12-08-2005, 07:47 AM
Ford Motor Company strengthened its position as one of the industryâs environmental leaders last month by taking part in several "green" events including conferences and award ceremonies in Europe and Asia, and hybrid vehicle promotions in the United States.
"Fordâs environmental activities don't always make front page news, but they remain an important part of our effort to make the world a better, healthier place to live," said Andy Acho, worldwide director, Environmental Outreach and Strategy, Ford Motor Company.
Environmental initiatives and innovations are fundamental to Fordâs business strategy moving forward.
Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Conference
Among the events that Ford took part in last month was the Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Conference at the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, England on Nov. 10-11. Ford's Premier Automotive Groupâs Chief Technical Officer Richard Parry-Jones participated and a range of Ford vehicles were on display at the high profile UK government-hosted event.
That event and others took place against a backdrop of coordinated environmental protests against automakers in the United States and England during the month of November.
"We recognize that our industry is part of the problem, but we are also committed to be part of the solution," Parry-Jones told conference attendees. He added that while a hydrogen-based economy may be the long-term solution, Ford is engaged in developing and implementing a portfolio of vehicle technology alternatives in the interim.
At the conference, Ford exhibited two Focus Flexi-Fuel vehicles, an Escape Hybrid, an aluminum-bodied Jaguar XJ, and a HyTrans, which is a micro-hybrid diesel-electric version of the Transit commercial van made by Ford of Europe.
'Best Performing Corporation'
On Nov. 8, Ford Motor Company won an award recognizing the Dagenham Plantâs efforts to divert waste from landfills and use recycled material in manufacturing. Ben Diggins, Ford of Britain environmental engineer, accepted the "Best Performing Corporation" award on behalf of the company from Ken Livingston, the mayor of London, at the London Remade Green Procurement Code Awards.
"We aren't content to stop there," Diggins said. "We have a new project that also is going make a real difference."
The project, which is still in the planning stage, will convert unrecyclable material from the plant and the neighbouring community into 10.5 megawatts of renewable electricity at a price 25 percent lower than Ford's Dagenham Plant currently pays and is expected to result in a significant savings.
The plan calls for installation of a gasification facility at Dagenham that will enable the plant to convert unrecyclable waste into a clean burning, renewable fuel, which will provide the plant with 100 percent of its electrical base load and 71 percent of its peak load -- all from a sustainable source. The process would divert tens of thousands of tons of waste from landfills.
"This is a win-win for the plant and the community," Diggins said. "Local waste is dealt with locally."
Diggins added that gasification technology can also be tuned to produce ethanol or hydrogen.
"In the future we can back off on electricity and start producing transportation fuel for our vehicles, all from unrecyclable waste," the environmental engineer said.
Conservation & Environmental Grant Programs
The Ford Conservation and Environmental Grant Program, which started in 1983, is one of the worldâs largest environmental and conservation grant programs, with the involvement of more than 120,000 people and organizations in 60 countries.
Showing its support for "green" initiatives in Asia, the company hosted the 2005 Ford Motor Conservation & Environmental Grant -- China program (CEGC), at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on Nov. 2.
Ford honored 16 Chinese individuals and environmental organizations with financial awards totaling one million RMB (approximately $123,000 USD), and honored six others with honorary awards for their outstanding achievements in water resources protection.
The award ceremony was attended by Chinese government officials as well as agency officials in charge of water resource conservation, forestry and wildlife protection. Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the Ford Motor Company Board of Directors, attended the ceremony along with several representatives of Ford in China. More than 100 members of the media also attended.
"Fordâs recognition of our project created tremendous support for us to work with local government," said Dr. Xiao-gang Yu, a first-place grant winner.
Also in November, Ford Group Philippines awarded another P2.5 million (approximately $46,000 USD) to 11 organizations and their projects during ceremonies marking the close of the 2005 Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants program in Manila. The ceremony was attended by government officials led by the Philippines' Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The grant recipientsâ projects span the categories of Natural Environment, Heritage, Conservation Engineering, and Child and Youth.
