Green Daily

Years ago, I owned a 1980 Mercedes 300D sedan. It was a diesel-powered car, which meant that it shook like a dog coming out of a bath, smelled like an oil spill, and had a funny metallic-bubbling sound. On the other hand, it cost very little to fill up, sipped fuel, was exceedingly comfortable, and was built like a tank. Admittedly, the car accelerated very slowly; my friend Mike Germana once described it as having the pickup of a dying mule. Still, I was able to drive from southwest Virginia to northeast Pennsylvania on a single tank of gas, so I can't really complain. By the time I got rid of Helga the Benz, she had over a quarter of a million miles on her and the engine was still humming (or at least gurgling metallically).

Recently, looking through the newspaper, I saw a picture of Helga, or at least one of her sisters. The article in question dealt with diesel cars that have been reworked to run on vegetable oil from fast food restaurants. Apparently, old Mercedes diesels are particularly well-suited to this kind of modification; I've since discovered that two of the major refitting companies both work with that particular car.

It's not surprising that people are refitting diesels. Supposedly, Rudolf Diesel's original intention was to create a car that could run on plant-derived fuels, although the emergence of plentiful, cheap petroleum made that goal unnecessary. Regardless, diesel cars are fully capable of running on vegetable oil, as long as it is possible to reduce the viscosity (thickness) of the oil. Some solutions to this problem include combining vegetable oil and other fuels or heating the oil to make it thinner.

Lovecraft Biofuels has developed an inexpensive, easily installed system for retrofitting diesel cars to use vegetable oil. They charge between $870 and $1245 for a full conversion, which they do in one of their garages, either in Los Angeles or Portland, Oregon. However, if you can't make it to one of Lovecraft's facilities, they will send the conversion kit to you for a mere $595. You can then install it yourself or have it done by someone at your local garage. The best part of Lovecraft's system is that, by heating the vegetable oil, they make it unnecessary to add other fuels.

It's hard to imagine a more perfect scenario. You pull into your local gas station, grimacing at the thought of dropping $40 (or more) to fill up your tank, muttering about how lonely you feel thanks to the fight you just had with your wife, when surprise -- totally hot, half-naked women appear before your eyes! And even better -- they're giving out free gasoline!

Sounds like an odd (and kind of pervy) dream, but in fact it's yet another sans-clothing stunt by your friends at People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

As environmentalists implore you to "ditch the gas guzzler" for a more eco-friendly vehicle, it's important to stop and think about where that gas guzzler goes once you're finished with it. Will you sell it used so someone else can drive it -- or will it wind up hogging space in a junkyard somewhere? Neither sound particularly appealing from an environmental perspective.

But the good news is that, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, once your car has given up the ghost, there's an 95% it will be recycled. This makes automobiles the most recycled product -- more than anything you put out at the curb, including paper and plastic.

In a sign that not only climate but culture is changing, the city which invented the concept that anything that can't done from a car isn't worth doing is looking to ding drivers for money to fight global warming.

The LA Times reports that the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is considering legislation which would impose a new fee either at the gas pump or on car registrations, with the revenue going to fund mass transit and traffic congestion relief programs.

"15mph?!?" you shriek at the computer screen, throwing your hands in the air, begging for someone to help you understand what moron would ask you to drive so slowly. But before you freak out completely, the new speed limits are only planned in the UK (for now).

The shockingly slow roads will be found in the UK's new zero-carbon housing developments, called "eco-towns." Intended to "revolutionize the way people live," the towns will all feature car-free town centers and also restrict motorists to 15mph on "key roads" leading into those town centers. While the response to these developments has certainly been mixed (and have, in fact, sparked a number of protests), such a drastically reduced speed limit could be beneficial to the environment. Here's how:

X PRIZE is probably best known as the organization that offers multi-million dollars prizes to teams that can accomplish difficult tasks like designing a spacecraft or landing a robot on the moon. You know, the sort of challenges that will invariably cost more to accomplish than the amount of prize money you'll actually win.

Now X PRIZE has partnered with auto insurance company Progressive to put up a $10 million prize to the team that can create a vehicle that will gets 100 miles per gallon or more. CNN reports that more than 60 teams from 9 countries have already joined the competition.

Competitors will eventually have to build vehicles that will participate in races in 2009 and 2010 to see which cars perform the best. The goal is to create cars that can carry two or four passengers, hit speeds of 60 to 80 miles per hour, and burn as little fuel as possible.

[via Slashdot]

Jeff Plowman is one of the founders of Austin Biofuels, a sustainable biofuels provider in Central Texas that recently partnered with the SXSW festival to provide biofuel to bands and concert-goers.

Biofuels have been taking a hit in the media recently, with environmentalists raising concerns over the land, food, and water needed to produce and transport it. In some instances, the resources used to produce biofuel make it just as bad for the environment as the gasoline that currently powers most of our vehicles.

However some companies are trying to alter that image, touting a sustainable brand of biofuel that still scores high on fuel economy (and thus reduces our dependence on foreign oil), but also takes a smaller toll on the environment. We sat down with Jeff Plowman, founder of Austin Biofuels, who walks us through the basics.

