Green Daily

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Sure, electric cars and hybrids have their place in the green transportation hierarchy, but bikes are universally acknowledged as the greenest way to get around. Completely emissions-free, powered by muscles and sweat, they are the healthy choice for the environment and for you.

However, like so many good habits (or intentions,) biking your way around town can go from difficult to outright impossible when you're traveling. Bikes are a pain to transport on airplanes, and while you can rent in most places, you never know what kind of equipment you'll find. Plus, even if you are lucky enough to get a decent bike, it can still be hard to find important information like where you can safely ride or if there are bike racks at your destination.

Of course, a clever person named George Gill came up with a solution: RentaBikeNow.com. This site lets you research the available bikes in a city or town, see photos and rates, reserve it online, and then get information on the best and safest routes. You can also get accessories, like kiddie trailers, helmets and locks.

(Photo by Getty Images)

You know how being "green" used to have a sort of, well ... wimpy reputation?

Hey, you know it's true. I don't make it up, I just report it!

Well, those days are over. Eco-friendly is so cool it's now badass. Ashley Braun and Katharine Wroth at Grist created a killer list of the 13 most badass greens, and there is not a wussy treehugger (not that there's anything wrong with that, we love treehuggers and Treehugger) to be seen!

The post has a poll for you to vote for your favorite Badass Green, but I seriously could not pick just one. My top picks include:

(Photo by monstervintage.com)

"Recycle" and "reduce" get a lot of attention in the green world, but gloomy global economic conditions are making many people take a second look at "reuse." This thrifty attitude is great for the planet -- if something has already been created, it's better to get as much use out of it as possible before you spend more energy to recycle it into something else.

Clothing is one of the easiest and most fun things to reuse. Hand-me-downs get a bad rap, but when you call it vintage? Then it's cool! Even if you don't have good local vintage boutiques, the internet is now a fab place to find treasures. Monster Vintage has a huge selection of men's, women's and "cool stuff." Be warned, if you click through, you will browse through the merchandise for hours!

"Gently used" second-hand designer fashion used to be a guilty secret, but now we're wearing it loud and proud. Online luxury vintage retailer Marion Mercer offers pristine items from designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Valentino. While the prices aren't exactly thrift store cheap, they're still considerably less than buying the big names new.

Ouch. The news just keeps getting worse for GM. Even though the Volt has enjoyed unprecedented hype for the last 2+ years, and Jay Leno thinks its a superior ride, President Obama's new car task force is not super impressed by the long-range hybrid. They've begun questioning the Volt's commercial prospects as they take a good hard look at GM's sustainability plan. From their report:

"GM is at least one generation behind Toyota on advanced, "green" powertrain development. In an attempt to leapfrog Toyota, GM has devoted significant resources to the Chevy Volt. While the Volt holds promise, it is currently projected to be much more expensive than its gasoline-fueled peers and will likely need substantial reductions in manufacturing cost in order to become commercially viable.

One of the biggest concerns is that GM's 'leapfrog' strategy relied on selling the Volt at a loss, not exactly great for sustainability in the near term. While no official price has been set for the Volt just yet, all signs seem to indicate a price tag right at $40K. At that price, the Volt will be competing with the very sporty, very classy-looking Tesla Model S all-electric sedan. What do you think about the Volt's commercial appeal?


[via Treehugger]

Last week, Green Daily brought you the news that there was a strange video floating around that featured a car-shaped object under an Ikea car cover. At first, there was speculation that Ikea was perhaps going to start designing cute little eco-cars, then it seemed like a clever but all-too-obvious April Fool's prank (since the unveiling is set for April 1st). Alas, it was neither.

"Leko," the mysterious word that glared at us from the Ikea car cover, actually refers to a new online car-sharing program that's kicking off on April 1st. Apparently, Ikea has entered into a deal to offer car-sharing services at its 26 locations in France. That's what the viral video campaign was all about ... and it has nothing to do with April Fools' Day at all. How lame is that?

Sorry the news is somewhat less climactic than anticipated (especially for any readers not located in France), but that's life. C'est la vie.

[via AutoblogGreen]

Neil Young loves the automobile with a passion, it's the giant oil conglomerates and carbon emissions that he's not too crazy about. In support of his upcoming car-themed concept album Fork in the Road -- which has basically pre-panned by critics based on a sample track and the theme -- Neil Young has filmed a low-tech music video in what is undoubtedly the most high-tech '59 Lincoln Continental the world has ever seen: Lincvolt.

CARB, or the California Air Resources Board to the layperson, has been on somewhat of a regulation rampage so far this month. A couple of weeks ago, CARB started batting aroudn the idea of banning of all dark colored paint jobs in order to lighten the load on your car's A/C, and therefore improve air quality (supossedly).

After scrapping that horribly misguided proposal, they went ahead and adopted a measure to require that all of California's auto maintainence businesses to ensure that your tire pressure is at factory reccomended levels. This, according to CARB would save the average Californian $12 per year on gas which will probably be offset by rising mechanic prices. As weird and draconian as regulating tire pressure may sound, at least it would almost certainly result in greater fuel economy across the board. That can't be said for the nonsense about outlawing cars with black paintjobs.

California's tire industry argues that the regulation -- which requires pressure readings and times listed on all invoices -- will be burdensome and expose mechanic shops to new forms of litigation from trial lawyers.

