Chevy Volt Has Big Plans for 2012

June 24, 2011 under Articles
Rear view of the Chevrolet Volt at a public ex...

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It used to be that what was good for General Motors was good for America.

Although the era of automotive prosperity in the United States may never reach its former glory, Chevrolet has announced big plans for its extended-range electric vehicle, the Volt.

In 2011, the Volt was only available in eight different states and Washington, D.C. Chevrolet recently opened up orders for all 50 states in 2012 and lowered the base price for the Volt by $1,000. The Volt will be on sale next year for $39,995, and buyers may be eligible for a $7,500 tax credit.

The Volt runs on battery power for 35 miles, but then uses a gas-powered engine until it’s recharged. Although this is far less of a charge capacity than the Nissan Leaf – which runs only on battery power for a distance of 100 miles – the Volt may be just what the US needs to jumpstart the auto industry.

Interrupted by a boost in foreign auto sales, the industry in the US has suffered greatly since the ’90′s. This, coupled with the devastating effects of the recession on Detroit, and you have a recipe for an industry that has almost been lost. Numerous factories and plants were shut down in Southeastern Michigan, and the entire area is just beginning to pull out what is known as “the Great Recession”.

The amount of impact that the Chevrolet operations will have on the US auto industry is yet to be seen. Only one thing can be said for sure: the 60,000 Volts expected to be built at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant will definitely provide for a certain level of resurgence in the Detroit area.

2,500 jobs will be added to the plant. In addition to the Cadillacs and Buicks already built there, Chevrolet aspires to build over 100,000 Volts per year in the future and plans have already been made to add the 2013 Chevy Malibu to their production roster.

As well as providing a boost for the Detroit job market and potentially the US auto industry, the Volt is also a step in the right direction towards our freedom from dependence on oil. President Obama is already hip to this trend and recently purchased a whole fleet of the American-made semi-electric vehicles for government operations.

It’s nothing new that many steps must be made in freeing us from our need of oil and avoiding a global meltdown from our currently high level of carbon emissions.

America has been a leader of the auto industry ever since Henry Ford revolutionized the vehicle assembly line and put Detroit City on the map as a veritable force in car production. We have the opportunity to lead the world in the production of electric vehicles as well, and it all starts with one car: the Chevrolet Volt.

 

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US Lagging in Green Incentives

June 9, 2011 under Articles
US Lagging in Green Incentives

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It’s no question that green businesses and new forms of energy efficiency are necessary in reducing greenhouse gases and carbon emissions, at least in my mind. Apparently, the US government is not sure about the importance of clean technology and the new companies that come with it.

A recent article by the New York Times talked about a company in England whose main business is insulating old homes using new technology to be much more energy efficient. Not only does this cut home energy costs, it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The company, called the Mark Group, prospered over the last decade because of government incentive for businesses and residences to hop on the green bandwagon.

Like many other European and Asian countries, the British government offers a lot of motivation for citizens and companies to be green. Things like government investments, tax breaks, loans, and laws and regulations that tax emissions all help to advance the development of green technologies and businesses.

Unfortunately, the US is not as gung-ho in promoting our green future. Sure, Obama did just buy a fleet of electric vehicles, and he did push legislation to allow for the speedier development of the Cape Wind Project (a massive wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts), but it’s just not enough.

The fact that we don’t have enough government incentive to be green here led the Mark Group to bring their home insulation business to the US. After tapping out the market in England (more than 80% of older homes have now been updated to be more energy efficient), the Mark Group was beginning to run out of clients.

In the US, they saw an untapped market and decided to set up shop in Philadelphia. The fact that businesses don’t receive enough benefits and citizens don’t see a real advantage in trying to be greener has allowed for a slow start in the green revolution in America. Apparently, Congress is still undecided over whether climate change is in fact a real threat, and we have seen no huge efforts in trying to use less fossil fuel.

Clean technology is beginning to catch on in the US, but we are falling way behind when compared to the other leading nations in the world. This lag has affected pour job growth. There is a massive amount of potential to create new jobs with advancing technology in energy conservation. It could be the thing to finally jumpstart our economy again, but we are slacking.

Not only does this affect job growth in the US, it allows for foreign countries to export their green goods and services into our economy, just as the Mark Group did with their home insulation business. American homeowners in Philadelphia are paying this British company to update their houses for energy conservation. Our money is leaving the country.

I don’t claim to be an expert on foreign policy or government action, but I would like to offer a few words of advice for the sake of our economy and future as a nation. Why don’t we stop spending so much money on fighting for oil and supporting the US military, take those billions of dollars spent every year and invest them into promoting green businesses and clean technology? Just a thought…

 

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Cleantech Revolution

June 6, 2011 under Articles
Illustration: Different types of renewable energy.

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Sometimes looking for a job takes a little more than just perusing the classifieds and scouring online employment listings. A job is a job; this is true, but while searching for a new job, it’s important to ask yourself a few questions. How sustainable are these jobs? Will they outlast the great changes taking place in our world and global economy?

Keeping these thoughts in mind, there is one sector of employment that is considered by some to be the “Industrial Revolution” of the 21st century; green jobs. As long as governments stay on track and increase funding by the trillions, the green workforce will provide millions of jobs in the near future.

It is estimated that right now, 13% of the global energy supply comes from renewable resources. In a study by the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, they predicted that by the year 2050, it is possible to provide up to 77% of the world’s energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind power.

Of course this all depends on government action and public policy, but if all goes according to their plans, the grand-scale implementation of renewable energy will provide millions of jobs. It is hard to determine what exactly a green job entails, because no true definition has been provided. But a green job is basically one that is somehow involved in the renewable energy sector. This encompasses a wide range of industries, such as:

  • Bioenergy
  • Wind
  • Solar
  • Geothermal
  • Hydropower
  • Ocean power

In recent years and since renewable energy has become a hot topic, almost 2.5 million green jobs have been added to the economy. By the year 2030, this number could more than triple to 8.5 million green jobs in less than ten years’ time.

In order to provide more than 3/4 of our energy from renewable resources, an enormous investment is necessary from both government and private companies; something along the lines of $5 trillion by the year 2020 and another $7 trillion between 2020 and 2030.

For the world to arrive at a cleaner, more sustainable future, it will require a whole lot of money. Even though resources such as wind, hydro and solar power are free and infinite, this does not mean we get them for free.

But the benefits of this large investment are almost endless. This would mean more jobs for all you seekers out there, decreased dangers of global warming, cleaner air, and less world warfare from a diminished dependence on oil.

So when you are checking out all the job listings out there today, keep an eye out for the green ones.

 

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