The world's scientists agree: Global warming is real, here, and happening faster than anyone predicted. But scientists also say we can curb global warming and its consequences -- if we take bold, comprehensive action now that adds up to an 80 percent cut in carbon emissions by 2050, or 2 percent a year.
William Shatner says...
7.30.2008
7.29.2008
7.28.2008
Can't drill out of an energy crisis
I'm pretty sure the following is an okay cross-section of the offshore drilling debate:
Here and here (News and Observer), here and here (Washington Post)
Much of the current discussion tying offshore drilling to the cost of gas is erroneous. Media outlets regularly cite polls that claim large numbers of Americans support offshore drilling. Those same polls, however, see a plummet in support whenever they include the (correct) disclaimer that offshore drilling will not affect prices at the pump, now or in the immediate future.
Should the federal moratorium be lifted, fuel prices won't drop for several years, and when that day finally comes, at best (and this is tenuous) there will be a per gallon savings of roughly a few cents (3.99/gallon vs 3.96/gallon).
What's more, the international market determines oil prices (for a primer on how and why, read this). With booming economies in China and India, the price of oil will not lessen as industrial and personal demand skyrockets across the world. Only a serious commitment to renewable energy will bring energy costs under control. A clean energy initiative will create new jobs and make us more energy independent and flexible in times of economic duress.
Here and here (News and Observer), here and here (Washington Post)
Much of the current discussion tying offshore drilling to the cost of gas is erroneous. Media outlets regularly cite polls that claim large numbers of Americans support offshore drilling. Those same polls, however, see a plummet in support whenever they include the (correct) disclaimer that offshore drilling will not affect prices at the pump, now or in the immediate future.
Should the federal moratorium be lifted, fuel prices won't drop for several years, and when that day finally comes, at best (and this is tenuous) there will be a per gallon savings of roughly a few cents (3.99/gallon vs 3.96/gallon).
What's more, the international market determines oil prices (for a primer on how and why, read this). With booming economies in China and India, the price of oil will not lessen as industrial and personal demand skyrockets across the world. Only a serious commitment to renewable energy will bring energy costs under control. A clean energy initiative will create new jobs and make us more energy independent and flexible in times of economic duress.
Drought Mismanagement
In times of drought, conservation is the prevailing idea, or should be. One North Carolina homeowners' associations didn't get the memo. Check out this story that ran in the News & Record.
Or just read the gist:
Or just read the gist:
It remains to be seen how the current drought recommendations bill that just passed in the short session will affect this situation, though the bill does limit the ability of homeowners' associations from fining constituents that conserve. Also, according to the story, the association's statutes don't expressly include anything approaching "must have lawn."Ultimately, the association decided that Fontaine can keep the mulch in her backyard, but that the front needs grass.
If she doesn’t plant it, Fontaine could find herself invited to a formal violation hearing. The board could impose fines beginning at $25 a day and rising to $100 a day, Sluder said.
According to Christa Wagner, a lobbyist for Sierra Club, that fight involved a contest “between common sense and aesthetics.”
7.23.2008
NC Short Session: Environment Looking Good
This past week at the Capitol was a real nailbiter, with many important environmental bills still unresolved on the final day of the NCGA's biennium. A quick look at the environmental outcomes of the concluded short session:
Bills Passed- H2499 Drought/Water Management Recommendations passed, greatly strengthened by the Senate (in comparison to the amended bill sent to the Senate by the House).
- A coastal stormwater bill also passed. Though NC Sierra Club didn't have heavy involvement in this bill, our friends around the Capital seem satisfied with the results.
- NC Sierra Club has long been involved in the formation of electronic recycling in our state, and the legislature sent the Governor a TV Recycling bill that we've been working on for years.
Other Successes
- Thankfully, S599 didn't come up for a vote but died in committee.
- After some particularly nasty press, the House wisely slow-tracked a contentious bill that would have allowed industrial hog farms to remain environmentally unsound and smelly ad infinitum.