"We believe that safeguarding and improving the environment is a fundamental part of making the world a better place," said Henry Co, president, Ford Group Philippines. "Tackling environmental and social issues is not something a company does after it becomes successful; it must be something we do to be successful."
Clean Vehicle Technology Expo
Also in China, the company recently took part in the Fourth International Clean Vehicle Technology Symposium and Exposition at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Beijing. The event provided an opportunity for Ford representatives to network with government officials and industry executives from China and abroad.
"Our environmental strategy for China is no different than any other country," Acho said, adding that all of Fordâs products sold in China meet the environmental regulations that are standard in Europe.
Hybrids, Sustainability & Alternative Fuels
In the U.S., Ford held a press event in New York City on Nov. 10, as the first of 81 Escape Hybrid taxis prepared to hit the streets of the Big Apple. The same day, the "Ford Hybrid Patrol" began a 10-city/10-week U.S. tour in Atlanta.
The Hybrid Patrol program combines Ford's hybrid team with local police departments in both education and competition on fuel economy techniques. The police will patrol the community on the day of the visit in a Mercury Mariner Hybrid, stopping motorists who demonstrate fuel-saving driving techniques. The "citation" will be a pre-paid $25 gasoline card that has been donated as part of Ford's partnership with BP. Each department will compete to win an all-new Mercury Mariner Hybrid for their fleet in a national fuel economy challenge.
Fordâs hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles as well as its Sustainability Lab in Dearborn appeared in a Fox Network one-hour documentary about global warming that aired on Nov. 13.
Ford and VeraSun Energy Corporation last month announced a joint initiative to promote the ethanol infrastructure in up to three markets. The project will convert gasoline fuel pumps at current retail locations to E85 fuel, which is a key step toward development of more efficient, clean and renewable biofuels that can provide energy security as well as environmental benefits.
The federal government has recently approved incentives to increase the use of ethanol in the United States. Increasing the production of ethanol not only helps our farmers, but reduces our dependency on foreign oil.
By Kristopher Spencer, FCN
"Fordâs environmental activities don't always make front page news, but they remain an important part of our effort to make the world a better, healthier place to live," said Andy Acho, worldwide director, Environmental Outreach and Strategy, Ford Motor Company.
Environmental initiatives and innovations are fundamental to Fordâs business strategy moving forward.
Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Conference
Among the events that Ford took part in last month was the Environmentally Friendly Vehicle Conference at the National Motorcycle Museum near Birmingham, England on Nov. 10-11. Ford's Premier Automotive Groupâs Chief Technical Officer Richard Parry-Jones participated and a range of Ford vehicles were on display at the high profile UK government-hosted event.
That event and others took place against a backdrop of coordinated environmental protests against automakers in the United States and England during the month of November.
"We recognize that our industry is part of the problem, but we are also committed to be part of the solution," Parry-Jones told conference attendees. He added that while a hydrogen-based economy may be the long-term solution, Ford is engaged in developing and implementing a portfolio of vehicle technology alternatives in the interim.
At the conference, Ford exhibited two Focus Flexi-Fuel vehicles, an Escape Hybrid, an aluminum-bodied Jaguar XJ, and a HyTrans, which is a micro-hybrid diesel-electric version of the Transit commercial van made by Ford of Europe.
'Best Performing Corporation'
On Nov. 8, Ford Motor Company won an award recognizing the Dagenham Plantâs efforts to divert waste from landfills and use recycled material in manufacturing. Ben Diggins, Ford of Britain environmental engineer, accepted the "Best Performing Corporation" award on behalf of the company from Ken Livingston, the mayor of London, at the London Remade Green Procurement Code Awards.
"We aren't content to stop there," Diggins said. "We have a new project that also is going make a real difference."
The project, which is still in the planning stage, will convert unrecyclable material from the plant and the neighbouring community into 10.5 megawatts of renewable electricity at a price 25 percent lower than Ford's Dagenham Plant currently pays and is expected to result in a significant savings.
