Diesel gives better fuel economy than gasoline

Here’s a good slide from a Honda presentation at the Department of Energy’s DEER (Diesel Engine Emissions Reduction) conference held last month. It clearly shows how much diesel is better than gasoline when it comes to fuel economy and miles per gallon. Only the gasoline direct injection vehciles come close but there are (a) very few of them available, and (b) their emission levels, esp particulate emission levels, are almost as high as diesels.

Diesels are only now starting to make some what of a splash in the USA, even thoguh nearly 50% of all cars sold in Europe are already diesels. Ford, GM, Chrysler, VW, Mercedes all sell diesels in Europe, but have not brought them to the US as yet. Mercedes, and now Honda, have recently announced diesel vehicles that can finally meet the stringent Tier 2 Bin 8 and Tier 2 Bin 5 regulations in the US (its just industry jargon to say that strictest regulations are in California and then followed by EPA in the rest of the states). Diesel engines last million miles and provide great fuel economy. According to an estimate by CARB (California Air Resources Board), diesel engines can cost about $750 more than gasoline equivlents, but the investment is paid back in 3 years in fuel economy savings. A hybrid costs much more and the investment payback period is 6 years.

If the diesel emission controls ystems can be made to work in the US (and at a reasonable price), diesel certainly carry a good future, at least for th enext 10-20 years before plug-in hybrids and/or fuel cell vehicles start to prove themselves commercially viable. I look forward to seeing more diesels on the road. Right now its just prevalent in the light truck and heavy duty categories, but hopefully lighty duty car category will also see some snazzy diesels very soon.

See related posts here, here, here, and here.

Palestine - A great new song!!!!

This new, unplugged single called ‘Palestine‘ is simply awesome. These guys The Sound of Reason out of Montreal, Canada are pretty darn good! Check ‘em out here.

They have the songs, pics, videos, blogs etc online.

Here’s from their website on MySpace:

About thesoundofreason

From the depths of Canadas music scene comes an explosive new sound the industry has been craving to hear. Since they burst on the hip hop/R&B scene in early 2004 Francis and Ku better known as TheSoundofReason have been turning heads with their harsh honesty and opinionated lyrics setting themselves up as musics next big hype. Fed up with having either great sounding music with no message, or a solid message accompanied with poorly produced beats TheSoundofReasons filling that void preaching consciousness and political awareness with melodies and instrumentals hot enough to sell themselves alone. In a very short time TheSoundofReason have already started to make a name for themselves. The duo have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers and television channels such as CBC, A-Channel, and CTV Television tackling tough issues such as politics, faith and the state of music in general. Meeting in high school, Francis and Ku began using music as a means of addressing important issues that concerned them. With their ability to write and produce their own material the two realized at a young age how much of a difference they could make in the world. With a common goal they chose to call themselves TheSoundofReason, a name which reflected a meaning behind their music in a time where musical reason was nowhere to be heard. With their fearless attitude, infectious personalities and all out showmanship they have quickly become one of the fastest growing movements to hit the Canadian music scene in years. In their short time TheSoundofReason have made themselves into not only one of the industries brightest talents but a movement in itself with its followers believing that not only the music, but the world has to change. Image defining tracks such as Living to die, Palestine and the politically savvy Rise prove the duo can maintain credibility with any genre. The new sound of the next generation is here and it is being ushered in by none other than TheSoundofReason.

What will make clean-fuels succeed?

Well, despite the hoo-haa created by recent activity in the ethanol sector, it remains deeply vulnerable to the oil prices set by the oil barons of Middle East (governments). They have the power to drop the prices of oil for just a few years to completely kill any viable renewable fuel industry that tried to survive in absence of state subsidies and regulatory support.

So that is exactly how the renewable fuel industry is going to try and protect itself from the Saudi/Iranian/Venezuelan grip on its business plans. The renewable fuel industry will ask the government for help. And they should, as long as, in my opinion, they make a case not just for oil security, but for cleaner environment and better energy efficiency. Replacing fossil fuel with non-fossil fuel that has same emission factors is not really an answer. Here’s a news item that tell us where regulations are heading to support this industry:

8 September 2006: The US EPA proposed a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) Program which would require that 3.71% of all the gasoline sold or dispensed to US motorists in 2007 be renewable fuel. The program would boost the use of corn-ethanol as automotive fuel—from 3.5 billion gallons in 2004 to estimated 6.95 - 9.35 billion gallons in 2012. Biodiesel would be also eligible for renewable fuel credits under the program’s banking and trading provisions. The use of biodiesel would increase from 0.025 billion gallons in 2004 to 0.3 billion gallons in 2012, estimates the EPA.

