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The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities and Minister responsible for Quebec, and Mr Michel Després, Quebec Minister of Transport and Minister responsible for the National Capital Region, are pleased to announce that their governments have committed to contributing $16.5 million to innovative public transit initiatives as part of the Urban Transportation Showcase Program (UTSP) in Gatineau, Montreal and Quebec City.

These contributions will help put electric buses into service in Old Quebec, and in Gatineau, implement various measures designed to make public transit more attractive and user-friendly in a corridor that will accommodate a combination of regular buses and hybrid diesel-electric buses. In Montreal, the Société de transport de Montréal is also planning to put hybrid buses into service.

“Canada’s New Government is proud to be working with all levels of government and transit authorities to encourage Canadians to incorporate public transit into their lifestyle. This will be a legacy for future generations,” said Minister Cannon. ” Today’s announcement is a step towards making public transit more energy-efficient and more attractive to riders.”

“These projects are perfectly in line with the objectives of Quebec’s Public Transit Policy, to which we have introduced an innovative component, and the Climate Change Policy, which were tabled in June 2006,” said Mr. Després. “The Public Transit Policy sets out the objective to increase public transit ridership by 8 per cent by 2012, and we are certain that we will meet this objective. I am also very pleased that one of these exceptionally innovative projects will be implemented in the National Capital Region.”

“Once again, Québec is demonstrating its avant-gardism in the area of new technology,” added the Honourable Josée Verner, federal Minister responsible for the Québec region. “This initiative highlights the importance of environmental issues to the people of Québec, and shows our Government’s commitment to implement solutions that will improve air quality and protect our environment.”

For Benoît Pelletier, Minister responsible for the Outaouais Region and MP for Chapleau, this announcement is yet another sign of the importance of the environment issue in the region. “The announcement of the hybrid bus in our city, and the Urban Transportation Showcase Program for all of Quebec and Canada emphasizes the importance of the environment on our daily lives. Residents of the Outaouais Region will have access to efficient, environmentally sound urban transportation services.”

In Gatineau and Montreal, the total cost of the projects is estimated at $19.7 million. The partners will contribute the following amounts:

• $6.4 million from the Quebec government;
• up to $4 million from the federal government;
• $2.2 million from the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO);
• $3.2 million from the Société de transport de Montréal (STM); and
• $3.9 million from the Société de financement des infrastructures locales, which is co-funded by the Governments of Canada and Quebec.

In Quebec City, the total cost of the project is estimated at $12.2 million. The partners will contribute the following amounts:

• $4.1 million over two years from the Quebec government;
• up to $2 million from the federal government; and
• $6.1 million from Quebec City.

Funding for these pilot projects is contingent on the signing of contribution agreements.

UTSP funds community showcase programs that highlight and assess ways of reducing transportation-related greenhouse gases. The program was developed following consultations with provincial, territorial and municipal partners, among others. Following a Request for Qualification issued across the country, eight municipalities were selected to present their strategies for facing these urban challenges.

Tags: bus transit, public transport, utsp, canada, quebec, gatineau, montreal, municipal

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Solar energy is a serious consideration for any transports and logistics company looking to lower their monthly power utility bills to operate their (usually numerous and disparate) buildings.

Now, imagine that a company, somewhere, could sell you solar panels that can produce between 2 and 4 times more electricity (for the same physical coverage) than “regular” (off the shelf) solar panels.

You’d think such an awesome technology would be either out of price and / or unavailable before at least a few years but you’d be wrong, on both assumptions.

Meet the innovaors at Nanosolar, in Palo Alto, CA who have taken the “nanotechnology” path to greatly improve the solar cell “productivity-level”. The foundation for their solar panels is so well-thought that it seems their ongoing research is constantly yielding more impressive “results” that T&L companies (and other types of companies, too) will surely want to learn more about.

The way things are going, Nanosolar is on track to make electricity:

• cost-efficient for -ubiquitous- deployment (read: everywhere, anytime);
• mass-produced on a global scale (free energy for everyone);
• available in many versatile forms (creative applications, even for the T&L operators).

Nanosolar has developed proprietary technology that makes it possible to simply roll-print solar cells that require only 1/100th as thick an absorber as a silicon-wafer cell (yet deliver similar performance and durability).

There’s a CNN video explaining all of this so you may want to watch it (.wmv format).

The unique approach Nanosolar has perfected dramatically lowers the process cost and complexity involved in the production of thin-film solar cells and makes it possible to scale production very rapidly.

The performance these “nanotech-enabled” solar “films” is so impressive that it might just be possible, right now, to put solar panels on mostly any kind of building, be it residential, commercial or industrial.

We’re pretty sure, here at NavSite, that you’re hoping Nanosolar can (somehow) adapt their impressively “thin” solar panels to fit on trucks, trains, boats and even planes. Well, given the nature of the technology, in our humble opinion, there’s nothing stopping them of doing it.

Tags: nanosolar, nanotechnology, solar energy, environment, thin solar panels

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At some point, it’s important that the transports and logistics industry ask some hard questions to our politicians. Every time we fuel our vehicles with gas, our wallets dry up and it’s getting scary.

What if all this time we’d been lied to? What if gas, or even hydrogen wasn’t our best alternative? What if some powerful people found happiness in enslaving you and your company to the fuel pumps?

