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West Coast embraces electric big trucks, leading by example

News Feed
Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Titan Freight Systems is making a significant shift to electric trucks on the West Coast, showcasing both environmental and economic benefits.Peter Fairley reports for The Tyee.In short:Titan Freight Systems in Portland, Oregon, transitions its fleet from diesel to electric, tapping into federal and state subsidies to offset costs.Electrification of Titan's fleet is deemed profitable, with savings on maintenance and fuel costs leading to substantial financial benefits.The move towards electric trucks is part of a larger effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, with heavy-duty trucks being a primary focus due to their significant environmental impact.Key quote: "Look at my return on investment. Holy cow! It’s a 52 per cent cost reduction versus a diesel vehicle. That just takes your breath away."— Keith Wilson, owner of Titan Freight Systems.Why this matters:Switching to electric trucks is not just an environmental imperative but also an increasingly viable economic choice. This shift is crucial for reducing emissions and pollution from one of the most significant contributors: the transportation sector. Titan's successful transition serves as a model for others, signaling a pivotal change in how goods are transported, aligning economic incentives with ecological sustainability.Diesel trucks are causing environmental injustice across US cities.

Titan Freight Systems is making a significant shift to electric trucks on the West Coast, showcasing both environmental and economic benefits.Peter Fairley reports for The Tyee.In short:Titan Freight Systems in Portland, Oregon, transitions its fleet from diesel to electric, tapping into federal and state subsidies to offset costs.Electrification of Titan's fleet is deemed profitable, with savings on maintenance and fuel costs leading to substantial financial benefits.The move towards electric trucks is part of a larger effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, with heavy-duty trucks being a primary focus due to their significant environmental impact.Key quote: "Look at my return on investment. Holy cow! It’s a 52 per cent cost reduction versus a diesel vehicle. That just takes your breath away."— Keith Wilson, owner of Titan Freight Systems.Why this matters:Switching to electric trucks is not just an environmental imperative but also an increasingly viable economic choice. This shift is crucial for reducing emissions and pollution from one of the most significant contributors: the transportation sector. Titan's successful transition serves as a model for others, signaling a pivotal change in how goods are transported, aligning economic incentives with ecological sustainability.Diesel trucks are causing environmental injustice across US cities.



Titan Freight Systems is making a significant shift to electric trucks on the West Coast, showcasing both environmental and economic benefits.

Peter Fairley reports for The Tyee.

In short:

  • Titan Freight Systems in Portland, Oregon, transitions its fleet from diesel to electric, tapping into federal and state subsidies to offset costs.
  • Electrification of Titan's fleet is deemed profitable, with savings on maintenance and fuel costs leading to substantial financial benefits.
  • The move towards electric trucks is part of a larger effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and local air pollution, with heavy-duty trucks being a primary focus due to their significant environmental impact.

Key quote:

"Look at my return on investment. Holy cow! It’s a 52 per cent cost reduction versus a diesel vehicle. That just takes your breath away."

— Keith Wilson, owner of Titan Freight Systems.

Why this matters:

Switching to electric trucks is not just an environmental imperative but also an increasingly viable economic choice. This shift is crucial for reducing emissions and pollution from one of the most significant contributors: the transportation sector. Titan's successful transition serves as a model for others, signaling a pivotal change in how goods are transported, aligning economic incentives with ecological sustainability.

Diesel trucks are causing environmental injustice across US cities.

Read the full story here.
Photos courtesy of

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Bali plastic recycling scheme swamped with garbage

Scheme has collected a fraction of the waste it set out to handle and is struggling with broken machinery and poor financesFive firms in plastic pollution alliance ‘made 1,000 times more waste than they saved’The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) makes high-profile claims about the projects around the world it supports in the pursuit of clearing up plastic waste leaching into the environment.It works with partner organisations in developing countries to support community initiatives to collect and recycle plastic waste. Continue reading...

The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) makes high-profile claims about the projects around the world it supports in the pursuit of clearing up plastic waste leaching into the environment.It works with partner organisations in developing countries to support community initiatives to collect and recycle plastic waste.But a visit to one of the earliest projects in Bali reveals it has collected a fraction of the plastic waste it set out to handle.Based in Jembrana, west Bali, the scheme set out to develop a “life-changing” waste system catering for 160,000 people. It was designed and implemented by the alliance in partnership with Project STOP, which aims to support waste management projects in south-east Asia.Jembrana’s scheme includes a household waste collection service, an educational campaign and sorting buckets for residents, and a new recycling facility, where waste is processed and composted.The facility was built next to an existing landfill. When the Alliance handed Project STOP Jembrana over to the local government and community last year, it said that it had “reached financial sustainability”. But it reported collecting less than a quarter of the 2,200 tonnes of plastic it originally intended to prevent from entering the oceans each year.The Peh landfill on Bali, run by the local government. It takes unprocessed waste from the community including the neighbouring recycling facility, built as part of Project STOP Jembrana in collaboration with the Alliance to End Plastic Waste. Photograph: Made Nagi/GreenpeaceBut when a reporter from Greenpeace’s Unearthed team went to visit it earlier this month, it was swamped with garbage from an adjacent landfill and struggling with broken machinery and poor finances.The local organisation that took over the site with the local government has fallen into debt, and the mountain of waste at the surrounding landfill is bigger than when Project STOP began.The project recently announced plans for waste to be burned in cement kilns – a practice that has raised concerns over the impact of air pollution on local communities, and which campaigners say disincentivises recycling.Unearthed was told by workers that only 35 of the original 53 waste collection vehicles were still operational, and many of those frequently broke down.“There has been no fleet to pick up trash from my house for a long time. So I still use a bucket to collect trash, but I burn the trash behind my house,” resident Ni Luh Sumitri told Unearthed.Crucial waste sorting and recycling equipment is also broken, contributing to the growing waste pile adjoining the site. This waste pile has reportedly caused frequent fires, pollution and foul odours.A landfill worker, who spoke to Unearthed on condition of anonymity, said smoke from fires at the landfill often entered residents’ homes at night.A spokesperson for the AEPW said: “We fund a portfolio of projects of different sizes and nature with the objective of helping to solve the plastic waste challenge as well as develop learnings for future activities.“As with any portfolio, we recognise projects may not work perfectly or achieve the same level of success. If these projects were easy, we wouldn’t be fulfilling our purpose of developing new solutions. Accordingly, we not only measure our progress by volume, but also through the funding of projects and the advancement of what we hope are scalable solutions that may have the potential to scale.”The head of Jembrana’s environmental agency, Dewa Gede Ary Candra Wisnawa, told Unearthed that his party was still trying to improve management, but added: “We in the regions [are facing] budget constraints … there are many things that need to be fixed or adjusted. That is normal in adjusting the system.”“More and more residents are collecting and sorting waste before being transported to [the recycling facility], but the problems at the [facility] are now an obstacle,” I Ketut Suardika, the head of the Jagra Palemahan community organisation, told Unearthed.

