Honda Going After Toyota's Prius

The Toyota Prius is the flagship when it comes to hybrid vehicles. Its a symbol for eco-friendly living and incorporates cutting edge engine technology that is still unrivaled. Honda is looking to change all that.

Toyota first introduced their Prius way back in 1997 in Japan. Although it was small, it was still a four door vehicle suitable for four adults. Honda entered the hybrid market shortly thereafter with their Insight, a small two door vehicle that was introduced in the U.S. shortly before the Prius. The Insight had better fuel efficiency than the Prius, but because of the Insight's size, it was not as popular as the Prius and was eventually pulled from Honda's line-up. Since then, Honda has tried to push their Honda Civic Hybrid as an alternative to the Toyota Prius. 

Apparently Honda is ready to compete directly with the Prius. Today Honda has announced the re-introduction of the Insight. This time its bigger and cheaper, with four doors and a price tag of about $18,500.

The new and improved Insight will be unveiled at the Paris Autshow in October. The consumer version of the car is expected to incorporate about 90% of the autoshow concept vehicle's looks and features. The Insight's battery and control unit are stored in the trunk for what Honda calls a "light, pleasing driving feel." The hybrid engine uses gasoline while at cruising speed and pulls power from the battery when accelerating. 

It will be interesting to see what kind of gas mileage this new model will get. As you can see in the picture, it bears a striking resemblance to the Toytoa Prius. Honda expects to start selling the Insight in North America in 2009.

To read more about the new Honda Insight, click Here. 

Toyota's Prius Goes Red, White & Blue

Toyota is currently in the process of building a new vehicle construction plant in Blue Springs, Mississippi. This plant was originally designed for the manufacture of their Highlander SUV line. However, increasing oil prices and decreasing SUV sales have convinced Toyota to use the plant for their Prius hybrid instead. Currently, the only other Toyota hybrid manufactured in the U.S. is the Camry, which is manufactured in Kentucky.

This is good news for Prius buyers who can feel even better about buying the flagship hybrid because it is manufactured in the U.S., where labor and environmental standards are higher. It also means that the vehicle will travel less distance to car lots, lessoning the need for shipping fuel.

In addition to building the Prius in Blue Springs, Toyota is suspending construction of their large Tundra trucks and their biggest SUV, the Sequoia, until November. Production of their V8 engines has also been suspended.

Of course, suspension of automobile manufacturing is very bad for people who rely on that industry for their living. Hopefully demand for hybrids and fuel efficient vehicles will increase to such a high level that all plants formerly used for SUVs and trucks will make the switch to these automobiles.

A Must Read: Car Windows Down vs. A/C On

Increasing a car's fuel efficiency is a top priority as gas prices continue to break records. While sitting in traffic, listening to your car's A/C hum away, you've probably asked yourself whether it is more fuel efficient to roll the windows down or leave the A/C on. Rolling down the windows will increase drag on the car, but leaving the A/C on will drain power.

Slate's Green Lantern answers this question in a great post HERE. 

Are Gas Deals Worth It?

Everywhere you turn these days there are offers to lower the price of gas at the pump. From credit card companies to car manufacturers, everyone wants to help you take some of the pain out of pumping your gas. But are these deals really worth it? Bob Sullivan of the blog "The Red Tape Chronicles" describes some of the potential pitfalls associated with gas price specials.

Chrysler's $2.99/Gallon Gas Deal

The first offer he tackles is the Chrysler $2.99/gallon gas promotion where the company promises to keep your gas prices locked-in at $2.99/gallon for three years if you buy one of their new cars. Chrysler operates this promotion by offering you three choices. You can either choose an instant rebate of $1,500, a special low-interest loan or the $2.99/gallon gas special. Sullivan calculates the possible savings associated with the low gas deal with the scenario of a car that gets 20 MPG, with gas prices set at $3.99/gallon and with Chrysler's 12,000 mile/year cap on the gas price. This would save the consumer $1,800 over three years. It seems like a great deal, but if you calculate the savings in interest payments by taking the initial $1,500 rebate or the low-interest loan, the deal is essentially neutralized. Consumer Reports did their own calculations where they compare the savings available by buying non-Chrysler cars without the deal HERE.

Jeff Bartlett of Consumer Reports says this about the Chrysler deal, "After three years, where are you going to end up? With two disappointing scenarios. Either you go back to paying full price for gas, or you say, 'I bought a gas guzzler, how am I going to sell that?' " The resale value of low-mpg cars is sure to plummet as gas prices rise, he said, so it's important for the consumer consider the total cost of ownership -- including resale value -- when considering any sales incentive.

