Hybrid Cars
A Hybrid car runs on gas AND an electric battery. They work together so the car gets very high fuel economy. The battery powers the car at slower speeds, and the gas engine powers the car at higher speeds or in times of acceleration. The Honda Civic Hybrid gets 45 mpg city and the Toyota Prius Hybrid gets 48 mpg city! Are they more expensive? At the moment yes but… the government offers tax credits at the state and national levels for people who buy hybrid cars. Those tax credits along with the savings on fuel recoup those high costs in less than two years.
Nothing contributes more to global warming that CO2 emissions from our vehicles. Americans love their cars, and today they are bigger and faster than they’ve ever been. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are 241 million cars and trucks on the road in the United States, 53% of which are trucks, vans, SUVs, or minivans. The United States accounts for 30% of the world’s automobiles and require 8.2 million barrels of oil a day to operate them. That’s 11% of the world’s daily oil consumption. All that fuel we burn fills the air with 1,300 million tons of CO2 each year.
The impact this has on our planet is immeasurable. According to the United Nations Human Development Report released in November 2007, the automobile sector accounts for 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere. Greenhouse Gas emissions are what cause global warming and put our planet, our futures, and the live’s of our children in great danger. The average fuel economy in the United States is 20.2 miles per gallon, compared to 35 mpg in Europe. The reason why is we love our trucks and SUVs, which only average 18 miles per gallon. Compare that to a Honda Civic at 36 mpg or a Toyota Matrix at 33 mpg, its easy to see why we burn so much fuel. Not to mention you can save a lot of money if your car has high fuel economy. Let’s say you drive 20,000 miles a year. At $4 a gallon, if your SUV gets 18 mpg compared to a 35 mpg car you’ll spend $2,159 more on fuel every year by driving an SUV. Another option is to purchase a Hybrid, which use both electric power and fuel.
Solution? The solution is to change what you drive and how you drive.
GREEN CAR OF THE YEAR!!!
An SUV? How is that possible? Well it is… The Chevy Tahoe Hybrid won Green Car of the Year for 2008. America’s first full-size hybrid SUV is available in two or four wheel drive and provides the power of an SUV while delivering the efficiency you never imagined. Its hybrid propulsion system is designed to operate in three ways: electric power, engine power, or any combination of electric and engine power. The Tahoe Hybrid offers up to 50% better city fuel economy over the non-hybrid Tahoe.
SOLAR YOUR ROOF
Have you ever heard of solar roof panels? Not many people have. Solar roof panels put the sun to work for your commute. Solar Electric Vehicles manufactures solar panel systems that can be installed on the roof of any hybrid car. These solar panels gather sunlight and convert it into electricity, the panel lets a hybrid run for up to 20 miles per day in pure electric mode, netting a purported 29 percent increase in fuel economy.
PLUG IT IN
Don’t want to wait for car companies to sell you the next generation of hybrids? While General Motors and Toyota talk about plug-in hybrid cars, conversion kits are already here. By adding a beefed-up battery pack and some extra computing power, a Prius or Escape Hybrid can be plugged into a home socket. Fully charged, they will run on electric power alone for up to 40 miles — more than enough for the average commute. These kits aren’t cheap, though. Massachusetts-based Hymotion is taking orders now for its kit, which starts at $10,000.
THE FACTS
A Hybrid car runs on gas and an electric battery. They work together so the car gets better fuel economy. The battery powers the car at slower speeds, and the gas engine powers the car at higher speeds or in times of acceleration. The Honda Civic Hybrid gets 45 mpg city and the Toyota Prius Hybrid gets 48 mpg city!
Fuel Economy
Nothing contributes more to global warming that CO2 emissions from our vehicles. Americans love their cars, and today they are bigger and faster than they’ve ever been. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are 241 million cars and trucks on the road in the United States, 53% of which are trucks, vans, SUVs, or minivans. The United States accounts for 30% of the world’s automobiles and require 8.2 million barrels of oil a day to operate them. That’s 11% of the world’s daily oil consumption. All that fuel we burn fills the air with 1,300 million tons of CO2 each year.
