I don't like paying for gas.  Of course, saying something like this is like my son saying he doesn't like to take a bath.  No one likes shelling out ducets for anything, let alone gas, and even more obvious, a boy of 5 hates taking baths.  But you need gas to get around in today's world, and the boy needs a bath to keep from looking like this (which ironically is from a movie all about fuel).  Both are a necessary evil.  So maybe the original statement should be amended to say this: I don't like paying for gas anymore than I have to, and it seems that I have to pay a lot more these days.  Well, never fear...there are some proposed solutions on the very distant horizon that might help your wallet, and you've probably never heard of them, nor will you in any dimension of reality.  Ok maybe you should fear.  But hey its fun to dream right?  I know what you're thinking, and no Back to the Future's Mr. Fusion is not on the list.  But one of these ideas is actually used in the movie. 

To tip my hand a little, there are a couple I really like, but I'm having some trouble figuring out which one I prefer the most: dead cats or dirty diapers.  I don't like cats per se, though it is a stretch to say that I want them dead, but still...if I come across a dead feline, and I can use it to get me from point A to point B, then what's the problem?  Of course my question then becomes, "how does one get the cat into the gas tank?"  Obviously the options are not pleasant, and as such this idea does not appeal to me the most.  Dirty diapers, on the other hand, seem to be a better option simply because we have so many.  I could be the equivalent of an oil tycoon if scientists in their labs could only figure out how to cram those soaked and soiled diapers into the gas tanks of the world.  I would be a power broker in the worldwide dirty diaper market, throwing my weight around in politics, funding small revolutions, or providing clean drinking water to impoverished countries in exchange for large tracts of land on which to build more dirty diaper factories (which would look just like my house).  And who's to say that the dirty diaper smell won't become moderately appealing to some folks, like the gasoline smell we are all so familiar with?   Anyways, you've done the hard work of reading this far.  Now for the payoff (not in dirty diapers).

Green Car is a webite that aims to be a "source for information on electric cars, hybrids and more."  This is an extremely helpful web site, especially for someone like me, who has not really kept up with environmental issues but at the same time knows that using too much gas is really bad.  To follow are some of the highlights, but before I get to those, I want to point out one extreme negative: there are so many ads that I initially can't distinguish them from the actual content.  I realize folks gotta make that cash, but come one.  How about some restraint?  Other than that though, this website is a great find.  The highlights are divided into their respective pages.  

Find a Car

Maybe you are overwhelmed by the flood of hybrids coming onto the market and don't even know where to start looking.  Maybe all of the political and ethical issues surrounding hybrids and the environment have sort of turned you into a binge gasoline user out of spite, and so you never even bothered to find out about them.  Now you can get some real information without commiting to worship mother earth!  You can search by make, model, type (small car, midsize car, suv, etc), year, fuel economy and EPA rating.  The results returned tell you the mpg (city, highway, combined), along with the EPA rating.  

Technology

"The desire to lessen environmental impacts and reduce oil dependence is spurring interest in alternative fuels and green technologies."  This is what it says at the top of the screen, and of course this is true.  But maybe you've heard all kinds of conflicting information about these different alternative fuels.  Do they really work?  And what's more, how on earth would you ever know amidst the slew of Hybrid cars currently on the market which cars were what?  Most of us just throw things like "green" and "hybrid" and "electric car" into the same utility junk drawer, but here each type is adequately explained.  Finally, what is best about this page is that clicking on each fuel type will also bring up a list of the cars that utilize each.  Now we can finally organize our green junk drawer!  

Fueling Stations

"Use our alternative fueling station locator to find stations offering biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, liquefied natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas."  If you've ever used a "storefinder" on a website, this will be familiar to you.  First you select your fuel type (listed above), enter the city, state, or zip, and select a radius within which to show the results.  Now you can find that hippy fuel you've been lookin for with ease, although if you live in certain areas you may have to expand your search quite a bit.  For example, there was only a UHAUL within 5 miles of my zipcode.  Suffice it to say, the alternative fuel scene is still in its infancy, as indicated by the word "alternative."  

