FDA OKs Irradiated Lettuce and Spinach

A product bearing the radura symbol has been irradiated.

Rather than dealing with the problems inherent in a disease-ridden factory-farmed food system, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced in mid-September it will allow the irradiation of lettuce and spinach. Food irradiation is the controversial practice of bombarding food with high levels of x-rays (ionizing radiation) in order to destroy disease causing pathogens. Unfortunately, in the process of irradiation, other hazards arise, like the creation of toxic free radicals, vitamin and nutrient loss, and the formation of carcinogenic
chemicals.

While irradiated lettuce and spinach must be labeled in supermarkets, there are currently no labeling requirements whatsoever for restaurants, schools, hospitals, or nursing homes serving irradiated produce or other nuked foods such as beef. Over the past decade, OCA and our allies in the organic community have prevented corporate agribusiness and the nuclear industry from contaminating organic standards. Food irradiation is prohibited on any product labeled as "organic." There is currently a 30 day comment period for the FDA's new rule.

How Do You Know Which Sweet Corn is Genetically Modified?

More than 70% of the corn grown in the U.S. is now genetically modified, but the overwhelming majority of this corn is grown for animal feed and ethanol. Among the marketing problems for the biotech companies is the fact that GMO "sweet corn" doesn't taste very good. The bottom line is that there is very little genetically engineered sweet corn being grown in the U.S. at the present time, so it is highly
unlikely you will be running into this "Frankencorn" at your local farmer's market or natural food store.

Most farmers who grow GMO crops that re-seed, like corn, are aware that they are growing genetically engineered varieties, because Monsanto and the other GMO seed giants require a legal contract to be signed which prohibits the farmer from saving their seeds. And of course we can all be thankful (and vigilant) that genetic engineering is prohibited under national organic standards. In short, support your local and organic farmers and enjoy this year's sweet corn harvest!

EPA Sued for Bee Colony Collapse Cover-Up

Over the past two years, beekeepers have reported an alarming and potentially catastrophic loss of bees from their hives ranging anywhere from 30-90 percent. This "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD) isn't just a problem for beekeepers and farmers, but for consumers as well, since bee pollination is essential for crop production. The USDA claims that one out of every three mouthfuls of food is dependant on bee pollination. Experts have been researching CCD and have linked the die-off to a number of likely culprits.

One of the likely killers is a new pesticide, clothianidin, approved by the EPA in 2003. Germany and France have banned this type of pesticide to protect their bee population. In the U.S., clothianidin was approved after Bayer CropScience, the chemical's maker, submitted required
studies to the EPA regarding the chemical's impact on bees and the environment. Now the EPA is suspiciously and illegally refusing to release these public documents. To expose this cover-up and hopefully to save the bees, last week the Natural Resources Defense Council filed
a lawsuit against the agency.


Source: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): EPA Buzz Kill

Run your big appliances at night

Don’t make your air conditioner battle your washing machine.

Another
tip for keeping your house cool in the summer: run your washing
machine, dishwasher, and drier at night. These big appliances throw off
a lot of heat, and during the day you’re just going to make your air
conditioner work overtime to keep the house cool. Another benefit of
using your big appliances at night is that you reduce strain on the
electrical grid during peak hours.

How this helps

Using appliances when the ambient air is cooler reduces strain on
your air conditioner. Avoiding peak power times can also cut your
electric bills and spare the air.

More information

• Britain kicks off a nighttime dishwasher campaign.

Related tips

• Wash your clothes in cold water.
• Skip the dryer — use a clothesline instead.
• Open a window instead of using the A/C when the outside temperature drop below 70° F

Source: TerraPass

First Solar to Expand its Manufacturing and Development Facilities in Ohio

First Solar is planning to expand its manufacturing
operations
and development facilities at its Perrysburg, Ohio
facility.
The investment will add approximately 500,000 square
feet
of manufacturing, research and development, and office
space,
and will add at least 134 new jobs to the Company's
current
workforce of 700 at its Perrysburg facility.



First
Solar is collaborating with state and local leaders on
a comprehensive
incentive package for these two projects. These
incentives
are central to First Solar's expansion plans in Ohio
and are
subject to approval by state and local authorities.