Executive Director Carl Pope on the Colbert Report
Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope survived his interview on the Colbert Report:
7.18.2008
Taking the tops off mountains at the flip of a switch, by Jea Yoon Lee
Everyone knows that electricity comes from power plants. Some know that 40% of the electricity in the U.S. comes from coal-fired plants. Fewer know that an estimated 7-10% of the country’s total coal production comes from mountaintop removal (MTR) mines in Appalachia. Unfortunately, many North Carolina consumers are linked to MTR through their utility companies which use MTR coal.
First developed around the 1970’s with the innovation of massive dragline equipment, MTR is a method of coal mining which entails razing the tops of mountains with dynamite to reach the thin seams of coal buried underneath, and then dumping the crushed remains of the land into valleys. MTR is the cheapest method for coal companies because it is speedy and requires fewer employees than underground mining. The exponential growth of Americans’ energy consumption and the rising demand for low-sulfur bituminous coal found in central Appalachia has led to increased MTR mining in the past decade. So far, MTR has destroyed over 800 square miles of mountains and 1,200 miles of streams across Appalachia, according to the EPA’s 2005 Environmental Impact Statement.
The tragedy of MTR is not just the abstract notion of “losing” mountains, forests, and streams, however. For West Virginians, Virginians, Kentuckians, and Tennesseans living near the mines, it means undrinkable, rash-inducing water full of arsenic and mercury, flying boulders and earthquakes caused by the blasting, and dramatic depreciation of property value. They also live in the shadow of impoundments -- dams which hold back the wastewater created by washing the debris off coal. Eight years ago in Kentucky, one broke and released a torrent of over 300 million gallons of thick, toxic sludge which destroyed homes, farmlands, and 100 miles of waterways.
For the rest of us, more MTR leads to burning more coal, which diverts resources away from alternative energy sources and greater reliance on coal-powered plants, which leads to even more MTR. That means dirtier air, more acid rain, and more global warming emissions.
According to some estimates, as much as 44% of the coal used in North Carolina may come from MTR mines. On the Duke Power grid, eight power plants in Anderson, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Rockingham, Rowan, and Stokes Counties purchase coal directly from MTR mines in Appalachia. Four others purchase coal from companies that operate MTR mines. (For more information on your community’s connection to MTR, visit Ilovemountains.org.
Rising gas prices opens the prospect of a coal-to-liquid industry which would lead to an even greater reliance on coal. The coal industry is peddling the false solution of converting coal into liquid fuel, but the reality is worse than being topless in Appalachia. Not only does it take one ton of coal to produce just two barrels of fuel, but burning liquid coal also releases double the global warming emissions per gallon as regular gasoline. Replacing 10% of our nation’s transportation fuels with liquid coal would require increasing coal mining by over 40%.
Coal is not the solution! Currently there are plans for constructing 87 new coal power plants, each with an expected lifespan of 50 years. Is an additional 50 years of reliance on coal even a viable option for our planet? Let us oppose the irreversible, irremediable practice of MTR, and instead invest in solar, wind, and geothermal power.
MTR requires filling valleys with vast quantities of mining waste. Filling streams with waste was illegal under the Clean Water Act, and advocacy groups used the law to protect the mountains and streams. Rising to the defense of coal companies, the Bush Administration changed the rules, effectively legalizing the filling of streams with waste. Sierra Club and other groups are urging Congress to enact the Clean Water Protection Act, which would reverse the rule change, once again prohibiting the filling of streams with MTR waste. Please join our efforts by asking your utility company not to use MTR coal and urging your Representative to co-sponsor the bill. For more information on how you can help, visit our Clean Water site.
Jea Yoon Lee is an apprentice with the national coal campaign in Washington, DC.
First developed around the 1970’s with the innovation of massive dragline equipment, MTR is a method of coal mining which entails razing the tops of mountains with dynamite to reach the thin seams of coal buried underneath, and then dumping the crushed remains of the land into valleys. MTR is the cheapest method for coal companies because it is speedy and requires fewer employees than underground mining. The exponential growth of Americans’ energy consumption and the rising demand for low-sulfur bituminous coal found in central Appalachia has led to increased MTR mining in the past decade. So far, MTR has destroyed over 800 square miles of mountains and 1,200 miles of streams across Appalachia, according to the EPA’s 2005 Environmental Impact Statement.