Influent voices are now rising to explain, with abundant proof, that it would be a lot more productive and cost effective to use batteries, instead of hydrogen fuel, to power our vehicles.

Sadly for us all, though, it’s a lot more profitable for the apparently omnipotent petroleum industry to develop the hydrogen technology, despite the considerable dangers involved, than investing for the development of efficient batteries.

Why? Because hydrogen will keep us tied up to the pumps.

Again, it’s all about the money.

Would it be possible that we’re all spectators to a giant play resembling a global conspiracy to move us all from one dependency (fossil fuel) to another (hydrogen)?

Sony Pictures has launched, on June 28th 2006, in both Los Angeles and New York, an amazing documentary / movie titled “Who Killed the Electric Car?” that tackles this situation head-on. The movie should be available locally, in most cities, this summer — as a T&L Professional, you should probably see it.

You may ask yoursefl why you should sit at your local cineplex looking at a “documentary” for a few hours? It’s a good question but let’s start with a few facts. In 1996, not so long ago, electric cars began to pop up on California’s roads. They were quiet, fast (zippy, to be precise), produced no exhaust and basically ran without any gasoline… a dream on four wheels, right?

Ok, so why are electric cars on the way out?

What happened?

In the transports and logistics industry, it’s hard to imagine daily business without using fossil fuel but, in comparison, look at the rest of our lives.

We use batteries in toothbrushes, rasors, flashlights, remotes, wireless phones, portable devices and computers… nowadays, even the books we buy for our kids come with little battery powered sound systems that play music while they read!

I’ll admit we either have to recharge the batteries once in a while (or even change them) but overall, we’re getting decent performance.

Why can’t we use batteries in our vehicles, especially for shorter commutes?

Imagine the savings in the T&L industry if all short distances could be taken care of by electric vehicles. Nobody would want to switch back to fossil fuel or even hydrogen so why are we so passive and tolerant about those “alternatives” now?

The ongoing debate over how to fuel the many vehicles in our highly mobile society will not stop here but hopefull, by asking questions, T&L operators from around the world will keep an open mind about what the future may have in store.

Tags: electric cars, gm, mobile society, fossil fuel, hydrogen, no emissions, documentary

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Last month, in West Sacramento, President Bush visited the California Fuel Cell Partnership headquarters to learn about the progress of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

During his visit, the President toured the solar-powered facility including CaFCP’s hydrogen station and a vehicle service bay — one of eight — to see the work that goes on a daily basis. He also saw fuel cell vehicles produced by eight auto manufacturers and two fuel cell buses.

At the conclusion of the tour, President Bush spoke about advanced transportation technology to an audience comprised of CaFCP members and White House guests. Here are short excerpts:

“I strongly believe hydrogen is the fuel of the future. That’s what we’re talking about,” the President stated during his speech. “Hydrogen is used in a fuel cell that can power a car that uses no gasoline, produces no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen vehicles can be twice as efficient as gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen is clean; hydrogen is domestically produced; and hydrogen is the wave of the future. And the people here at the California Fuel Cell Partnership understand that.”

To this day, a total of 134 fuel cell passenger vehicles and 9 fuel cell buses have been placed on California’s roads. They fuel at the 22 hydrogen stations located in major metropolitan areas, across California.

These vehicles are powered by electricity produced onboard by fuel cells that combine hydrogen fuel with oxygen from air. Their only tailpipe emission is water. This truly represents an alternative for the future of transport.

Founded during Earth Week seven years ago, the California Fuel Cell Partnership is a collaboration of 31 member organizations working together to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP members include automotive manufacturers, energy providers, government agencies, fuel cell technology companies and transit agencies. Through collaboration, the members share learnings, develop common practices and prepare the California market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP is committed to promoting fuel cell vehicle commercialization as a means of moving toward a sustainable energy future, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing or eliminating air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The official CaCFP press release has a few more details and you can also read President Bush’s exact words during his speech about advanced transportation technology, in the State of California.

Tags: hydrogen, green cars, california, pollution, greenhouse gas, emissions, transportation

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Five projects designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the freight transportation sector have been selected to receive funding under Transport Canada’s Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program.

Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that the selected projects will receive funding totalling approximately $582,000. This funding will support a variety of initiatives ranging from enhancing the fuel efficiency of aircraft engines to the management of fuel consumption by trucking companies using a satellite tracking system.

“The companies awarded funding under this program have shown innovation and a willingness to experiment,” said Minister Cannon. “The results have the potential to enhance not only our environment, but also the processes and equipment that we use in freight transportation every day.”

The following organizations will receive funding under the program: Freight Wing Incorporated, Sunbury Transport Limited, Jazz Air Limited Partnership, Polymer Distribution Incorporated and Ronald A. Chisholm Limited.

The Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program supports the demonstration and evaluation of innovative tools, technologies and practices that have the potential to reduce the growth of greenhouse gas emissions from the freight transportation sector in Canada. The Government of Canada will contribute up to 50 per cent of eligible project expenses, to a maximum of $250,000, with applicants and their partners contributing the remainder.

This announcement represents the eighth round of funding under the program, and brings the total funding allocated under the program to approximately $4.7 million for 34 projects across Canada.

More information is available on the Freight Sustainability Demonstration Program.

Tags: greenhouse gas, freight, canada, emissions, sustainability, infrastructure, communities

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