More

Two Megawatt Solar Array Dedicated at Denver International Airport

A two megawatt solar energy system is being dedicated
at Denver
International Airport (DIA). The solar photovoltaic
system,
spanning seven and a half acres at the airport's
entrance,
will generate over three million kilowatt hours (kWh)
of clean
electricity annually, demonstrating Denver's commitment
to
environmental sustainability by reducing carbon
emissions
into the atmosphere by more than 6.3 million pounds
each year.




Designed and installed by WorldWater, using more than
9,200
Sharp solar panels, the new ground-mounted photovoltaic
solar
arrays employ a single-axis tracking system that
follows the
sun during the day for greater efficiency and energy
production.






More

Shea Homes to Offer Free Solar Systems

OCR Solar & Roofing, through their relationship with global leader BP Solar, will install potentially 2,000 BP Solar Home Solutions® systems on Trilogy™ by Shea Homes communities in California, as part of Trilogy’s national solar power offering.

Trilogy will offer free solar power systems on new homes as part of its ongoing commitment to educing the carbon footprint of homes in all of its Shea Homes Active Lifestyle™ Communities across four states.

“Trilogy’s national solar offering is a significant advancement within the sustainable building movement and gives California an even greater chance at achieving Governor Schwarzenegger's goal of building
one million solar roofs by 2017,” said Aaron Nitzkin, OCR Solar & Roofing vice president. “We commend their decision to offer solar throughout the state and nationally and for choosing a team
that offers a quality product backed by a 25-year warranty and installed by a team of solar roofing experts.”

In addition to California, solar systems will be free through August 31st to new homebuyers in Trilogy communities in Arizona, Florida and Washington. After August 31st the systems will be available
as an upgrade option. Homeowners will be able to track how much power their system is producing, along with its environmental benefits, via a Web-based remote monitoring system.

“With the addition of solar in a home, we’re no longer just efficient users of electricity, we become producers. Integrating a solar system into a home during construction is less expensive than adding it later, making solar more accessible and affordable than it’s ever been,” said Rick Andreen, president of Shea Homes’ Active Lifestyle Communities. “Trilogy homes pass the true test of a ‘green’ home by integrating a mix of energy-saving and energy-generating devices that deliver immediate and long-term benefits for our customer.”

OCR Solar & Roofing will install BP Solar’s EnergyTile and Integra® systems. The EnergyTile roof-integrated solar electric system emulates the shape of common flat concrete tile roofs, making it one of the industry’s most aesthetically pleasing solutions for tile roof applications. The Integra system offers a low-profile installation, enhancing the look on asphalt shingle roofs.

BP Solar's installation partner for the Trilogy communities in Arizona is American Solar Electric, Inc., Puget Sound Solar LLC in Washington and SunWorks Solar Systems, Inc.in Florida.

Further details about: OCR Solar & Roofing

Solar Monkey Wins Robinson Family Trust Project

Solar energy systems provider Solar Monkey™ is to retrofit 650,000 sq ft of the Robison Family Trust portfolio to accommodate rooftop solar electricity generation.

Preliminary engineering has sized the systems to total approximately 3MW – the equivalent of approximately 750 residential solar systems - and the project will be completed in 2008 and 2009. The trust has selected buildings from its portfolio that meet Solar Monkey’s criteria for solar installations.

Buildings included are 20,000 sq ft and larger and no more than 4 stories tall. The locations specified under the agreement are within Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. The photovoltaic solar systems and the electricity they generate will be developed through a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between the Robison Family Trust and Solar Monkey.

Under the PPA Solar Monkey will finance, design, build and maintain the solar energy projects and provide all the energy generated, at rates lower than utility, to the Robison Family Trust for a
period of 25 years with no initial capital outlay from the trust. Robison family trustee, Clair Robison, was a pioneering early adopter of solar for personal use as early as the 1970’s.

“We evaluated many solar providers and found Solar Monkey’s approach was unique. They made our solar energy program a smart business decision for our commercial properties and are integrating energy efficiency and LEED programs as well. Their innovative financial approach, which eliminates the capital barriers to installing solar, will provide us with 25 years of financial and environmental
benefits,” said Robison.