The impact this has on our planet is immeasurable. According to the United Nations Human Development Report released in November 2007, the automobile sector accounts for 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere. Greenhouse Gas emissions are what cause global warming and put our planet, our futures, and the life’s of our children in great danger. The average fuel economy in the United States is 20.2 miles per gallon, compared to 35 mpg in Europe. The reason why is we love our trucks and SUVs, which only average 18 miles per gallon. Compare that to a Honda Civic at 36 mpg or a Toyota Matrix at 33 mpg, its easy to see why we burn so much fuel. Not to mention you can save a lot of money if your car has high fuel economy. Let’s say you drive 20,000 miles a year. At $4 a gallon, if your SUV gets 18 mpg compared to a 35 mpg car you’ll spend $2,159 more on fuel every year by driving an SUV. Another option is to purchase a Hybrid, which you both electric power and fuel.
Solution? The solution is to change what you drive and how you drive. The average fuel economy in the United States is 20.2 miles per gallon, compared to 35 mpg in Europe. The reason why is we love our trucks and SUVs, which only average 18 miles per gallon. Compare that to a Honda Civic at 36 mpg or a Toyota Matrix at 33 mpg, its easy to see why we burn so much fuel. Not to mention you can save a lot of money if your car has high fuel economy. Let’s say you drive 20,000 miles a year. At $4 a gallon, if your SUV gets 18 mpg compared to a 35 mpg car you’ll spend $2,159 more on fuel every year by driving an SUV. Another option is to purchase a Hybrid, which you both electric power and fuel.
HYBRID CARS
A Hybrid car runs on gas AND an electric battery. They work together so the car gets very high fuel economy. The battery powers the car at slower speeds, and the gas engine powers the car at higher speeds or in times of acceleration. The Honda Civic Hybrid gets 45 mpg city and the Toyota Prius Hybrid gets 48 mpg city! Are they more expensive? At the moment yes but… the government offers tax credits at the state and national levels for people who buy hybrid cars. Those tax credits along with the savings on fuel recoup those high costs in less than two years.
ELECTRIC CARS
Automakers, such as General Motors Corp and Toyota Motor Corp, are planning to bring rechargeable vehicles to the market as early as 2010. But speakers at the Plug-In 2008 conference say it will take much longer for them to arrive in mass numbers, due in part to a current lack of large-battery manufacturing capacity. Auto and battery companies are still working on the lithium-ion battery technology needed for the cars, and on how to link the battery packs to the vehicles. Since most electric cars will likely be charged during off-peak electric use times, utilities should have no problem generating enough electricity. But since people with the means to buy electric cars likely will live in the same areas, utilities worry about stress on their distribution systems. The good news is once electric cars are readily available, its much easier to generate electrical power from renewable sources. So if we all drive electric cars that consume electrical power generated from wind, solar, and geothermal sources then we’ll be on the right track.
THE FACTS
The United States accounts for 30% of the world’s automobiles and require 8.2 million barrels of oil a day to operate them. That’s 11% of the world’s daily oil consumption. All that fuel we burn fills the air with 1,300 million tons of CO2 each year.
Green Commuting
In today’s world commuting to work makes up a large part of the the time we spend in our vehicles. Amazing, 91% of Americans commute to work alone, averaging 30 miles per round-trip. Although its not always possible to do it any other way, there’s one great way to reduce your commuting — work from home! If we all cut out just one trip a week we’d reduce our CO2 emissions by 149 million tons.
Here are a few great ideas to help reduce your carbon footprint:
BIKE TO WORK
A great way to save money, be healthy, and help the environment is to ride a bike. 40% of all car trips made in the United States are under 2 miles, which could easily be done on a bike. There are many options when purchasing a bike. Two great commuting style bikes are Elektra Amsterdam and the Trek Lime. The Amsterdam is only around $500, has a chain guard to protect your clothing, a luggage rack in the rear, and a headlight in front that is powered by your pedaling. The Trek Lime is around $600, has automatic shifting and a seat trunk that locks. Mountain bikes are more rugged and heavier, whereas “road” bikes are easier to ride but more fragile and more expensive.
