The Environmentally Friendly Hybrid Car Alternative to Gasoline Guzzlers
Many people are now getting frustrated with their usual gas-guzzling conventional car because of the constant increase in fuel prices and are they are actively looking for alternative modes of travel. Some people are now leaving their cars in the garage, preferring to car-pool, cycle or even walk to work to conserve fuel. More are turning to public transportation at the subways, bus stations braving even the worst of weather, simply to save on the ever-increasing fuel costs. However, there are some who simply need their car due to job nature or family obligations.
Hybrid Cars – Your Alternative to Gasoline Guzzlers. The alternatives to cheaper fuel costs and lower gasoline consumption, are to start trading off their old conventional gas-guzzling cars and purchase a different breed of car that can easily cut fuel consumption by half. These new line of cars are called hybrid cars and yes, your fuel consumption could effectively achieve about 50 mpg or miles per gallon with hybrid cars. Hybrid cars produce fewer pollutants than conventional cars. This means that not only will you cut fuel consumption by more than half, you will also decrease the level of pollution that is poisoning the environment and people. With hybrid cars, everyone can benefit from it.
How Hybrid Cars Work. The concept of the hybrid car is quite simple. Hybrid cars combine electricity, which is the cleanest energy source available, and internal combustion gasoline engine to run the car. In simple words, hybrid cars utilize both electricity and gasoline energy to power the car. Firstly when your hybrid car is started and in idle mode or not running, the gasoline engine is automatically shut off. You car is then purely running on electricity. That explains the reason behind why hybrid cars are very quiet. This is also the reason why it can effectively conserve fuel consumption. Once you step on the accelerator, the internal combustion engine will automatically start up again.
There are also hybrid cars that can run purely on electric mode. This is very useful if you are only using the car for local travels. You virtually don’t even need to put gasoline in the car. Most hybrid cars developed today no longer need to be plugged in like the electric car. The used kinetic energy when you are braking will be the one to recharge the battery. This is how simple a hybrid car works. It will be comprised of a battery for energy storage, a generator, an internal combustion engine, a fuel tank, and an electric motor.
However, for long distance travel, especially along the highway, you will need more power to drive your engines. The gasoline or fuel combustion will kick in when you need stronger power on the road. It is also used for back up power in case the battery is discharged.
So get out there and do your research on the various Hybrid cars in the market. It is time to start getting rid of the gasoline guzzlers and more so, your gasoline woes. Start saving on fuel consumption, contribute to the environment in generating lower toxic fumes and you even get to claim tax rebates from the government!
Do check out my site for more information on Environmentally Friendly Cars.
Joey Lee has 17 years of business & marketing experience in the Insurance & Banking Industry, holds an Executive MBA, and a Platinum Ezine Author. Get the latest eco friendly green cars info at Environmentally Friendly Cars and much more at CngCar.org
Hydrogen Fuel – Top Reasons To Replace Gasoline With Hydrogen Fuel
In a bid to reduce the United States’ growing dependence on Middle East oil for the country’s petroleum needs, President George Bush declared a $1.2 billion hydrogen fuel program in his 2003 State of the Union speech. This substantial budget allocation for the advancement of technological studies for hydrogen-driven fuel cells also sought the significant, if not the total, reduction of pollutants like greenhouse gases emitted by vehicles, homes and business establishments dependent on foreign petroleum.
Today, more and more vehicles are being powered by hydrogen fuel. Automobile giant General Motors has been producing a one hundred per cent hydrogen-powered vehicle prototype, something which augurs well for the country since President Bush’ 2003 announcement of the hydrogen fuel project. To date, fresh funding continues to pour in for hydrogen fuel development as an alternative fuel. The current technology requires fuel cells for storage and for processing of gas that in turn powers the vehicle or other fuel-dependent machinery and equipment.
But while hydrogen certainly makes a good fuel alternative, it too has its downside. Even if generated from natural gas, considered today as the cheapest energy source ever, hydrogen fuel is still four times more expensive to manufacture than gasoline. The Bush administration’s initiative has considered reducing this cost to the level of gasoline-generated power by year 2010, as well as to seek ways of deriving hydrogen power from renewable sources of energy, nuclear power, or possibly coal.
Turning to hydrogen fuel instead of using gasoline can eliminate the country’s dependence on other countries for energy. Hydrogen is readily available and even abundant domestically. It can be found along with natural gas, coal, biomass and even water. The hydrogen fuel project, according to the Department of Energy, can help lessen our country’s import demands by more than 11 million barrels a day–the estimated amount of oil the US buys from abroad today–by 2040.
Taking significant steps to making our air free from pollution caused by gasoline-powered vehicles is another agenda spoused by the country’s hydrogen fuel program. Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity instead of gasoline to power vehicles. This will eliminate pollution and lessen the country’s greenhouse gas discharges caused by gasoline-guzzling vehicles by over 500 million metric tons of carbon emissions every year by 2040.
