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You’re forking out $9,000 a year to own your car

by Myrna Posted on April 16, 2013

You’re forking out $9,000 a year to own your car

By Lisa Hymas

Forget, for a moment, the environmental costs of driving a car. The financial costs alone should be enough to shock you into walking, biking, busing, and sharing.

From USA Today:

The average owner of a sedan has to shell out nearly $10,000 a year to own and operate that car, according to auto club AAA.

A new AAA report shows, on average, the cost of driving 15,000 miles a year rose 1.17 cents to 60.8 cents per mile, or $9,122 per year. Overall, that’s a roughly 2% increase on the cost of operating a car last year.

And from CNN:

The costs vary a lot according to the type and size of vehicle, though. It costs about $7,000 a year to own a small car in the United States but about $11,600 to own a four-wheel-drive SUV, according to AAA.

The study factored in costs such as fuel, maintenance, insurance, tires and depreciation.

As we pointed out a couple of years ago, owning a car is basically like having a second mortgage. OK, a second mortgage on a small house in a cheap area. But still!

Transit pass, anyone?

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Subaru finally introduces a hybrid; crunchy yuppies rejoice

by John Basset Posted on March 29, 2013

Subaru finally introduces a hybrid; crunchy yuppies rejoice

By Lisa Hymas

Subaru

These crunchy yuppies sure look happy with their Crosstrek Hybrid.

Just 16 years after Toyota first started selling the Prius, Subaru has unveiled its own hybrid.

AP reports:

Subaru is coming out with a gas-electric hybrid crossover SUV for the crunchy-granola crowd that wants to save fuel but still haul kayaks to the river.

The Japanese brand, which specializes in all-wheel-drive vehicles, unveiled the 2014 XV Crosstrek Hybrid on Thursday at the New York International Auto Show.

The company’s first gas-electric hybrid gets somewhat better gas mileage than the conventional Crosstrek and has stop-start technology that shuts down the engine at red lights to save fuel. It has all wheel drive and the same 8.7-inch ground clearance so it can go on trails. …

Subaru expects 28 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway. That’s 3 mpg better in the city than the gas version with an automatic transmission, but only 1 mpg better on the highway.

Prices will be announced closer to the car’s arrival at dealerships this fall.

Wired reports that the Crosstrek Hybrid “stands to be the most fuel-efficient, low-emission, all-wheel-drive hybrid crossover in the United States.”

Therefore: “Urban hipsters and Portlanders, rejoice.”

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Senate gives a big, fat thumbs-up to Keystone XL

by Curtis Tangredi Posted on March 23, 2013

Senate gives a big, fat thumbs-up to Keystone XL

By Lisa Hymas

350.org

The Senate was not listening to these guys.

The vote was non-binding but all too telling. On Friday, the U.S. Senate voted 62 to 37 in favor of building the Keystone XL tar-sands pipeline, with 17 Democrats joining all Republicans. It was just an amendment to a budget plan that won’t even be going to the president’s desk, but it shows that the political class in D.C. views the pipeline very favorably — and believes voters view it very favorably too.

From The Washington Post:

The 17 Democrats who voted yes included every single possibly vulnerable incumbent facing reelection next year, from 34-year veteran [Max] Baucus [Mont.] to first-term Sen. Mark Begich (Alaska).

Perhaps more importantly, Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.), who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, voted for the resolution. Bennet is not up for re-election until 2016, but his post requires him to raise money from the wealthy liberal community that is highly opposed to the pipeline.

Additionally, a crop of Democrats who survived difficult reelections in 2012 — Sens. Bob Casey (Pa.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Bill Nelson (Fla.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) — all supported the GOP Keystone amendment.

Did fossil-fuel money have anything to do with the vote? You be the judge:

New analysis today from Oil Change International reveals that supporters of the just-passed non-binding Keystone XL pipeline amendment received 3.5 times more in campaign contributions from fossil fuel interests than those voting “no.” In total, researchers found that supporters took an average of $499,648 from the industry before voting for the pipeline, for a staggering total of $30,978,153.

The Keystone decision still ultimately rests with President Obama, who appears to be dithering — and procrastinating like mad. From The Hill:

In meetings with Obama last week, House and Senate Republicans pressed the president for a timeline on his decision — about which Obama was vague. …

Obama has been noncommittal on Keystone. According to some Senate Republicans present at last week’s confab, the president said his decision would come by year’s end.