CARPOOLING
Almost every town has a carpooling community of some type. A few great online sites for carpooling are www.erideshare.com and www.carpoolworld.com.
USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Using public transportation is a cheap easy way to cut down on you driving. Its not always possible or desirable but if you try to use public transportation once a week it can really cut down your carbon footprint.
WORK FROM HOME
Ok this might not always be possible but ask your boss or inform your employees that working from home one day a week is the new green trend. With the advancement of online meeting software the need to spend time in a conference room or traveling to out of town meetings is becoming less significant. Remember, if we all cut out just one trip a week we’d reduce our CO2 emissions by 149 million tons.
WALK TO WORK
Again, this might not always be possible but if you live in urban environment and you can walk to work then why not. You’ll save money on gas and parking, and help the environment.
THE FACTS
91% of Americans commute to work alone, averaging 30 miles per round-trip. If we all cut out just one trip a week we’d reduce our CO2 emissions by 149 million tons.
Car Maintenance
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
With fuel prices at an all time high, every little thing you can do to help your fuel efficiency is worth it. No matter what kind of car you drive, there are many simple things you can do to your vehicle to save money and help the environment. Sure there are hybrid cars and vehicles with high fuel economy, but there are many other maintenance procedures that can help your car run at its highest efficiency.
INFLATE YOUR TIRES
Every tire on every vehicle has a recommended PSI pressure rating. This PSI (Pounds per Square Inch) rating is the ideal pressure that a tire should be inflated. Keeping your tires at this recommended PSI rating will help your vehicle get the best possible fuel economy possible. Under inflated tires can slow the car down and decease fuel efficiency.
LOSE THE WEIGHT
Don’t keep unnecessary weight in your trunk or cargo area of your vehicle. The more weight your carrying the around the less your fuel efficiency.
CHANGE YOUR AIR FILTER
One thing that definitely increases fuel economy is having a clean air filter. An engine needs oxygen to run, so the harder it needs to work due to a dirty filter the less your fuel economy. Replacing an air filter is part of a standard oil change an any local oil change facility. Air filters are also very easy to replace, and can by purchased at any auto parts store.
SLOW DOWN!
Aggressive acceleration and braking can reduce your fuel efficiency by a third. Driving over 60 mph can cost you 20 cents per gallon of gas for every 5 mph increase. With fuel prices at a all time high, it makes sense to take is easy and slow down!
THE FACTS
Keeping your tires at this recommended PSI rating will help your vehicle get the best possible fuel economy possible. Under inflated tires can slow the car down and decease fuel efficiency.
Travel Green by Green571
Whether its business or pleasure, traveling consumes a lot of energy. Fuel efficient and hybrid vehicles are helping to conserve fuel and lower CO2 emissions, but there are many choices you can make with air travel and hotel accommodations that can make a difference for the environment. Here are a few suggestions:
AIR TRAVEL
Business Travel accounts for around 20% of air travel. Cutting out air travel completely would be the most green choice, by either taking the train or video teleconferencing. If neither of those options are feasible, seek out an airline that is environmentally conscious.
Continental Airlines has upgraded its fleet with fuel-efficient planes, in addition to designing green terminals. Virgin Atlantic is using fewer engines for takeoff in addition to experimenting with biofuels. Always opt for direct flights - planes use the most fuel when taking off and landing.
GREEN HOTELS
Marriott is leading the way in the green race. From replacing their light bulbs with CFLs to encouraging guests to reuse towels & sheets, they are conserving both water & energy. Doubletree has followed suit by composting waste & buying local. If you are looking for a boutique hotel, check out Kimpton Hotels, or for upscale luxury, look into the Fairmont Resorts.
TIPS FOR TRAVEL
Bring your own beverage container, or even your own snack on an airplane. Pack light, an extra 10 pounds of luggage per passenger equals an increase in CO2 emissions of more than 3 million tons per year. Choose Green locations, there are many eco-resorts popping up all over the world that use solar power, local ingredients and wind energy.