The tragedy of MTR is not just the abstract notion of “losing” mountains, forests, and streams, however. For West Virginians, Virginians, Kentuckians, and Tennesseans living near the mines, it means undrinkable, rash-inducing water full of arsenic and mercury, flying boulders and earthquakes caused by the blasting, and dramatic depreciation of property value. They also live in the shadow of impoundments -- dams which hold back the wastewater created by washing the debris off coal. Eight years ago in Kentucky, one broke and released a torrent of over 300 million gallons of thick, toxic sludge which destroyed homes, farmlands, and 100 miles of waterways.
For the rest of us, more MTR leads to burning more coal, which diverts resources away from alternative energy sources and greater reliance on coal-powered plants, which leads to even more MTR. That means dirtier air, more acid rain, and more global warming emissions.
According to some estimates, as much as 44% of the coal used in North Carolina may come from MTR mines. On the Duke Power grid, eight power plants in Anderson, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Rockingham, Rowan, and Stokes Counties purchase coal directly from MTR mines in Appalachia. Four others purchase coal from companies that operate MTR mines. (For more information on your community’s connection to MTR, visit Ilovemountains.org.
Rising gas prices opens the prospect of a coal-to-liquid industry which would lead to an even greater reliance on coal. The coal industry is peddling the false solution of converting coal into liquid fuel, but the reality is worse than being topless in Appalachia. Not only does it take one ton of coal to produce just two barrels of fuel, but burning liquid coal also releases double the global warming emissions per gallon as regular gasoline. Replacing 10% of our nation’s transportation fuels with liquid coal would require increasing coal mining by over 40%.
Coal is not the solution! Currently there are plans for constructing 87 new coal power plants, each with an expected lifespan of 50 years. Is an additional 50 years of reliance on coal even a viable option for our planet? Let us oppose the irreversible, irremediable practice of MTR, and instead invest in solar, wind, and geothermal power.
MTR requires filling valleys with vast quantities of mining waste. Filling streams with waste was illegal under the Clean Water Act, and advocacy groups used the law to protect the mountains and streams. Rising to the defense of coal companies, the Bush Administration changed the rules, effectively legalizing the filling of streams with waste. Sierra Club and other groups are urging Congress to enact the Clean Water Protection Act, which would reverse the rule change, once again prohibiting the filling of streams with MTR waste. Please join our efforts by asking your utility company not to use MTR coal and urging your Representative to co-sponsor the bill. For more information on how you can help, visit our Clean Water site.
Jea Yoon Lee is an apprentice with the national coal campaign in Washington, DC.
7.17.2008
Oil Magnate Sees Value in Wind
Even the oil-inclined are seeing the value in wind energy, with magnate T. Boone Pickens quickly becoming the public face of a new initiative to lower US energy dependence. You can check out his interview with Katie Couric (note: only half is about energy; the other half concerns his political contribution history) or his website PickensPlan.com.
While NC Sierra Club isn't prepared to comment on all of his proposals, there are a few things well worth a nod:
- He's in it to make a profit. What's more, his venture will supply 4,000 kw from a corridor capable of producing 400,000 kw. What to take from this: even captains of industry can see a new market (untapped) that is capable of supplying 20% of the nation's energy by 2020.
- Wind is clean.
7.16.2008
Party for the Planet!
Tomorrow Thursday, July 17, Lighbulbs to Leadership House Parties will take place across the nation! The event will include a nationwide conference call with Sierra Club leaders. Sign up to host or attend an event here!
7.15.2008
Top Reasons Not to Lift the Offshore Drilling Moratorium
Today, H2806 Offshore Drilling was introduced on the House floor. This resolution urges Congress to give North Carolina the choice to allow drilling on our coast.
