Oil sands mining transforms the landscape Photo: David Dodge, Pembina Institute

American mayors attending their annual meeting in Florida this week adopted a resolution that "supports federal legislation that prohibits government use of unconventional or synthetic fuels" derived from CO₂-intensive sources such as oil sands or shales and "encourages" mayors to boycott the use of these fuels in their own municipal fleets. Although it seems to have gone largely unmentioned in the American press, the same can not be said of the Canadian media. There, newspapers and and other media outlets are crammed with articles and editorials denouncing the decision with headlines such as, "Oilsands boycott bad for U.S., premier warns" and "Critics say US mayors ignoring energy reality".

Already on the defensive on the domestic front after the deaths of hundreds of ducks from mining pollution and opposition to the Conservative-led federal governments willingness to sacrifice over a dozen lakes to tailings contamination, advocates for the mega-money oil sands projects seem none too happy to hear criticism emanating from South of the border. Their reminders that China and India would be only too happy to buy their "dirty" oil do seem a little over the top though since the resolution was more of a toothless wish than an actual ban. Text of the resolution after the jump.

[Source: CTV]

Back in 2005, when gasoline cost $1 Canadian per liter and it was already considered expensive, Canadian Driver inaugurated the 50-liter challenge. This event highlights the fuel-saving benefits of driving a compact car, and tries to promote an efficient driving style. But why choose 50 liters (13.21 gallons U. S.)? Even though 50 liters isn't a complete fill-up, most of the cars in the test have a 50-liter tank and this amount would give a fair level of comparison between the contestants.

Canadians are buying gasoline at $1.50 per liter (Canadian) and the challenge, which included fuel saving techniques, seems more useful today than ever before. The theme - "Drive a fuel efficient car fuel efficiently, and save money at the pump" - seems right. Lucky for Americans, most of these models are also sold stateside.

The test route consisted of a combination of main and secondary highways, mainly flat roads with very heavy traffic in the morning, changing to fairly steep hills and remote forested areas in the afternoon. Skies were mostly grey, but the temperature was 24 ºC and rather humid. All calculations were done with GPS. The test also included a Ford Escape Hybrid as support vehicle and the organizers purchased carbon credits to offset the emissions.

The winner? Find the results after the jump.

[Source: Canadian Driver]

According to an unofficial source who may have previewed some upcoming promotional materials, it looks like the diesel-powered version of Toyota's off-road brute may be landing in North America this fall. The recently redesigned Toyota Land Cruiser offers a new 4.5L diesel V8 in overseas markets, but North America has had to be satisfied with the gasoline-fueled variant. Unfortunately for Americans, it appears that only our northern neighbors will access to the compression ignition Land Cruiser for now since they are not subject to Tier 2 Bin 5 standards. However, a cleaner version of this engine should arrive stateside for use in the Sequioa and Tundra about a year from now. According to our source the new V8 is rated at 280hp and 520lb-ft of torque. The fuel mileage of the diesel Land Cruiser is expected to be about 22.4mpg, which makes it comparable to the Chevy Tahoe hybrid. The low volume is Land Cruiser is quite a bit pricier though starting at about $77,290 Canadian (roughly $78,000 U.S.).

[Source: Jim]

While the United States and the eastern half of our friendly neighbors up north are using corn as the primary feedstock for ethanol and Brazil has been concentrating on sugar cane, the left-half of Canada is considering wheat. The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association hopes that the creation of fuel from wheat will help Canada's wheat farming community make a bit more profit, as corn-based ethanol has done (for good or for bad) for other farmers. Many farmers in Canada only plan to use low-protein wheat or damaged crops which are not suitable as food for the fuel feedstock. Still, the food-or-fuel debate looms large, as some farmers are choosing to plant specific crops tailored to the production of ethanol. Husky Energy Inc. already operates a few ethanol plants in Canada and has plans for more. There are a few issues with using wheat, but nothing that is insurmountable.

[Source: Biofuels Magazine Canada via Automotive.com]

The single most expensive environmental initiative put forward by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (Conservative) was a biofuels initiative that is now seeing significant new opposition. The CDN$2.2 billion (about a $1 trillion at current exchange rates) was intended to provide incentives for biofuel development north of the border. However, recent spikes in food prices and criticism of using food crops to make transportation fuel has caused some who previously supported the plan to switch sides.

Opposition International Development critic (Liberal) Keith Martin went as far as calling for a moratorium on biofuel subsidies until the problems are better understood. NDP members of parliament also opposed the plan while the Bloc Quebecouis officially supports it. However, Bloc environment critic Bernard Bigras is opposed to the use of corn ethanol. Conservative Environment Minister John Baird is arguing in favor of the legislation and says that $500 million of the total is set aside for research into next-generation biofuels such as cellulosic ethanol. The legislation looks likely to pass regardless of the new opposition, although an amendment to the bill calls for a review of the environmental and economic impact of the 5 percent ethanol target one year after the law passes.

