Green News Blog 27 June 08

Added On: 28/06/2008

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Go Eco Go Green Newspaper 27/06/08

Honda makes first hydrogen cars

Japanese car manufacturer Honda has begun the first commercial production of a zero-emission, hydrogen fuel-cell powered vehicle.

The four-seater, called FCX Clarity, runs on electricity produced by combining hydrogen with oxygen, and emits water vapour. Honda claims the vehicle offers three times better fuel efficiency than a traditional, petrol-powered car. Honda plans to produce 200 of the cars over the next three years.

One of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of wider adoption of fuel-cell vehicles is the lack of hydrogen fuelling stations.

Critics also point out that hydrogen is costly to produce and the most common way to produce hydrogen is still from fossil fuels.

We're just not sure about these! If the cars take longer to build, using more fossil fuels, and the hydrogen is made with fossil fuels, is it progress? On the plus side, as the technology gets better, the demand will increase, and hopefully the manufacturing processes of the vehicles and th hydrogen will improve...

Source BBC Website

Arctic sea ice melt is 'even faster'

Arctic sea ice is melting even faster than last year, despite a cold winter.

Data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) shows that the year began with ice covering a larger area than at the beginning of 2007.

But now it is down to levels seen last June, at the beginning of a summer that broke records for sea ice loss. Scientists on the project say much of the ice is so thin as to melt easily, and the Arctic seas may be ice-free in summer within five to 10 years.

Source BBC Website

Biofuel use 'increasing poverty'

The replacement of traditional fuels with biofuels has dragged more than 30 million people worldwide into poverty, an aid agency report says.

Oxfam says so-called green policies in developed countries are contributing to the world's soaring food prices, which hit the poor hardest. The group also says biofuels will do nothing to combat climate change.

Its report urges the EU to scrap a target of making 10% of all transport run on renewable resources by 2020.

Oxfam estimates the EU's target could multiply carbon emissions 70-fold by 2020 by changing the use of land.

The biofuel issue seems to be rolling on, with conflicting arguements coming from both camps...

Source BBC Website

UK Gas Bills up 37% as we go green

Energy prices will soar to pay for a £100 billion green revolution, the UK government admitted today.

Gas will rocket 37% by 2020, adding £209 to yearly bills.

Isn't paying to secure our future worthwhile? And shouldn't the government help to pay this?

Reported in theSun Newspaper.

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