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Life & Times Transcript
07/06/06 Val Zavala>> Tonight on Life and Times -- It's a way to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and it burns cleaner than gas, so when will people take notice? George Hopwood>> We had the forethought, I guess, to think this could be something for the future, so we brought it in. It moved slowly at first, but it's catching on strong now because basically a lot of the federal agencies are using it and it's catching on through more local government as well. Val Zavala>> And then, the dream of pollution-free cars is coming true. How did this ordinary family get to own the world's first hydrogen cell car? These stories and more next on tonight's Life and Times. Announcer>> Life and Times is made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Val Zavala>> Welcome to this special edition of Life and Times where we take an in-depth look at southern California's response to high gas prices beginning with a family that never has to fill up. Imagine a car whose only pollution is a little bit of water vapor. Well, that technology is with us today in hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but only a few people across the country ever get to drive one. But Sam Louie found one family in Redondo Beach who went to the top of the list. Sam Louie>> This is a glimpse of the future. Ford, Mercedes, Hyundai, all showing off a different kind of car. These cars don't run on gasoline or batteries and they aren't a hybrid. Instead, they run on an odorless gas whose only pollution is water. They are cars powered by hydrogen gas known as hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Steve Ellis>> So you would have zero carbon emissions, zero smog emissions from the fuel, and you have the great benefit of energy supply that is not imported or not brought in from other countries. Sam Louie>> Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? A car that emits nothing but a little water vapor from the tailpipe. In fact, these are just prototypes, so many of these won't be ready for the road and you can't buy one at a dealership. So how did the Spallino family get one? Sandy Spallino of Redondo Beach is a stay-at-home mother. She and her family have the distinction of being the first in the world to own a hydrogen-powered car. Sandy Spallino>> It's our fifteen minutes of fame, which we figure there's only three minutes left (laughter). No, it's been fun. It's been really fun to be a part of that. Sam Louie>> Honda has spent ten years designing and fine-tuning the Honda FCX, which is the first hydrogen fuel cell car being produced on a limited basis for private owners. Steve Ellis>> We needed to get them out in the field and learn by having them in the hands of the customer. This is a lot different than running a car on a test track under controlled conditions. Nothing beats the real world. Real world customers do things you just can't imagine. Sam Louie>> Jon Spallino is a Chief Financial Officer for an engineering company in Irvine and he spends lots of time commuting on the road. Jon Spallino>> The reality that we recognize is the celebrity here is not so much us, but -- Sandy Spallino>> -- it's the car. Jon Spallino>> It's the car, so it's a coming-out party of sorts for the FCX and we just get to play along. Sandy Spallino>> Play with it. Sam Louie>> And the family is making the most of it. For Sandy, a typical day is full of driving. Sandy Spallino>> My day is usually getting in and out of the car twelve times a day. You know, short errands. Sam Louie>> The car may be small, but it stands out. Sandy Spallino>> "Yeah, it's actually roomier than a regular car. It sits up a little higher. It's really comfortable." Sam Louie>> The Spallinos are the first of only twenty owners in the entire country driving a Honda fuel cell vehicle. Sandy and Jon have gotten used to the attention. Sandy Spallino>> You'll be at a stop sign and you'll look over and the guy's honking and he gives you the thumbs up or he rolls his window down at the stoplight and is yelling, "How do you like the car?" I get that all the time. It's fun. Sam Louie>> So why did Honda choose the Spallinos? First, they are used to alternative fuel vehicles. They already own a separate Honda which runs on natural gas. They also live close to Honda's headquarters in Torrance and Honda liked their down-to-earth values. Jon Spallino>> We don't see ourselves as extreme in any way. Extreme environmentalists, nor do we see ourselves as extreme conservatives, if you will, when it comes to the environment. But when we find something that's practical that we can incorporate in our daily routines that isn't too obtrusive or difficult, we try to incorporate those things. Sam Louie>> The biggest hurdles facing hydrogen fuel cars are price and practicality. The production costs to make one of these types of vehicles is currently at one million dollars. Also, finding a place to fill up remains an obstacle. There are only a handful of fueling stations in southern California