Carbon Day 2012 -Boston’s Copley Sq. http://www.bu.edu/energy/carbon-day-2012-bostons-copley-sq/
Elk Horn, Iowa: an Oasis for Electric Cars
Here’s something you probably didn’t know about the town of Elk Horn, Iowa: it has America’s highest concentration of electric vehicle charging stations.
The Danish windmill in Elkhorn, behind a sign for a charging station
“Highest concentration” awards are relatively easy to come by when your population is 650. (Elk Horn also has the highest concentration of Danish immigrants; its residents say its interest in alternative energy derives from the homeland.) The town has four electric charging stations, one at a solar-powered service station, one in a parking lot, one at the hotel, and one by the Danish windmill, the town’s greatest tourist attraction.
The charging stations came to Elk Horn last November thanks to Mike Howard, a 57-year-old local entrepreneur who owns two businesses that test and calibrate alternative energy devices. You might say that he is so far ahead of the curve that, looking back, the curve can’t even be seen. Elk Horn itself only has four purely electric vehicles, and those all belong to Howard’s own businesses. “We’re our own best customers,” admits Trevor Schroeter, a project manager at World Cal, one of Howard’s companies. The chargers cost about $7,000 apiece, but a charge runs no more than $3.
While the idea of one charger per car might appear “ludicrous,” says Schroeter, consider this: In the vast stretch of Interstate 80 running between Chicago and Denver, there was nowhere to charge an electric vehicle, unless you were going to bum some electricity off a stranger. Now there is. Electric charging stations can be found all over the state of California (the Bay Area alone has about 130 listings on this site), but in the Midwest, Elk Horn is an electric oasis.
Maybe that’s why Howard and Schroeter are already planning on installing upgraded stations within the next month, capable of reducing the charging time from six hours down to three. They’re also working with partners in Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska to expand the EV infrastructure there. The hope is that each new station will help diminish the “range anxiety” surrounding electric vehicles, which in their smaller and cheaper incarnations sometimes only get 40 miles to a charge.
Never mind that the cars aren’t there yet. There’s a saying about this, already associated with rural Iowa: If you build it, they will come.
Join us in Copley Square for an open air event showcasing electric vehicles and public information on Wednesday September 15th. Copley Square – Back Bay, on the Boylston Street side of Copley Square.
September 9, 2010 by carbonday
Filed under Blog, Calendar, Carbon Day Festivals, Carbonday Festivals, Media, News
The event will be held from 10 am to 3:00 pm.
Personal hybrid and all electric transportation of the near future, from trucks to bicycles, will be on display in Copley Square. Creators, manufacturer’s representatives, and owners will be on hand to answer questions and hand out information about their vehicles. Learn about the future city network of charging infrastructure that will be available as well as what Smart Neighborhoods and the Smart Grid can do. Participants include MIT Electric Vehicle Team, ConVerdant Vehicles, National Grid, Wheego, Vectrix Corp., Segway of Boston, MyBike, and Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources – Clean Cities Coalition.
Free to the public, we invite area schools, businesses, and all interested people to come see what your electric personal transportation options look like.
Sponsored by Boston University Center for Energy and Environmental Studies and Clean Energy and Environmental Sustainability Initiative jointly with the Electric Vehicle Urban Infrastructure Study (EVUIS).
Obama: Now is time to pass climate change bill
By H. JOSEF HEBERT and DINA CAPPIELLO
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is pressing again for passage of legislation that would confront the problem of global warming head-on.
Speaking in the Rose Garden of the White House, Obama said Washington must not miss the opportunity to work on cleaning the air and at the same time creating new “green” energy jobs. He called the measure “a jobs bill” and said the country for far too long has been too reliant on energy from fossil fuels.
The White House has seemed concerned that momentum for the bill is slipping away. Obama said “I know this is going to be a close vote because there is misinformation out there.” He spoke as House Democratic leaders scurried to line up enough votes to get the bill passed there, possibly as early as Friday.
Republicans largely oppose the bill before House members, arguing that it amounts to a massive energy tax.
Power brokers for your car
Click Photo for Article
SCI-TECH | Firm sells 27 plug-in charging stations for hybrid vehicles, including at Northerly Island
Sandra Guy
June 20, 2009
It’s still a rare sight, but electric-hybrid cars and trucks will soon be revving up at a plug-in station at Northerly Island, the former site of Meigs Field.
