Oil Alternatives: Making Biodegradable Motor Oil from Cow Fat

When we talk about lessening our dependency on foreign oil, it is not just gasoline we need to find alternatives for in making this change. Green Earth Technologies (G.E.T.) makes high performance motor oils made from American grown base oils, including cow fat! Although I am a vegetarian and appalled at the way the beef industry treats cattle, making oil from leftover cow fat is a good solution for eliminating some waste in the industry while meeting our needs for engine lubricants. I especially like how Green Earth Technologies rapidly decomposes outside of your engine. According to G.E.T.:

One five quart oil change improperly disposed can:

* create an oil slick on the surface of ten acres (about ½ million square feet),
* render five acres (about ¼ million square feet) unusable for planting for decades,
* and, contaminate one million gallons (a year supply for 50 people) of water.

Should such an accident occur with cow fat oil, it will mostly biodegrade in 9 days and completely biodegrade in 28 days. It is much safer for our soil and water.

Via: Eco Geek and Green Earth Technologies

The Toyota Adding Solar Panels to Prius to Power Air Conditioning

The Toyota Prius has long been the golden child of the environmental movement for its fuel economy. When the EPA changed the standards for reporting fuel economy on new car stickers to include the use of air conditioning, the hybrid Prius lost a few miles per gallon. That may all change, now that Toyota plans to install solar panels on the roof of high end models to power the AC. The Kyocera solar panels will produce between two to five kilowatts. Hopefully this power can be stored while the car is idle to power the electric motor too.  People just may have to think twice about parking in covered garages if solar panels become a regular feature on car roofs. 
Via: BBC and Treehugger

Ahoy Matey! Bring Me My Eco-Friendly Wine!

I thought I got my wine in a low carbon manner by walking to my neighbor's cabin, but the French have outdone my efforts. A three-masted, 19th century barque transported 60,000 bottles of French wine from Bordeaux to Dublin. The delivery by ship took longer than a flight, but it saved 18,375lb of carbon or about 4.9oz of carbon per bottle. Each bottle was labeled, "Carried by sailing ship, a better deal for the planet." Further voyages are planned to Bristol, Manchester, and Canada.

Via: The Guardian and Planetsave

Ford Cuts Back on Production of SUVs - Makes Hybrids Instead

TreeHugger is reporting that Ford is cutting back on SUVs. No duh. We're bummed people have to pay $4 for a gallon of gas but we're excited that it means less trucks and less green house gases.

"We view the move to smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles as permanent, and we are responding to customer demand." When the CEO of Ford makes a statement like that, you know that high gas prices have really had an effect on the economy. Not only is Ford aware of the need to respond to changing customer demand, it is also acting on that by delaying the launch of its new F-150 pick up truck, producing "90,000 fewer pick ups and SUVs in the second half of the year than it originally planned," and preparing to make more compact, efficient cars like the Ford Focus and Escape

Full read at Telegraph.co.uk

Electric Motorcycle Built by High School Students

A group of students at a high school in Mendota Heights, Minnesota has created an electric motorcycle that uses sixty volts worth of lithium phosphate batteries powering a Briggs and Stratton ETEK pancake-style permanent magnet electric motor. That is maybe the biggest mouthful of electric powered jargon we've ever typed. A gallery of pictures are available as well.

The current configuration is said to be good for a top speed of sixty miles per hour and a range of forty miles. The chassis is constructed from chromoly tubing. The body is made from a carbon fiber and Kevlar composite and should therefore prove very strong. The full seat even features a seatbelt. We are not certain that anything quite like this will ever be available for purchase again, but its good to see it in concept form at least.

Via Autobloggreeen

Who Needs Gas When You Can Ride a Cool Electric Motorcycle or Bike?

Gas has reached over $4.50 a gallon here in Northern California, and there is no relief in site. Many people are turning to motorcycles as a more efficient way to travel, and now, electric bikes and motorcycles are leading the trend.

• Brammo Enertia Electric Motorcycle: This bike runs on six Lithium Phosphate battery modules, has a top speed of 50mph, and travels about 45 miles between three hour charges. It costs about $12,000.
  
• Electrobike Model Pi: This human-electric hybrid bike has a cool ergonomic shape, and it switches from pedal power to electric power with a switch on the handlebars. This bike will travel about 30 miles per three hour charge.
  
• Matra MS1 Electric Bike: This French bike will travel 62 miles per charge. When you apply the brakes, the bike captures usable energy. An LCD on the handlebars displays your speed and remaining battery power.
  
• Schwinn Bikes World GSE: This is a great commuter bike travels 60 miles on a single charge. The battery pack is removable, so you can charge it easily at work.
  
• Optibike: This bike will will run at 20 mph on the battery alone, with light pedaling go 25 mph, and with some serious pedal action reach 35+ mph. At top speeds, the battery will only last for 30 minutes.
  

None of these bikes are cheap, but neither is a really good mountain bike (or gasoline). Hybrid pedal power just may be the solution for many city commuters.