Americans love cars. With a population of around 300 million, Americans proudly own more than 247 million registered vehicles — or just about 1 car for every 1.2 people. These cars present a great burden on our environment. Even children know that cars need oil to run. Without oil, today’s cars become tomorrow’s junk. But just how much oil do Americans consume? With 4% of the world’s population, we consume 25% of the world’s oil demand. Take that in for a second. We use 25% of the world’s oil, but only have 4% of the population.

When we look to the future of transportation, we should embrace realistic expectations. For example, MIT researchers have a City Car concept for the urban city of tomorrow. The City Car system uses stackable, electric cars that are checked out and returned as needed; like the luggage carts at an airport. Put in a quarter, take out a car, and when you’re done, return the car to the rack. Although this plan is perfect for a city environment where residents typically don’t own cars, this doesn’t really work for the typical average Joe or Jane American.

For the majority of us not living in urbanized super-cities, the move towards green transportation will be the personal automobile. Ideas range from car conversions to car replacements. T. Boone Pickens recently went public with the Pickens Plan. Created more for the economy than the environment, the Pickens Plan calls for a dramatic increase in wind power (using the power of wind to generate electricity). Pickens believes that by replacing the natural gas used for electricity generation with wind, we can then redirect that natural gas resource against our dependence on oil.

The Pickens Plan provides a renewable resource (wind) for electricity generation, but still relies on a non-renewable resource (natural gas) for transportation. With vehicle conversion kits selling for $500 - $2000 (and natural gas costing much less than oil), the suggestion does help the economy. The California Energy Commission reports using natural gas as vehicle fuel results in a 30% reduction of greenhouse gases. Its a great start, but using a non-renewable resource and still producing 70% of the same greenhouse causing exhaust doesn’t feel like the future to me. In my mind, the Pickens Plan is great for the future of our power grids, but not the future of transportation.

The future of transportation needs renewable resources. From Hydrogen to Electricity, many choices exist for tomorrow’s energy buffet. But which technology serves the needs of both the population and the environment?

Electric Cars

Racing towards the showroom, companies like Telsa Motors and Wrightspeed work to bring the next generation of personal vehicle to today’s market. The benefits of electric cars seem obvious. We already have the infrastructure to deliver electricity where needed, electricity provides a cheap method of fueling our transportation needs, and electricity can be generated from renewable resources (such as wind and solar). And of course, electric cars produce no exhaust.

It sounds great, but the initial cost of moving to electric cars creates a huge roadblock. No conversion kit exists to modify your existing combustion engine to an electric one. Electric engines and combustion engines are as different as water and, well, oil. The cost of replacing 247 million vehicles provides an obstacle so large that gas vehicles will remain in our lives for at least a generation.

Hydrogen

You have to love a vehicle who produces water as exhaust. Hydrogen fuels vehicles through hydrogen fuel cells. These fuel cells power your cars battery through a chemical reaction. Think of it as an electric car where you create your own electricity. The positive? Hydrogen comes at us from all directions. The Sun spits out more hydrogen every day than we could possibly utilize. For all purposes, hydrogen remains the ultimate renewable resource.

Even though hydrogen fueled cars produce only water for exhaust, the process of creating usable hydrogen produces large amounts of carbon dioxide. It may be green personally, but the manufacturing of hydrogen tends to be a whiter shade of pale. Also, hydrogen production is expensive and will need a new method of transportation (and distribution) to consumers. And again, you won’t be able to convert your existing car to use hydrogen fuel.

Where do we go from here?

If we want renewable resources to fuel personal transportation, we will need to be patient. Sure, the fastest way from point A to point B is a straight line. But faster isn’t always better (or easier). Sometimes in life, the best way to get to point B is to slow down and take the scenic route. Converting existing vehicles to use natural gas or propane can provide a time to phase out the life span of existing vehicles as well as building the infrastructure for tomorrow’s fueling stations.

Did you know that 15% of your home electricity bill pays for artificial lighting? And when you combine households and businesses, the energy usage jumps to 22 percent – just think about that for minute – 22% of all energy created goes towards artificial light. Each month, the average person spends around $15.00 for simply turning on the lights in their home. Besides the cost of buying light bulbs (and the joy of replacing those that have left us), building a better light bulb can benefit both the environment and your pocketbook.

Incandescent light bulbs (aka the “typical light bulb”) were first introduced almost 125 years ago. Since that time, they have remained essentially the same. These bulbs may have pioneered today’s modern life, but do so today at a great cost. The Natural Resources Defense Council estimates we spend more than $18 billion a year providing energy to these dinosaurs. Technological advancements in compact fluorescent and LED lighting can finally provide a much needed lighting update and let incandescent bulbs finally retire.

