Chasing Clean Air

Cars & Energy Use Depending Upon Where We Live

Yesterday, felt like a darn near firestorm of comments over my post, showing concern about the warning signs at California's first hydrogen gas station on Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles.

I like many who have seen the signs, expressed concern, which certain readers here put to rest.

So I woke up thinking about our energy needs. And how it makes sense to acknowledge sacrifices and risks in order to get off fossil fuels, which could mean algae, solar, wind, battery-powered and hydrogen-powered cars and more.

Depending on where we live.

Born and bred in California, I know solar is our energy answer. (It's also our problem with growing drought)

Travel to Pacific Northwest, and you see energy powered by water by dams.

Travel to Nova Scotia, and you see energy powered by tidal waves at the Bay of Fundy.

Travel to Denmark, energy by wind.

Travel to Singapore, energy by solar.

And so on...

I think when considering this massive Hydrogen Highway plan, it'd be most useful to focus first on major cities in states (and countries) that don't have access to creating safe, renewable energy.

I'm saying this if funds and resources are limited in the beginning. And I'm thinking they must be limited with our economic climate effecting car manufacturers.

So why don't the GMs and Fords of the world, focus on rolling our their hydrogen vechicles and infrastructure in areas that aren't rich in other natural resources.

And simultaneously work on an all-electric car for areas like California with a plentiful renewable energy source, the sun.

Shell & California's First Retail Hydrogen Gas Station

Update: Nov. 17, 2008

I've become more educated on hydrogen fuel and its safety, and believe it is relatively safe and more safe than petroleum.

There is a need to create hydrogen fueling stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, New York and Washington, DC. You can read about how to get involved, and get funding if in California here.

You can also read my summary on the facts and myths of hydrogen I wrote after attending a media briefing. The Hydrogen Economy: Myths and Facts

Cheryl Tiegs received an award for being green, and driving green with GM's fuel cell vehicle. She was at the Shell hydrogen gas station, filling up on hydrogen and accepting this plaque in front of Access Hollywood cameras when I was researching hydrogen fuel safety there.

The West Los Angeles Shell station is the first hydrogen fuel station in California. It opened in July 2008 and averages 8-10 customers a day filling on hydrogen.

Did I over-react this morning in previous post, highlighting the warning signs near hydrogen pumps?

No cell phones or flammable materials within 25 feet, the signs warn.

Welcome to Chasing Clean Air: One stop "shopping" for clean air destinations

Have you ever had a moment when you said,

"Enough is enough, I'm out of here!"

Perhaps you were stuck in traffic, observing a blackish brown-skyline like below.

My moment arrived in the summer of 2006 when the sky looked like this from my window on Southwest Airlines hovering over LAX.

Soot built on my window sill despite weekly cleaning.

And traffic didn't move, leaving plenty of time to think about chasing clean air, beauty and a sustainable life.

Quality of life had to be better elsewhere.

Today, Los Angeles is still my base but I'm now a clean air advocate speaking out and testifying at hearings such an EPA hearing for stricter ozone standards, which you can read here and...

Solar Stocks. A Great Buy?

Cries are heard through-out our land.

Markets worldwide have plummeted.

A cleaning, if you will, of over-inflated stuff.

And fear begetting fear.

And my solar stocks are WAY down. Those stocks I'd been so proud of like Sunpower (SPWR), down, down, DOWN. And a part of me thinks they are now great buys. I'm not a financial expert. So let me be clear that I'm not making recommendations. I'm not, and I never will. I'm rather ordinary when it comes to money-matters, since I find clean air and living matters supremely more interesting.

But if I were investing now, and I'm not, I'd put money in solar and wind. Way down. Now. (Me? I recently invested in a big bag of organic almonds from Whole Foods priced like a bag of gold.)

Foss Hybrid Tug

You might wonder what a little tugboat has to do with clean air.

If you live near a port, you know that tugboats idling their motors waiting for big ships that they then pull, emitting dirty diesel emissions that float throughout our air, is a danger to nearby children who may cough and have asthma attacks in response.

So here comes the little hybrid tugboat built by Foss, a northwest company, that could and will spare our air a bit more from pollution.

Thanks to Doug, a frequent reader and comment contributor to Chasing Clean Air, he scooped a part of what's in California's infamous draft scoping plan of AB 32 (Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006) and it's about the hybrid tugboat that will help clean our air.

Every little bit helps, so we'll take it.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach contributed over a million dollars to this hybrid tugboat project, which they (and we) stand to benefit from.

The Foss hybrid tugboat should be ready by next month, and it's technology can be retrofitted to existing tugboats, too.

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A fire burned near my apt. most the night, which explains why big rigs, cars, and every moving transportation you could imagine were under my window throughout the night since traffic was diverted from the freeway and I think Sepulveda in certain areas. Sirens are still going, fires almost out I think, but the air... well, I'm headed to the beach. I did go dancing last night, which as usual was better than expected. I suppose it's time to get dates for my next trip.