Credit Card Deals

The next gas promotion deal Sullivan picks apart is the special credit card promises of lower gas prices. According to Sullivan, many of these credit cards, available at gas stations, offer rebates for your gas savings. The rebates are very slow in coming and merely knock down the amount you owe on the credit card rather than arriving as a check for the amount of the rebate.

In addition, most of these cards offer a teaser discount rate for a very limited time. Once that time has expired, the discount drops to an insignificant amount and eventually disappears. For example, the Citi Dividend Platinum Select Card offers a 5% gas discount for the first six months, which drops down to 2% after that. Add to that caps placed on the amount you can save and minimum purchase requirements and the deal gets more and more complicated. Some cards even restrict which gas stations you can purchase the gas from.

It is possible to save some money using these cards if you carefully map out the restrictions and the offers. The key is to make sure you pay the card off each month or else the interest payment will erase any savings at the pump.

Misc. Offers

Credit card companies and car manufacturers aren't the only ones looking to get your business by allegedly saving you money at the gas pump. Rental car companies are trying this tactic too. Several rental car companies are a free tank of gas as a reward for renting their cars. Sullivan says to watch out though as many of the cars they're offering with these deals are unwanted SUV's.

Some local tourism boards and several travel websites are offering gas gift cards in exchange for visiting. Obviously the thing to be cautious about is spending money where you weren't planning on spending it, or spending more money because you think you're getting a special deal.

Finally, even the grocery stores are getting into the gas price game. Kroger is offering shoppers 10 cents off per gallon of gas when they spend $100 on groceries. Of course your gas savings will be useless if you are spending more than you budgeted at the grocery store to get those savings.

Sullivan says to use common sense when you are considering these and other gas cost savings ideas. He says most consumers will travel a little further to get cheaper gas, only to waste the savings on the extra travel. Looking at these deals with a suspicious eye and carefully outlining the requirements is your best bet to avoiding being taken when you think you are saving money on filling the tank.

You can read the full blog post HERE.

Green Rental Cars

This Christmas I was thinking of driving down to Florida from DC to visit my family rather than flying. I have a dog that I don't want to leave behind in a kennel. Plus, there will be many friends and family members to visit, so having a car will be more convenient. 

Since I live in the city, I don't own a car. To make the trip down to Orlando, I'd have to rent something. This got me thinking about how I could reduce my carbon footprint, and my travel costs, significantly by renting a hybrid like the Toyota Prius. 

I did the carbon emissions math first to make sure driving was less impactful than flying. It turns out that flying both of us down to Orlando and back would release 1.212 tons of CO2 into the air. Driving a Prius round-trip would only release 0.374 tons of CO2. 

It isn't as easy as you might think to rent a hybrid. Even though the technology has been around for years and many vehicles now integrate it into their engines, very few rental companies make it as intuitive to rent a hybrid as it is to rent an SUV, convertible or economy car. 

Here is a quick breakdown of the best route to rent a hybrid:

• Although they only rent cars in a limited geographic area, Fox rental cars includes the option to select a hybrid vehicle from the list of available cars on their reservation page. Its the only rental car company I found that intuitively offers their hybrids alongside traditional cars on the website. Click HERE to find out if they rent in your area.
• From THIS site you can view the Hertz "Green Collection" and select a fuel efficient car to rent. Unfortunately, you will find that availability is limited and it take several steps on the site just to find out whether a hybrid is available at your nearest location on a specific day. 
• Orbitz has a reservation system specifically for booking hybrid vehicles in particular locations. You can find it HERE. I looked up a hybrid for my dates and locations but none were available so I'm not sure how well the system really works. 
• I never knew this, but Toyota offers rental car service at several of their dealerships. You can view the available locations and vehicles on the website by clicking HERE. Unfortunately, you must submit a rental request and wait to be notified about availability and prices. 
• Renting a hybrid from National, Budget and Enterprise is still an unnecessarily complicated process. The best thing to do is to call their sales lines and ask about the best location to rent one of their hybrids. For National (800-328-4567), Budget (800-527-0700) and Enterprise (800-261-7331).

There are regional rental car agencies that also have hybrids, but I'm not going to list them all here. After performing a quick Google search, I found that most of the regional hybrid rental companies are on the West coast.

Idle or Restart the Car - Which Saves More Gas?