The Sierra Club has supported the long standing Offshore Drilling Moratorium for many reasons, here are a few:
1) Drilling operations are harmful to marine environments. Toxic hydrocarbon waste in the form of drilling cuts and muds are inevitable byproducts of drilling. This gas based waste rapidly penetrates fish and other marine life thereby causing disturbances in their vital systems. Coastal marsh and wetlands are composed of still water, so toxins will not be easily flushed out.
2) A substantail portion of North Carolina's tourism industry is based on healthy and beautiful beaches. North Carolina is ranked the sixth most popular state for tourism, attracting 49 million visitors a year. In 2002, $12.538 billion of the state’s total $12.6 billion tourism revenue was generated in the eight counties bordering the Atlantic.
3) Gas prices would be insignificantly affected. Oil is a global commodity that's price is determined on international markets. Therefore, the average American consumer will see little if any savings at the pump. For example, the House Committee on Natural Resources Majority Staff reports that the number of US drilling permits have increased by over 361% between 1999 and 2007, yet gas prices have been and still are dramatically rising.
4) Offshore drilling distracts us from the real problem- our crippling dependence on oil. Alternative energy sources and better fuel economy are the real solutions to the problem.
The Sierra Club has supported the long standing Offshore Drilling Moratorium for many reasons, here are a few:
1) Drilling operations are harmful to marine environments. Toxic hydrocarbon waste in the form of drilling cuts and muds are inevitable byproducts of drilling. This gas based waste rapidly penetrates fish and other marine life thereby causing disturbances in their vital systems. Coastal marsh and wetlands are composed of still water, so toxins will not be easily flushed out.
2) A substantail portion of North Carolina's tourism industry is based on healthy and beautiful beaches. North Carolina is ranked the sixth most popular state for tourism, attracting 49 million visitors a year. In 2002, $12.538 billion of the state’s total $12.6 billion tourism revenue was generated in the eight counties bordering the Atlantic.
3) Gas prices would be insignificantly affected. Oil is a global commodity that's price is determined on international markets. Therefore, the average American consumer will see little if any savings at the pump. For example, the House Committee on Natural Resources Majority Staff reports that the number of US drilling permits have increased by over 361% between 1999 and 2007, yet gas prices have been and still are dramatically rising.
4) Offshore drilling distracts us from the real problem- our crippling dependence on oil. Alternative energy sources and better fuel economy are the real solutions to the problem.
7.14.2008
North Carolina vs TVA
From the Charlotte Observer:
A 2002 N.C. law forced utilities to clean up their emissions that the state says hurt public health. The law also directed the state attorney general to take action against out-of-state utilities, including massive TVA, whose pollutants blow into North Carolina.The case opens today in Ashville; being a case that crosses state lines, it will be decided in federal court and has far reaching consequences for utilities related conflict across the country.
Attorney General Roy Cooper filed suit in 2006, saying TVA wouldn't agree to a firm timetable to reduce emissions. TVA says it has little effect on North Carolina but has spent billions to clean up its plants.
Cooper wants TVA to install pollution controls similar to those North Carolina required of Duke Energy and Progress Energy in 2002. The estimated cost to TVA: $516 million a year.
7.11.2008
No federal action on emissions
Whatever tiny sparkle of hope there was for action on US emissions has just been snuffed out, with news that our current administration will not act before leaving public office - not so hard to see coming.
From the Washington Post:
From the Washington Post:
The Environmental Protection Agency plans to announce today that it will seek months of further public comment on the threat posed by global warming to human health and welfare -- a matter that federal climate experts and international scientists have repeatedly said should be urgently addressed.Even the EPA admits that sweeping emissions change will bring economic benefits. However, the administration will not allow the agency to state publicly that emissions harm public health; such a statement would require immediate policy changes that would affect various industries attached to senior officials.
The Supreme Court, in a decision 15 months ago that startled the government, ordered the EPA to decide whether human health and welfare are being harmed by greenhouse gas pollution from cars, power plants and other sources, or to provide a good explanation for not doing so. But the administration has opted to postpone action instead, according to interviews and documents obtained by The Washington Post.