Sohrab cycle

Bilal Zuberi

My first memory of a bike ride is from when I just started primary school. My school was only a few blocks away from our home in Karachi, and with my dad working in the Middle East, my parents had to find some help to take us kids to school and back. A loving, frail, old man by the name of Ali Baba, real name Muhammad Ali, would come every single day to our house, have a cup of chai with the family, and then take us kids to our school on his Sohrab bicycle. I would sit in front, near the handle bar, and my brother would sit behind him, clutching tightly to hold on during the ride. We took the same ride every single day, twice a day, for many many years.

Well, I am reminded today once again of Ali Baba and his bicycle. He rode a trusted old Sohrab, much like most Pakistanis who ride bicycles even to this day. Years ago, when I wanted to buy my own bicycle, I thought I had a choice between an expensive hip-looking BMX or a cheaper not-so-sporty Sohrab. Despite my vehement protests to parents, I ended up with a Sohrab bicycle that cost only Rs1100/- in the mid 80’s (It is currently priced at ~Rs 3250/-). I remember being upset then because I thought I looked like a Doodhwala (In Karachi milk was often delivered by men who rode Sohrab bicycles). Today, I find myself longingly taking photographs of Sohrab cycles loaded with milk canisters to remind myself of yester years.

Sohrab bicycle (simply called cycle in Pakistan) probably deserves a spot in the national museums, along with the Tanga, Bael gaari, and the Rickshaw. Its name is synonymous with bicycle in Pakistan. This bicycle is built from a sturdy metal frame (sometimes too heavy for casual riding), is often painted black, and has a metal flat plate at the back that has been used over time for all kinds of purposes: from carrying children to giving a ride to your spouse, from lunch tiffin boxes to laundry and milk-containers, or a variety of other things. Oh yes, and Pakistan and India regularly compete in bicycle polo matches as well!

Sohrab is ubiquitous in both urban and rural centers in Pakistan. I have seen the Sohrab bicycles decorated with flowers, neon lights, loudspeakers, advertisements and all shapes and colors of reflectors. The ingenuity used by some Sohrab enthusiasts to oufit their vehicles easily shames the Harley Davidson owners in the USA. You only have to see the bicycle of the Chowkidar (night watchman) in our mohalla to believe it. He proudly rides it all night, blowing a shrill whistle to remind us that he is keeping a careful eye out.

Here is a little bit I could find about the history of bicycle industry in Pakistan. However, I would love to hear your stories of owning, decorating, riding, or simply watching others enjoy their Sohrabs:

• At that time of Independence in 1947, there was no bicycle factory in Pakistan. Imported bikes were made available and Nila Gumbad market in Lahore became a hub for bicycle sales. (It is today the main tire and auto parts market).
• Shortage of foreign exchange reserves in 1952 prompted a serious look into domestic production, and a remarkable idea was conceived: 22 shop owners of the Nila Gumbad area drafted a plan to establish a bicycle manufacturing factory within the country on cooperative basis.

• On 8th September, 1953, the Pakistan Cycle Industrial Cooperative Society was formally registered under Section 9 of Cooperative Societies Act II of 1912. It has been controlled by an elected body ever since.

• The Cycle Co-operative Society has seen significant growth since its inception. It now accounts for the production of 80+% of all bicycles sold in Pakistan, and provides spare parts across the country . The Co-operative Society now has over 225 members, a 25-acre Rustam and Sohrab cycle factory with 2100 workers and a capacity of producing nearly 2000 bicyles daily.
• In addition to Sohrab, there are 6 other OEMs producing bicycles in Pakistan.
• As with any OEM (original equipment manufacturing) business, the bicycle industry has created support industries which employ thousands of people.