Installation of solar energy can help buildings qualify for certification under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification as well as the ENERGY STAR program administered by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy. Solar Monkey provides LEED certification evaluation and planning as a part of its services, which has been shown to augment property valuations.

“Urban commercial and solar roofs are one of our great untapped energy resources. We’re implementing the original vision of Thomas Edison – power produced and used locally,” stated Matt McCullough, CEO of Solar Monkey. “We have worked extremely hard to build a creative solution that adds value to our clients’ property portfolios and eliminates the financial barriers that typically inhibit most investors from installing solar. We will continue to provide large portfolio property owners and institutions with creative solutions which will bring solar power to them in a cost effective manner.”

Further details about: Solar Monkey

Pepco Energy Services Awarded Solar Roof Contract

The Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority (ACCVA) has awarded Pepco Energy Services, a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc., a 20-year power purchase agreement with the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC) to install the largest single roof-mounted solar array in the United States.

“With each step we take, the ACCVA continues to embrace green initiatives and stand at the forefront of the environmental movement,” said Jeffrey Vasser, executive director of the ACCVA. “Following Governor Jon S. Corzine’s lead in taking a proactive look at environmental issues, our outstanding team has worked in conjunction with Pepco Energy in order to develop this project which allows us to use our natural resources to run the convention center more efficiently.”

“We congratulate the Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Authority and Pepco Energy Services on their agreement,” said President Jeanne Fox of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. “This
is an example of the kind of initiatives we hope to see as we transition to the sale or trade of solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs) to pay for solar projects.”

Under the 20-year contract, Pepco Energy Services will build, own, operate and maintain the 2.36-megawatt solar array for the Atlantic City Convention Center. Construction will begin during the month of June and will be completed by December 31, 2008. The Convention Center is operated by the management company SMG.

“Pepco Energy Services is excited to be working with the Atlantic City Convention Center on this incredible renewable energy project,” said David Weiss, President and Chief Operating Officer of the
Energy Services Division of Pepco Energy Services. The solar panel project is the first in a series of initiatives the ACCVA is planning, including participation in the Convene Green Alliance.

The ACCVA was invited to participate as a founding member of the Convene Green Alliance, a grass-roots, industry initiative spearheaded by several associations that seek to affect positive environmental practices through national, regional and local outreach and education. As a Convene Green Alliance member, Atlantic City is one of only four destinations including: Charlotte, NC; Nashville, TN; and Richmond, VA.

more information: Pepco Energy Services

Clean Green

Create a clean, green home - start by swinging open your
cupboard! A good deal of what you need for a super clean, naturally
green home may already be on your shelves!

• 
  

  Vinegar:
  What doesn't it do? Toilet bowl rings, stovetops, appliances,
  countertops, floors...the power team of simple white vinegar and water
  simply works - and works hard: the Good Housekeeping Institute tests
  show that it kills 99% of all bacteria, 82% of all molds and 80% of
  germs and viruses!

  
  
• 
  

  Baking soda:
  Beyond its role as refrigerator odor eater, baking soda is great for
  scrubbing surfaces in the same way you'd use chemical-filled,
  commercial cleaners. Add a couple of drops of essential oils and
  sprinkle it in trash cans or diaper bins. Fresh!

  
  

A practical guide for cutting carbon from your diet

Cookbook author and food writer Mark Bittman offers up some practical advice on reducing your meat consumption, which, you may recall, is probably the most effective way to cut the carbon footprint of your diet.

Fans of Bittman may have noticed a tidy
compatibility between Bittman’s food writing and Michael Pollan’s more
polemical work on food and eating. Pollan in some sense is laying the
intellectual groundwork and penning the manifesto. Bittman is providing
the operating manual.

But this makes it all sound a bit joyless. I like Bittman because
his recipes are simple and tend to work. They also favor improvisation,
with every dish spawning variants depending on taste or season.
Although Bittman, like Pollan, is no vegetarian, his cooking style is
generally “veg-friendly.”

This is, apparently, no accident. Bittman gave a TED talk earlier
this year that distills a lot of Pollan’s points into a highly
watchable 20-minute video (see below). Now he follows up with an
article in the Times on ways for meat eaters who aren’t interesting in
abandoning flesh altogether to at least manage their intake a bit more thoughtfully.