What is LED?

LED stands for Light-emitting Diode. Unlike incandescent bulbs (which generate light from burning filaments) or fluorescent lights (which create light from gases), LED uses semiconductors to turn electricity into light. And even better, LED can turn electricity into different colored lights.

Traditionally, LEDs provided electronic displays for items such as microwaves, VCR’s, clocks, and gadgets. Technological advancements in LED brightness allow these lights to illuminate traffic lights, automotive brake lights, informational signs, and even street lights. And now, LEDs have started to gain popularity in home lighting.

LEDs in the Home

Initial Cost. Yes, LED lights are more expensive than both incandescent and fluorescent lights. But, don’t let sticker shock deter you. Think about this: LEDs shine for 50,000 hours. This means that 1 LED light will replace 50 incandescent bulbs or 5 fluorescent bulbs. When you install an LED light, it lasts more than 10 years.

Non-toxic. Green doesn’t only mean saving energy. Green also tries to keep toxic materials out of our homes, landfills, and daily exposure. LEDs are non-toxic. Unlike, fluorescent bulbs (which contain mercury), LEDs contain no toxic materials. Of course, more information is needed on the manufacturing process, but the LED lights themselves are non-toxic.

Durability. Ever drop a lightbulb? I have. Those are never fun to clean up. LEDs are much more durable than today’s incandescent and fluorescent alternatives. These lights operate in extreme cold, extreme hot, and survive high levels of shock. I’m not saying to start hitting one with a hammer, but you don’t need to treat the bulb like it’s high priced China either. A more durable bulb means less accidental breakage. And that translates to fewer replacements, lower total cost, and reduced waste.

Compact. LEDs can provide amazing light in a super slim thumbprint. Having smaller, more powerful lights reduces other materials needed to create light fixtures. In the near future, look out for some revolutionary approaches to how we think of overhead lighting.

Energy Waste. Right now, LEDs generate 70% less heat than incandescent lighting. Almost all energy used by LED lighting goes towards generating light. LEDs are safe to touch, do not produce any harmful UV rays, and won’t heat up your home in the summertime.

Energy Consumption. New LEDs provide over 100 lumens from a 1 Watt device. In English, this means you can get amazing light at very low energy consumption. How low? A typical incandescent light costs about 8 cents a day to operate (for 6 hours). The LED replacement will need less than 1 cent a day. For every LED bulb you use, you can save an estimated 28 dollars a year in energy usage.

The Future is Bright

The newest LED bulbs need less energy than even compact fluorescent bulbs. And think about these benefits… LEDs can be used with light dimmers, they can be put into stand alone solar units for outside lighting, and do not need to be used regularly to maintain good light. LEDs of the past would flash 12:00 constantly when our parents couldn’t “work the VCR.” In the present, they provide great light at reduced costs. And in the future, can actually reduce the need for power plants.

With 22% of our generated power going to provide artificial light, replacing light bulbs can really make a difference.

Want to be green and also save green while your at it? With gas prices in the $4+ range, here are a few minor changes in your driving habits that can lead to a big change at the pumps.
Here are 5 ways drivers typically waste gas on every trip:

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1. Racing away from green lights
When the light turns green, you don’t have to act like you are lined up against Gordon. That pedal under your right foot is called the “gas pedal” for a good reason.
Press lightly on the gas pedal, and you’ll still accelerate, and you’ll still get where you’re going. You might be surprised at how little pressure it takes to get your car up to speed in a reasonable time.

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2. Accelerating up to red lights
When you’re driving down the street, and you see a light red light or stop sign up ahead, you should try to coast up to the light rather than racing there.

These first two tips alone can improve your fuel economy around town by as much as 35 percent, according to tests conducted by automotive information Web site Edmunds.com.

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3. Confusing the highway with a speedway
Even if it doesn’t involve hard acceleration, speeding wastes gas. The faster you go, the more air your vehicle has to push out of the way. It’s like moving your hand through water. The faster you try to move your hand, the harder the water pushes back.
In tests by Consumer Reports, driving at 75 miles per hour instead of 65 miles per hour reduced fuel economy by between 3 and 5 miles per gallon, depending on the vehicle.

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4. Tailing
Tailgating wastes gas. Every time the driver ahead taps his brakes, you have to slow down even more than he did. (That’s because you can’t react immediately so you have to slow even more because you’re slowing down later.) Then you accelerate again to get back up to speed and resume your bumper-buzzing routine.

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5. Avoid Short hops
For really short trips, try to walk or ride a bike. But if you do have many errands, try to save them for 1 day each week and complete all the tasks on a single trip. This uses less gas because your engine stays warm, and you do not need to repeat driving to and from your home.