THE FACTS
Choosing fuel-conscious airlines or eco-friendly hotels not only helps the environment, it saves you money. When airlines use less fuel, flight prices stay low. Hotels with lower water & energy bills can also keep pricing more affordable.
The Benefits of Biodiesel
Biodiesel is a renewable fuel made from vegetable or animal fat, is nontoxic, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by a phenomenal 75%. Any diesel car or truck made since the mid 1990s can run on refined biodiesel. The industry that uses the most diesel fuel is the trucking industry, and its a very big industry. In 2007, commercial trucks traveled 114.1 billion miles around the United States using 50 billion gallons of diesel fuel. On average a long haul truck driver travels 43,000 miles every year. The problem is the average truck gets 5 miles per gallon!
Diesel Cars
The good news about diesel engines is that generally get better fuel economy than normal gas engines. Although they are not common, there are still many diesel powered cars available to the average consumer. For example, a Volkswagen Jetta TDI get 38 mpg and can run completely on biodiesel. There are many other diesel powered cars available today as well. Remember, biodiesel is renewable fuel and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by a phenomenal 75%.
CO2 emissions
Nothing contributes more to global warming that CO2 emissions from our vehicles. Americans love their cars, and today they are bigger and faster than they’ve ever been. According to the Federal Highway Administration, there are 241 million cars and trucks on the road in the United States, 53% of which are trucks, vans, SUVs, or minivans. The United States accounts for 30% of the world’s automobiles and require 8.2 million barrels of oil a day to operate them. That’s 11% of the world’s daily oil consumption. All that fuel we burn fills the air with 1,300 million tons of CO2 each year.
The impact this has on our planet is immeasurable. According to the United Nations Human Development Report released in November 2007, the automobile sector accounts for 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions in our atmosphere. Greenhouse Gas emissions are what cause global warming and put our planet, our futures, and the life’s of our children in great danger. The average fuel economy in the United States is 20.2 miles per gallon, compared to 35 mpg in Europe. The reason why is we love our trucks and SUVs, which only average 18 miles per gallon. Compare that to a Honda Civic at 36 mpg or a Toyota Matrix at 33 mpg, its easy to see why we burn so much fuel. Not to mention you can save a lot of money if your car has high fuel economy. Let’s say you drive 20,000 miles a year. At $4 a gallon, if your SUV gets 18 mpg compared to a 35 mpg car you’ll spend $2,159 more on fuel every year by driving an SUV. Another option is to purchase a Hybrid, which use both electric power and fuel.
THE FACTS
In 2007, commercial trucks traveled 114.1 billion miles through the United States and 50 billion gallons of diesel fuel. On average a long haul truck driver travels 43,000 miles every year. The problem is the average truck gets 5 miles per gallon!
Ride a Bike Instead of Driving A Car
A great way to save money and help the environment is to ride a bike. 40% of all car trips made in the United States are under 2 miles, which could easily be done on a bike. Riding your bike is perfect exercise for your heart and a great way to stay in shape. It’s also great for the environment, because it doesn’t require any gas or electricity to get it going. Ridding your bike will bring you many benefits. You’ll be stronger, look better and save a lot of money on gas.
RIDING TO WORK OR SCHOOL
Its very easy to install some bike bags, also called panniers, onto your bicycle. These will allow you to carry your laptop, briefcase, and a whole lot more if you go for the full front and back wheel system. You can also go old school and get one of the little “book shelf” racks for the back. While you are customizing your bike, I would also install some fenders to keep the occasional puddle from splashing up on you, and maybe a blinking light or two for dusk and dawn ridding. Your daily commute can turn into a very fun part of your day.
Two great commuting style bikes are Elektra Amsterdam and the Trek Lime. The Amsterdam is only around $500, has a chain guard to protect your clothing, a luggage rack in the rear, and a headlight in front that is powered by your pedaling. The Trek Lime is around $600, has automatic shifting and a seat trunk that locks. Mountain bikes are more rugged and heavier, whereas “road” bikes are easier to ride but more fragile and more expensive.
THE FACTS
40% of all car trips made in the United States are under 2 miles, which could easily be done on a bike.