Quirks & Quarks

Going green has to practical and well planned. To have a state, which in this case is Hawaii set up a plan to make it easier to use electric vehicles all over the island(s) shows what can be done. It would be nice to see this happen in Canada. Cutting green house gasses is a good idea. Doing it by building new green supporting infrastructure is the best way. Like networks of Wind and solar power connected to the grid. Connecting the hydro grids to each other nation wide etc. Step by step we will cut green house gas emissions by foucsing on new ways not on cutting back on the old and current ways of living.

People we need to send this article out to every politician in Canada! Our leaders must learn from Hawaii's wonderful initiatives. The time has come for our government to take steps towards electric vehicles replacing fossil fueled cars. Just think of the clean air you will finally and rightfully be able to breath in!

So to everyone who reads this article, please Email, or print and send a copy of it to the address of any politician you know of.

Here is to electric vehicles, machinery, power tools and lawn-care tools.

Interesting. I had never heard of the ZENN until now.
As for alternatives their time has definitely come. According to Wired Magazine Israel is also looking at using an all electric system, similar to the one proposed in Hawaii. It is sad that alternative energy projects have such a hard time attracting the hundreds of billions that environmentally catastrophic projects like the Athabasca tar sands do. With that kind of investment I'm sure solutions to the so called problems of alternative technologies, like wind power, could be found.

I've been watching and listening to Mr. McDonald since I was a young pup learning how salt works to melt ice...

But this was one of the best articles I've read recently, if for no other sentence than: sometimes it feels like we spend more time in this country pointing to reasons why change cannot happen, rather than finding ways to move forward.

If everyone took a moment to evaluate how much negativity we send out into the world (hate your job, envy your coworkers body, want your boss' new iPhone, etc.), and try to be just a but more forward thinking and positive, we'd be driving fuel cell cars, using 100% recycled paper and showing off our repurposed clothing.

Or maybe I'm just doomed to be hippie at 26.

Of course it would work in Canada. Not everywhere to be sure, at least not yet, but in the urban centres certainly.

Outside the 'Lower Mainland' what Canadian does not already have a charging device in the guise of a connection for a block heater?

I would take issue with the supposed requirement for a vast hydrogen infrastructure. In fact all you need is electricity and water, already widely distributed. At least one Brit mfgr has come up with a refrigerator sized unit to generate hydrogen from those easily available inputs on a household basis. Not an impediment.

Ending the use of fossil fuels for the bulk of transportation uses is most certainly possible before 2020 when the IAEA now admits traditional oil production will plateau. All it takes is a bit of determination to ignore the death cries of losing incumbents whose survival is predicated on the methods of the early 20th C.

Cheers,
dba

Its about time to start living with the ecosystem instead of against it. If we can manage this we will stop looking so much like a virus and more like the rest of the species around us (except the virus') ;)

It's a great initiative and I fully support it. A small tropical state like Hawaii can do this. It would work in Canada's large urban centres as well. The reality is though, Canada is a vast and cold country. If it can't catch on with the vast majority of Canadians our self-serving politicians won't have the initiative to implement it. Also,it is a big money saving tool for Hawaii, whereas in Canada it would be implemented out of pure respect for our environment. Again, not something I have seen coming from our politicians. With their latest bickering in Ottawa it's obvious they don't care about anyone but themselves. Period.

Having just returned from Hawaii, this is going to be a culturally difficult transition. We were on the Big Island, where ranching and farming are big industries, and where big trucks are favoured. Imagine the attachment to pick-ups in Edmonton? You'd be right at home in Waimea. Government vehicles might be a good start, and it might work better in Honolulu, but on the out islands, I think this is a tough sell. Good luck to them.

Bob, you're right -- in Hawaii everywhere is pretty close to everywhere else, just hours away. But in Canada, everywhere is actually days and weeks away from anywhere else. And instead of one season, we have four in Canada, all of which are quite capable of visiting nasty extremes of changeable weather upon us poor inhabitants.

That means our transportation requires an awful lot of horses working hard under the hood. Zenn cars can trundle up our winter streets only after the huge and powerful snowplows and dump trucks have opened the way for them.

R and D must be massively funded right now in order to discover systems that work well within the parameters of conditions that exist here, which may not remotely resemble the transportation systems which work well in Hawaii or even Israel. And does anybody think that Big Oil cares to invest on such a system?

Maybe our politicians should consider investing in ZENN , and begin paving the road to the future. Rather than trying to revive GM, Ford, Chrysler lets invest 3 billion in electric cars and the infrastructure to support these vehicles.

Something different to think about.

Why do we have to wait for companies to produce hydrogen fuel cells? There is no need to store hydrogen.The average person can make there own hydrogen booster using basic electrolysis.
I'm not an engineer.
I'm just a bartender.
I have used stainless steel light switch plates, a deep cycle battery, industrial sized plastic pipe for my container and some heavy gauge wire to connect everything. I am able to produce large quantities of hydroxy gas. By connecting this to your cars air intake you create a much more efficient and powerful burn. Thus reducing fuel consumption. It is also much safer than having a tank of hydrogen gas on board. This is something that can be done now. Why don't more people try it.

Cheers Mike

I like the idea of reducing the impact of human activity, with the intent of limiting human activity to environmentally sustainable levels.

My only concern is we still use a very limited evaluation of “impact”.

Reducing GHG emissions is only good if an evaluation of all impacts shows a long-term net benefit (and reduced concentrations of pollution is urban areas would be a benefit that should be counted even if the overall GHG emissions are not reduced). I would need to see such an evaluation before I would be convinced that the plans for Hawaii, or electric vehicles anywhere else, are indeed a move in the right direction.

It's funny, I've seen wind turbines in action and quite frankly, I find the sight very beautiful. To me, it resembles hope and clean air for my grandchildren.

I hope Canada will keep on track.

This sounds good but the plan is only for the island of Maui, not the whole State. Maui's population is tiny compared to that of Oahu - this will have only a small effect, unfortunately. Add on the unbelievable resistance of locals to pay for infrastructure through taxes...

I do not accept the assertion that on a large scale, electric cars would not yet work in Canada...

Most people's daily commute (round trip) falls within the range of modern batteries...

As far as the cold weather argument goes... perhaps I could take the battery into my office with me in winter -- design it to be easily detachable and as mobile as luggage with a retractable handle and little roller wheels.

When in use, I understand the batteries produce a lot of heat - so much so that in warm climates, a battery cooler is required. If true, this bodes well for winter driving in Canada.

What about the aircar. Wouldn't a vehicle with NO emissions be best. No spent batteries or the need for more electricity created by coal fired plants or daming up all the rivers. MDI Aircar has the technology that will get this world greener now rather than using a "step" down with hybrids or electricity.