In theory, there's plenty of environmental reasons to drive less (or not at all, if you can manage it). Global warming, smog, blah blah blah. But in practice, the worst part about the bazillions of cars on the road is the massive, immobile, crawling-at-5mph-makes-me-hate-my-wasted-life traffic jams we endure on the way to and from work every morning. Nothing sucks quite like being stuck in a vehicle that could be traveling at speeds upwards of 100mph, while you're out-paced by cyclists, pedestrians, and old ladies with walkers.

Oh, the humanity.

The solution I hear most often down here in Texas is "build more roads." Make 'um wider, build 'um longer -- highways, toll roads, city roads, loop roads, etc. But recent Japanese research seems to suggest that these initiatives, no matter how well-designed, won't make any difference. In the above video, the cars on the track have enough room to drive at a continuous speed, around and around, to infinity. But before long, a few cars bunch up, which makes the cars behind them bunch up, which makes the cars behind them bunch up, and so on -- causing a traffic jam.

What's the moral? Take the train, ride your bike, catch a ride with a buddy and take the traffic-free carpool lane -- anything to avoid stopping and going, over and over and over, until you loose the will to live.

[via swissmiss]

We're big advocates of low-emissions transportation. In fact I'm sure it seems like all we talk about is driving hybrids, or ditching your car for a more eco-friendly brand of human-powered transport -- like a bike, for instance. But then some dude went along and created a bicycle so heinously offensive that there's no way I could, in good conscience, advocate, uh, riding it -- if you know what I mean.

And that brings me to the "Bitchcruiser." The above photo, believe it or not, is the most tasteful example of what is, by far, the most disturbing example of a green-leaning vehicle I've ever seen. I have it on good authority that Mother Nature will hate you for riding this to work -- even if it's in lieu of your 12mpg uber-SUV.

Yet, if you feel compelled to add this unfortunate bicycle to your carbon-neutral-cruising repertoire, you should head over to eBay and make a bid before March 16th (be prepared to shell out around $2,500). Before you know it you'll be heralded by all as the Eliot Sptizer of cyclists!

Check out some very grown-up photos after the jump.

America's Greenest Car: Is it the Honda Civic GX or the Toyota Prius?

In case you didn't know, today was Paris Hilton's birthday. And when she thought about the things she didn't already own, there were only a few -- and a 2008 Yukon hybrid was definitely the coolest. So, just like any other spoiled mega-star, she went out and bought one. Now she can drive in the carpool lane all by herself.

The full-sized GM hybrids have been the subject of much debate on this site. Some say the huge two-mode hybrid is just a waste, others argue that it's a 40% mileage improvement for people who are already going to drive a hulking SUV.

In Paris' case, it's definitely a waste -- especially when she gets drunk and wrecks it later this month. Until then, however, the much maligned "Green Car of the Year" will be showing up in a lot E! New video clips.

[via AutoBlogGreen]

When I was a kid, I longed to drive a Flintstone-mobile. I'd spend hours daydreaming about the rumble of the solid stone wheels and the feel of the asphalt under my bare feet as I ran the car up to highway speed. Sadly, my dream was not to be realized - the state of automotive engineering at the time didn't permit a people-powered car that could actually drive on public streets, and since gas was never going to be more than a buck a gallon, no one cared anyway.

But times are changing. The HumanCar is a new auto powered entirely by human muscle (although feet never actually touch pavement) and capable of a top speed of 20 mph. This is more than just an advanced bicycle - it has a roof, a protective frame for safety, and it can harness the efforts of up to 4 people to power it along. The HumanCar designers see all kinds of potential applications for variants of this greenhouse gas-free vehicle, from family smartcar to urban light transit.

For those looking for a little more oomphh from their eco-friendly auto, the next generation of HumanCar is a human/electric powered hybrid called the Imagine. The company is already taking advance orders for this very sweet ride, with the price expected to be around $15,000.

The official launch of the HumanCar will take place on April 22, 2008 (Earth Day) in South Menlo Park,California.

To see the HumanCar in action, check out this video on YouTube.

[via psfk]

Whether you're watching a football game or meeting up with a group of friends at a bar, drinking beer is a great past time -- trust me, I know. However, if you stop to think about all of the waste and pollution that's created in order for that alcoholic beverage to get to your lips, its kind of a buzz-kill. That's why I've endeavored to collect a bunch of info to help the eco-friendly drinker minimize their impact on the environment -- and generally save the planet.

Operation Greenbrew is the green drinker's "need to know" guide to choosing eco-friendly ways to get your buzz on -- from organic beers, to sustainable brewers, to the growing world of DIY beer. The idea is to highlight the brewers and beers that are doing something green, hopefully encouraging the hesitant among us to go out on a limb and try a new, more earth-friendly beer.

If you're into the idea of homebrewing -- thereby removing the transportation and packing factors from your beer consumption -- check out our videos on the subject. Much thanks goes to J.B. Brack and Austin Homebrew Supply for being willing to explain the ins and outs of the process to us.

Feeling lame 'cause all your buddies cruise around the lake in high-powered jet skis while you meagerly watch from the shore? No longer! Now there's an eco-friendly way to quest your thirst for high-speed aquatic adventure.

Introducing the Hydrofoil Water Scooter. Sure, you won't look as manly as the frat dudes on Kawasakis while you hop up and down, bobbing along the waves. But you'll be cruising across the water (at speeds of up to 17 mph!) on a scooter that is "virtually maintenance-free," and "has no moving parts or noisy engines that require fuel."

Pretty awesome.

[via Ecofriend]