Chimney Rock State Park
The Nature Conservancy has acquired land in the Hickory Nut Gorge to add to Chimney Rock State Park. From the Citizen-Times:
Four of the tracts, totaling around 134 acres, are on the slopes of Round Top Mountain, a major landmark in Hickory Nut Gorge. For visitors to Chimney Rock, Round Top Mountain is the main feature they see when looking to the northwest from the top of Chimney Rock.
7.08.2008
Energy Prescriptions for a Healthier Budget
In this day and age of $4 dollar a gallon gas and increasing food prices there is a way to lower your household expenses. You can drastically cut your electric bill by following some simple procedures. There are literally hundreds of ways to lower your electric bill; but, for the sake of this article we will only describe two.
Your heating/air conditioning system uses the most electricity in your house. If you set your thermostat at 78 or 79 degrees in the summer you will save thirty to seventy dollars per month depending on the size of your house. Over a five month period that works out to 150 to 450 dollars.
There are some people who may not be comfortable at those temperatures. If you do this for a week or two weeks you will find your body will rapidly acclimate to this change. You can also use your ceiling fans or other fans to help circulate air and make rooms cooler.
Using compact flourescent light bulbs or cfl's will also reduce your electric bill. They are slightly more expensive to purchase; but they will save you money in the long run. They use one-fourth the electricity of a regular bulb and they last eight or nine years.
By using these two procedures and others we have managed to cut our electic bill in half. The money we are able to save is a big help in paying our increased gas and food costs.
Marvin Woll,
NC Sierra Club Volunteer
Your heating/air conditioning system uses the most electricity in your house. If you set your thermostat at 78 or 79 degrees in the summer you will save thirty to seventy dollars per month depending on the size of your house. Over a five month period that works out to 150 to 450 dollars.
There are some people who may not be comfortable at those temperatures. If you do this for a week or two weeks you will find your body will rapidly acclimate to this change. You can also use your ceiling fans or other fans to help circulate air and make rooms cooler.
Using compact flourescent light bulbs or cfl's will also reduce your electric bill. They are slightly more expensive to purchase; but they will save you money in the long run. They use one-fourth the electricity of a regular bulb and they last eight or nine years.
By using these two procedures and others we have managed to cut our electic bill in half. The money we are able to save is a big help in paying our increased gas and food costs.
Marvin Woll,
NC Sierra Club Volunteer
7.07.2008
Wake County Transit Forum
On June 26, along with several other progressive organizations, the Capital Group hosted several presentations on the future of transit in the Triangle at the Wake County Transit Forum.
You can check out the streaming video here.
You can check out the streaming video here.
Hurricane Season
With the tropical storm season approaching (and Bertha looming for Eastern NC), the Sierra Club, in tandem with PLAN!TNOW, has launched the Get Prepared campaign.Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, had this to say on the launch:
In the last decade, the number of natural disasters/year doubled from ~200 (1987-97) to ~400 (2000-06). Climate change, scientists continue to warn, will most likely intensify and promote tropical storms and their effects. Read the press release on our new partnership.“There are steps individuals can take and decisions that communities can make to become safer. That is why we are so proud to work with Morgan Freeman and PLAN!TNOW to raise awareness of these actions and to help protect our natural defense system.”
One Sierra Club Member's Solution to a Growing Problem
Are you worried about high gas prices? What about greenhouse gases emitted by your car? Sierra Club member Craig Melby has found a smart way to combat these issues and have a dependable method of transportation!
Craig is an owner of a street legal, all electric golf cart termed a "low speed vehicle." The vehicle goes up to 25 mph, has a 50 mile range, and is legal on all streets with a speed limit 35 and under. These vehicles cost around $6500 and are run on electricity that currently costs 1% of the price of gasoline!
The vehicle is perfect for trips to the neighborhood grocery store, school, library, and restaurants. Thanks for this great idea Craig!
