Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/yvandermeer/3707697747/}Yuri van der Meer {/link}.

A great way of avoiding a hefty gasoline bill is to utilize alternative methods of transportation such as regional rail or bus systems for weekend vacations.  But when these alternatives are not available and a car is the only viable option, then consider extensive trip planning as a way to cut down on gas consumption and save time and money.

Common sense dictates that the shortest distance between two points will generally cost less, take less time, and use less gas.  So, plot out your trip in detail ahead of time if possible.  Print out a good roadmap before you leave so that you minimize the chances of getting lost.  If you think you might stop off at a particular store on your trip, then check out that store’s website for locations and then run the addresses through Google Maps or Mapquest to find the closest one to your route.  And, if a stop along your way offers public transportation options, consider using them.  Not only can these options sometimes save money, they can be great ways of experiencing a new city!

Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/kk/4742228673/}kk+{/link}.

Tesla Motors, a rising electric car manufacturer, is offering its IPO on June 28th.  There is lots of buzz around the company who many consider to be a risky investment considering they have yet to turn a profit.

In the end, Tesla hopes that it can raise approximately $178 million,  with more funding possible from big time manufacturers like Toyota and Daimler.  This makes sense considering that Daimler is already using Tesla’s battery technology in all of it’s electric vehicles.

The company is hoping that the unveiling of their Model S in 2012 along with capital raised from this IPO will to take their operations to the next level.  Plans have already begun to manufacturer the car in Fremont plant with a price of around $50,000.

As I said earlier, this company is a risk, but could pay off big to stock holders who are willing to take on that risk.   I wish Tesla much luck and hope that they can help make the electric car a staple in the American home.

Many people get scared when people start talking overly technical, but Green IT doesn’t have to be  difficult to understand nor it’s benefits.  This video filmed by VMWare gives a great overview of some green IT solutions in plain English.

Many companies can implement many of the mentioned methods and save lots of money and reduce their environmental impact. The concept of reducing costs alone will entice any company into implementing these methods. Try proposing many of these ideas to your company, you might be surprised how receptive most companies are to changes like these.

Photo by {link:http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcaven/3867815284/}Michael Cavén{/link}.

Bike

Bike to Work Day has already passed, but it doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be riding our bikes more often.  All those small trips to the grocery store or anywhere local are perfect times to ride your bike.  Sometimes longer trips to work can be difficult, but that shouldn’t discourage you.  Drive partially to work and ride your bike the remainder.  All that is required is to find a location where you can park the car for the day.

Riding your bike also has health benefits, which is pretty obvious.  But what’s even better is that you can get your entire family involved, especially the kids.  Also, since there is no gas required to ride your bike, I consider this one of the most eco-friendly options for travel.

It can be difficult to find a bike path, to ride on, but Google Maps has made it easy for us.  They have added Bike Directions to their existing Google Maps application.  This makes it extremely easy to find an easy route to take while riding your bike.

Carpooling

With so many cars on the road, there has to be a better way to reduce that number?  Well there is, it’s called carpooling.  I’m sure if you asked around your office, you would probably find at least one person that is in a fairly close proximity to where you live.  Yet so many people traveling to the same place travel individually, congesting our roads, costing them additional money for gas and generating more pollution.

There are many online resources available including Carpool Connection and Zebigo in which you can find people who are looking for others to carpool with.  The longer you live from work, the great benefit you get from carpooling.  Give it a shot and you will almost instantly see the savings as well as helping the environment.

Public Transit

Almost all major cities have a good public transit system that can get you to work without having to deal with heavy traffic.  I live nearby Washington DC and the traffic on our local beltway is always congested.  Luckily there is a good transit system that can take you to almost any part of the city without having to deal with that hectic traffic.

Taking public transit also helps alleviate having to find parking or paying tons of money to park everyday.  Whenever I used drive into the city, I always spend way too much time trying to find parking and frustrated with the entire situation.  That’s why I almost always take transit to avoid the hassle.

If public transit is available, check it out as it might save you a little time, frustration, money and even the environment.

Consistent Driving

Did you know that one of the biggest wastes of gas in our driving involves accelerating and braking?  According to FuelEconomy.gov, you can improve your gas mileage anywhere from 5-33%.  That could amount to a large savings on your gas bill each fill up, while cutting your gas consumption.

Some ways to keep your speed consistent include coasting your car whenever possible and using cruise control.   There is no reason to press the accelerator to the floor for each light nor skid when a red light comes up.  Just make sure to be consistent with your driving and don’t go to the extremes.

Slow Down

Driving faster on highways may make the driver slightly shorter, but it could be costing you.  For every 1 mph you go over 60 mpg, your mpg decreases and could be costing your approximately $0.05 per gallon of gas.  Considering that not many people follow the posted signs on highways, that could be as much as a $1 per gallon of gas by just slowing down.  Going faster is not always the solution to get somewhere faster.

Use Air Conditioning Wisely

It can be difficult to determine when and how long to allow it to run while driving.  What may surprise you that similar to a home programmable thermostat, running the air conditioning for shorter periods can help you actually reduce you gas consumption.  This means that blasting your air conditioning when you get into the car for a short period is actually better than turning it on a low setting and higher temperature.  This is due to the fact that the air conditioning fan requires very little energy to power.

Another confusing issue involving the car’s air conditioner is When to roll up the windows.  The general rule is the faster you drive, the better it is to roll up your windows and use the air conditioner instead.  Driving at low speeds and stopping often is one of the only situations in which turning off your air conditioner and keeping the windows rolled down is better for fuel efficiency.