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/579/6-ways-youre-wasting-gas

Parking lots are not usually what come to mind when thinking about green trends, but in this case it is. Parking lots take up a large area of space, and do little to contribute in any economic growth, but it is needed near all public places. A firm based out of San Diego looked at a parking lot from a different angle and saw a window of opportunity out of it. The Envision Solar Grove is a customized photovoltaic-integrated parking lot solar system. Think of it as a grove of solar panels shading the lot. And instead of creating leaves and nuts and stuff, it creates electricity.

The solar trees are like a canopy covering parts of the parking lot which provide many benefits. During warmth, they keep the cars in the shade so there is less energy needed to cool them. They can be used to direct run-off and precipitation to certain areas. They also create electricity to light up the parking lot and power up the facilities that use the lot.

SOLAR TREE™ SPECIFICATIONS
Canopy Size: 26’-6” x 37’-8 ½”
Solar Tree Array
System Size:
17.0 kWp System Size
Shade Capacity: 8 vehicles
Photovoltaic Array: 64 Kyocera KC200GT Module

Obviously this is more expensive than a normal landscaping job, but the company claims that the solar trees will pay for themselves in 5 years. This is variable on the location and sunshine available but if the claim is valid, it would be an enticing business decision.

http://www.envisionsolar.com/index.php?page=portfolio&id=1

Carbon credits or carbon offsets is a financial instrument that represents a reduction of greenhouse gasses. Many companies, factories, and corporations have emissions capped at a certain level. If they exceed the capped amount then the businesses need to buy these carbon credits based on the excess amount of emissions. Each carbon credit represents 1 metric ton of CO2 reductions. The money/fee that these businesses pay for the carbon credits is then used to fund various ‘green’ projects that reduce emissions. The most common projects fund renewable energy, such as solar projects, hydroelectric dams, and wind farms.

Many of the carbon credits are involuntary in that it is regulated by a government ordinance; however there is also a voluntary market that allows businesses and even individuals to participate in purchasing carbon credits. The credits act as an investment on the projects and offer companies additional credits if there are green measures they take to lower their carbon footprint.

Obviously whenever money is involved there is some abuse. You need to be careful when buying these credits and making sure that your money actually goes to a green project and not some scam. But even with the uncertainty – this is a step in the right direction.

If the bull in question is Automobili Lamborghini, the answer is generally no.  Lamborghinis are known as the most exotic of exotic supercars.  As CAFE regulations are getting much more stringent, companies who produce niche vehicles are among those faced with the biggest challenge.  Car for car, Lamborghini are probably some of the least friendly automobiles out there.  They have terrible fuel economy and burn rubber like nobodies business. 

So it sounds pretty simple right? These cars definitely should be more efficient.  Well, maybe not.  Stephan Winkelmann (Lamborghini CEO) stated in an interview that the company wouldn’t meet the new guidelines.  His argument or justification is actually a pretty good one.  In most cases people who buy these cars won’t drive them more than a couple thousand miles a year and Lamborghini doesn’t sell a ton of cars (only 2604 last year), nor they plan on ever doing so.  Here at Greenited, we feel like Winkelmann may have a valid point.  Your family’s Honda Accord or Chevrolet Impala will be driven far more miles annually and many more examples of those cars will be sold.  Am I implying that the Accord or Impala is less environmentally friendly than a Lambo? Of course not.  But, I feel like these cars can’t realistically be held to the exact same standards as cars that are mass produced and driven 15k miles a year…it’s like comparing apples and oranges.

Source: National Geographic Society, GlobeScan

As we can see from the Greendex rankings, even the top ranked countries have a vast scope of improvement to be greener (A score of 60 out of a 100 on an exam wouldn’t be very flattering, would it?) . Even though it does take plenty of government interventions as well as rules and regulations to improve the green standards of living in a country, there are a lot of small things that everyone can do to bring about a major change. Stopglobalwarming.com has a list of steps that everyone can take in their daily lives to help make a contribution towards a greener environment. These are not necessarily compromises that one has to make towards their lifestyle. A lot of the items on the list will help save individuals money on their electric bills as well as provide a longer lifespan to a lot of devices.

Let us know if you have any suggestions that other members can use for adopting a greener lifestyle.

Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to attend SF Green, a premier event focused on increasing green initiatives for people interested in the industry. Tesla Motors was headlining the event and provided me with an “inside” look of their prized automobile. Tesla Motors is taking the electric car and putting it into a class of its own. The Tesla Roadster is a 100% electric sports car that has already started production. All their cars for this year have been claimed, and if you would like to put your name down for one of these bad boys, you need to wait in line behind the celebrities and billionaires already on the list as there are only 650 roadsters to be produced in 2008. With a sticker price north of $100k, there are still many cars to choose from but none that would truly provide you with an experience similar to Tesla.