I don't own a car anymore, but there was a time when I would sit in the drive-thru at a fast food restaurant or wait in line at the toll booth and see fumes rising up from all the cars as they patiently idled. 

Watching all those wavy lines rise into the atmosphere, I wondered whether it was better to turn the car off or to let it run. I figured it is possible that restarting the car over and over would actually burn more fuel than just letting it idle for a minute while I waited. 

Today I found the answer to this puzzle on Slate.com's "Green Lantern" column. A reader wrote in, asking the Green Lantern to settle a marital dispute over the possible fuel savings of turning a car off rather than leaving it to idle. 

According to the Green Lantern, the idea that your car uses more fuel restarting than idling is outdated. A long time ago, cars used carburetors to flush fuel into the engine to start the car. However, all modern cars use electric fuel injectors which carefully measure the amount of fuel necessary to start the car. 

To prove the point, a study conducted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers in Florida showed that unless you are idling your car for six seconds or less, turning the engine off will use less fuel. This study used as its test subject a six-cylinder car with the air-conditioning on. 

Another idle myth that can be smashed is the idea that your car needs to "warm up" in cold weather when it is first turned on. This isn't the case. The best thing for your car is to begin driving immediately after the engine is turned on. The Ontario Department of Transportation performed an experiment where they found that a car driven for 12 minutes in 14 degree (fahrenheit) conditions will warm up to the same level as a car idling for 30 minutes.

The Green Lantern estimates that if all Americans turned their engines off, rather than idling, for 10 minutes per day, the combined savings in carbon dioxide emissions would be miniscule. However, if all cars were updated with the same technology the Toyota Prius currently includes, we could reduce national fuel consumption by 10%. The technology in the Prius turns the engine off instantly any time the car comes to a halt. Pushing the accelerator turns the engine back on. This means that in traffic, at traffic lights, at the toll booth, etc., your car would be conserving gasoline. 

To read the full Green Lantern explanation on Slate.com, go HERE. 

Drilling in ANWR Would Save $.75 Per BARREL

The Department of Energy (DOE) issued a report yesterday that undermines the GOP argument that drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) would save consumers money at the pump. 

According to the DOE report, expected savings from drilling in the protected space would amount to 75 cents per barrel of oil. This information comes in a year when the $100/barrel record was broken only a few months ago and now oil is trading at $130/barrel. A few quarters per barrel will not make a dent in the price at the pump. 

The report was initiated by Republican Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska. His hope was that the report would uncover larger savings for consumers and would bolster support for opening ANWR. For several years, Senator Stevens has tried to open ANWR to oil drilling by sneaking provisions into budget bills or by using other legislative procedures. To this day, he has failed to successfully change the federal government's ANWR policy.

Adding insult to injury for Stevens were some other revelations in the DOE report. The report stated that opening up ANWR "is not projected to have a large impact on world oil prices." The report also revealed that it would take 10 years to drill the oil out of the ground and get it to consumers. Finally, the DOE found that consumer demand for oil is predicted to decline in the future due to new fuel efficiency standards put in place by Congress last year. 

The only good news Stevens could find in the report was the section that said opening ANWR would extend the lifespan of the trans-Alaska pipeline.

Things have not been going well for Sen. Stevens' political career this year. A Grand Jury is investigating campaign contributions from employees of the oil pipeline corporation VECO (you can read about the investigation HERE). Polls in Alaska also have Steven's Democratic opponent beating him in a race for the Senate seat that will be up for a vote in November.

To read more about the DOE report, click HERE.

GM's Challenge X Comes to DC

The other day, the Green Piece Blog was invited to the arrival of GM's Challenge X teams in Washington, DC. After driving from New York to DC, stopping at a few places in between, the teams were going to finally arrive at their final destination, the Department of Energy headquarters.

Challenge X is a competition hosted by GM and the US Department of Energy that is designed to encourage young engineers to think about new technologies that will reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

This is the fourth year for the competition. In the first year, university teams from the US and Canada worked in simulation environments to test different engineering choices in a way that mirrored early vehicle design. At the end of the year, 17 teams received a stock Chevrolet Equinox "crossover SUV." In years two and three, those teams moved onto the next phase in vehicle design, integrating the advanced powertrain and vehicle subsystems into the actual automobile. For this, the final year, the teams moved into the final phase of development, implementing safety, comfort and marketing plans for their finished products.

