MGG-GreenTechnology

Rich Maranto January 6, 2018

2017 Electric Vehicle Roundup

Each year Chip Gibbons of the The Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C. (EVA-DC) publishes an extensive guide to the latest electric vehicles available for sale.

The guide includes the latest EV pricing (base and net) and battery range. It also includes information about electric vehicle charging options, charging costs, public charging stations… and the latest on tax credits and incentives.

If you are interested in purchasing an electric vehicle… or just curious about the state of the market, you need to check out this guide.

Rich Maranto January 6, 2018

Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington

The Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C. is an organization of electric vehicle owners, educators and enthusiasts dedicated to promoting the use of electric vehicles (EVs) as an environmental and energy benefit to society. EVA/DC was formed in 1980 as a chapter of the nationwide Electric Auto Association (EAA), and holds regular monthly meetings, public displays, car shows and tech sessions to exchange information.

Something for Everyone

Many EVA/DC members don’t own an EV, but attend meetings to learn more about the technology. Those who have EVs include members who converted vehicles themselves, purchased limited run OEM EVs (such as the Ford Ranger, Miles NMG, Toyota RAV-4 EV), recently purchased a new OEM EV such as a Tesla, Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt.
Some members of EVA/DC are supporting the EV industry in one form or another with their infrastructure and consulting business, conversions or selling and repairing light electric vehicles such as electric bicycles and scooters.

Education

EVA/DC actively supports educational efforts including local high school and elementary school EV competitions, where students gain valuable hands on experience in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

With the increasing demand to showcase the technology, members are frequently called upon to display their cars at area schools, environmental fairs, automobile shows, parades and other public events. And it’s not unusual for a local EV driver to be stopped in public by curious onlookers for a peek under the hood – often accompanied by an impromptu question and answer session.

Power of DC Races

For over ten years, EVA/DC has organized the Power of DC, an annual EV competion, which features an AutoCross set up by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and drag race sanctioned by the National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA). The competition has been a model others have followed and has resulted in several records (www.powerofdc.com).

Plugged-In to the Future

Several of our members are not only plugged into EVs but to other sustainable technologies as well. Solar energy is one way our members have plugged-into the future by installing solar panels to assist in charging their vehicles.

If you are interested in electric vehicles, you are welcome to attend any of our meetings and events. Visit us on the web at: www.evadc.org.

RichM May 3, 2015

SkyTruth

Sometimes it’s impossible to see the changes in the world around you from the ground. You have to get a different perspective. That’s exactly what SkyTruth (www.skytruth.org) a local nonprofit accomplishes with their compelling satellite photographs showing environmental impacts from around the world. SkyTruth’s mission is to empower citizen scientists, government bodies and research organizations with knowledge of the true impact that humans have on the world around them through meticulously catalogued, scientifically credible images.

Last year SkyTruth launched FracFinder, a multi-stage project to track fracking sites using a combination of aerial and satellite imagery. SkyTruth employees and over 200 volunteers analyzed images spanning 5 years of time and the entire state of Pennsylvania to map the growth of well sites. Over 90,000 image analysis tasks were performed to produce this rigorously catalogued record of the expansion of the industry, from only 60 sites in 2005 to 1,410 in 2010. The project has recently expanded to begin mapping Ohio drilling sites and the data collected will be
invaluable in researching the environmental and public health effects of this practice.

The data sets produced by SkyTruth continue to be critical to peer reviewed studies analyzing the impact of mountaintop removal mining on fish populations. These studies will be used by regulatory agencies to make environmental and water use policies for the future.

SkyTruth shines a light on the true impact that our actions are having on the environment and present that information in formats anyone can understand. Their tracking methods and data analysis techniques

are paving the way towards a future where everyone can see the consequences of man’s actions on the environment and take action. Ultimately, SkyTruth’s goal is to make the tools, imagery, and data they use commonplace and accessible to the public. Just the way Google and other search engines provide access to the world’s knowledge stored on the internet, skytruthing will effectively be a search engine for environmental change. If you can see it, you can change it.