The performance of this car is impressive, going 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, 0 to 100 in 11 seconds, and a top speed of 125 MPH. Charging the battery to full takes about 3 hours, but will give you 220 miles of driving ability. After taking a quick glance at the car you notice the aggressive stance, the aerodynamics, and the liberal usage of carbon fiber. Carbon Fiber has become a popular material in elite sports cars from its natural properties of light weight and rigid strength. Tesla incorporates the attractive carbon fiber from the interior gearbox to the safety roll bar. The Roadster weighs about 2600lbs, with 1000lbs coming from those lithium ion batteries. The Tesla has a 2 gear clutch-less shifter where gear 1 takes the car from 0-65mph, and gear 2 is for 65+mph.

I had the opportunity to sit in this car and would like to give my take on the overall fit, finish, and comfort of the roadster. The first thing that I notice is like all sports cars, it is small and low, which makes getting into the car rather tricky. But once in, the sporty seats holds you firmly and the Momo steering wheel gives you the feeling of a F1 car. The interior really has all the practical options you need including heated seats and the choice of a navigation unit. Being 6′ tall, my height was not an issue, but I could see how someone 6′ 4″ may be at discomfort. Another issue with the seats is the lack of reclining ability - but that is how many 2 seater cars are laid out. The carbon fiber lined trunk seems like it was made for a PGA sized golf bag. All in all, this car has the feel of a high flying sports cars, posts better numbers than its competitors (Porsche 911 turbo, 0-60 in 4.2 seconds) and emits NOTHING. If I was in the market, this car would definitely be one of my top picks. We will have future coverage on this vehicle including a test drive and interview. What do you think of this car and its potential? I say this car wins the Greenited Sports Car of the Year 2008.

http://www.teslamotors.com/

Venture Beat and SF Green

]]> http://greenited.com/blog/2008/05/tesla-roadster-inside-look/feed/ http://greenited.com/blog/2008/05/save-water-shower-with-a-friend/ http://greenited.com/blog/2008/05/save-water-shower-with-a-friend/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 04:10:22 +0000 sahmed http://greenited.com/blog/?p=50 Tips to Be Greener:

• Wash your clothes in cold water. It’s better for denim anyways
• Turn the hot air dry off on your dishwasher. Let’s be honest you don’t unload the dishwasher for two days anyways. Just let them air dry.
• Use power chords. Did you know in the average home, 75% of the electricity is consumed while your electronics are turned off. Plug several of those power suckers (cell phone chargers, laptops, and even microwaves) into one power strip in each room. When you leave for work in the morning, simply turn off the power strip. This will prevent appliances from draining energy while you are out of the house.
• We all know this one, change your light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Bring your own bags to the grocery store. You know you have a massive pile of them at your house.
• Return your hangers from the dry cleaners to the drycleaners.
• Recycle your yellow pages phone book. I have no idea why they still print it when we all have the internet and 411 but don’t throw it in the garbage. Call 800.953.4400 and they can help.
• Stop your junk mail. Americans receive almost 4 million tons of “junk mail” every year Write to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, 6 East 43rd St., New York, NY 10017. (212) 768-7277. Let them know you want your name removed from mailing lists.
• Turn the water off when you are brushing your teeth. This is so simple its amazing some people still leave it running. There is no point to keep it running. I can’t understand it.

SRIs or Socially Responsible Investments are funds that invest in companies that demonstrate corporate responsibility. The definition of “corporate responsibility” will vary from one fund to another but broadly, they encompass companies that have a green business model, green investments, show responsibility towards the environment, human rights and other social and environmental issues. In general, oil companies, weapon manufacturers, tobacco companies, and companies with unfair labor practices are excluded from such funds.

According to Social Investment Forum, about $2.71 trillion out of $25.1 trillion invested in the United States market place today are in Socially Responsible companies. That’s more than 10% of all investments. There are various funds that track SRIs. A list of such funds can be found on socialfunds.com which is a personal finance website for socially responsible investing. You can order a prospectus for any fund or view fund details on their website. A quick snapshot about these funds and the type of companies they invest in can also be found on socialinvest.org. Socialfunds also has some free offers if you are interested in knowing more about green investments. Another resource to learn more about SRI is Co-op America’s website on Social Investing.

As the Green movement gathers momentum, it is starting to affect various aspects of our lives. Make sure you put your money in the right place by doing a little research about a company’s policy before investing. Do you look at a company’s green profile before investing or have any experiences, thoughts or suggestions that you can share? If so, then definitely let us know.