The plan calls for installation of a gasification facility at Dagenham that will enable the plant to convert unrecyclable waste into a clean burning, renewable fuel, which will provide the plant with 100 percent of its electrical base load and 71 percent of its peak load -- all from a sustainable source. The process would divert tens of thousands of tons of waste from landfills.
"This is a win-win for the plant and the community," Diggins said. "Local waste is dealt with locally."
Diggins added that gasification technology can also be tuned to produce ethanol or hydrogen.
"In the future we can back off on electricity and start producing transportation fuel for our vehicles, all from unrecyclable waste," the environmental engineer said.
Conservation & Environmental Grant Programs
The Ford Conservation and Environmental Grant Program, which started in 1983, is one of the worldâs largest environmental and conservation grant programs, with the involvement of more than 120,000 people and organizations in 60 countries.
Showing its support for "green" initiatives in Asia, the company hosted the 2005 Ford Motor Conservation & Environmental Grant -- China program (CEGC), at the Great Hall of People in Beijing on Nov. 2.
Ford honored 16 Chinese individuals and environmental organizations with financial awards totaling one million RMB (approximately $123,000 USD), and honored six others with honorary awards for their outstanding achievements in water resources protection.
The award ceremony was attended by Chinese government officials as well as agency officials in charge of water resource conservation, forestry and wildlife protection. Edsel B. Ford II, a member of the Ford Motor Company Board of Directors, attended the ceremony along with several representatives of Ford in China. More than 100 members of the media also attended.
"Fordâs recognition of our project created tremendous support for us to work with local government," said Dr. Xiao-gang Yu, a first-place grant winner.
Also in November, Ford Group Philippines awarded another P2.5 million (approximately $46,000 USD) to 11 organizations and their projects during ceremonies marking the close of the 2005 Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants program in Manila. The ceremony was attended by government officials led by the Philippines' Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The grant recipientsâ projects span the categories of Natural Environment, Heritage, Conservation Engineering, and Child and Youth.
"We believe that safeguarding and improving the environment is a fundamental part of making the world a better place," said Henry Co, president, Ford Group Philippines. "Tackling environmental and social issues is not something a company does after it becomes successful; it must be something we do to be successful."
Clean Vehicle Technology Expo
Also in China, the company recently took part in the Fourth International Clean Vehicle Technology Symposium and Exposition at the Ministry of Science and Technology in Beijing. The event provided an opportunity for Ford representatives to network with government officials and industry executives from China and abroad.
"Our environmental strategy for China is no different than any other country," Acho said, adding that all of Fordâs products sold in China meet the environmental regulations that are standard in Europe.
Hybrids, Sustainability & Alternative Fuels
In the U.S., Ford held a press event in New York City on Nov. 10, as the first of 81 Escape Hybrid taxis prepared to hit the streets of the Big Apple. The same day, the "Ford Hybrid Patrol" began a 10-city/10-week U.S. tour in Atlanta.
The Hybrid Patrol program combines Ford's hybrid team with local police departments in both education and competition on fuel economy techniques. The police will patrol the community on the day of the visit in a Mercury Mariner Hybrid, stopping motorists who demonstrate fuel-saving driving techniques. The "citation" will be a pre-paid $25 gasoline card that has been donated as part of Ford's partnership with BP. Each department will compete to win an all-new Mercury Mariner Hybrid for their fleet in a national fuel economy challenge.
Fordâs hybrid and fuel-cell vehicles as well as its Sustainability Lab in Dearborn appeared in a Fox Network one-hour documentary about global warming that aired on Nov. 13.
Ford and VeraSun Energy Corporation last month announced a joint initiative to promote the ethanol infrastructure in up to three markets. The project will convert gasoline fuel pumps at current retail locations to E85 fuel, which is a key step toward development of more efficient, clean and renewable biofuels that can provide energy security as well as environmental benefits.
The federal government has recently approved incentives to increase the use of ethanol in the United States. Increasing the production of ethanol not only helps our farmers, but reduces our dependency on foreign oil.
By Kristopher Spencer, FCN