3p Contributor: Shannon Arvizu
Recent Articles
China Set to Leapfrog the U.S. in Clean Car Production
The Chinese government announced last week that it plans to invest up to $14.8 billion (100 billion yuan) over the next ten years to stimulate the production of plug-in hybrid and all-electric cars. The country intends to have 5 million of these vehicles on the road by 2020. That kind of commitment makes the $5 billion that the U.S. government plans to spend in this direction appear as a paltry sum.
How will China disperse those funds and why is China moving so aggressively in the electric vehicle space?
Why Electric Cars Should Be Marketed Like the Ford Fiesta
Crowdsourcing is an effective way to involve potential consumers in the promotion of clean cars. In marketing terms, this means outsourcing your advertising to crowds of experts and enthusiasts.
One of the most successful examples of crowdsourcing is the Ford Fiesta Movement. To build buzz for the compact, fuel-efficient Fiesta, Ford has launched two major crowdsourcing campaigns. The first campaign, launched in the summer of 2009, involved a YouTube video contest for potential “Fiesta Agents.” Young people aged 18-30 competed for a 6-month “mission” with the Fiesta. They posted videos, tweets, blogs, and participated in filmed events across the country to promote their spunky wheels. The second campaign, currently underway, is based on a similar platform with teams of “Fiesta Agents” in major U.S. cities.
So, why is crowdsourcing important for those in the electric car field?
Obama: Clean Tech Investor-In-Chief ?
While several eco-pundits have been lamenting the failure of a climate bill to pass through Congress, it is important to keep one thing clear. Clean technology deployment is core to any policy intended to decrease GHG emissions. In this respect, we have witnessed unprecedented funding for the clean tech industry from the Obama Administration.
In fact, Bloomberg reports that:
By the end of 2011, the White House plans to channel more than $50 billion to thousands of clean-technology companies through tax credits, low-interest guaranteed loans and grants. Add in money for a “smart” electric power grid, research and consumer tax breaks, such as the $7,500 credit for buying an electric car, and the commitment rises to $69 billion.
Calling All Hot, Rich, and Green Women Entrepreneurs
Over the weekend, I read an inspiring book entitled, Hot, Rich, and Green: The Secret Formula Women are Using to Get Rich and Save the Planet. Rebecca Harrell Tickell, the author, gave a copy of her book to me last week. We met spontaneously in a parking lot in Venice, CA, where I was admiring her plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius powered by algae oil. Rebecca and her husband, Josh Tickell, co-produced the award-winning documentary, Fuel, and are currently producing a new film that documents the Gulf Oil Spill called, Spill. In addition to her filmmaking projects, Rebecca also works to encourage women to start their own green businesses.
Hot, Rich, and Green is written in a heartfelt style that starts out on a personal note. Rebecca describes her own eco-mission life story, which includes starring in the childhood Christmas classic, Prancer, and trying out a variety of jobs that left her feeling empty and jaded. She eventually left a high-paying real estate agent position to work on the production of Fuel and become an evangelist for the green movement.
Why is Dirty Energy Still So Cheap?
The clean tech sector has experienced remarkable success in the past few years, yet there still remains one huge roadblock from mass implementation – cheap fossil fuels. Some may think this is simply a matter of free-market capitalism at work. The real truth is that petroleum and coal industries continue to receive massive subsidies from governments around the world, while renewable energy firms receive only a small fraction of that amount.
A new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance indicates that governments gave $46 billion of support to renewable energy last year through tax credits, feed-in tariffs, and alternative energy credits. In contrast, the International Energy Agency stated that $557 billion was spent to subsidize fossil fuels in 2008.
Rather than impose an appropriate tax structure so that governments can benefit from some of the most profitable companies in existence, lawmakers are considering further cuts in subsidies to the clean tech sector. This is particularly true in Europe, which is ironic since this is where some of the most progressive clean energy policies have been implemented in recent years.
Who Wants to Be Called “Retro”?
The way in which we frame clean technology is a determining factor for the success of the industry. Language guides action. By developing frames that inspire, engage emotions, and resonate strongly with widely-held concerns, we can catapult demand and increase our triple bottom-line.
David Fenton, from Fenton Communications, gave a compelling presentation on this topic to the Department of Energy in D.C. a few weeks ago.
Fenton spoke directly to the grantees of the DOE Energy Retrofit Ramp-Up program on how to develop compelling messages to motivate people to save energy. If we are to encourage homeowners to take part in retrofit programs, we can start by using other words besides “retrofit.” Fenton stated:
Think of it. Would you like to be associated with something called RETRO? RETRO isn’t looking forward even if it FITS. Would you like to be retro? Would your kids like you to be retro? We’ve just activated a frame of looking backwards. Is that going to get people excited about borrowing money to save energy?
2014: New and Improved Peak Oil Forecast
Global Oil Production
While petroleum companies have announced record profits as of late, a new study published in Energy & Fuels has some startling news. Using an improved forecasting model, researchers from Kuwait University and Kuwaiti Oil Company predict that conventional crude oil production will peak in 2014.
“Peak oil” refers to the point at which oil production reaches a maximum output and then declines. Ibrahim Nashawi and colleagues have developed a new way to calculate peak oil that builds upon the Hubbert model. The Hubbert forecast model is known for accurately predicting peak oil production in the United States in 1970. However, this model relies upon a single production cycle within each country.
The new model includes several production cycles that reflect contemporary oil production. The additional production cycles are influenced by technology advances, government regulations, economic conditions, and political events. According to the authors, “The model is simple, accurate, and totally data driven, which allows a continuous updating once new data is available.”
Obama Calls for End of Oil Subsidies in 2011 Budget
Sun Sets for Oil Subsidies?
In Obama’s 2011 FY budget proposal sent to Congress this week, the administration calls for eliminating more than $2.7 billion in tax subsidies for oil, coal and gas industries. As a result, more than $38.8 billion dollars in tax revenue could be generated for the federal government over the course of the next ten years.
The budget proposal also cuts funding provided through the Department of Energy for expensive petroleum exploration, including the Ultra-Deepwater exploration program (saving $50 million) and expansion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (saving $71 million).
With this proposal, Obama is sending a loud and clear message that the nation is moving towards a clean energy future. Overall, the budget provides over $28 billion for the DOE in 2011, a 7% increase over this year’s budget estimates. Much of this increase is for the support of renewable energy generation and advanced vehicle technologies.
This is Not Yo Mama’s Nissan Altima
The 2010 Nissan Altima Hybrid is definitely a step up from its previous incarnations. I test drove this vehicle this past week across Southern California as part of my 2010 hybrid challenge. In a quest to see which 2010 hybrid model offers the best bang for the buck, I drove the Altima Hybrid 600 miles in six days. The result: I averaged 34.4 MPG on a single tank of gas.
Like other full hybrids on the market, the Altima Hybid features regenerative braking that allows you to charge the battery while driving. The Altima Hybrid also jumps into zero-emission electric vehicle mode when in stop-and-go traffic or waiting in the drive-thru lane. In addition, its 40-HP electric power motor allows you to coast gently upon releasing the gas pedal, thereby increasing further fuel savings.
Climate Change Like You’ve Never Seen
A riveting photo essay of images depicting climate change was recently published online. The essay, produced by Magnum in Motion and commissioned by the United Nations Development Program, is based on information found in the latest UNDP report.
What I like the most about this photo essay is the emphasis placed on promoting assistance to developing countries. It is now almost a mantra that poor countries contribute the least to climate change, but are also the most vulnerable to its impacts. It is one thing to hear such statements, but quite another to see such stark, visual representations of what this looks like.
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