Honda FCX Clarity

At the beginning of this school block, one of my professors assigned a group project about Ford Motor Company.  Our group was supposed to compose an executive summary for Ford, informing them of the many environmental factors that will affect their business in the coming years.  We were to look at everything from green technology to political factors.  

We are now just about done with the whole thing, and during the process I stumbled upon something I thought was really cool.  I’m talking about the Honda FCX Clarity – Honda’s hydrogen powered car offering.  I know that we have all heard about hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but this one brings them a little closer to home than I previously understood. 

My father-in-law has been attending conferences on this technology for quite some time now in California.  I learned from him that the hydrogen infrastructure is growing bigger every day in southern California.  The technology is exciting and all, but currently Utah has no such infrastructure.  This is why Honda released a handfull of FCX Claritys to southern Cal customers last summer.  

The exciting part for me is that Honda may be close to releasing a hydrogen station that will allow anybody to charge their fuel cell car at home.  The station will also reduce a home’s energy consumption and save money for the family.  I really don’t know how soon Honda could release these things, but I have had fun imagining.  My optimistic imaginings see a highway full of cars with water as the only exhaust.  No horrible winter inversions, no nasty car fumes, etc.  That will be a good day.

On another note, this project brought home how much work Ford needs to do to even catch up with companies like Honda.  Honda has already sold some of these things and Ford is still showing off its test model.   Our American companies need to step it up if they are ever going to regain the clout they once had as automakers.  Obama spoke well when he said the nation that invented the car should excel in its production.  It’s just too bad I can’t justify buying the junk that Ford is putting on the road over my Civic that is still going strong after 7 years.

Tags: Honda,Honda FCX Clarity,hydrogen fuel cell,fuel cell cars

Bonsai, not banzai, Daniel-son

I never thought a miniature tree could be so interesting, but mine and April’s ficus bonsai tree has become just that. I bought it for her for Valentine’s Day just about a half year ago, and the change in just that short time has been captivating to watch. They told me it would grow well in good conditions and with good amounts of humidity, but I didn’t expect it to grow like it has. And no, that picture above is not our tree, but give me 150 years and maybe we’ll be there.

I bought it at Cactus and Tropicals, where there is a nice little variety of bonsai trees from the old and very pricey to the very young and inexpensive.  I decided to buy one about seven years old and grown in Florida so that I would get some nice aerial roots and a decent trunk size.  It also had the best root curvature of the bunch – something I thought would be important in the long run.

I can’t quite pinpoint what is so fun about caring for this mini tree.  Maybe it’s that large trees in nature are so overpowering and awe-inspiring that we can’t become involved with them on a personal level.  Yes, that sounds incredibly tree hugger-like, but I think it’s true even if you don’t verbalize it that way.  With the bonsai tree you are involved in the growth process, and if you are into wiring and shaping, you can create shapes that maybe only exist in your mind, if not in nature.  Then again, part of bonsai is mimicking natural tree forms, so I don’t think I would ever get too odd in wiring.

We’ve started with a ficus retusa, as they are very forgiving and fast growing.  We also just acquired my mom’s natal plum that was suffering from lack of sun at her house.  We’re going to try to revive it.  Someday I hope to move up the difficulty scale and buy a juniper or something cool like that.  Then maybe I’ll don my gi and do birdie kicks on a wooden stump at the beach while a wooden recorder is played in the distance.

Tags: bonsai, trees, hobbies, Cactus and Tropicals, ficus bonsai