[via AutoblogGreen]

Of all places in US to launch an experimental car-sharing program, most analysts would probably put any city in truck-month loving Texas somewhere near the bottom of the list. Thwarting intuition, that's somehow the very first place that Diamler is going to test their Car2Go mobility program. The horde of Smart ForTwos for rent will descend upon the Lone Star State's capital city this fall.

In order to reduce their employee's commuting costs, cut CO2 emissions, and save valuable time (and money), companies all over have shortened their regular work week and/or encouraged their employees to work from home. Seizing on this development, a UK design firm named OfficePOD has built the ideal prefab workspace for the eco-friendly work from home crowd.

According to OfficePOD, the average employer in the UK pays £9,000 ($13,000) per year to accommodate an employer in an office building ... and it only costs about £5,000/year to lease an OfficePOD. They also estimate that an average worker in London pays £4,000 a year in commuting costs, most of which is saved. Not to mention, the OfficePOD is about a billion times more aesthetically than a cubicle, and no one will borrow your stapler. The only bummer from my perspective is that it's a rental -- and of course, the fact that it's only available in the UK.

[via Treehugger]

It's finally here, Tesla's first foray into affordability and practicality -- and it looks/sounds pretty awesome. The annoying car cover from that teaser photo was thrown off today at Tesla's press event today in Hawthorne, CA, where the Model S -- which seats seven, charges in 45 minutes, and has a range of up to 300 miles -- made it's first public appearance.

Even before its launch, one of the best things Tesla PR department had going for it was a general outpouring of celebrity support. Heck, there was even a rumor that a few of Hollywood's elite male actors would stage an impromptu Tesla parade at this year's Oscars.

But with that kind of high profile attention, there comes a slight risk -- and rumor would have you believe that at least one superstar isn't so happy with his electric Roadster. According to a piece in Gawker, a certain governator of the great state of California, has been trying to get his money back for months.

What's Tesla's return policy? I can assure you that I don't have any idea. Considering the weak status of the auto industry, coupled with news that Tesla specifically is having a tough time keeping their head above water, I really doubt that they're excited about giving Schwarzenegger his $100K back. What's the governor's problem? According to a tipster, Arnold has a tough time getting in and out of the tiny Lotus body, "he's more of a Hummer guy."

[via Ecorazzi]

A new eco-friendly flat-pack car from Ikea? Could it really be true? The Swedish furniture store of furniture stores -- famous for being as kitschy as it is socially-conscious -- is now showing off a teaser video of a new car-shaped product. We know that Ikea is in the middle of rolling out an energy conscious product line, is it time for them to market a cute new, fuel-sipper of its own? Could Ikea make a decent car? Would it come in a box?

To find out, we going to have to wait until April 1st for the great unveiling. I can picture it now: a stylish 40mpg hatchback with wood laminate siding and avocado green hubcaps. Honestly, Ikea should probably start selling a super cute tiny fuel-sipper like the Tata Nano or the Fiat 500 in their stores. God knows that people come out of there with more than they can shove into the vehicle they showed up in. As hip and trendy as Ikea is, it appears that they're still down for some good old fashioned holiday humor. Or, maybe their serious ... who knows?

[via AutoblogGreen]

There are lots of interesting innovations in packaging and shipping being made to help make the consumer goods we all buy a bit more eco-friendly. What about using sailboat power for delivering products?

One company in France and one in Napa, California are using sailboats, specifically large, three-masted schooners, to deliver wine to nearby areas. And in the Seattle area, a company is using sail power to deliver CSA shares and is hoping to partner with other organizations for delivery.

I can't see fleets of schooners plying the waters from China to the US or even from Europe to the US for the most part. But for local coastal deliveries it's a pretty cool concept. I wonder if UPS will be considering horses next?

[Via Crunchy Chicken, Eco Worldly]

When it comes to squeezing the maximum mileage out of your ride, every little thing counts -- just look at the Aerocivic. Spurred on by last year's huge hike in oil prices and the development of a new generation of fuel sipping cars, tire makers are doing their best to fuel the hypermiling frenzy. Last month, Goodyear announced that their low resistance tires would be partly responsibly for boosting the Volt's range. Now, it appears that Michelin and Peugeot are doing a little bragging about their fuel friendly partnership.

According to a recent press release from Peugeot, the Michelin Energy Saver tires already installed on Peugeot and Citroën vehicles are reducing carbon emissions by 15,000 metric tonnes (16,534 tons) a year. The tires are also credited with reducing emissions by 4g/km and saving drivers an average of .2L per 100km, or .053 gallons per 62 miles if you speak American. I know, the numbers sound much better at the macro scale. Still, the idea that tires companies are focusing on efficiency is exciting, especially when you consider that it could one day significantly extend the range of an electric car.

[via AutoblogGreen]

Since leaving the Tonight Show, Jay Leno has apparently been investing lots of time into his garage -- and thus, he's become a kind of quasi-authority on alternative fuel vehicles. He owns a 1909 Baker Electric and drives a fuel cell Equinox daily. In an interview with GM-Volt.com this week, Jay Leno reportedly said: "I think you'll find that the Volt will be a superior package to the Prius." Oooh, diss. I have no idea how much he got paid to say that.

Not that an ex-Tonight Show host talking trash about gas electric hybrids is conclusive evidence, or really means anything substantive at all (especially when they haven't even test driven the Volt yet), but Jay Leno is apparently the kind of guy that doesn't mind rattling the saber a little when it comes to the car wars ... or speaking too soon. Considering that the Volt is expected (if its ever released) to cost almost twice as much as a Prius, it sure ought to be "superior."

[via AutoblogGreen]