The charging station was sold to the Chicago Park District by local start-up company Carbon Day, which has the exclusive rights to distribute them in the Midwest, including at movie theaters, parking garages, office buildings and shopping malls (carbondayautomotive.com).
ABC7 Profiles Carbon Day
‘Synthetic tree’ claims to catch carbon in the air
Click for Article
- Story Highlights
- “Synthetic tree” would capture carbon dioxide in the air to reduce emissions
- Trapped carbon would be compressed to liquid C02 ready for sequestration
- Technology is being developed by scientists at Columbia University in the U.S.
- Broecker: “I think this is something that the world’s going to have to have”
LONDON, England (CNN) — Scientists in the United States are developing a “synthetic tree” capable of collecting carbon around 1,000 times faster than the real thing.
As the wind blows though plastic “leaves,” the carbon is trapped in a chamber, compressed and stored as liquid carbon dioxide.
The technology is similar to that used to capture carbon from flue stacks at coal-fired power plants, but the difference is that the “synthetic tree” can catch carbon anytime, anywhere.
Carbon Day will be celebrated statewide on Sept. 15
ILLINOIS GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESOLVES THAT CARBON DAY WILL BE CELEBRATED STATEWIDE ON SEPTEMBER 15th
The 96th General Assembly of the State of Illinois, has resolved that Carbon Day will be celebrated in Illinois, annually on September 15th. On this designated date, individuals, organizations, schools, and communities throughout the state will be urged to play a part in reducing the State’s carbon footprint by planting trees and organizing special programs to educate the people about simple steps that can be taken to reduce carbon emissions. The State of Illinois is dedicated to providing and preserving a healthy environment for the benefit of its citizens and for future generations.
Legislature sets first Carbon Day for September
CHICAGO – Carbon Day will be celebrated in Illinois on September 15, and organizers envision a day of tree planting, recycling and composting.
Illinois lawmakers formally recognized the event with a resolution making the day a state holiday.
Organizers say the day is meant to focus on the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment and raise public awareness about reducing use of fossil fuels.
They hope Carbon Day will become a national holiday.
A kickoff is being planned for Lincoln Park in Chicago. Organizers are looking for corporate partners.
Sept. 15 Is Carbon Day
Celebrate Carbon Day on September 15th!
At Carbon Day we believe that everyone should “PLAY A PART” and work towards the goal of reducing each person’s carbon footprint.
Inevitably, when going about our daily lives — commuting, sheltering our families, eating — each of us contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change.
There are many things each of us, as individuals and organizations, can do to reduce our carbon emissions.
The choices we make in our homes, offices, our travel, the food we eat, and what we buy and throw away all influence our carbon footprint and if we become conscious of these choices, we can help ensure a stable climate for future generations. We believe in sustainability and the benefits a sustainable world can bring.
September 15th has been designated as the official Carbon Day Holiday. This presents each of us with the opportunity to create an event, large and small, in our own community to educate one another about energy efficiency and how to reduce our individual and collective Carbon Footprint.
We will provide you with materials that will assist in planning and setting up your own Carbon Day Holiday event. You can register your events in our database and show how you are Playing your Part.
If you would like additional information about Carbon Day Automotive, please view our website atwww.CarbonDayAutomotive.com Play a Part™ and Plug In!
Contact
Carbon Day Welcomes all comments and suggestions on how we can improve our message.
Please be patient as we try and answer the inquiries in the order that we receive them.
We are always looking for qualified and responsible individuals or groups who would like to sponser or hold an event on Carbon Day which is Sept 15.
Please direct all correspondence to the correct party listed below.
Events
Carbon Day Events or to volunteer in other ways 800 W. Huron suite 4E Chicago, IL 60642
Phone: 312.275.5747 Fax: 312.276.4855 BenL@carbonday.com
CDA
Carbon Day Automotive – If you would like information on how to purchase an electric vehicle charging station or to become a qualified reseller.
800 W. Huron suite 4E Chicago, IL 60642 ScottE@carbonday.com
For Media Requests please contact:
Jane Kaplan Communications 400 Park Avenue, Suite D Highland Park, IL 60035 Phone–847.433.8594 Fax–847.433.8505 jane@jkaplancommunications.com
Tree Facts
- Two mature trees provide enough oxygen for a family of four
- One acre of trees removes 2.6 tons of CO2 per year
- About one third of the United States of America is covered by forests
- The average tree in an urban
