One link before turning in for the night. I haven't checked into this Aviation Biofuel but I'm always a little hesitant to jump on the biofuel bandwagon simply due to the immense volumes of biomass required to satiate our hunger for fuel. 

My general feel is that if consumption isn't addressed first, the reality of ever being able to grow enough fuel is a total pipe dream and will result not only in an ecological disaster but will also create a massive security issue. If you think terrorists controlling energy supplies is a security nightmare, imagine the security issues raised when the nations energy source could be wiped out by insects. Don't think it's possible? Google - Mountain Pine Beetle and tell me what you find. 

Back from hiatus

Totally neglected this little page for far too long. During my hiatus I left a job, started my own business, completed a very interesting research project, completed a degree, made an international move, and am now in the final stages of planning a wedding with my fiancee. If that's not a decent excuse to neglect my small corner of the internet, I don't know what is ;o)

Was thinking of writing a little bit on what the outgoing Bush Administration is doing to dismantle existing environmental legislation but there have been plenty of people commenting on that so rather than contribute to the blogging echo-chamber I'll pull some notes and ideas together over the coming days about the incoming administration. Who knows, I may even contribute an original thought or two. 

Hydrogen Powered Cars

I was at one time a huge proponent of the development of hydrogen technologies (fuel cells and elemental gas) for use in vehicles but that all changed after some in-depth research I did as part of an Environmental Economics course I was taking. The costs of producing hydrogen is prohibitive, even if using cheaper GHG emitting technologies; the cost of transporting the gas in a super-cooled state is outrageous; and, the cost of building all the infrastructure needed to support a nation of hydrogen burning cars is no small investment. My concerns about the viability of hydrogen continued to grow (including the hydrological impact of the widespread application of this technology), but so did the funding pouring into the development of this technology.

Well, it seems that the pipe dream may finally be dead. This article in the Wall Street Journal caught my attention and validates what many environmental advocates and economists have been saying for quite some time; hydrogen technology will not be affordable in time to make a significant impact on the reduction of GHGs. The technology for electric and hybrid-electric cars however is readily available, affordable, and in demand. 

The exciting part about this to me is that battery technology and hybrid systems are really starting to see some big advances (I'll have a few examples to back this statement to post up later) and the future is definitely brighter for emission, or near emission free private transportation. 

Melting North

I had a rather lengthy commentary planned for today but decided to post a quick link to a story about the shrinking glaciers on Baffin Island. As a former resident of the extreme northern part of the island, having spent years observing the changing climate and listening to the traditional knowledge of the Inuit hunters about the extreme changes they've observed, stories like this don't surprise me one bit.

I think part of the reason this story really caught my attention is due to my personal connection with it. I've known these observed changes to be true long before scientific data confirmed the fact and the Inuit have known this to be true for decades longer. Anyone that works on or with the land, or even spends a great deal of time away from urban areas, intuitively knows that things are changing at an alarming rate and feel it on a personal level. I believe it to be true in stating that people will become motivated to act on an issue that impacts them on a personal level. As the effects of the changing climate continue to become more encompassing,  we're also seeing more individuals personally affected and wanting action. 

When I started writing on environmental issues I promised myself that I wouldn't focus on the doom and gloom of the matter or resort to the overused tactic akin to yelling fire in a crowded theater in order to draw attention to the issues. I want people to be personally motivated to act for change. The tens of thousands of reasons I can give a person to act for change are trivial in comparison to the affect one personal reason an individual has to act.