7.03.2008
Water Footprint
With so many NC counties still designated in extreme drought, and with public water not being a standard topic of conversation, a new view on water use couldn't come at a better time. So take a look at the water footprint of everyday things you didn't even know had a water footprint.
Created by UNESCO, waterfootprint.org details the water that goes into a cup of coffee, a banana, a lb. of maize, a steak, etc. Taking quick showers isn't enough; it saves a few gallons, but not enough considering nearly 1/3 of all tap water used for drinking enters our coffee pots, where it remains, never to leave, never to fulfill its caffeinating duties.
Take a look. If anything, you'll have fun facts to throw around at parties, for instance how much water is wasted when an uneaten banana is discarded.
If you've the time, peruse this report on the water footprint of nations (in relative terms, the US tops consumption; percentage-wise, India heads the list); it also details the impact of various crops on world freshwater supplies.
Created by UNESCO, waterfootprint.org details the water that goes into a cup of coffee, a banana, a lb. of maize, a steak, etc. Taking quick showers isn't enough; it saves a few gallons, but not enough considering nearly 1/3 of all tap water used for drinking enters our coffee pots, where it remains, never to leave, never to fulfill its caffeinating duties.
Take a look. If anything, you'll have fun facts to throw around at parties, for instance how much water is wasted when an uneaten banana is discarded.
If you've the time, peruse this report on the water footprint of nations (in relative terms, the US tops consumption; percentage-wise, India heads the list); it also details the impact of various crops on world freshwater supplies.
Chapel Hill - Transit Champion
During the 2008 Mayor's Climate Protection Awards Program, Kevin Foy, Mayor of Chapel Hill, accepted the Outstanding Achievement Award on behalf of his city.
Back in 2001 (before the student movement), the Chapel Hill transit system gave nearly 3 million rides; presently, the transit system gives approximately 6.5 million rides per year. What's more, they now use hybrid buses. For more info, check out the UNC-Chapel Hill sustainability report (2007).
Outstanding Achievement Awards were awarded to:Chapel Hill became one of North Carolina's very first Cool Cities back in 2006. The community had already shown substantial committment to lowering emissions, as they'd created one of the most successful fare free transit systems in the country and the second largest in the state behind Charlotte's. In order to fund the effort, UNC-Chapel Hill students voted to raise their university fees.
* Large cities: Denver, Honolulu, Houston and New York
* Small cities: Chapel Hill; Columbia, Mo.; Highland Park, Ill.; and Orland Park, Ill.
Back in 2001 (before the student movement), the Chapel Hill transit system gave nearly 3 million rides; presently, the transit system gives approximately 6.5 million rides per year. What's more, they now use hybrid buses. For more info, check out the UNC-Chapel Hill sustainability report (2007).
7.01.2008
A Quick Response for the Environment
With fuel efficiency legislation before the General Assembly this short session - the Clean Cars Study bill and the Energy Efficient State Motor Vehicle Fleets bill – now is the time for local governments to commit to cleaner vehicle fleets.
Emergency response vehicles are among the most fuel inefficient of public vehicles. By necessity, the vehicular behavior of EMS vehicles is not very green: prolonged idling, quick starts and stops, rapid acceleration, etc. EMS vehicles should not be left out of the current green fleet initiative.
An upcoming issue (July) of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) will feature an article by Seth Hawkins, MD, entitled “The Green Machine: Development of a High-Efficiency, Low-Pollution, EMS Response Vehicle” which outlines a study by EMS Burke County, NC, that tested the performance of a hybrid vehicle in EMS operations.
For the study, Burke County EMS used a Ford Escape Hybrid, which is powered by both a combustion engine and an electric engine that are able to run separately or simultaneously. Electric motors are especially efficient in stop-and-go traffic situations since they recover lost heat energy from braking to recharge the car batteries (typically, hybrids have two batteries). Also, electric motors are more efficient than their combustion counterparts at producing torque at low rpm’s, which grant hybrid SUV’s faster acceleration. These reasons among others make hybrid vehicles well suited for EMS needs.
