Enviro-mental

Today I spent six hours in the car. I had business to attend to in a city three hours away. It was the kind of trip I’m glad I don’t make often, and the kind that makes me cringe with guilt every time I step on the accelerator or put gas in the tank. I’m sure there are numerous people out there who’d like to give me a green hand-print across the wrist, but life is life and sometimes these trips are required. At least I drive a Civic.

To keep myself awake for the drive, I tuned into the local news. I perked up with the mention of gas prices ($50 to fill up the Civic this morning!), which have gone up about $0.10/L over the past week. These are the same gas prices expected to top $1.50/L by mid-summer and apparently, by 2012, $2.50/L (Stats from today’s Globe and Mail).

Fine. So obviously we have a little bit of an economic crisis looming with a full doubling of prices at the pumps. But the announcer shocked me with what she said next - that car manufacturers are working hard at producing cleaner Diesel engines for the “short-term” when gas prices are high.

Short-term? It must be the first time that phrase has been used with respect to the environment.  Does this reflect a lingering notion that global warming is a problem for which we’ll soon find a solution?

Our planet doesn’t work that way when faced with irreversible damage.

We need long-term solutions, and (whether by force from the government or by their own will), car manufacturers seem to get this. I saw numerous hybrids on the road today, in fact.

Who here thinks gas prices will go back down after they go up? And who can afford to buy a new car every time market forces change?  Buying a new car to save a few dollars until prices come down is ludicrous.

Oil is non-renewable. Period. Get over it. And next time you buy a car, look into permanent earth-friendly alternatives instead of a temporary fix.

Researchers in Texas have picked up where the U.S. government left off more than 10 years ago: they’re trying to grow algae for fuel.

Algae is a quick-growing plant that gets all the energy it needs from the sun, making it a renewable source. Growing algae on vertical gardens reduces the risk of contamination from other species, and decreases evaporation of the water used in ponds, algae’s natural habitat.

There are more than 65,000 algae species, with an estimated thousands more yet to be identified.  Some species contain more than 50% oil, or lipid, which could be turned into biofuel.

When the U.S. government abandoned research on microalgae it was thought algae could never compete with oil as a fuel source. But with the price per barrel of oil rising by a factor of five since 1996, algae is being given a second look.

Some high-lipid species of microalgae are also used to produce vegan fish-free omega-3 fatty acids, especially docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is essential for healthy growth and development in children. In adults, omega-3s benefit brain function and cardiovascular health.

For vegetarians who do not eat fish, algae is the only known direct source for DHA. Otherwise, their bodies must manufacture it from other omega-3s, which is an inefficient process.

Not too long ago bamboo was being touted as the new renewable eco-friendly fabric for everything from clothing to rugs and floorboards.

Well, algae is the new bamboo - renewable, plant-based, ecologically grown and harvested. With its multitude of benefits for fuel and food, it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing a lot more of it, very soon.

It’s been cold in Canada for the last couple of weeks. And Canadian wisdom dictates several practices when it comes to driving in Canadian winters:

• Snow tires are a requisite for those who ski regularly, or for city folk worried their streets won’t be plowed;
• During a storm, windshield wiper blades should be lifted off the glass to prevent sticking, and
• Cars must be warmed up before embarking on a trip.

But apparently idling the engine is not only unnecessary but wasteful and polluting as well. The City of Toronto has an idling by-law, whereby vehicles are not permitted to idle for more than three minutes per hour. According to the city’s website, a gasoline engine burns about 3.5 litres of fuel per hour of idling, or about 3% of Ontario’s total fuel. And 10 seconds of idling uses more gas than restarting the engine.

Apparently driving the car at a slow speed for about five minutes warms it up faster, without detrimental effects.

If the idea of smog and greenhouse gases don’t turn you off idling, how about the idea that idling 10 minutes uses 20 cents of gas. Not a huge amount, but not insignificant for those who usually leave their cars on while they run into the store or put on their coats.