On top of that, the president told the GOP their claims about Keystone’s job creation prospects were exaggerated. He also suggested a good amount of the oil sands were destined for export. …

Republicans also said Obama told them last week that environmentalists’ fears of Keystone’s impact on the climate were overblown.

Climate activists at 350.org, who’ve been leading the anti-Keystone charge, plan to let senators know what they think while the lawmakers are back in their home districts for a recess over the next two weeks.

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Senate gives a big, fat thumbs-up to Keystone XL

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Another George Bush runs for office in Texas, talks up oil and gas drilling

by rakil23 Posted on March 13, 2013

Another George Bush runs for office in Texas, talks up oil and gas drilling

By Lisa Hymas

Gage Skidmore

George P. Bush — related to all those other Bushes, but Hispanic too!

George Prescott Bush has kicked off a campaign to run for Texas land commissioner next year. Haven’t heard much about this Bush? Just wait — you will. He’s the 36-year-old son of former Florida governor and 2016 presidential aspirant Jeb Bush and his Mexican-born wife Columba.

“A Spanish-speaking attorney and consultant based in Fort Worth, Bush is considered a rising star among conservative Hispanics, and his political pedigree is hard to match,” writes the Associated Press. As the nephew of former President George W. Bush and the grandson of more-former President George H.W. Bush, he’s got quite the dynasty behind him.

In a campaign video set to aggressively swelling music, Bush notes that Texas’ land commissioner is responsible for “energy policy through the leases of our public oil and gas resources,” and declares, “As Texans, we recognize the need for safe and reliable energy produced right here in our Lone Star State.”

Drill, baby Bush, drill!

How is George P. Bush expected to fare in the red, red state of Texas? From CNN:

A Texas conservative activist, who asked to remain anonymous so as to speak candidly, said the land commission post was a “slam dunk” for Bush.

“Remember, he supported [Tea Partier and now conservative U.S. senator] Ted Cruz early and took a risk there. He’s considered to be more conservative than his grandpa and uncle W. I doubt anyone will even pose a real challenge,” the activist said.

More conservative than Dubyah? Watch out.

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Another George Bush runs for office in Texas, talks up oil and gas drilling

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Van Jones: Keystone XL would be ‘the Obama Pipeline’

by Shicsshaw Posted on March 2, 2013

Van Jones: Keystone XL would be ‘the Obama Pipeline’

By Lisa Hymas

Activist and former White House adviser Van Jones came out swinging against the Keystone XL pipeline Friday night on CNN, warning that if it’s approved it would be a big black mark on President Obama’s legacy. His comments came a few hours after the State Department released a draft environmental impact statement finding that the proposed pipeline wouldn’t have excessive environmental or climate effects. Jones:

What happens if you’ve got the Obama Pipeline — now it’s the Obama Pipeline — and it leaks? His legacy could be the worst oil disaster in American farmland history. …

If after he gave that speech for his inauguration, the first thing he does is approve a pipeline bringing tar sands through America … the first thing that pipeline runs over is the credibility of the president on his climate policy. …

The Obama Tar-Sands Pipeline should not the legacy of the president that gave that speech.

Watch the whole segment:

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Van Jones: Keystone XL would be ‘the Obama Pipeline’

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New York Times kills its ‘Green’ blog

by sreg2 Posted on March 2, 2013

New York Times kills its ‘Green’ blog

By Lisa Hymas

Less than two months ago, The New York Times dissolved its environment desk, eliminating its two environment editor positions and reassigning those editors and seven reporters.

Now the paper is swinging the hatchet again, shutting down the Green blog that had been home to original environmental reporting every weekday. The news was announced in a brief post on the blog today:

The Times is discontinuing the Green blog, which was created to track environmental and energy news and to foster lively discussion of developments in both areas. This change will allow us to direct production resources to other online projects. But we will forge ahead with our aggressive reporting on environmental and energy topics, including climate change, land use, threatened ecosystems, government policy, the fossil fuel industries, the growing renewables sector and consumer choices.

The paper says environmental policy news will move to the Caucus blog and energy technology news will move to the Bits blog.

But a Times insider tells Grist that the decision probably means an end to the significant amount of freelance reporting that appeared in the Green blog.

