Environment Archive

First trip with our new light-rail

By oyvind – 28 June 2010 Active testNorwegianPosted in: Environment, Photos

This weekend we took a ride with the new light-rail for the first time, it was awesome. I look forward to the extension of the line, I want it now!

A few problems though but that is just some minor glitches, the ticket-line became too long so an employee decided to let us onto the tram without paying, oh well.

I think many train and tram-enthusiasts enjoy themselves these days, we met a lot of tourists as well.

Dinner at Nesttun and Peppes Pizza.

I always take some shots of Peppes’ walls, they have lots of interesting stuff there.

Art by Bård Breiviks near the Lille Lungegårdsvann in the city center.

I bet our light-rail system will be a success but I didn’t like the payment system. You have to buy tickets at a booth, only with period-cards you can enter the tram directly, there is no way to pay once inside. I think that is a bit old fashion.

Her is a video of the route (filmed by NRK):

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Our new cityline is opening tomorrow! Heres a video of it

By oyvind – 21 June 2010 Active testNorwegianPosted in: Environment

Link to the video: BA – Bybanen minute by minute.

In January 2008 they started building the long awaited Bybanen (Light-rail) in my city (Bergen in Norway) and tomorrow its opening! This is phase 1 which is about 10 kilometer, I think they are starting next phase this autumn. I hope it will reduce the car usage-here. Our Queen will be opening it tomorrow around noon.

Our local newspaper BA (Bergensavisen) joined a ride and filmed it, its worth a check – I think it will be popular among tourists as well. They don’t have any embed-code so I had to include the link. (Its SFW and no ads) The music they’ve used is from local bands.

There is a Wiki-article here on it if you’re interested.

Here is another video, Bybanen minute by minute:


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Near revolution in Norway

By oyvind – 14 January 2010 Active testNorwegianPosted in: Environment

From midnight the authorities in Bergen decided even and odd numbers on car registration numbers only can drive on dates fitting the last number, odd numbers can drive on odd dates.

We’ve had a lot of pollution lately and they have measured it to be way above allowed level. It reminds me of China and the olympics, didn’t they do the same?

Have you experienced something like that?

They have initiated free buses but they have too few drivers so the route buses are struggling with delays.. Funny?

They are also reducing speed limits from 80 to 60 and removing lanes so one of them can be used to commuting. I picture long queues tomorrow morning..

The No2 measurements were way above allowed level, this is the last 72 hours:

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North Pole icefree in ten years

By oyvind – 15 October 2009 Active testNorwegianPosted in: Environment

The Catlin Arctic Survey team with Pen Hadow visited the north Pole earlier this year during a research project where they concluded that most of the ice will melt in 10 years during the summer. Earlier the region visited it contained thicker multiyear ice which lasted long. Now the ice is down to 1.8 meters (six feet) and melts faster.

Check out the article here: AP

Wadhams said the Catlin Arctic Survey data supports the new consensus that the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within 20 years, and that much of the decrease will happen within 10 years.

Its Blog Action Day today, check it out at blogactionday.org

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Over 30 whales murdered

By oyvind – 30 May 2009 Active testNorwegianPosted in: Environment

55 whales stranded on a beach near Cape Town tonight, I bet US Navy is testing their new multibeam systems tonight. Over 30 over the whales could not be saved and they decided to shoot them to stop their suffering.

When will we ever learn that the new powerful sonars is creating these tragic moments?

Its embarrasing for Norway who delivers the powerful multibeam sonars to US Navy.. Boycot us.

Links:
VG
Dagbladet
TV2
Aftonbladet

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One step closer to electric car

By oyvind – 13 May 2009 Active testNorwegianPosted in: Environment

I’d like to change to an electric car, for many reasons. The environment, noise, cheaper to use, free parking, free passes at toll stations and lower taxes. But til lately the selection of cars has been to small and there are issues around charging the car. If I get an electric car I need charging at home and charging at work, but if I’m out shopping I also need that in case it runs out and battery packages are expencive. Its like our government doesn’t want everyone to get electric cars at once, Norway need users of oil I guess.

But things are changing, the government have read peoples opinion and have put the subject on the agenda; we need to make electric cars more attractive to buy. Not only the looks but usage friendlyness.

The wide selection of cartypes is incredible, check these out for instance :

el1
ZAP ZAP-X
el3

el4
el5
el6

el7
el8
el9

el10
el11
el12

el13
el15

A problem I see is the life length of battery, its not interesting to pay $10k every second year for a battery pack. What if there were battery stations like gas-stations? Well it might become real, check this out :

If this becomes real, what is the point buying fossil-driven cars?

Links : Wired, VG, DB.

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Polar Ocean ice free this summer

By oyvind – 28 January 2008 Active testNorwegianPosted in: Environment


Artic

Do you remember the reports talking about ice free arctic sea in 2040? And some horrific predictions calculating ice free summers in 2013? Guess what, most likely all of the experts were wrong.

Olav Orheim predicts ice free arctic sea this summer, from Siberia – the ice is thin now and it melts fast. This means that in August to September ordinary freight ships can save half the time using this route.

He points out that this is worrying since there are no disaster reduction measurements in these area. We know what happends when disasters strike fragile coasts – but we at least have some disaster reduction. The Arctic has 0. Who is willing to take the cost? If Olav Orheim is right, there isn’t much time.

When a small shipment company can save $200k on one tour, what can the major companies save?

Ships from the west coast of USA and southeastern Asia can save over 40% time going through the ice free arctic sea instead of the Panama channel.

Some might need reloading in northern Norway to tougher sihps before continuing, will the harbours be ready for this? I haven’t seen any plans out yet.

(Sources : Arctic Frontiers, NRK, Teknisk Ukeblad) (Norwegian)

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