The high efficiency ratio of hydrogen as energy source limits the emission of compounds that harm the environment. When burned to generate electricity and power an engine, hydrogen emits nothing but water vapor. Hydrogen-powered machines and equipment can therefore help us achieve a cleaner and healthier environment.
Hydrogen fuel looms as the newest and most exciting discovery of this decade. Owning a car because of the fuel cell technology has never become more gratifying than today. We might as well enjoy our road trips more often.
Abhishek is an avid Environmentalist and he has got some great Alternative Fuel Secrets up his sleeves! Download his FREE 70 Pages Ebook, “Energy Conservation And Alternative Fuel” from his website http://www.Wonder-Homes.com/643/index.htm . Only limited Free Copies available.
Nissan’s electric car will cost more than a Toyota Prius
Warren Buffett promoted BYD to launch hybrid cars for mass market on Monday
HONG KONG: Chinese car and battery maker BYD Co, backed by US billionaire investor Warren Buffett, said it will start sales of plug-in hybrid cars with solar panels to the public in Shenzhen on Monday.
Read more on The Auto Channel
Car convoy makes it easy being green
Stop what you are doing at 1 p.m. Thursday and head to the Reporter-Herald parking lot. A dozen fuel-efficient vehicles will be parked there for the second-annual Green Car Convoy and a sneak peek of the 2010 Denver Auto Show.
Read more on Loveland Reporter-Herald
Volkswagen’s Up Lite Marries Electricity to Diesel
How do you build a practical car that’s highly fuel efficient? Easy: Make it small and light, give it a diesel engine, and make that engine part of a hybrid power train. Strangely, no such creature has yet hit the road. Several automakers are, however, fixing to correct that oversight.
Read more on IEEE Spectrum
Price Tag on Nissan’s Electric Car Finally Revealed
Nissan announced Tuesday that it will sell its upcoming electric car, the LEAF, for $32,780. After a federal tax credit of $7,500 that is available to all buyers, the five-door hatchback will cost just $25,280, several thousand dollars less than the average transaction price of a car sold in the United States.
Read more on Fox News
Nissan’s electric car will cost more than a Toyota Prius
YOKOHAMA, Japan – Nissan Motor Co on Tuesday said it would sell its battery-powered Leaf hatchback starting at 3.76 million yen (S$56,875) in Japan, counting on government subsidies to slash the cost to consumers for its mass-market bet on the electric car.
Read more on AsiaOne
Nissan Leaf to cost $25,000 – Wed, 31 Mar 2010 PST
Nissan: “Leaf” to Cost $25K in U.S.
Price of Fully Electric, Zero-Emission Vehicle Factors in Tax Credit; Most Affordable Electric Car on the Market
Read more on CBS News
The Herts Advertiser
THE DEATH of a 15-year-old girl from St Albans who was hit by a car on her way home from school could not have been avoided, an inquest heard today.
Read more on Herts Advertiser
Nissan Leaf to cost just more than $25,000
NEW YORK — Nissan’s new electric car will cost just over $25,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S. in December, aiming…
Read more on Deseret News
Tiger’s return a delicate issue for TV networks
Associated Press When Tiger Woods tees off at the Masters on Thursday, anyone who’s watching is already going to know he cheated on his wife.
Read more on SportingNews
Nissan Leaf to cost $25,000 – Wed, 31 Mar 2010 PST
NEW YORK – Nissan’s new electric car will cost just over $25,000 when it goes on sale in the U.S. in December, aiming to bring gasoline-free technology within reach of mainstream drivers. The Leaf, a four-door hatchback, will have a base price of $32,780, but it’s eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles. That will make it cheaper to buy than electric vehicles coming from …
Read more on The Spokesman-Review
Most miles per gallon
How does the government encourage people to change their ways of driving? (e.g more eco friendly cars)?
As in their choice of car (e.g more eco friendly ones) and how much they use it?
If you really wanted to live green why dont you?
have your electricity shut off, get rid of you car, and live like the pioneers did with kerosene lamps and a wood burning stove for heat? Better grow your own food too, all that packaging just adds more to the landfills. A cooler filled with ice could be used for food.
Rockpoli….I applaud you for living the way you do! I guess I owe you lunch!
Trends in Green Building and Sustainable Construction
“Green Building” is a broad term used to describe the design and construction of sustainable and environmentally conscious buildings.
The driving force behind this is to lower our negative impact on the environment and, at the same time, make the buildings we live and work in safer and healthier for us.
According to the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) statistics,`buildings are responsible for all of the following:
39% of US carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
70% of US electricity consumption
15 trillion gallons of water consumption
Even though there is still some controversy over the effect of greenhouse gases on the environment, the last two statistics are very important for those of us living in urban areas experiencing continuous growth, especially the American Southwest. With our population expansion, aging water and electrical infrastructure, and shrinking landfills, designing and constructing green and sustainable buildings makes practical sense from a utilitarian perspective.