Avoid Idling

Eliminating excessive vehicle idling can help drastically reduce the amount of emissions our cars emit along with save a little cash.  What most people do not realize is that for every two minutes that we allow our cars to idle is equivalent to driving it a mile.  That can really add up if you are sitting in heavy traffic or allowing your car to warm up during the winter months.

Whenever sitting in your car for any period of time, turn off the car and open up the windows.  Also, there is no reason that we need to allow our cars to idle during the winter months just to warm up our cars.  Modern cars do not need to be warmed up to begin driving.  It’s all about our comfort when we enter into the car than actually helping our cars run better.

Keep Your Tires Inflated

Making sure your car tires are fully inflated is an often overlooked way to help improve your gas mileage.  By maintaining the proper pressure in all of your tires, you can help eliminate a possible 3.3% lose in mpg.  Though not as large of an impact as the other tips I mentioned, it can help keep you safe as well.  Low tire pressure can increase your chances of getting into an accident, risking your health and potentially cost you thousands.

Remove Excess Weight

This is an obvious choice in order to help improve your mpg.  I often hear people mention this and makes complete sense.  You can expect to see a savings of around 2% for each 100lbs you reduce in your car.  This means that having more passengers in the car by carpooling greatly outweighs any lose of mpg due to the extra weight.

Though not a huge savings overall, there is no reason to drive around with extra weight. It’s easy to remove those extra items, especially the heavier they are.

Now, let’s see how the EPA Green Vehicle Guide works with a side-by-side comparison of three vehicles I am thinking about purchasing:

Honda Odyssey 6 cyl with FWD (2010)…

Air Pollution Score = 7 out of 10, Fuel Economy 17/25, Greenhouse Gas         Score = 5 out of 10.   The Odyssey just misses the SmartWay designation by 1 point.

Suburu Outback Wagon CVT with AWD (2010)…

Air Pollution Score = 6 out of 10, Fuel Economy 22/29, Greenhouse Gas        Score =7 out of 10, rated a SmartWay vehicle.

GMC Terrain 4 cyl with AWD (2010)….

Air Pollution Score = 7 out of 10, Fuel Economy 20/29, Greenhouse Gas       Score = 6 out of 10, rated a SmartWay vehicle.

This system is a great way to make sense out of a lot of conflicting information regarding what makes a vehicle green.  How does your vehicle fare?

This statement does make sense in the early stages of selling electric cars.  The technology is still in its infancy and it’s main competition has been established for many decades.  So we need an incentive for consumers to begin buying these cars, especially after seeing the massive damage oil is having on our country. And who is going to be buying these cars?  Of course it will initially be those who have the money to spend on a car that is slightly more expensive and requires an electrical charge station in their homes.

Though this statement may be true, you can say the same thing about every major technology that has come our way.  Whether it be the origination of the automobile, computers, cell phones and many more.  All were originally owned by those who had more money, but expanded as the technology became cheaper.

This same logic will apply for Electric Vehicles as well.  As soon as battery technology becomes cheaper, manufacturers will be able to produce cars at competitive prices(if not lower) with traditional gas vehicles.  If that takes some initial incentives by the government, then I am willing to allow the “rich” to benefit initially.

After looking at this entire oil spill situation, I don’t see how anybody can still make an argument against having EV’s being mainstream as soon as possible.  I’m sure many Americans probably feel the same way as I do are are ready to help rid our country gas cars.

What are you thoughts on whether or not electric car tax incentives are only for the rich?

SARs for Phones

The most major concern is about “SAR”, or Specific Absorption Rates that have been loosely tied to various negative human health issues including cancer. Governments have regulated the maximum SAR level in the US to 1.6 W/kg over 1 gram of tissue on the head. You can check your phone’s SAR rating online. Phones with more features, like camera’s and the internet typically produce significantly more radiation than the older phones that work for calls and text only.

Science on the Hazards: Can you hear us now?

How hazardous are our new gadgets? There is a large debate, with very little consistent (or funded) scientific evidence that directly links cell phone use to cancer, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and heart palpitations. The World Health Organization declared the studies ‘inconclusive’ and are scheduled to product their own report this year on the issue. The National Radiation Advisory Authorities on the other hand recommend the Precautionary Principle. By avoiding use and exposure to cell phone radiation, you can avoid waiting for an “Uh Oh” response, like DDT in the 1960s.

Precautionary Principle

The Precautionary Principle appears to be the smartest option. There is a large vested interest in the spread of cell phones, from building towers in African deserts with the assumption of future markets to coming out with a new ‘must have gadget’ every two years. With this type of investment, it is difficult to evaluate the scientific studies that have been conducted. Similar to the Genetically Modified Organism debate, the science investigating the health effects of cell phones has been muted.

The general agreed upon studies request that studies are conducted for 10 years, more time than I myself have even used a cell phone, with new technology evolving constantly modifying the reliance on cell phones. So instead of waiting for a report, it may be helpful to adhere to these guidelines suggested by various radiation, cell phone, and health organizations.

Cell Phone Use Safety Tips

Here are some helpful hints to reduce your exposure:

• Use handsets & headsets
• Text instead of voicemail
• Limit children’s exposure and use of cell phones
• Do not sleep with your phone near you, for instance on your bedside table
• Do not use your phone in low to no coverage areas. They require more radiation to gain the signal.

Depicts 426,000 cell phones, equal to the number of cell phones retired in the US every day.
Photo by Chris Jordan.

If you learn that your phone is above the regulated and/or suggested limits and need a new phone, please be sure to recycle your cell phone. In 2007, it was estimated that 426,000 cell phones are thrown out in the US every year! So close the loop, recycle or donate your phone when needed and see what the Precautionary Principle can do for you!