which supply hydrogen fuel to these cars and, no, the Spallinos did not shell out a million bucks for the car. Instead, Honda gave them a special two-year lease. Five hundred dollars a month covers the car and insurance and, because hydrogen fuel is more expensive than gas, Honda gives the family a subsidy for fuel. Jon Spallino>> From a day-to-day driving perspective, the only hurdle I see, and it's not a small one certainly, is the fueling infrastructure. That's the big hurdle. Sam Louie>> But more are on the horizon. Arnold Schwarzenegger>> "We will not just dream about the hydrogen highway. We will not just dream about the hydrogen fueling stations. We will not just dream about the hydrogen cars. We will build it." Sam Louie>> A year and a half ago, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced plans for a hydrogen highway proposal. The plan is to build one hundred hydrogen fueling stations in California similar to this one at LAX by 2010. The hype over hydrogen also caught the president's attention. George Bush>> "Tonight I'm proposing $1.2 billion dollars in research funding so that America can lead the world in developing clean hydrogen-powered automobiles." Sam Louie>> So why isn't America leading the world in hydrogen-powered cars? There are still some major shortcomings manufacturers have to overcome. First, the cost. A million dollars is a bit steep for most households. And then, there's the range of miles it gets. Steve Ellis>> The fuel cell cars, when they first came out, had very limited range. The FCX, when we first introduced that, was one hundred ninety. This particular version is EPA-rated at a hundred ninety miles and that provides a reasonable range for people commuting in Los Angeles, but we know we have to get the mileage up to about two hundred fifty or three hundred miles for better customer acceptance. Jon Spallino>> We've got to be aware of where the fuel gauge is all the time and we certainly have to do some planning to make sure that we're not going to run out. Sam Louie>> But one of the things fuel cell cars have over gas-powered vehicles is fire safety. The University of Miami did a test. Hydrogen fuel was purposely leaked and ignited by a spark. In the hydrogen car, the flames shoot straight up and, in less than two minutes, they go out with virtually no damage to the vehicle. Steve Ellis>> The fuel itself is not explosive per se. It is flammable just like gasoline. The good part is that it's lighter than air, so let's say if there ever was some small leak or something, it doesn't kind of pool onto the ground just kind of waiting to sit there and burn. It simply dissipates into the atmosphere. Sam Louie>> But what hydrogen advocates are really excited about is the pollutants this car puts out. There are none. Zero. Nada. In fact, the only emission would be water dripping from the tailpipe. Steve Ellis>> You and I could put a cup underneath the tailpipe and drink the water. Sam Louie>> This has given the Spallino's youngest daughter, Anna, a real-life science lesson. Anna Spallino>> Because usually you'd see some other type of resource, but when you see water coming out of it, you know, that's different. Sam Louie>> As for her dad, Jon admits that he still gets a kick out of the one million dollar price tag. Jon Spallino>> Obviously, that can be a fun number to throw around in southern California where you're surrounded by Bentleys and Jaguars and Porsches and the like. You say to yourself, well, that's a nice car, but for what this costs, I could probably buy ten of those. Sam Louie>> The goal by Honda is to make their fuel cell vehicle available to the general public in ten years. In the meantime, the Spallinos are gearing up for the future, a future that some say could drive down our dependence on oil and clear up our smoggy skies. I'm Sam Louie for Life and Times. Announcer>> Kcet.org is the place to look for the very latest on Life and Times. You'll find previews of upcoming stories, plus transcripts and audio of past episodes and links to some of our most interesting features. Just go to kcet.org, scroll down the page and click on "Life and Times". Val Zavala>> Imagine being able to make fuel for your car out of used cooking oil. Well, it's not a thing of the future. It's possible right now today. It's called biodiesel and it's cleaner and cheaper than gasoline, so why hasn't it taken off? Toni Guinyard takes a closer look at this alternative fuel. Toni Guinyard>> Santa Monica resident, Joe Gershen, is a man on a mission. Joe Gershen>> We're trying to advance the cause of biodiesel really everywhere, but certainly in southern California. Toni Guinyard>> He's out to convince the public we can improve air quality while cutting our dependence on foreign-produced oil by using this: biodiesel. It's a nontoxic, clean-burning alternative fuel for use in conventional diesel engines. It's made from soy or other vegetable oils. Joe Gershen>> Mustard seed here in California makes sense, canola. In Europe, they use something called rapeseed which is sort of an industrial canola. Toni