There is a tale told by the rangers at the Grand Canyon about a hiker who died of heatstroke.  When the rangers found victim, he still had two full water bottles.  It’s not enough to have what you need, you have to use it.  The same is true in the campaign to slow global warming.  New technology (better batteries, cheaper solar collectors) will improve our chances of success, but first we have to use the technology we have.  There are several examples of available technologies we are failing to use.

One is a ship exhaust scrubber developed by Ecospec, a Singapore company.  Because ships have a ready (and endless) supply of salt water, they can use a technology which reduces the emissions of sulphur dioxide by 90%, nitrogen oxides by 80%, and carbon dioxide by 75%.  This is a particular benefit because ocean-going ships burn bunker oil, which is the filthiest fuel imaginable.  This technology will not be used until and unless we stop allowing ships to send their emissions up the smoke stack, adding to planetary destruction.

A second example of ignoring an available technology is ammonia fuel.  Ammonia may have a clean record in the kitchens and bathrooms of the world, but its potential as a fuel is neglected.  Ammonia is NH3: that’s one nitrogen atom and 3 hydrogen atoms.  Nitrogen forms 78% of the atmosphere.  Hydrogen is the most abundant element in the universe and is well known for its clean burning.  When we use hydrogen as a fuel, the exhaust is water we can drink.  It’s the hydrogen in the ammonia which makes it useful as a fuel. 

Why is ammonia better than pure hydrogen?  Because it’s easier and more efficient to transport.  Ammonia has similar handling properties to propane.  It can be transported in tanks with a pressure of 100 psi and, in that state, it’s a mixture of liquid and gas.  A tank of ammonia has about half of the energy of a tank of propane, but with no carbon.And ammonia can be burned in a conventional gasoline or diesel engine.  While it can also be used to power a fuel cell with even greater efficiency, it can be used in the car or truck in your driveway.  It can be produced using electricity at the equivalent cost of about 70 cents per litre.  A company in Ontario has developed a machine which produces ammonia fuel from the electricity provided by its windmill.  This is truly green fuel.

The third failure to use available technology is the case of electric cars.  If you haven’t already seen Who Killed the Electric Car?, go rent it and learn why I decided to punish GM by putting them into bankruptcy.  Highway capable electric cars appeared in California starting in 1996.  Besides the GM EV1, other electric cars were available from Honda and Toyota.  A friend in California reports that he still sees one of the electric Toyota RAVs tooling around Los Altos.  I cringe when I think of how much CO2, air pollution and gasoline consumption we could have avoided if these cars had not been removed and destroyed 10 years ago.

But missed electric car opportunities didn’t stop there.  There are also “low-speed” electric cars (LSVs).  These include the ZENN (Zero Emission, No Noise) cars produced in St. Jérôme, Quebec.  They have a range of 50 to 80 km and a list price starting at $12,000.  These cars came out in France in 2000 and Canadian production started in 2006.  However, they weren’t sold in Canada.  Despite being exported to 40 states in the USA, Transport Canada stalled for 2 years until The Rick Mercer Report shamed them into granting ZENN its National Safety Mark.  LSVs are allowed to have a maximum speed of 40 kph.  In BC they were required to have warning signs and flashing yellow lights.  BC has relaxed its regulations, but as of last November, only the City of Vancouver, and Oak Bay allow LSV use.  Imagine how many people might have chosen this type of vehicle for their second car if they had been allowed to go 50 or even 60 kph.  Maybe still safer than a motorcycle?We are now on the threshold of a new generation of electric vehicles.  Gregor Robertson got his Mitsubishi MiEV at the recent Vancouver Auto Show.  GM hopes to produce its Volt.  Nissan has an entry, and ZENN plans to release its CityZENN with a top speed of 125 kph and a range of 400 km.  The target price is $25,000.  If these don’t displace a lot of gas guzzlers, it will be a crime and I’ll feel compelled to bankrupt some other companies.