Category Archives: Autos

Comments on the Movie “Switch” and discussion at UC Irvine

I have just returned from a showing of the movie Switch about forms of energy generation, and searching for our energy future, sponsored by the Newkirk Center.  Presenting was the film’s director, Harry Lynch.  We are planning to show this to … Continue reading

Posted in Autos, Conservation, Electric Power, Energy Efficiency, Fossil Fuel Energy, Oil, Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Wind Energy | Leave a comment

Projections for Future Greenhouse Gas Reductions

The first rule of the Energy Futures Club is that there are no rules, but you can talk about it all you want.  You would think that with power plants that last 60 or more years, and that take a … Continue reading

Posted in Autos, Climate Change, Conservation, Earthquakes, Electric Power, Natural Gas, Nuclear Energy, San Onofre, Solar Energy, Transportation, Tsunami, Wind Energy | Leave a comment

Some Climate and Energy iPhone and iPad Apps

The first set of Apps are for the Climate, Earth, and Sun. Skeptical Science consists of scientific answers to misunderstandings about and arguments against climate change. It also includes summaries of daily news about climate science. CliMate shows you all … Continue reading

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Projections for Future US Natural Gas

A graph for future US natural gas production has been posted in an article in Science Magazine by Eric McFarland (Vol. 338, p. 340-2, 19 October, 2012).  The article is titled “Unconventional Chemistry for Unconventional Natural Gas” showing the chemistry … Continue reading

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Increases in Fuel Economy to Reduce the Cost of Gas

Mpg for various countries into the future, from the UN DESA, 2011, shown by Kelly Rigg, Huffington post. This graph shows that the European Union and Japan are already over 45 mpg average for new cars, and over 40 for … Continue reading

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Comments on the Proposed 2025 Fuel Economy Standards

Today’s LA Times has a good article on the proposed fuel economy standards for 2025.  The standards are stated as each fleet will achieve 54.5 mpg average by then, and that will gradually be reached starting from 2017.  The current … Continue reading

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What is Australian Carbon Tax worth in MPG improvement?

Australia has just instituted a Carbon tax of $24 per metric tonne of Carbon (not CO2 I believe).  This is offset by a $10 a week in additional benefits or tax cuts to households.  Since 20 pounds of CO2 are emitted … Continue reading

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Electric car ranges and costs from the EPA

Let’s start with the Chevy Volt, which has a 16 kWh battery.  The EPA site www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/phevsbs.shtml gives the result of their tests as 35.7 kWh/100 miles for city and 37.4 kWh/100 miles for highway.  Assuming the full 16 kWh are … Continue reading

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What’s with the MPG ratings from the EPA?

If you look at the driving profiles that the cars are put through for city and “highway” driving, you find that the city might be reasonable, but the “highway” is run partly at 40 mph and partly at 50 mph.  … Continue reading

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