The insider, who’s not authorized to speak on the record about the blog’s closure, says, “I’m not 100 percent sure that we’re going to spend as much time on the environment as in the past. To a large extent that depends on the news. The paper is plastic — it reorganizes itself to meet the requirements of the world around us.”

With that world getting warmer and weirder by the day, there shouldn’t be any shortage of climate and environmental news to report. If the Gray Lady is serious about keeping her green tint, that is.

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Cleantech investment fell off a cliff in 2012

by RubinkJoseph Posted on January 8, 2013

Cleantech investment fell off a cliff in 2012

By Lisa Hymas

Shutterstock

“You could call it the cleantech cliff,” writes the San Jose Mercury News:

Global clean-technology venture investment plunged to $6.46 billion in 2012, down 33 percent from the $9.61 billion invested a year ago, according to San Francisco-based research and consulting firm Cleantech Group.

Why such a big drop-off?

The low price of natural gas has made it harder for renewable energy to compete on cost. Venture capitalists are shying away from capital-intensive deals after seeing companies like Santa Clara-based Misasolé sold at fire sale prices. And global economic uncertainty took a toll: Several privately backed cleantech companies, including Oakland’s BrightSource Energy, were forced to shelve their IPO plans and raise additional funds from existing investors.

Political uncertainty contributed too, according to Sheeraz Haji, CEO of Cleantech Group. “That said, the entire venture capital industry contracted in 2012, so cleantech is not alone in experiencing this pullback,” he added.

The Mercury News reports that the “one bright spot belonged to SolarCity, a San Mateo-based solar financier and installer that had a successful IPO Dec. 13. SolarCity slashed its share price but ultimately raised $92 million.”

The cleantech sector is already looking brighter in 2013. Last week, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway spent as much as $2.5 billion on a huge solar project, sending solar stocks soaring.

But why leave cleantech investing to the big boys? If you live in California or New York, you can get into the game yourself via just-launched Solar Mosaic, a crowdfunding service for rooftop solar projects. Don’t let Warren Buffett have all the fun.

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It’s a sports dome and a hurricane shelter all in one

by olikellopas Posted on December 31, 2012

It’s a sports dome and a hurricane shelter all in one

By Lisa Hymas

There’s a lot of talk these days about the need to become more resilient and ruggedize our systems in order to better cope in a climate-changed world. It’s nice to actually see a little action on this front — in Texas, of all places.

Jay Phagan

Texas’ first “hurricane dome” in Woodsboro will do double duty as a gym and a shelter. We expect it’ll look more appealing once the gale-force winds start blowing.

From the Associated Press:

Most of the time, the windowless building with the dome-shaped roof will be a typical high school gymnasium filled with cheering fans watching basketball and volleyball games.

But come hurricane season, the structure that resembles a miniature version of the famed Astrodome will double as a hurricane shelter, part of an ambitious storm-defense system that is taking shape along hundreds of miles of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Its brawny design — including double-layer cinder-block walls reinforced by heavy duty steel bars and cement piers that plunge 30 feet into the ground — should allow it to withstand winds up to 200 mph. …

[A dome now under construction in Edna, Texas,] is one of 28 such buildings planned to protect sick, elderly and special-needs residents who might be unable to evacuate ahead of a hurricane. First-responders and local leaders will also be able to take refuge in the domes, allowing them to begin recovery efforts faster after a storm has passed. … [The domes] are being erected with help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Just how rugged are these things? “The builders boast Mother Nature and the big bad wolf could huff and puff together, and it wouldn’t be enough to destroy the dome,” reports Fox 26 in Houston. We assume that’s the Texan way to talk about climate change.

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Seattle mayor calls for city’s pension funds to dump oil stocks

by gerdi Posted on December 26, 2012

Seattle mayor calls for city’s pension funds to dump oil stocks

By Lisa Hymas

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is no fan of fossil fuels.

Student groups at 192 colleges and universities are calling on their schools’ endowments to sell off stocks in fossil-fuel companies, inspired by a 350.org campaign that we’ve reported on before. Now that campaign is spreading from campus to city hall, as Climate Progress reports:

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn is now calling on his city to strip fossil fuels from its two main pension funds. According to the city’s finance director, Seattle has $17.6 million invested in Chevron and ExxonMobil, as well as smaller investments in other oil and gas companies. Mayor McGinn sent a letter to the city’s pension fund managers on Friday calling for them to move their money elsewhere.