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Japanese Manicurist Takes on Plastic Pollution, One Nail at a Time

By Tom BatemanCHIGASAKI, Japan (Reuters) - Before global leaders take the problem of plastic pollution into their hands this month, Japanese...

CHIGASAKI, Japan (Reuters) - Before global leaders take the problem of plastic pollution into their hands this month, Japanese manicurist Naomi Arimoto is putting it into her fingernails.At the beach near her home south of Tokyo, Arimoto carefully sifts sand for tiny bits of plastic that she can mould into decorative tips to put on the false nails at her salon. She came up with the idea after taking part in community cleanups along the coast."I became aware of environmental issues the moment I saw with my own eyes just how much plastic waste was in the ocean," 42-year-old Arimoto said. "I thought it was horrifying."An estimated 20 million tonnes of plastic waste is dumped into the environment each year, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A United Nations summit in Busan, South Korea, starting on Nov. 25 aims to craft a landmark treaty that would set global caps on plastic production.The United States, one of the world's biggest plastic makers, signalled in August it would support a global treaty, a shift that environmental watchdog Greenpeace called a "watershed moment" in the fight against plastic pollution.Arimoto opened a nail salon in her home in 2018 after a spinal condition forced her to give up her career as a social worker, and she's been using Umigomi, or "sea trash," to make nail art since 2021. To gather the raw materials, she uses a custom wheelchair to scour the nearby beach every month to gather microplastics that other cleaners might miss.To turn sea trash into treasure, Arimoto starts by rinsing the plastic in fresh water and then sorting it by colour. She cuts the plastic into smaller pieces and places them into a metal ring before melting the plastic to form a colourful disc that can be attached to the artificial nails. Prices for a set start at 12,760 yen ($82.52)."I know there are other things made of recycled materials, like toilet paper and other daily necessities, but I had no idea you could have nails too, that was a surprise," said salon customer Kyoko Kurokawa, 57.Arimoto acknowledges that her nail art is a drop in an ocean of plastic pollution, but says raising consciousness of the problem is a step to towards working together for a solution."I hope that by putting these in front of people's eyes, on their fingertips, they'll enjoy fashion while also becoming more aware of environmental issues," she said.(Reporting by Tom Bateman and Rocky Swift, Editing by Kate Mayberry)Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters.

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Flatulence tax: Denmark agrees deal for livestock emissions levy

It is part of a wider plan to reduce emissions and pollution and restore natural habitat.

Denmark has agreed on how to implement the world’s first tax on agricultural emissions, including flatulence by livestock.This comes after months of negotiations between the country’s major parties, farmers, the industry, trade unions and environmental groups. The Green Tripartite agreement was first announced in June.From 2030, farmers will have to pay a levy of 300 kroner ($43; £34) per tonne of methane (as per carbon dioxide equivalent) on emissions from livestock including cows and pigs, which will rise to 750 kroner in 2035.The Green Tripartite minister said they will “do what it takes to reach our climate goals” after receiving a “broad majority” in parliament.“[It is a] huge, huge task that is now underway: to transform large parts of our land from agricultural production to forestry, to natural spaces, to ensure that we can bring life back to our fjords,” Jeppe Bruus said.Part of the Green Tripartite agreement between the government, the agriculture industry and environmental organisations is to also reduce nitrogen pollution in an effort to restore the coasts and fjords. Nitrogen emissions could be reduced by 13,780 tonnes annually from 2027, AFP news agency reported.A concerted effort will also be made to improve the country's biodiversity.According to Danish daily The Copenhagen Post, 250,000 hectares of new forest will be planted, and 140,000 hectares of peatlands that are currently being cultivated will be restored to natural habitat.Peatlands are wetlands characterised by waterlogged conditions and are known carbon stores.Around 60% of Denmark's territory is currently cultivated, making it together with Bangladesh the country with the highest share of cultivated land, according to a Danish parliamentary report."Danish nature will change in a way we have not seen since the wetlands were drained in 1864," Mr Bruus said, as quoted by AFP news agency.Speaking about the agreement, the Danish minister for climate, energy and utilities, Lars Aagaard, said it showed the country’s “willingness to act”.“It also shows the Danish model - broad political majority in the Danish parliament [and] involvement of the sectors that will be affected by the tax and involvement of environmental stakeholders," he added, explaining these are "things that we could all benefit from if the rest of the world could foster such cooperation in the climate fight.”

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India's Capital Chokes As Air Pollution Levels Hit 50 Times The Safe Limit

Authorities in India’s capital have shut schools, halted construction and banned non-essential trucks from entering the city.

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