The Tata Nano. Click to enlarge.

Tata Motors held the commercial launch of the low-priced Tata Nano—the much-anticipated Rs 1-Lakh (about US$2,000) “People’s Car”. (Earlier post.) The Tata Nano is BS-III compliant and comes with an all-new 2-cylinder aluminium MPFI 624 cc petrol engine mated to a four-speed gear box and will be available in three variants. The cars will be on display across India at Tata Motors Passenger Car dealerships and other select authorized outlets from 1 April.

The Nano is also available in BS-II variants and is BS-IV ready. BS II, BS III and BS IV are the India mandatory norms for NO_x, HC, CO and particulates. These norms are substantially aligned with the European norms Euro II, Euro III and Euro IV; the main difference is that the peak speed in the extra urban driving cycle is 90 km/h in India and 120 km/h in Europe.

Continue Reading “Tata Motors Launches the Nano in India, Details Booking Process”

These amazingly realistic, lifesize sculptures are made with nothing more than cardboard and glue. Chris Gilmour is an artist whose creativity has been captured by the idea of upcycling. He literally picks up cardboard boxes from the street and takes them into his studio to be transformed into incredibly beautiful sculptures.

via GreenUpGrader

Joe Lucas, the spokesman for the American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity (ACCCE) was just interviewed for a piece exploring the myth of “clean” coal. (You may remember ACCCE as the folks who spent over $10.5 million on energy lobbying.)

It seems that the spokesman who represents the industry that puts out more than one third of our CO₂ emissions — the leading cause of global warming — is having some trouble grasping reallity.

Transcript:

Still the industry refuses to say its plants contribute to global warming.
[Question:] Can you just answer that yes or no? If you believe that burning coal causes global warming?
[Joe Lucas:] I don’t know, I’m not a scientist.

You don’t have to be a scientist to know that burning coal is a leading source of global warming pollution. (”GHG Emissions and Sinks 1990–2006,” US EPA 2008.)

But it certainly is hard to believe that while the industry has spent $10.5 million on lobbying, their spokesman isn’t better informed.

Watch the whole story.

via This Is Reality

Ever wish you could you power your home's electrical appliances with the energy you generate on your exercise bike? A new concept called an "inlet outlet" could allow homeowners to put power from kinetic household activities - such as exercise equipment - back into the grid through a wall socket, helping to lower electricity bills. Basically, the inlet outlet would be the opposite of a typical wall outlet.

Update: CARB Delays Decision, Plug-In Hybrid Conversion Startups Dodge a Bullet.

Plug-In Hybrids to be Regulated Out of Existence in California?
The movie Who Killed the Electric Cars? wasn't very tender on the California Air Resources Board (CARB). They were instrumental in the 'murder' of electric cars such as the GM EV1 and Toyota RAV4 EV in California, and now they might be about to do it again with companies that turn hybrid cars into plug-in hybrids.

Read on for more details.

This and more from my favorite site Treehugger.com