So go to www.greencar.com and get your surf on!  This site is informative with lots of content (much more than in this review), and as any good website should do, provides a jumping off point for exploring many different avenues (alternative fuel research, car buying, gas station finding, etc).  

Keep your blood pressure down, save gas, and be kind to the environment, all by watching this overly obvious video on How to Avoid Traffic Jams. 

 

As it turns out, Americans are interested in buying hybrid cars, but environment isn't the main reason why.  In fact, according to this article, "reducing our impact on the environment comes third among reasons why the US should be a leader in hybrid cars (with 64%). First is "reducing the nation's reliance on foreign oil (81%)" and second is "creating jobs (67%)".  This is not surprising.  Americans are pragmatic, and I would say that the idea of "healing Mother Earth" is a bit foreign to most us.  In our way of thinking, if we can immediately see the benefit, then its the right thing to do.  Most don't understand the philosophical underpinnings of environmentalism.  For those who see the environment through moral or ethical lenses, such pragmatism, while maybe not as noble sounding as they might prefer, actually moves the agenda along in some way.  Just not as far and for the same reasons as they want.  Either way the air is cleaner and we increase in peace and prosperity.  Not a bad gig! 

In 2012 Hyundai will be releasing their own version of the Prius, according to this article from Top Gear U.S.A.  The car is at best decent looking, provided that it actually looks like the picture shows (without the streaking lights coming off the back), but it still has that horrid Hybrid design stench...that is really the best way I know how to describe it.  All in all I'm confused as to why carmakers have to make their green vehicles look so outrageous.  Take a look at the Prius and Honda Insight, for example.  Why do they have to look so...so...ridiculous?!?!?!  Is there a necessary connection between the design and the hybrid concept?  If so I stand corrected but I seriously doubt it.  I'm reminded of the cheesy science fiction movie where the filmmakers overdo their prediction of what the future will look like, like on Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure when they visit a future society where the people are floating.  There is nothing about the future that says humans will be floating, and there is nothing about green automobiles that calls for designs that alienate regular folks.  Its sad to say, but most people would rather see a giant hole in the ozone layer than drive the hybrids that are out there.  Car makers need to take note of that. 

Check out this video for some gas saving tips, some of which may surprise you. 

What do you get when you mix $300k, really smart MIT geeks (geeks who will run the world by the way), and an energy crisis?  The answer is...Eleanor?  Really?  At first glance, the picture to the left looks like something from the set of Star Wars Episode IV (for those not in the know, thats the orignal one).  "These aren't the droids you're looking for."  More like, "this isn't the car you're looking for."  But we aren't paying geeks to be great marketers.  In reality, this group of MIT is entering Eleanor into the upcoming World Solar Challenge in Australia, which "traverses the some 3,000 kilometers between Darwin and Adelaide."  Now I know what you're thinking, and no all of those students are not going to be driving Eleanor at the same time.  As it turns out, says MIT sophomore and SEVT team captain Michael Roberts, "while the technology for a solar car may not be practical, the underlying electrical system is similar to that being developed by major companies like GM or Ford.”  It will be interesting to see what comes of it.  Read the entire article here. 

If you haven't been paying close attention, Ford has been working hard to change their image and their focus to meet the demands of a new world and a new market.  They have done this by releasing a handful of fuel efficient vehicles under the moniker ECOnetic.  In particular, this includes the Ka, Focus, and now the Fiesta, which have a combined 65.6mpg.  It is currently only available in Europe, particularly in the UK.  I wonder why it hasn't taken root here in the US.  Hello Dearborn? 

Tesla has already sold 150 cars, and 1,000 more are on the waiting list.  What's even better, Tesla has a sedan in the making, which according to Jesse Toprak, senior industry analyst at Edmunds.com, will give the vehicle and the genre a wider appeal " if they can bring it in at under $50,000."  Well, they will have to bring it down a smidgeon from there to bring the appeal to my front door, but the direction is promising nonetheless.  No longer is it just a strange spaceship fantasy car...something could really come of this!  See the article here.