McGinn is the first municipal leader to get on board with 350′s campaign. As the mayor explains on his blog, he doesn’t control the investment of pension funds, but he and his staff want to work with the city council and the pension board to help move toward divestment.

McGinn, a local Sierra Club leader before he was elected mayor in 2009, has also recently criticized proposals to send coal trains through Seattle to ports on Washington’s coast. He’s commissioning a study on the potential economic impacts of the trains and coal-export plans. “I’m not sure very many jobs are being created in Seattle, compared to impacts,” he said earlier this month.

You might think these moves would endear McGinn to the Emerald City’s notoriously green voters, and no doubt many of them approve of his fossil-fuel bashing, but he’s not been a popular mayor. Earlier this year, the Seattle Weekly lobbed the ultimate insult at him: “Seattleites just aren’t warming to Mayor Mike McGinn. He’s becoming our own Mitt Romney: No matter what he says or does, something about him just can’t connect.” A number of high-profile Seattleites are looking to challenge him in next year’s election, and even the green lobby isn’t firmly behind him. From The Seattle Times:

The mayor’s most solid supporters are the pro-transit, pro-density, urban environmentalists who share his vision. They still back him, but question his effectiveness, and their support, in some cases, is lukewarm.

Local writer and environmentalist Roger Valdez said that while urbanists and transit advocates are likely to vote for McGinn, their enthusiasm is not guaranteed, especially at the end of a term in which some feel sustainability and density did not always win enough of the mayor’s attention. …

The Cascade Bicycle Club helped elect one of its own when it campaigned for McGinn three years ago. McGinn, who often commutes by bike, spent much of the 2009 campaign in a helmet, passing out “Mike bikes” campaign stickers. Chuck Ayers, the club’s executive director, said the mayor fulfilled the city’s bike master plan, but did nothing extra.

“I think we had high hopes that more would be done in terms of providing safe places for bikes and pedestrians,” he said.

Like his predecessor, former Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels, McGinn is getting praise from enviros on the national level. And just like Nickels, he could nonetheless find himself unceremoniously booted from his job. All politics is local, and that means green politics too.

Lisa Hymas is senior editor at Grist. You can follow her on

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Energy conservation gets gamified

by biglermyrta910 Posted on December 24, 2012

Energy conservation gets gamified

By Lisa Hymas

Shutterstock

OMG, I just saved way more energy than you.

Continuing its long tradition of reporting on trends long after they’ve become trendy, The New York Times has a big story today on gamification: “a business trend — some would say fad — that aims to infuse otherwise mundane activities with the excitement and instant feedback of video games.”

[D]igital technologies like smartphones and cheap sensors have taken the phenomenon to a new level, especially among adults. Now, game concepts like points, badges and leader boards are so mainstream that they have become powerful motivators in many settings, even some incongruous ones. At a time when games are becoming ever more realistic, reality is becoming more gamelike.

A lot of gamification is aimed at getting us to buy junk. The BBC quotes one critic within the gaming industry:

Ian Bogost, co-founder of the game design company Persuasive Games, … calls Gamification a “marketing gimmick”. And, in another blog post, took his critique one step further, describing it as “exploitationware” and “bullshit, invented by consultants as a means to capture the wild, coveted beast that is videogames and to domesticate it for use in the grey, hopeless wasteland of big business …”

But some people are trying to harness the trend for good instead of evil. From the Times:

More than 75 utilities have begun using a service from a company called Opower that awards badges to customers when they reduce their energy consumption. Customers can compare their progress with their neighbors’ and broadcast their achievements on Facebook.

“I’m not going to lie — I hate those online game apps on Facebook. I delete them,” said Brett Little, who works for an environmental nonprofit group in Grand Rapids, Mich., and has been known to share his energy-saving progress online. “This one I really enjoy.” …

“We have a tendency to be dismissive about games, but what we’re learning is that games in general are wonderfully powerful tools that can be applied in all sorts of serious contexts,” said Kevin Werbach, an associate professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, who teaches a course on how businesses can use games and recently wrote a book on the subject.

We reported on Opower’s Facebook app and other conservation-focused games this past summer and last year. We even dabbled in some green gamification of our own way back in 2009. Grist: more trend-attuned than The New York Times.

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