There are a lot of people who are enthusiastic about high-speed rail in the U.S., especially since Obama announced $8 billion in awards for high-speed rail projects. On the other hand, there are a lot of skeptical people who think high-speed rail isn’t worth the investment; it won’t work … [continued]
I always wondered about the economic efficiency of creating long, safe, underground tunnels for subway systems. Now, a Chinese company has decided that this traditional underground transit system isn’t as good as an innovative, overground system it has just designed. The company, Shenzhen Hashi Future Parking Equipment Co., has … [continued]
[social_buttons] China Development Bank recently agreed to loan the Argentinian government $10 billion for new railway and metro construction. China has become a major source of funds for countries around the world, acting essentially as an alternative or competitor to the World Bank. It has been increasing its spending in … [continued]
[social_buttons] The world’s largest stand-alone integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) project began transmitting power to the electric grid in Shanghai on Sunday. This 6.68-megawatt ($23.6 million) solar system, which can produce 6.3 million kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity per year (enough power for 12,000 Shanghai households), will cut coal consumption by 2,254 tons … [continued]
High-Speed Rail (HSR) attracts a lot of positive attention because of its speed, of course. But is this speed only about saving time and having fun? No. It is about expanding economic competitiveness and improving social cohesion as well. Research from Europe shows that we can praise HSR for doing … [continued]
China is clearly taking the lead on high-speed rail, but it is not satisfied just to have it within its own country. It wants a straight connection to Europe on high-speed rail now. It might seem like a pipe dream if it weren’t for the fact that China is … [continued]
[social_buttons] Starting at an amusement park in South Korea, but perhaps expanding much further in the future, a new type of large electric vehicle magnetically pulls power out of buried electrical strips under the road (or “recharging roads”). This online electric vehicle (OLEV) may be “one of the most significant … [continued]
Surprisingly, after Obama’s announcement to give $8 billion to High Speed Rail (HSR) projects across the country, popular support for HSR has dropped, but it is still 88%. Not bad. Of course, more money is needed to make HSR the reality people dream of. A new survey shows that 83% … [continued]
Probably the biggest news piece this week was Obama’s State of the Union address. David Roberts of grist seemed to hate it. Whereas often like-minded and equally critical Joe Romm of Climate Progress actually seemed to love it. Dan Harding of CalFinder had mixed reactions, first “feeling passion stir … [continued]
Well, it has been a long time coming, but the US is finally putting some money into high-speed rail (HSR)! Obama put a strong focus on this in his State of the Union speech last night — “From the first railroads to the interstate highway system, our nation has always … [continued]
