Better Place to be of inspiring. He argues that hybrids won’t work, and ethnol isn’t feasible. He says cars need to be run on 100% electric power derived from clean energy sources (i.e. wind, solar).

In Japan,  there’s an aquarium with an electric eel in it. And the eel’s electrical power is being used to energize the lights on a Christmas tree. It’s clean energy right? Each time the electric eel at the Aqua Toto Gifu aquarium touches a copper wire in its tank, it sends power that lights up globes decking a Christmas tree.

Officials expect the “eel Christmas tree” to be a popular attraction for dating couples in the lead-up to Christmas Day, when the tree will be removed. There’s no word on whether the electric eel feels unduly drained by the whole scenario. Electric eels are capable of generating electricity in their bodies. They have notoriously poor eyesight and use electric shocks to stun prey so they can catch and eat them. Via Ecofriend and Mainichi Daily News.

^{eSolar is one of the early-stage companies Google is working with.}

Google has announced a plan to develop sources of renewable energy that will be cheaper than coal. The new initiative, RE<C, (renewable energy is cheaper than coal) will begin by focusing on solar power technology, and will also encompass geothermal energy production.

According to the Google.Org blog, of the early-stage companies they’ve begun to work with to drive down the costs of renewable energy are eSolar Inc. and Makani Power.

“We have gained expertise in designing and building large-scale, energy-intensive facilities by building efficient data centers,” said Larry Page, Google Co-founder and President of Products. “We want to apply the same creativity and innovation to the challenge of generating renewable electricity at globally significant scale, and produce it cheaper than from coal.”

^{Makani’s Power Kite}

Page added, “There has been tremendous work already on renewable energy. Technologies have been developed that can mature into industries capable of providing electricity cheaper than coal. Solar thermal technology, for example, provides a very plausible path to providing renewable energy cheaper than coal. We are also very interested in further developing other technologies that have potential to be cost-competitive and green. We are aware of several promising technologies, and believe there are many more out there.”

Page continued, “With talented technologists, great partners and significant investments, we hope to rapidly push forward. Our goal is to produce one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic this can be done in years, not decades.” (One gigawatt can power a city the size of San Francisco.)

“If we meet this goal,” said Page, “and large-scale renewable deployments are cheaper than coal, the world will have the option to meet a substantial portion of electricity needs from renewable sources and significantly reduce carbon emissions. We expect this would be a good business for us as well.”

Coal is the primary power source for many around the world, supplying 40% of the world’s electricity. The greenhouse gases it produces are one of our greatest environmental challenges. Making electricity produced from renewable energy cheaper than coal would be a key part of reducing global greenhouse-gas emissions.

“Cheap renewable energy is not only critical for the environment but also vital for economic development in many places where there is limited affordable energy of any kind,” added Sergey Brin, Google Co-founder and President of Technology.