[Source: Globe and Mail]

A 2005 press image from Air Products.

Need hydrogen in Alberta, Canada? Air Products (along with its Air Products Canada Ltd. subsidiary) has announced the commercialization of a hydrogen plant this week. Air Products' new plant can make over 100 million standard-cubic-feet-per-day. The hydrogen is sold to a Petro-Canada refinery near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and to "other customers in the Alberta Heartlands industrial corridor" under long-term agreements.

While Air Products has some knowledge about fueling hydrogen vehicles (in South Carolina and plans for London) this hydrogen isn't intended for transportation use. Instead, it goes to the refinery to help process bitumen into a synthetic crude oil and then, with the hydrogen, into refined oil products like gasoline and diesel fuel (135,000 barrels a day at the Edmonton refinery). More details after the break.

A little while back we brought you a video featuring footage of artist Michel de Broin's "Shared Propulsion Car" as he and some friends rolled it out of a garage, climbed in and began pedaling (yes, I said pedaling) their way a short distance down the street. The ride was short because, before they were too tired to pedal the hollowed-out shell of the 1986 Buick Regal further, they were pulled over by Toronto's finest in a traditionally-powered squad car. Apparently the officers were under the impression that an unsafe vehicle was being operated and had decided to take decisive action. A tow truck was called and a court summons to face aforementioned charges issued to Trevor Baldwin, who was behind the wheel at the time of interdiction.

The court finally heard the case and, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) News website, "As the Crown prosecutor tried to make his case Thursday, the court erupted in laughter, and the charges were thrown out." After the hearing, Baldwin was asked about his plans and is quoted as saying, "I'm thinking it's a really nice day, so we might go for a drive." A nice way to celebrate his legal victory indeed. To check out the original footage of the incident, hit the jump.

Not long ago we discussed used American guzzlers being shipped en masse to Mexico. In the comments that ensued many of you didn't really seem to have a problem with that despite the fact that pollution, not to mention CO₂, knows no border and affects the lungs and lives of all of us. There are vested interests in Mexico who have been putting pressure on the government there to act but movement on this issue could best be described as glacial. Make that pre-global warming glacial.

Not so dilatory is the pace of change in Canada. There, according to an article on CTV.ca, the government is about to announce a program that will attempt to improve the speed with which your old, inefficient vehicle is removed from the roads by offering cash incentives. I said CASH INCENTIVES! The plan appears to unite and expand existing programs which already receive some federal funding. These "scrappage programs" received an e-mail recently from Environment Canada saying that, and I paraphrase, their pleas had not fallen on deaf ears and advising them of the upcoming change.

So how about a national program similar to this in the good ol' U.S.A.? We know Americans are keeping their cars longer. We also know that Detroit could really use some more business. I have a feeling that, if pressed, our current administration would mutter something about being in favor a of voluntary system. Of course, as with most voluntary actions this government is in favor of, that option already exists. Clearly more could be done.

So, since the government is unlikely to act, it's up to business and the citizenry to take matters into their own hands. Perhaps Detroit could take a page from Renault and offer up it's own recycling plan. There are solutions out there which could offer benefits to everyone. Sometimes it's just a matter of making the effort.

[Source: www.ctv.ca via carsworld.northglow.com]

As you know, some countries are trying to reduce fossil fuels consumption by creating a carbon tax that is applied to products such as gasoline. One such example is British Columbia, Canada, where a tax of 2.4 cents for each liter of gasoline is going to be included in gas prices next summer. Voices have been raised in opposition to this measure. One of them is such as Don Martin, who writes in an article for the National Post that, with oil prices above $100 per barrel, Canadian consumers are paying 10 cents per liter more for their gas already. And yet they continue to drive their cars and heat their houses. Therefore, a low 2.4 cent tax would have little to no impact on consumer habits to reduce their fuel consumption.

Similar taxes in other countries seem to have had a similar effect. Germany's gas prices are almost twice as high as Canada's and yet Germans drive a lot, and in powerful cars as well. In the end, it might seem that these taxes just seem a nice way to add revenue, albeit for a good cause, for Mr. Taxman.

[Source: National Post via Automotive]

When the Canadian government announced its ecoAuto program a year ago, it was immediately controversial. By offering tax rebates to drivers who bought more cars with mileage above an specified level and applying extra taxes to thirstier vehicles, certain vehicles where left out in the cold. Setting arbitrary thresholds means that cars just above or below threshold might get comparable real world mileage but some buyers get the rebate while others don't. In this case, the Honda Fit was left out while the Toyota Yaris got the rebate. Since almost no one was entirely happy with the program, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has decided to let the program expire next year after the initial two-year run. As a replacement, Flaherty has announced that the federal government will provide $250 million over the next five years to help the auto industry develop greener technologies. Thanks to Darin for the tip!

[Source: Globe and Mail via EcoModder]

Up in the land of a few acres of snow, citizens are eager to use biofuels but, in many cases, can't find them. A story on Canada.com gives us the details of a trend in the country of customers wondering where the biofuels are at. E85, for example, is available to the general public only at two stations in Ontario - not enough for the 600,000 E85-capable vehicles on the roads in Canada. UPI Energy opened one of those E85 pumps, and president Robert Sicard said that both drivers and vehicle salespeople aren't aware that vehicles with yellow gas caps can handle E85.

It will probably shock you to know that the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association and the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association is pushing the government to make biofuels more readily available. For his part, Sicard is helping dealers hang yellow tags in vehicles on the lot that identify the car as a flex-fuel one. Let's not forget that Canada currently exports ethanol to the U.S.

[Source: Canada.com]

Right on the heels of GMNext, GM Canada has started a purely green public outreach effort, the Green by Design podcast. The first episode says there will be 10 'casts, all about green topics such as hybrids and fuel cells. For the most part, these types corporate programs are usually extended commercials telling us things we've heard before, but one thing seems new here. Thirteen minutes into the 20-minute podcast, someone says, "We have about 10 hybrids in the pipeline at General Motors. We are going to be introducing a new hybrid every 3 months for the next two years."

Two years? GM Chairman Bob Lutz has said "sixteen hybrids in the next four years" and GM CEO Rick Wagoner said "one new hybrid coming out every quarter for next four years." So, they meant 16 hybrids including the ones released in the last year or two? Whatever they mean, in two or four years or how many hybrids total (16, 20 or 24), GM will probably have more hybrid brands than any other car maker for many years.

Fellow blogger Sam Abuelsamid notes that as with most automakers, GM doesn't have exactly the same model lineup in the smaller Canadian market that it does in U.S. The smaller Canadian market with its higher gas prices tends to skew more toward smaller cars than the U.S. market. It's possible some duplicate models with different branding might not be offered north of the border. For example, GM Canada might sell the Silverado Hybrid but not the Sierra hybrid. Unless GM in the U.S. says anything about a change in plans, what the Canadian side says should not necessarily be taken to reflect U.S. plans.

[Source: GM Green By Design]

Now that the energy bill and its attendant fuel economy standards has been passed here in the U.S., it looks like the Canadian government wants to officially adopt the same standards. Canada has never actually had fuel efficiency standards of its own but in 2007 committed to implementing one. Since the Canadian auto market is so intertwined with the U.S. but the sales volumes are only about one tenth of America's, car-makers have traditionally just taken vehicles designed for U.S. regulations, switched the speedometers and odometers to km and sold them north of the border. Because of higher gas taxes, the sales mix in Canada has typically skewed more toward the smaller, more-efficient vehicles anyway so any move add fuel economy standards there looks more like a government posturing before an election than a real effort to improve efficiency. The fleet average for cars and trucks in Canada was 27.3mpg (U.S.) in 2006 but Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon announced at the Montreal Auto Show that the government would establish standards that meet or exceed the U.S. 35mpg by 2020 level.

[Source: CTV]

Tamarack Lake Electric Boat Company, Electrovaya and a "firm that is developing electric ice resurfacing machines" are three electric vehicle companies that have moved (or are planning to move) from Ontario, Canada to New York State thanks to big incentives from New York State Energy Research Development Authority (NYSERDA).

According to CBC News, Tamarack Lake will get half a million dollars (I'm not sure if this is U.S. or Canadian money, but the two are fairly equal in value right now anyway) to build 1,200 boats in Rome, New York by 2012. NYSERDA is using "innovation funding" to lure the companies. Back across the border, Ontario's Innovation Ministry will set up a $175-million venture capital fund that will attempt to help companies in the province. That money comes too late for the three EV makers. No mention was made in the article about Zenn, the EV company based in Toronto.

Related:

• Mommy, what's that hydrogen zamboni doing?

[Source: CBC, h/t to Domenick]

The list of vehicles eligible for Canada's controversial ecoAuto program has been updated with thirty-two more 2008 models added. The program pays Canadian car-buyers rebates of $1,000-2,000 when they buy vehicles on the list. To qualify, the cars and trucks have to meet a minimum mileage threshold. Among the vehicles added to the list this year are the Honda Fit and the non-hybrid Civic models. Previously they fell just shy of the threshold but were modified for the new model year to be eligible.

There are some dubious inclusions on the list however. Similar to US CAFE regulations where cars and trucks are counted separately, the same is true for the ecoAuto program. This leads to some creative decisions about qualifies as a truck. Few would argue about the Ford Escape or Toyota Highlander Hybrids being trucks. Most drivers of the Chevrolet HHR or Jeep Compass (are there actually any Compass drivers?) might be surprised to here the government considers them trucks. If the 36 mpg 2007 Honda Fit didn't qualify for a rebate, it seems odd now that the 29 mpg HHR or Compass do, based solely on their truck classifications. Compared to Tahoe or Commander they are certainly more fuel efficient, but the whole definition of cars and trucks need to be re-examined if we are going to keeps separate thresholds for each. Check out the full list here.

[Source: CTV.ca, Transport Canada]