According to different published sources, there are 300 bicycle vendors in Pakistan,employing 3000 workers. These vendors buy raw material worth Rs49 million and after value addition sell it on to the manufacturers for Rs98 million. The 300 vendors supply to 7 big Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and 20 unorganized OEMs (small firms). OEMs employ a total of 5000 workers. The OEMs supply a further of Rs1.32 billion worth of new bicycles and Rs100 million worth replacement parts of bicycles to the retail assemblers/dealers/puncture shops. The retailers are supplied spare parts (including tires and tubes) through some 175 component manufacturer, employing 4000 workers in a market worth Rs230 million as new parts and Rs1.62 billion as the replacement market bicycles. There are some 3000 retailers/assemblers, employing 9000 people and cater to the Rs1.71 billion new bicycles demand and Rs2.78 billion replacement bicycle market. (Source: GC University, Lahore)

• The Co-operative society is now also producing several other bicycle models besides the good ‘ol Sohrab. From ladies’ bikes and three-wheelers to BMX Sohrab, multi-speed mountain bikes, street race bikes, and even motorized bikes with 4-stroke engines.
• According to a recent study, a total 629,695 number of bicycles were produced in 2002-03 and 681,448 were produced in 2003-04 thus showing the growth rate of 8.22%.

Despite my nostalgia associated with the Sohrab, Pakistani bicycle industry is under serious threat from regional competition, and is surviving thanks to the protection provided by import duties on bicycles (~30% import tariff). India and China, for example, are exporters of high quality, cheap bikes whereas Pakistani industry is barely able to meet local demands. As free trade develops in the region, both the government and producers stand to lose, while it is expected that the consumers would gain significantly.

As I see the old-fashioned Sohrab bicycles around me, I wonder how this industry is preparing to meet the challenges of the 21st century. A Sohrab can still have the nostalgic shape and look, but has it evolved over the past few decades to incorporate the innovations in design, ergonomics, durability and efficiency? Will it be able to morph into the bicycle variety of Qingxi, a local innovation that is competing well with imported products?

Bicycling is becoming more than just a hobby or a simple mode-of-transport in many parts of the world. It has also become a serious sport that has seen rapid technological innovations. From the use of continuously variable transmissions in place of hub and spoke gear sets, to the use of ultra light weight materials, the bikes of today are remarkably improved over the last generation of bikes.

Is Sohrab going to be able to make the transition at a fast enough pace, or are we nearing the end of the golden era of Pakistani bicycles? Sohrab is not just a cultural icon, but livelihoods of many people depend on their access to it. In a country where income is low and pollution generated by automobiles is high, I for one would be ecstatic to see a rejuvenation of the bike culture in Pakistan.

Consumers lose interest in flex fuel vehicles

I have written before that problems with ethanol include the fact that ethanol is not a renewable fuel, and that the fuel efficiency of ethanol is actually lower than gasoline (because of low energy density per gallon of ethanol vs gasoline). Well, these past few weeks have been difficult for the ethanol industry due to falling prices of gasoline, and now a survey proves my earlier statement to be true:

Source: WBCSD

GreenBiz.com, 22 August 2006 - A new study by global market research company Synovate shows that 37% of US consumers would consider purchasing a flex-fuel vehicle that runs on gasoline or E85 (85% ethanol) the next time they are in the market to buy a car. However, more than a third of these same consumers lose interest in E85 flex-fuel vehicles (FFVs) when they learn that there is a reduction in fuel economy.

“It certainly appears as if consumers have bought into the appeal of a Flex Fuel vehicle that can run on either gasoline or E85,” explained Scott Miller, CEO of Synovate Motoresearch. “However, consumers also are largely unaware that they will experience a 25% loss in fuel economy when the vehicle is running on Ethanol. While we really don’t expect this reality to impact sales of Flex Fuel vehicles, it will generate disappointment among enthusiastic buyers. It also means that E85 will have to retain a substantially lower price per gallon over gasoline for it to have any impact on consumption.”

The study, conducted among 1,240 buyers and those intending to buy new light duty cars and trucks, also found that while awareness of hybrids is now very high among US consumers, consideration of a hybrid vehicle has flattened at just under 50%.