Those finished products drove from New York to DC and arrived at the ceremony we attended. Waiting for the cars was a huge crowd of students waving checkered flags and wearing their team polos. The cars on the outside lall ooked the same, with the exception of different stickers plastered all over the windows and doors. They did, however, sound a little different from each other as they drove by. This was due to the different approaches each team used in making their vehicle more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly.

The different factors each team could tweak in their vehicle included: HEV architecture, engine, fuel, transmission, energy storage, and motor. The teams chose to use a range of fuel options including reformulated gasoline, bio diesel, hydrogen and ethanol.

The first place winning team for the competition was Mississippi State University with their Equinox that contained a "through the road" parallel hybrid electric system with a 1.9L GM direct injection turbo diesel engine utilizing bio diesel fuel. Their car increased fuel economy of the Equinox by 38%. Second place went to the University of Wisconsin and third place went to Ohio State University.

Some other accomplishments of the teams included a vehicle from Virginia Tech that reduced its wheel-to-wheel petroleum use by 77%. Fourteen of the 17 teams successfully reduced the green house gas impact of their vehicles, including the University of Wisconsin's vehicle which reduced its impact by 52% compared to the stock Equinox.

Overall, this looks like it is a great project. Hopefully GM is serious about implementing some of the teams' great achievements into their line of vehicles soon.

Honda Preparing New Hybrid Models for '09

Honda is preparing to introduce several new hybrid models into their fleet of automobiles. Currently, Honda has the highest fleet fuel efficiency of any other carmaker in the United States. The new hybrid models will be sold in the US, Japan and Europe.

The new models Honda plans to release include a hyrid-only model that will compete directly with Toyota's Prius and a hybrid version of the Honda Fit. In addition, Honda is planning to release a re-vamped hybrid Civic and a "sportier" hybrid CR-V.

If you are thinking of buying a hybrid, it might be worth it to you to wait for these new models. The federal hybrid tax credit can be as high as $3,000 for a new hybrid. Unfortunately, the tax credit is phased out when a particular hybrid model sells 60,000 vehicles. As time passes, the tax credit drops until the IRS ends it completely. Already, all of the Toyota hybrid models have passed the 60,000 vehicle threshold and no longer qualify for the federal hybrid tax credit.

In other words, get your name on the waiting list at your local Honda dealership so you can get the highest level of the tax credit. Honda claims the mark-up for the new hybrids will be about $1,900.

If you want to compute the difference in cost between a hybrid and a non-hybrid over the course of a year or 10 years, THIS website has a great hybrid calculator. From my calculations, without the federal tax credit, you will begin saving money on gasoline for the hybrid after about 3 years.

And if you want to learn more about the federal hybrid tax credit, go to the IRS site HERE.

Planes vs Trains vs Automobiles - What is Greener

In America, there are many ways to get from here to there. For years, the single most popular mode of transportation for most Americans was the car. As gas prices rise to that terrifying $4.00/gallon threshold, many are beginning to look for cheaper alternatives for business trips and family vacations.

Cost shouldn't be the only consideration when planning your next trip. You should also think about the environmental impact of your chosen mode of transportation. There are many websites with useful calculators that allow you to compare carbon emissions of different carriers to decide how to make your travels more eco-friendly.

The best calculator I could find online is at the Carbon Footprint website. Using their calculator, I did a quick comparison of a plain vs. train vs. bus vs. automobile ride to determine which choice is the greenest. I also did a comparison of costs to determine which would be the cheapest and travel time to see which would be the fastest. Check it out..

• On a trip from my home of Washington, DC to Boston, MA and back, the financial, environmental and time costs associated with each mode of transportation are:

• Automobile: I based this calculation on the average gas mileage of an American automobile, which is 21 MPG . According to Google Maps, the distance between Boston and DC is 441 miles (so 882 total miles). The average cost of a gallon of gasoline is $3.13, according to Energy Information Administration.
  --- For a round-trip drive to Boston from DC and back, the carbon emissions are 0.368 Tons of CO2. For gas alone, the trip would cost about $131.46 and would take about 8 hours each way.

• Train: I looked at the price of an Amtrak ticket, leaving on a Friday (March 7th at noon) and coming back on a Sunday (March 9th at 3:00 PM).
  --- For a round-trip train ride to Boston from DC and back, the carbon emissions are 0.085 Tons of CO2. The train ticket would cost about $200 and would take about 8 hours each way.

