Tech & Transport on Planet Green

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11/03/10--08:39: Do Electric Vehicles Have Performance Benefits? (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Patrick E. George from HowStuffWorks.com. More and more, the future of the automobile is looking to be an electric one. That sounds great for the environmentalist crowd -- after it, it means cars with zero emissions and a greatly reduced dependence on fossil fuels -- but what about the horsepower-loving, speed-worshipping petrol heads? Will the electric future get to include those drivers who like to go fast? Fortunately, electric vehicles do have ... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/04/10--09:04: Top 10 Electric Car Frequently Asked Questions (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Jonathan Strickland from HowStuffWorks.com. The electric car is sure to figure prominently in any conversation about green vehicles. But the subject raises lots of questions. Are electric cars more environmentally friendly than traditional gas-powered vehicles or alternatives like cars that run on hydrogen? And why are electric cars so expensive? We're going to answer these questions (and eight more like them) right now. 1. Why did commercial e... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/04/10--09:53: All-New Electric Car Parts (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Akweli Parker from HowStuffWorks.com. In the beginning, long before electric cars were considered cool by mainstream auto snobs, the category was something of an automotive freak show. Quirky, sometimes eccentric individuals contrived homemade electric cars from the gutted carcasses of "donor" vehicles and parts sourced from swap meets and electrical supply catalogs. These parts were almost never built by the original manufacturer with electric cars as their primary, intended purpose. OK, so maybe that still happens, but over the last few years, that's been changing. Throughout the last decade, small companies have sprung up to cater specifically to the market... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/04/10--12:14: Cars Without Starters, Alternators or Spark Plugs (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Akweli Parker from HowStuffWorks.com. One of the first things you learn in Cars 101 is that you need fuel, air and spark to bring a car's engine to life. It's practically a mantra. When you have engine problems of some sort, you can usually trace them to something funky going on with either the delivery of fuel, the amount of oxygen available to help burn the fuel or the magnitude and timing of electrical charges to ignite the air-fuel mixture. With electric cars, we have to toss all that out the window. In fact, we can scrap an entire category of car parts -- those that convert the mechanical energy of the engine into elect... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/05/10--07:07: 7 Phone Apps That Are Changing Lives in Africa (chan 1585671)

We've heard enough by now about how cell phones are ubiquitous all over the world, including in countries where some people have more access to mobile phones than to adequate sanitation. Plenty of technology-oriented folks are aware of that irony and have been developing amazingly innovative applications. Here's a look at 7 ways in which small gadgets like cell phones can make a world of difference for the people using them. Improving business and farming Phone apps have been developed to let people check market prices for their goods, helping them to avoid a situation in which they do not get a fair price because they have no way of knowing th... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/05/10--08:30: Will Electric Cars Require More Maintenance? (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Christopher Lampton from HowStuffWorks.com. In the beginning, your main problem in keeping your electric car well-maintained is going to be finding a mechanic who knows how to do it. Most automobile mechanics are trained in working with internal combustion engines and may be surprised when they look under the hood of your car to find out that it doesn't have one. This means that (at least initially) you'll probably have to take your car to the dealership for most servicing. Depending on how good your warranty is, this may or may not cost you more than goin... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/05/10--10:29: Are Electric Cars Safe in Accidents? (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Christopher Lampton from HowStuffWorks.com. Cars are dangerous machines. They kill more than 30,000 people per year in the United States alone. What makes them dangerous is their size, their weight, their speed, their momentum and -- perhaps most frighteningly -- they have a tank full of gasoline, a substance that can potentially catch fire and explode. This is one way in which purely electric cars are distinctly safer than cars with internal combustion engines: They don't carry any gasoline. But they add an entirely new factor to the safety equation. Almost all electric cars currently on their way to t... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/08/10--07:47: Building Electric Car Charging Infrastructures (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Akweli Parker from HowStuffWorks.com. For better or worse, we've come to rely on our motor vehicles as long-distance conveyances. Even though the average trip by car in the United States is around 10 miles (16.1 kilometers), we want our cars and trucks to be able to take us the 120 miles (193.1 kilometers) to grandma's house for the two or three times a year we actually need to. For that reason, electric vehicles, which have notoriously limited ranges, need to have long-range capability comparable to that of fossil fuel-powered cars -- if they're to gain mainstream acceptance. To ... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/08/10--08:48: Pre-heating and Cooling Electric Vehicles (chan 1585671)

This post, part of a series we're running all about electric cars, was written by Christopher Lampton from HowStuffWorks.com. Anyone who's ever tried to start a car on a cold winter morning, cranking the ignition several times before the internal combustion engine finally chugs to life, knows that their car's battery doesn't perform as well when it's cold as it does when its warm. This is usually only a minor inconvenience in a gas-powered car because the battery plays only a minor role in the vehicle's operation. However, in an all-electric car, where the battery is responsible for running the electric motor that makes the car go, battery temperature can become crucial. If the battery is too cold the car can be sluggish or may not even move a... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/11/10--13:45: New Dean of Invention Shows Us How We Can Turn Poo Into Power (chan 1585671)

Ever since I learned the word humanure not too long ago, I've been a little bit fascinated by it. Say it with me... humanure. Much better than excrement, poo, poop, crap, or any of the other words used to describe our biological waste. Manure is a pretty nice word too, but not so nice as humanure. Why am I droning on about dung? Because in the next new episode of Dean of Invention, airing this Friday, November 12 at 10pm Eastern is going Gonzo for Guano. In any case, this la... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/12/10--05:00: Get on the Secret 'Do Good Bus' (chan 1585671)

Psst. Get on this bus. I can't tell you where it's going. There's also a secret inside. Confused yet? Don't be, this is the "Do Good Bus," and it will take you on the ride of your socially conscious life. Here's how it works: Get on the "Do Good Bus" at a designated location. You'll be wined and dined while it's on the road, and learn about causes in your neighborhood. It's an easy way to sit back, relax, then get involved with local nonprofits, and other efforts to help folks in need. It's like going back to school, with a twist. After all, there are lots of people (maybe yourself included) who want to "give back" and "do good" in their community, but just don't know enough of the "how." What's up with the Read the full story on Planet Green


11/15/10--10:12: Bat Brain Research Highlights Human Selective Hearing Skills (chan 1585671)

How is it we can hone in on a particular conversation in a crowded room? Or notice a particular noise in a loud environment. New research into the way bats filter and process sound is providing insights into the way humans also respond to sounds. Bridget Queenan is a doctoral candidate in neuroscience at Georgetown University Medical Center, and figured that bats are a perfect subject to study when wanting to learn more about how our brains understand sound. After all, bats are listening for their own echos amid hundreds and thousands of other bats also calling out to create echos in order to navigate and hunt. That's some seriously selective hearing. According to Georgetown University, Queenan has found that... Read the full story on Planet Green


11/16/10--11:05: Smart Solutions for Flooding Lean on Low-Tech Ideas (chan 1585671)

When it comes to finding solutions for flooding in towns during rainy seasons, the answers can be as simple as making use of the strategies Mother Nature has already employed. Urban landscapes strip away elements of natural flood control, such as deep top soil and trees with their wide-spread root systems. But the town of Pickering in North Yorshire has finally acknowledged how important these pieces of the puzzle are when trying to deal with annual flooding. The town is planting more trees and increasing soil absorption as a cheaper, more practical, and more sustainable solution to concrete and steel structures for protecting towns against floodwater. Here, BBC explains the strategy: