Interview with an Air Head
[Salon] : Salon has a good interview with Jeremy Riffkin, author of the new book "The Hydrogen Economy," which trumpets Hydrogen as the next big energy source. Interestingly, Riffkin claims that several large oil companies have funneled a lot of money into alternative energy sources, including BP, whose new slogan is apparently "beyond oil." He also states that hydrogen cars will receive widespread availability by 2009.

Related:
[Detroit Free Press] : DTE Energy, in Michigan is trying to power one of its offices with hydrogen fuel cells.

Financial Nosedive
[Yahoo] : Airlines are still losing money. And they want the government to help them out some more.

[Salon] : An interesting tale of how GM doesn't want purchasers of its electric cars driving them anymore. Why? Some say it's because GM wants the electric car market to be a failure.

[Philadelphia Inquirer] : Are air marshals really preserving the peace? One man on the infamous flight where an air marshal pointed a gun at a passenger for more than a half hour says he doesn't feel any safer on planes with them there. Bob Rajcoomar, a naturalized Indian citizen, former Army major, and former military doctor was detained after the flight for more than three hours after air marshals apparently told him that they "didn't like the way [he] looked."

"This is blatant racial profiling," Rajcoomar told the press. "They think they can pick up anybody, willy-nilly... . It's not in keeping with traditions of the United States." But in keeping with time-honored American traditions, Rajcoomar is considering filing a lawsuit against the government for illegal detention and emotional distress.

Keith Bradsher's new book is causing some auto execs to flip

In his new book "High and Mighty: SUVs, the World's Most Dangerous Vehicles and How They Got That Way," New York Times Correspondent Keith Bradsher blasts SUVs: "[they] roll over too easily, killing and injuring occupants at an alarming rate, and are dangerous to other road users, inflicting catastrophic damage to cars that they hit and posing a lethal threat to pedestrians." Though Bradsher's point of view is anything but unbiased, the book is said to cross from simple journalism to the less credible realm of advocacy. For example, one passage in the book declares that "[SUV drivers] tend to be people who are insecure and vain. They are frequently nervous about their marriages and uncomfortable about parenthood. They often lack confidence in their driving skills. Above all, they are apt to be self-centered and self-absorbed, with little interest in their neighbors or communities."

Auto execs won't respond directly to the book's charges, for fear of drawing more attention to the allegations, but insiders are saying that the book is a full-on assault only comparable only to Ralph Nader's legendary attack on the Corvair-- "Unsafe at Any Speed."

[SF Chronicle] : The Chronicle has an article about how
market forces drive our technological forays into alternative fuel sources for vehicles. Some of the issues discussed:
1) Consumer uncertainty about performance.
2) Resistance to change by automakers.
3) Safety.
4) Aesthetics of alternative fuel source vehicles.

Japanese car manufacturers Honda and Toyota hope to introduce their first hydrogen powered vehicles by the end of 2002, but say they will probably need another few years to perfect them.

Thanks to Huan-Hua Chye for the link

Sorry for the lack of updates in the past week. I've been extremely busy at the office, and there hasn't been a ton of notable news.

[San Jose Mercury News] : It's dangerous to eat while driving. Nevertheless, the amount of in-car eating has gone up dramatically in the last few years [stats included]. Also Hagerty Classic Insurance has included the top 10 offenders list of food that you shouldn't eat while driving:

1. Coffee
2. Hot soups
3. Tacos
4. Chili
5. Juicy hamburgers
6. Any barbecued food
7. Fried chicken
8. Jelly and cream-filled doughnuts
9. Soft drinks
10. Chocolate

Who would have thought that you shouldn't eat BBQ while driving!?

[San Jose Mercury News] : A high-speed bullet train initiative will be on the 2004 ballot in California!

Guns in the Sky

[WP] : Bush to allow pilots to carry guns.

[CNN] : Because a federal air marshal drew a loaded weapon at a crowd of passengers on a crowded airline flight several days ago, more questions are being asked about whether having armed gunmen in aircrafts is such a great idea after all. While the Transportation Security Administration has yet to admit that any wrongdoing occurred (TSA spokesperson Robert Johnson explained that the marshals adhered to a "hierarchy of warnings" that necessitated drawing the gun), others are questioning whether this is the right approach to maintaining aircraft security.

One former FAA investigator argues that bringing weapons into the equation is too risky; bullets could hit the plane, hit innocent bystanders, or the guns can be wrestled away from the marshals and used by hijackers, he said. In this particular situation, he notes, the person who had the gun aimed at him wasn't even charged with anything, indicating that the gun was drawn somewhat recklessly. The head of a passenger advocacy group suggested that air marshals need to learn how to better communicate with passengers.

Further reference: Salon had an interesting article by a pilot a couple months ago discussing guns in flight in more detail.

Why is there so little talk about stun guns?

Ford Ends Think Line of Electric Cars, Starts Work on Vegetate Line

[Reuters] : Ford has decided to end their line of Think electric cars, citing a lack of customer demand and an indifferent government. Earlier, the factory had hoped to produce 5,000 of the cars per year, but the actual number produced was closer to 1,000. "The bottom line is we don't believe that this is the future of environmental transport for the mass market," Ford spokesman Tim Holmes said. Ford will decide either to sell the division, or try to somehow make it a viable project.

Major factors that precipitated the problem include the fact that current electric cars do not have good range, require long periods of recharging, and are expensive. "Battery electric vehicles are not there yet technologically," said Jim Kliesch, with the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy. "Nobody has found a way to build a battery that is cheap, can quickly recharge and allows you to drive long distances."

Federal regulations demanding increases in zero-emission vehicles like electric cars have been delayed, as has California's regulation that would force automobile manufacturers to offer 100,000 electric cars and low-pollution vehicles to consumers by 2003.

Air Today, Gun Tomorrow Today

[AP] : Passengers aboard a Delta Flight claim that a federal air marshal kept his handgun pointed directly at a passenger for more than 30 minutes. Authorities say that the marshal was attempting to deal with a man who was behaving in "an odd and obstreperous manner." Other passengers were more indignant and avoided using unusual words to obfuscate their point: "If he would have accidentally fired, he would have killed somebody or hurt somebody," said David Johnson, 51.

[PennLive] : Later, it was discovered that the marshals were attempting to keep passengers seated with their seat belts on, while they were detaining a suspicious man on the flight. "If people would have stayed in their seats and heeded [the] warnings, that would not have happened," said Transportation Security Administration spokesman Robert Johnson. "It's our opinion that it was done by the book."