• Plane: Using Hotwire.com and the dates of March 7-9 (Fri-Sun), from BWI Airport to Logan Airport.
  ---- For a round-trip airplane ride to Boston from DC and back, the carbon emissions are .242 Tons of CO2. The plane ticket would cost about $220 and would take about 3 hours each way.

• Bus: Using Greyhound.com and the dates of March 7-9 (Fri-Sun)
  --- For a round-trip bus ride to Boston from DC and back, the carbon emissions are .126 Tons of CO2. The bust ticket would cost about $100 and would take about 9 hours each way.
  

So the rankings for carbon emissions, cost and time (from best to worst) are as follows:

• Emissions: Train, Automobile, Bus, Plane

• Cost: Bus, Car, Train, Plane

• Time: Plane, Train, Car, Bus
  

In the End, Ethanol is Worse than Gasoline

A study recently released in Science Magazine outlines one of the reasons why ethanol and other crop-based biofuels actually contribute more greenhouse gases than traditional fossil fuels.

The 9 scientists who prepared the study work for several distinguished organizations, including the Georgetown Environmental Law & Policy Institute, the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton and the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development at Iowa State University.

In their study, these scientists explain that a myth exists with regard to the emissions of biofuels, like ethanol, versus traditional fossil fuels. Many believe growth of the feedstock results in carbon sequestration that reduces the greenhouse gas emissions when these fuels are burned.

Unfortunately, this belief underestimates the emissions that arise when farmers go through the process of changing from traditional crops to biofuel crops in order to benefit from the rise in profits from growing this newly in-demand fuel source.

Taking this factor into consideration, the scientists stated..."Using a worldwide agricultural model to estimate emissions from land use change, we found that corn-based ethanol, instead of producing a 20% savings, nearly doubles greenhouse emissions over 30 years and increases greenhouse gases for 167 years."

Some who see switchgrass as a viable alternative source for biofuels will be disappointed to learn that it causes an increase of 50% in greenhouse gas emissions when used for this purpose.

The lesson to be gleaned from this report is that the best possible option if for the U.S. to develop real renewable energy sources like solar and wind that can power our homes and our vehicles.

See the summary of the study HERE

Vacations That Cost the Earth a Little Less

The holidays are long over and now its just winter time. There is something about this part of the year that makes people start thinking about their warm weather vacation plans. I recently received some cruise pamphlets in the mail, so I know I'm not the only one thinking about getting away to a warmer climate.

Eco-tourism has definitely reached the mainstream. In fact, its become so popular, there are many "wannabes" out there looking to make a quick buck. People want to have the opportunity to see animals in their natural habitat while enjoying beautiful beaches or lush tropical forests. If this is your idea of a perfect getaway and you're currently researching vacation options, let me help you out.

First, let me point you to an organization of conservation experts who have created standards for eco-tourism. They have been around since before eco-tourism was cool and are by far the experts on the subject, the International Ecotourism Society. On their site, you will find a link on the left hand navigation panel that leads you to "Travel Choice" an area listing travel companies approved by the organization. Surfing through some of those different companies will offer a quick glimpse into some of the different opportunities available.

Second, follow the rules for responsible ecotouring...

1. Learn about your destination before you get there. Read guidebooks, travel articles, histories, and/or novels by local authors and pay particular attention to customs such as greetings, appropriate dress, eating behaviors, etc. Being sensitive to these customs will increase local acceptance of you as a tourist and enrich your trip.

2. Follow established guidelines. Ask your ecotour operator, guide and /or the local authorities what their guidelines are for limiting tourism's impact on the environment and local culture. Staying on trails, packing up your trash, and remaining set distances away from wildlife are a few ways to minimize your impact in sensitive areas.

3. Seek out and support locally-owned businesses. Support local businesses during your ecotravels to ensure maximum community and conservation benefit from your tourist dollars

Finally, when you pick your destination, make sure that you take every opportunity to support local businesses and to donate to conservation efforts in the area. Make this part of your vacation budget. The more money these local conservation efforts earn, the longer they can protect natural ecosystems for future generations.

A R.I.P. for the V-8 Engine

The V-8 engine was once a symbol of American strength and ingenuity. It has powered Ford's big land boats since the 1930's and is still a staple in many large trucks. But times change, and the V-8 is going the way of the dinosaurs.

Technology has paved the way for engines that are more efficient and, therefore, more economical. In place of V-8 engines, Ford has created a turbocharged 6-cylinder to power big sedans, sports cars, and some trucks. It supposedly is better for the environment too. GM is canceling any orders for new V-8s to prepare for new mandatory fuel efficiency standards passed in Congress last year. Chrysler is not giving up on its highly advertised Hemi V-8, but the engine will be combined with a hybrid engine in their big S.U.V.'s to improve fuel efficiency.