I am a big fan of diesel, and here’s what the survey foun about the diesels:

Diesel technology is a hot topic in the US and another focus of the Synovate study. Consideration among US consumers remains low at roughly half the consideration of hybrids. However, Miller says the numbers can be misleading. “The story around diesels is not the percent of US consumers who will consider it, just those who are very interested. Our data give us strong reason to believe that if manufacturers can meet the emissions requirements of the new diesel legislation, some are going to surprise the market with the products they introduce and the buyers to whom those vehicles appeal.”

Muslim dating

An article appeared in NY Times today which is just way too funny. Thank you to those who pointed it out to me. I have written on Halal dating before, but this takes it to a new level. I had heard about the ISNA convention fast becoming a place for young men and women to meet each other for marriage, but this puts it into perspctive. Enjoy!

It’s Muslim Boy Meets Girl, Yes, but Please Don’t Call It Dating
(Source: NY Times)

CHICAGO — So here’s the thing about speed dating for Muslims.

Once the banquet got under way, the mothers were plenty busy themselves

Many American Muslims — or at least those bent on maintaining certain conservative traditions — equate anything labeled “dating” with hellfire, no matter how short a time is involved. Hence the wildly popular speed dating sessions at the largest annual Muslim conference in North America were given an entirely more respectable label. They were called the “matrimonial banquet.”

“If we called it speed dating, it will end up with real dating,” said Shamshad Hussain, one of the organizers, grimacing.>

Both the banquet earlier this month and various related seminars underscored the difficulty that some American Muslim families face in grappling with an issue on which many prefer not to assimilate. One seminar, called “Dating,” promised attendees helpful hints for “Muslim families struggling to save their children from it.”

The couple of hundred people attending the dating seminar burst out laughing when Imam Muhamed Magid of the Adams Center, a collective of seven mosques in Virginia, summed up the basic instructions that Muslim American parents give their adolescent children, particularly males: “Don’t talk to the Muslim girls, ever, but you are going to marry them. As for the non-Muslim girls, talk to them, but don’t ever bring one home.”

“These kids grew up in America, where the social norm is that it is O.K. to date, that it is O.K. to have sex before marriage,” Imam Magid said in an interview.

“So the kids are caught between the ideal of their parents and the openness of the culture on this issue.”

The questions raised at the seminar reflected just how pained many American Muslims are by the subject. One middle-aged man wondered if there was anything he could do now that his 32-year-old son had declared his intention of marrying a (shudder) Roman Catholic. A young man asked what might be considered going too far when courting a Muslim woman.

Panelists warned that even seemingly innocuous e-mail exchanges or online dating could topple one off the Islamic path if one lacked vigilance. “All of these are traps of the Devil to pull us in and we have no idea we are even going that way,” said Ameena Jandali, the moderator of the dating seminar.>

Hence the need to come up with acceptable alternatives in North America, particularly for families from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, where there is a long tradition of arranged marriages.

How to increase the miles per gallon of your vehicle?

I moderated a panel discussion today on alternative transportation and fuels at the AltWheels Symposium at the Museum of Science in Boston. The discusion was very interesting and I wish more people could have attended.

But here’s something that came up in the discussion that maybe worth posting here.

Newton’s laws say:
ENERGY = Work
WORK = Force x Distance traveled
FORCE = Mass x Acceleration

But this law applied to transportation means:
MASS = Vehicle size and weight
DISTANCE = Trips/lengths
ACCELERATION = Driving style/Congestion

Hence, we know exactly what factors are in our control (and how much) in order to release the stress on energy usage and consumption for transportation.

Similarly, Steve Connors of MIT presented the Magic Mobility Equation his lab has developed. See the graphic below. Well, its again clear what the levers are for controlling energy usage and emissions. There are factors here that totally depend on us. Can we make an pledge to help the enivronment?

Press Clipping(s): Non-Aligned Movement

What in the heck does NAM (Non-Aligned Movement) stand for today? Does it need to exist? There seem to be so many global bodies these days that it almost appears that their main reason for existence is to support the large foreign service bureaucracies that have festered in most countries, esp the developing ones. At the summits of these G-xyz conferences, I feel the bureaucrats talk the talk, say what is popular for their constitutencies, and go home feeling they have provided their country such great service. I wonder if these guys would still attend if they were asked to personally pay a few hunde dollars for each trip out of their pockets. Then we shall see how many hands will go up to volunteer in service of their countries.