Guinyard>> Or recycled grease and animal fat. Joe Gershen>> It got a lot of press. People were sort of making their own biodiesel, using straight vegetable oil, you know, often recycled that they collect from restaurants, in their cars. Toni Guinyard>> While the use of biodiesel initially received a lot of media attention, the spotlight seemed to dim over time, but when few were looking, biodiesel slowly and quietly began developing a loyal following. Joe Gershen>> We bought a couple of cars. My wife bought one and then I bought one. We sold our gas-powered cars and we started using it. We thought, well, we're not going to go out here and evangelize this great alternative fuel if we're not using it ourselves, so we started doing it and it was frustrating. Toni Guinyard>> Frustrating because access to biodiesel is limited depending on where you are in southern California. Consumers in the Los Angeles area looking to fill her up with biodiesel often end up here, ITL in Cudahy. Jeff Irvin>> The only place, I understand at least in southern California, that has it at the pump. We have B20 at the pump. Toni Guinyard>> Jeff Irvin is President of ITL. A few years ago, he started selling B20, a blend of twenty percent biodiesel mixed with eighty percent petroleum diesel. Jeff Irvin>> Right now, our retail sales at the pump are only about five hundred gallons a day and that's not a good day. Toni Guinyard>> ITL also sells biodiesel in its purest form, B100, so-called neat biodiesel, in five gallon containers. But there is a downside to biodiesel. It produces NOX, oxides of nitrogen, an ingredient in smog, and it's one issue dirtying the reputation of biodiesel. Jeff Irvin>> You know, in the other parts of the United States, in the Midwest particularly, biodiesel is taking off. It's just really a going product. But here in California, the Resources Board does not accept biodiesel as an alternative fuel and that's primarily because, although there is a reduction of particulates, there's a slight increase in the NOX. Joe Gershen>> NOX tends to go up very slightly, but what's encouraging is that there are all sorts of technologies and additives available and being developed right now that will bring that NOX down. Toni Guinyard>> And perhaps make it more appealing to environmentalists with concerns. Irvin is counting on commercial sales to drive the use of the alternative fuel. Right now, the consumer market for biodiesel amounts to a mere drop in the bucket. Jeff Irvin>> As far as the individual, I think it's just somebody that wants to reduce the demand, do their part in reducing the demand, on crude oil. I think, from that aspect, it works pretty well. There's just not enough of those people yet. There's not a lot of diesel personal vehicles out there right now, particularly in California. Toni Guinyard>> Joe Gershen is one of those people and he hopes others follow his lead. Joe Gershen>> I have my one hundred percent biodiesel delivered and I have a little shed in my back alley behind my garage. Toni Guinyard>> Not only does he use biodiesel, but he promotes its use to anyone willing to listen. Joe Gershen>> If you would have asked me five years ago before I got into this, would I ever be promoting diesel, I would say, you know, you're crazy. There's no way I would do that. Diesel is disgusting and black, you know, toxic fumes. That was before I learned about biodiesel. Toni Guinyard>> Gershen developed a nonprofit advocacy group called GreenDepot to help educate the public. He also founded the company, LA BioFuel, to promote improved local access to biodiesel and other sustainable fuels. Joe Gershen>> I'm not just a guy trying to go out there and market it and get it out there. I actually use the stuff. Toni Guinyard>> So every three to four months, the biodiesel delivery man comes rolling through this Santa Monica alley making his way to Joe Gershen's house. For Joe, this has been a lesson about perseverance, determination and perhaps even a bit of stubbornness. You see, Joe doesn't think it's as easy as it should be to get the one thing he wants. What he and a growing number of alternative fuel users want is access to biodiesel at their own neighborhood gas stations from a traditional fuel pump. It's an argument managers at General Petroleum in Rancho Dominguez are familiar with. The fuel and lubricant distributor sells biodiesel in bulk. George Hopwood>> Sales are coming on strong because the federal government is the one that said to some of their agencies like the Navy, Air Force, they've mandated its use. Toni Guinyard>> When GP began selling biodiesel in 2000, there was very little interest. George Hopwood>> At that point, it was unique. Nobody else was handling it in this area. We had the forethought, I guess, to think this could be something for the future, so we brought it in and it moved slowly at first, but it's catching on strongly now. Mark Mason>> In a month, we're doing about fifty thousand, fifty-five thousand, gallons a month. Toni Guinyard>> What is that telling you? Mark Mason>> That the alternative