Its not as though the car manufacturers awoke one day and decided they didn't like V-8s anymore. Car buyers made that decision for them. Sales have dropped 24% for V-8 powered cars. Until people start refusing to buy S.U.V.'s or heavy-duty trucks with V-8's, it is unlikely the engine will be pulled from these bigger cars. But sedans with V-8's are going to be so rare, Toyota doesn't even offer the option of putting them in their car anymore. Honda has never had a V-8.

Hybrids Awash in Green-Washing

There is a phenomenon in the corporate PR world called "Green-Washing." This innocent sounding term is in fact a terrible trend in polishing up a corporation's image to give consumers the impression that the corporation is concerned about the environment. Pretty advertisements and completely insignificant changes to the corporation's policies are used to bring in more money rather than actually do something about the health of our planet.

Unfortunately, hybrid technology in automobiles have started receiving the Green-Washing treatment. Two cases in point...

First, Toyota has rolled out its new Hybrid Toyota Hylander SUV. The promotional materials for the car are designed to give buyers piece of mind when they buy this vehicle, because they are buying a "hybrid." What the materials don't tell you is that Toyota expanded the Hylander's width, height, and weight. In the end, these changes + the new hybrid engine result in ZERO additional fuel economy. The Hybrid Toyota Hylander SUV gets the same gas mileage as the previous, non-hybrid model. Read more HERE.

Second, the Lexus LS Hybrid costs $104,000. At that price, this car should get both incredible fuel economy AND great performance. But Lexus decided to focus exclusively on performance by installing a 5.0-liter V8 engine with a high-output, electric drive motor that gets 438 horsepower. This sedan gets 20 miles per gallon in the city and 22 on the highway. What a waste of hybrid technology and a waste of an opportunity to design a luxury automobile that doesn't waste fuel. Read more HERE.

This is a frustrating trend to see in the automotive industry. They are taking advantage of consumers' positive impression of hybrid vehicles. It almost makes you think that the car companies have a stake in fuel sales and no matter what technology offers, they must still find a way to keep us all addicted to gasoline. I hope buyers don't fall for these tricks.

Traveling Green On The Way To Grandma's

Its tough to go over the river and through the woods when the river is a toxic waste site or the woods have been mowed down. Its important to make wise decisions about traveling so the images of snowy winters, thick forests, and clear frozen lakes will still be reality for our children.

If you're taking your brood for a holiday trip to visit family this season, take a couple seconds to make sure it will be a greener visit. Just follow the advice below...

1. Before you leave home, turn down the temperature on your hot water heater and turn down the thermostat at your house. Don't forget to stop delivery of your newspaper and make sure to unplug everything so you don't get charged for the phantom energy users like coffee makers and alarm clocks.


2. Try flying British Airways or Southwest Airlines. Both companies emphasize recycling and reduced waste. If you can't fly on these, check to see if your airline is incorporating green policies into its coporate values. If they aren't, email them and ask why.


3. Large hotel chains are beginning t realize the cost savings associated with green policies. Mariott has a website outlining their environmental policy HERE


4. Turn off the lights and heater when you leave your hotel room. Take shorter showers to conserve hot water. Also, make sure the shades are drawn. This way you are conserving electricity and keeping out the cold weather.


5. If you fly-in, rather than renting a car, try relying on the hotel van or public transportation. If you are driving, make sure your tires are full, your oil filter is replaced, and your car is running as efficiently as possible.

GM's Green V.P.

The New York Times has a great article HERE about Lawrence D. Burns, the G.M. VP for research and development. He has, according to the Times, become the, "Most visible executive at the American auto companies on green issues."

Reduce Your Carbon Footprint While Flying

If you fly often for work or personal reasons, it probably has dawned on you that those huge airliners are releasing a lot of carbon dioxide & pollutants into the air. This doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't fly. There are smart ways to fly that will reduce the size of your carbon footprint.

From Slate.com, here are highlights of Brendan Koerner's answer to a reader regarding this exact issue.

1. Better Planes: Look for airlines with the most technologically advanced planes (the new planes). Newer planes incorporate better fuel efficiency tools like pressuring the cabin with an electric motor rather than using the engines.
   
2. Better Planning: Look for airlines with better on-time records. Flight delays are the result of a