NAM certainly had a role to play during the cold war, but now it seems like a bullshit organization whose leaders chit chat about useless things, pass unnecessary resolutions and act as though they are steering the course of international relations (Ok I am being too harsh). Imagine this, now there is a G-77 to counter the G-8, a NAM to supposedly provide balance to the US (with Russia out of the picture now), and then a separate G-15 seems to have emerged from within the NAM that appears to be vowing to stand up and fight with Iran if it is attacked. All this while Fidel Castro is given standing ovations. Craziness galore.

Here’s the news piece that ignited the urge for this post. Its from Dawn, a leading Pakistani newspaper. Somehow Pakistani newspapers still give too much t to NAM. Probably because many Pakistanijournalists grew up learning the iimportance of NAM in their high school textbooks, and have since then not bothered to update their knowledge to understand the unimportance of the organization in today’s world. Read the following piece and tell me if you think there is any newsworthy information in it.

If you can think of reasons why NAM should continue to exist in its present form, and what good they are doing for the world by spending extraordinary amounts of monies of organizing conferences, please do let me know.

NAM summit in Havana begins

HAVANA, Sept 15: Cuba took over the leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement from Malaysia on Friday, and acting President Raul Castro, standing in for his ailing brother Fidel, launched a stream of anti-American rhetoric in his inaugural speech.

Meanwhile, leaders from more than 55 developing countries Friday started two days of talks here.

The world today, Raul Castro said, is shaped by the United States’ “irrational pretensions for world dominance”.

“When there no longer is a Cold War, the United States spends a billion dollars a year on weapons and soldiers and it squanders a similar amount in commercial publicity,” he said. “To think that a social and economic order that has proven unsustainable could be maintained by force is simply an absurd idea.”

Raul Castro acknowledged his older brother’s illness after accepting Cuba’s three-year chairmanship with a round of applause by leaders from two-thirds of the world’s nations, saying: “Comrade Fidel has asked that I transmit to you his most cordial greetings.”

But while Castro is under doctors’ orders not to preside over the summit, the iconic leader could make an appearance, Cuba’s foreign minister told the assembly.

The 118-state NAM was expected to adopt a declaration backing Iran in its nuclear program dispute and lash out at Israel for its military interventions in Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

Chavez at a side meeting of the “Group of 15” developing nations pledged Venezuela’s support for Iran if it is invaded.—AP

The Story of Karachi

This post has appeared on ATP: All Things Pakistan
—

Karachi has a wonderful history that is neither discussed nor celebrated as much as the history of Mughal Lahore (see ATP post here). As we saw from the earlier ATP post on ‘whistling’ in Karachi (here), there is much interest in this, certainly from me. As someone who grew up in Karachi, the most I was taught about its history revolved around the history of its name (derived from the town of Mai Kolachi) and that the Venetian gothic style buildings were remnants of the British cantonments and Karachi’s short-lived existence as the capital city of Pakistan. (See some historical video footage of Karachi on ATP here).

Well, now I feel I know a bit more about my city, its rich history, and the architectural heritage that still stands impressively (despite languishing in neglect for decades). For that, I thank a wonderful website titled “The Story of Karachi“, which I was introduced to by the folks at the Karachi Metroblogs. Judging by its guestbook logs, the website has been in operation since mid 2005, but it seems it only recently become well known to the internet dwellers.

Monitoring of friday sermons by Police

This post has also appeared on ATP: All Things Pakistan
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An interesting news item crossed my attention this past week. It was reported (in The Nation and many other places) that sermons delivered in Pakistani mosques before the Friday prayers will now be recorded by police. Under the Loudspeaker act, the government has mobilized the Police forces to clamp down on mosques where Friday sermons are being used to incite hatred against other sects, religions, or especially against the government. According to an AKI/Dawn report:

A source in a law-enforcement agency told the Pakistani daily Dawn that police officials would be deployed in mosques across the country to film the Friday sermons. The move was aimed at ensuring that hate speeches were not delivered from the pulpit. Pakistan’s provincial home secretaries and senior officials of the country’s law-enforcement agencies attended a meeting on Saturday to chalk out a strategy to keep close tabs on the Friday sermons — sometimes employed to foment sectarian unrest.