|
Articles
Switched-on Highways
Electric cars are taking us back to the future
Green Technonolgy - What is it?
How to get Government grants for green energy
Switched-on Highways
Electric cars are cheaper and faster than any hybrid on the market, says Shai Agassi.The all-electric automobile is not a new idea: in 1900, a quarter of the cars produced in the United States ran on batteries alone. But when Henry Ford debuted his cheap, gas-powered Model T in 1908, oil quickly became the industry standard. Shai Agassi, 40, a former president at software giant SAP, thinks the electric car deserves to be salvaged from history's dustbin. With his new venture, Better Place, he plans to jump-start the fledgling electric-auto industry by building an entire infrastructure—cars, recharge stations and more—from scratch. Governments in Israel, Denmark, northern California and elsewhere have signed on. NEWSWEEK'S Fareed Zakaria spoke to him about the company. Excerpts: 
Back to Top
Electric cars are taking us back to the future
Seemingly random events are edging us towards an electric car future. Hundreds of billions have been spent on bailing out companies with incompetent executives with no vision other than enriching themselves and squelching their opposition. President Obama is talking about spending $2.4 billion to get more electric cars on the road.
Based on present auto sales that would mean less than 2 percent of cars would be electric cars, and that would be several years away.
Meanwhile, carbon emissions would continue to grow, threatening global warming. A much more immediate threat to our security is the dependence on foreign oil.
Back to Top
Green Technology - What is it?
The term "technology" refers to the application of knowledge for practical purposes.
The field of "green technology" encompasses a continuously evolving group of methods and materials, from techniques for generating energy to non-toxic cleaning products.
The present expectation is that this field will bring innovation and changes in daily life of similar magnitude to the "information technology" explosion over the last two decades. In these early stages, it is impossible to predict what "green technology" may eventually encompass.
The goals that inform developments in this rapidly growing field include:
Back to Top
How to get Government grants for green energy
The expense of new technology often dissuades people from converting from fossil fuel technology to renewable forms of energy.However, switching to a sustainable, or green, energy source invests in the future, and both federal and local governments provides assistance to offset the expenses involved with purchasing and installing equipment that provide green energy. If you are interested in making the change to green energy, you can apply online for a variety of grants from the federal government, one of the funding sources for renewable energy technology. These steps will help you with the process.
Back to Top |
|