After using the Ford Escape Hybrid as a quick response EMS vehicle for two years, Burke County EMS found the vehicle to perform “without difficulty.” Furthermore, the hybrid was 10% less expensive to purchase, used 50% less gas, and emitted about 50% less greenhouse gasses. Comparatively, hybrid technology provided more power for EMS equipment - sirens, emergency lights, and diagnostic machinery – than traditional SUV’s.
The drawbacks of using the Escape Hybrid were a reduced carrying and towing capacity, as well as more expensive oil filters. However, the study notes that the reduced space never caused a problem for EMS operations, and that the increased oil filter cost is greatly offset by savings in gas.
This report highlights the importance of local action to mitigate climate change. In light of federal inaction to fight global warming, constituent pressure has prompted local community leaders to sign on to the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities campaign. A “Cool City” works to lower its greenhouse gas emissions 7% below 1990 levels by 2012. What is innovative about this campaign is that communities choose their own route to lower emissions. There are now over 40 Cool Cities in North Carolina, and many have fulfilled their obligation by replacing outdated public vehicles with hybrids. In the current push for greener vehicles across North Carolina, it would be irresponsible to overlook EMS vehicles, one of the most wasteful segments of any government fleet.
* Hawkins, Seth C. “The Green Machine: Development of a High Efficiency, Low Pollution EMS Response Vehicle.” (July 2007, pp. 108-120) Journal of Emergency Medical Services.
Emergency response vehicles are among the most fuel inefficient of public vehicles. By necessity, the vehicular behavior of EMS vehicles is not very green: prolonged idling, quick starts and stops, rapid acceleration, etc. EMS vehicles should not be left out of the current green fleet initiative.
An upcoming issue (July) of the Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) will feature an article by Seth Hawkins, MD, entitled “The Green Machine: Development of a High-Efficiency, Low-Pollution, EMS Response Vehicle” which outlines a study by EMS Burke County, NC, that tested the performance of a hybrid vehicle in EMS operations.
For the study, Burke County EMS used a Ford Escape Hybrid, which is powered by both a combustion engine and an electric engine that are able to run separately or simultaneously. Electric motors are especially efficient in stop-and-go traffic situations since they recover lost heat energy from braking to recharge the car batteries (typically, hybrids have two batteries). Also, electric motors are more efficient than their combustion counterparts at producing torque at low rpm’s, which grant hybrid SUV’s faster acceleration. These reasons among others make hybrid vehicles well suited for EMS needs.
After using the Ford Escape Hybrid as a quick response EMS vehicle for two years, Burke County EMS found the vehicle to perform “without difficulty.” Furthermore, the hybrid was 10% less expensive to purchase, used 50% less gas, and emitted about 50% less greenhouse gasses. Comparatively, hybrid technology provided more power for EMS equipment - sirens, emergency lights, and diagnostic machinery – than traditional SUV’s.
The drawbacks of using the Escape Hybrid were a reduced carrying and towing capacity, as well as more expensive oil filters. However, the study notes that the reduced space never caused a problem for EMS operations, and that the increased oil filter cost is greatly offset by savings in gas.
This report highlights the importance of local action to mitigate climate change. In light of federal inaction to fight global warming, constituent pressure has prompted local community leaders to sign on to the Sierra Club’s Cool Cities campaign. A “Cool City” works to lower its greenhouse gas emissions 7% below 1990 levels by 2012. What is innovative about this campaign is that communities choose their own route to lower emissions. There are now over 40 Cool Cities in North Carolina, and many have fulfilled their obligation by replacing outdated public vehicles with hybrids. In the current push for greener vehicles across North Carolina, it would be irresponsible to overlook EMS vehicles, one of the most wasteful segments of any government fleet.
* Hawkins, Seth C. “The Green Machine: Development of a High Efficiency, Low Pollution EMS Response Vehicle.” (July 2007, pp. 108-120) Journal of Emergency Medical Services.
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