fuel of biodiesel is definitely blossoming not only just in the military, but just to local people. Toni Guinyard>> On the average, biodiesel costs more than petroleum diesel, but federal subsidies tend to make its production and use more attractive. Jeff Irvin>> I think, if you see diesel and biodiesel come into parity as far as price, then commercial businesses will start taking a serious look at it. Toni Guinyard>> Municipalities statewide are taking note. The city of Santa Monica already had some vehicles powered by compressed natural gas. In February 2005, they made the transition in its existing diesel fleet vehicles to the B20 biodiesel blend with plans to test the use of one hundred percent biodiesel in the future. Javier Valle>> The city has made a commitment to become a sustainable city and, even though it does cost a little bit more, the city is being sustainable so that it's worth it to all of us. Wes Thompson>> We have ninety-four pieces of equipment currently using biodiesel and the worst we've had was a couple of clogged fuel filters. Toni Guinyard>> The city uses an average of seventy-five hundred gallons of biodiesel every month. They're hoping this effort to cut air pollution while supporting domestic fuel production and renewable sources of energy will be replicated by other cities, but it's likely to be a slow process. Joe Gershen>> You know, there is no magic bullet and the community, I think, sometimes looks for what's going to replace petroleum. I don't think any one thing will replace petroleum. I think it's going to take a lot of different things. Biodiesel is one of those things and it's something that we can use right now. Toni Guinyard>> One of several alternative fuel sources available to the public, if you're willing to pay a little more and go the extra mile. I'm Toni Guinyard for Life and Times. Announcer>> To send a comment or a question to our program, you can reach us by mail at this address: Life and Times 4401 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90027 You can also call our viewer comment line (323) 953-5555) or contact us the fast way by e-mail at kcet.org. Val Zavala>> There's only one thing going up faster than gas prices these days and that's consumer frustration, but what can you do? Well, you may not realize that, if you work for a large company in southern California, it's required to offer a rideshare program. That's right. More than one person to a vehicle. And as Orange County reporter, Roger Cooper, tells us, a lot of commuters are getting to know their coworkers a little better these days. Roger Cooper>> A gas station is a downright unpleasant place to be these days. >> "I mean, some places it's four dollars." Roger Cooper>> There is pain at the pumps and it shows. Just look at the frowns on peoples' faces as they pay the price to drive here in southern California. There is gloom over gasoline that's three dollars a gallon and going up. >> "I mean, I'm upset but there's nothing I can do about it." Roger Cooper>> So why is this woman smiling? Because Sheila Hayden, an event planner at UC Irvine, has found a way to protect herself from high pump prices, at least partially. For the past year, Sheila has shared her ride from San Clemente to UC Irvine with other members of a van pool. Sheila Hayden>> It saves the wear and tear on my car, number one, which is a big deal to me because it's a fairly new car. Now with gas prices, of course, it's a huge advantage. Roger Cooper>> Each weekday, UCI puts twenty vans like this on the road allowing van pool participants to share their ride and share savings on gas. Sheila Hayden>> We save a lot of money and then they take a fee out of our paychecks every month to pay for the van pool, which is very minimal compared to what you're getting for the cost. Very, very cheap. Roger Cooper>> What do you think you have to pay a month to do this? Sheila Hayden>> It's about sixty dollars a month, I believe it is. Roger Cooper>> Do you have any idea what you'd pay more if you had your car? Sheila Hayden>> Oh, gosh, I'd probably be paying over two hundred in gas plus a parking permit. Roger Cooper>> On a given day, some fifteen hundred van pools are on the road in southern California. But growth of van pools and ridesharing started more than a decade ago with the Air Quality Management District, or the AQMD. Its task? To clean up southern California's smoggy air. Sam Atwood>> Since the late 1980s, the AQMD has required larger companies to increase the number of people who carpool to work or take other steps to reduce their driving trips. Roger Cooper>> Air Quality officials here in Diamond Bar once required all companies with more than two hundred fifty employees to start a rideshare program, but now not all companies have to reach the same goal. And what happens if they don't reach their goal or if they don't want to start a rideshare program? AQMD spokesman, Sam Atwood, says businesses have other options. Sam Atwood>> Basically, they can pay an annual fee to AQMD and we invest that money in emission reduction programs. Roger