In fact, USGBC data shows that green buildings use 36% less energy, require fewer raw materials, and divert less waste to our landfills. Furthermore, the “increased” cost of green building is only one or two percent more expensive than a conventional building. This minute difference exemplifies the tangible and long-term benefits of sustainable design, primarily due to the fact that green buildings conserve water and electricity. Thus, while they are more expensive to build, green structures will save money by conserving more energy over time.
Another push towards the green build movement is by local governments. More and more municipalities
are adopting the USGBC LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) guidelines for new
and renovated buildings. In 2006, at the USGBC Greenbuild expo, the Mayor of Denver challenged other major cities to see who can have the most LEED® certified green buildings. They are accomplishing this by offering tax breaks to private corporations and mandating sustainable construction for city-financed projects.
This has led to a dramatic increase in the number of sustainable projects built by LEED® Certified general contractors. However, this growth has not come without challenges. Currently, the following issues are restricting the number of green projects being built:
Increased demand for green products has lead to long lead times
New and unspecified materials are labeled “green” products which are not necessarily certified
Building officials are struggling with a steep learning curve on how to evaluate these new products and sustainable building techniques
Despite these difficulties, the USGBC, sustainability advocates, and green building construction management firms are meeting to overcome these challenges.
The LEED® process is constantly under review and continues to adopt the latest codes and products. This includes Standard 189, a new minimum standard for green building. The USGBC is currently developing LEED® 3.0 and working with national code writers to include new products and techniques.
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has even rolled out a new initiative called “Sustainability 2030,” which at its roots, is looking to design all buildings by the year 2030 as carbon neutral. The USGBC has even initiated the Green Advantage Builders Certification for contractors to certify their knowledge in green building
techniques.
So what does green building mean at the end of the day? It’s simple yet profound: Do the right thing for you, the environment, and the next generation. While most companies are concerned with their bottom line, they ought to embrace the idea that energy and water conservation, green building, and the use of “green materials” in construction stands to increase their savings over time while positioning them as a leader in environmental stewardship.
According to the USGBC, we spend 90% of our time indoors. Due to this fact, scientists have identified an increase in allergies, asthma, absenteeism from school, and even work. There have been numerous studies done on post occupancy productivity levels, which have increased within “green” built facilities. Not only does
green adaptation result in less sick days taken, but also shows an increase in productivity, job
satisfaction, and in the case of schools, better grades.
So, as we positively affect the environment around us with sustainable green construction, we eventually create better health for ourselves.
Matthew Hancock is a LEED? accredited professional, a Green Advantage Certified Builder and a member of the Dallas chapter of the USGBC. He is a project manager for the Dallas office of Adolfson and Peterson Construction and a proponent of the sustainable and green building movements.
Adolfson & Peterson Construction is a 61-year-old company with offices in Minneapolis, Minnesota; Denver, Colorado; Phoenix, Arizona; and Dallas, Texas (AIA Dallas Chapter 2007 Contractor of the Year). Adolfson & Peterson is currently ranked 72 on the Engineering News-Record Top 400 General Contractors list. Services provided are construction management, design/build, general contracting, LEED? construction capability, Green Advantage? certified personnel, facilities maintenance, Building Information Modeling, and long-term care to various public and private clients.
Interested in learning more about the green building trend? A couple of good resources are the USGBC and the Adolfson & Peterson library of resources on green construction management.
Comverge Wins Environmental Award
U.S. Green Building Council Presents Pratt & Whitney Shanghai Engine Center with Certification as First in China to …
BEIJING, March 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Green Building Council today in conjunction with the China Green Building Conference presented the joint venture between China Eastern Airlines and Pratt & Whitney with certification recognizing the Shanghai Engine Center as the first facility in China to be awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental …
Read more on Aircraft Maintenance Technology
Most Go Green Because Of Peer Pressure, Not Because They Care
Over and above the financial or environmental benefits of making low-carbon choices, we value the boost in social status this can provide — what’s important is that we are seen to be going green.
Read more on The Huffington Post
Brazen Environmental Upstart Brings Legal Muscle, Nerve to Climate Debate
A tiny activist group with a shoestring budget and an aggressive attitude is fast becoming a rising power in environmental po…
Read more on New York Times
N.J. Natural Gas expanding green rebate program
New Jersey Natural Gas wants to expand its green rebate program to encourage customers to invest in highly efficient equipment, such as furnaces and air conditioning systems.
Read more on Asbury Park Press
Comverge Wins Environmental Award
NORCROSS, Ga. — Comverge Inc. , a leading provider of smart grid, demand management and energy efficiency solutions, announced today that it has been honored as one of Atlanta’s leading green companies in the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s third annual Environmental Awards.
Read more on GlobeNewswire via Yahoo! Finance
Eco-Products2007 English Guided Tour_1st part
This is a movie clip that shows you English Guided Tour in Eco-Products 2007.