Cooper>> UC Irvine opted to start a rideshare program. It leases vans and organizes pools for its employees. Half of all the large companies in southern California choose to go this route and that has spurred another kind of business: companies that help other companies organize ridesharing. This is the vast Irvine Spectrum business park where some fifty-five thousand workers show up each day. An organization called Spectrumotion designs plans to help the businesses here meet their rideshare requirements. And in the city of Orange, a company called VPSI works directly with groups of individuals who want to form their own van pools. VPSI Manager, Sandy Boyle, says she can actually track the price of gas by the number of people showing interest in van pooling. Sandy Boyle>> Last summer, we started to see the effects of the higher gas prices. We had a big surge in business from July to September with September being the pinnacle. Our website allows people to come on to our website and look for rides on vans. Prior to last summer, we would generally get about four hundred hits of people actually registering on our database to find a van pool match. Just last week, we had four hundred sixty people, so we think that, you know, we're right back to it again with the high gas prices. Roger Cooper>> UC Irvine's Manager for Commuter Services, Ken Ezell, is seeing the same pattern. Ken Ezell>> I think people are realizing that it's getting just terribly expensive to commute anymore. You know, for example, one week's worth of gas for my own truck is equal to a ride fee for a whole month in a van pool van, so it's really a good deal. Roger Cooper>> And VPSI Sandy Boyle says that, even though higher gas prices make van pooling a little more expensive, it still costs less than driving yourself. Sandy Boyle>> Prior to the gas prices being on the rise, we could pretty much assure people that they'd save about a thousand dollars a year in commuting costs by van pooling versus driving alone in their cars. Roger Cooper>> So what's life like in a van pool? Sheila's commute starts at her home in San Clemente. Sheila Hayden>> I live about a block from the Park and Ride, so I just walk there every morning. It's a nice walk for me and I meet everyone there at a quarter to seven and we head out. We get here in about twenty minutes. We take the toll road, read the newspaper, chit-chat, and it's relaxing. Roger Cooper>> At the end of the workday, the van circles the campus picking up Sheila and her commute mates for the trip home. Sheila Hayden>> And we head out back the same way and more chit-chatting about our day and what's gone on. We get back to the Park and Ride and I just walk home. Sandy Boyle>> Our customers will read or sleep or catch up on some work or just, you know, ride and talk to their friends and not have the stress of actually doing the driving. Roger Cooper>> And in case you were wondering, most van pool programs provide free rides home in the middle of the day should an illness or family emergency come up. But as much as Sheila loves her van pool, she realizes that they're not right for everyone. Sheila Hayden>> No, definitely not. I have a pretty much basic eight to five schedule. For people who don't have that schedule, who have to work late, it would not work for them. People with small children especially, it would not work for them. Sam Atwood>> A lot of rideshare organizations suggest that you try it out just for one day, maybe one day a week, or you just try it on a one-time basis to kind of get a feel for it and see what's involved. Roger Cooper>> There are a few tradeoffs in making your commute this way, as Sheila is quick to point out. There has to be some down sides. Can you think of any? Sheila Hayden>> Oh, yeah. I miss my carpool rider because we don't get to stop at Target or happy hour (laughter). Roger Cooper>> You can't make the van pool stop at happy hour? Sheila Hayden>> No, I can't, unfortunately, or Target or the Mervyn's sale (laughter). Sandy Boyle>> I think a lot of people also do get a thrill out of doing something to save the environment, to reduce some of the congestion on the freeways and not pollute as much. Sheila Hayden>> Oh, definitely, definitely. There are eight people that are off the road in our van pool. That really makes a difference. Roger Cooper>> Van pool consultants say that, if you live about fifteen miles from your work, van pooling might just be an option for you and maybe even bring back that smile you lost at the pumps. In Orange County, I'm Roger Cooper for Life and Times. Val Zavala>> And that's our program. I'm Val Zavala. For everyone at Life and times, thanks for watching. We'll see you next time. Announcer>> Life and Times was made possible through the generous support of the L.K. Whittier Foundation dedicated to improving the quality of life by supporting innovative endeavors in the fields of medicine, health, science and education. And by a generous grant from Jim and Anne Rothenberg. Sponsored in part by:  | |
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