The tips aren’t all that surprising. Just solid good sense. Buy less
meat. Stop making protein the center of the plate. Learn some new
recipes. Etc. (And check out the reader advice.) I’ve been on a similar regimen since making a New Year’s resolution to reduce the meat in my diet. So far, so good.

One tip that I might add: prepare more of your own food. This advice
is sort of implicit in Bittman’s column. He generally offers cooking
advice, so it’s fair to assume that most of his readers either cook or
aspire to. I’m not sure how true this is of Americans generally,
though, so the biggest behavioral adjustment for many of us might be
simply figuring out how the stove works.

Birmingham City tries a Four-Day-Week

2,400 city employees in Birmingham, AL will be working
four-day weeks this summer. The city believes this may save employees
up to $1 million in gas expenses alone, or about five million pounds of
CO2.

The motivation of the change was cited as fuel costs for both the
city and its workers, but the move also highlights how we can reduce
emissions and save money at the same time. In addition to the fuel
savings consider the savings in keeping the office locked down: no air
conditioning, no computers, lights, or elevators, all of which add up
to more energy savings for the city. And the effect on employees is
huge:

“People are more excited about having a four-day
week than they have been in the past about receiving a cost-of-living
raise,” said Deborah Vance, Langford’s chief of staff. “It’s savings
for the city, but it’s also actual savings realized by the employees.”

No wonder other cities are following the trend.

Perhaps the most refreshing thing is that you won’t find this
analysis on any academic studies of how to reduce carbon. Perhaps its
just a bit too radical, even if Birmingham is behind the innovation
instead of Berkeley? Hey, this is American Dream! You work hard and
prosper. You don’t want anybody telling you you can only work hard four
days of the week. But when reality of high energy prices sets in its
hard to argue with the rationale of these cities:

• 20% less commuting (and carbon)
• Significantly less
  energy use (the extra hours in the morning and evening will be worked
  at cooler times, so the A/C won’t need to crank so hard).
• More people starting earlier in the day (and finishing later) reduces road congestion at peak times, improving mileage.
• Perhaps
  everybody would use their extra day to get out in the sunshine and
  exercise and reduce obesity levels, thereby reducing health care costs
  in the city (or maybe this would increase emissions?

And can there be benefits to the business too? Some personal observations:

• People do less work on Fridays anyway.
• I’d be a happier employee (and therefore more productive) if I only worked four days a week.
• You’d save money in energy bills.
• Your Carbon Balanced Business offset wouldn’t cost as much.

Is anyone currently working a four day week, or thinking about it
and care to share their experiences? Do TerraPass members think a four
day work week is a reasonable “silver bullet” solution for climate
change?

Source: TerraPass

Delays in renewal of federal credit could slow this green energy sector

While lawmakers offer numerous proposals to lower energy prices and
slow global warming, Congress still hasn't taken a small step to help a
clean source of power -- wind generators.

Electricity production
from wind farms soared 45 percent last year and now powers about 4.5
million U.S. homes without emitting any greenhouse gases that
contribute to global warming. But industry representatives say further
growth is threatened because a tax credit they rely on expires in
December.

"We're at a situation today when projects for 2009 are being put on
hold," said Greg Wetstone of the American Wind Energy Association.
"Here's something we can do right now that can have huge payoffs . . .
to promote major greenhouse gas reductions."

Indiana has one
working wind farm and two more in development in Benton County, one of
several Indiana counties with wind speeds strong enough to power large
turbines.

"Any effort at the federal level to encourage
investment in alternative and renewable energy is welcomed," said
Brandon Seitz, director of the Indiana Office of Energy & Defense
Development. "Indiana's wind resources and available transmission lines
have played a large role in attracting significant wind development."

Congress struggles to fund a one-year extension that will cost $3.5
billion to pay wind generators the credit for 10 years. The House
passed the extension in May, but the Senate has failed three times to
approve it this year.

"Now it's time to take quick action and
extend the credit because investors need certainty about tax policy
before putting additional money into wind energy," Sen. Chuck Grassley,
R-Iowa, said last month after the House vote.

On Tuesday, the
Senate failed again to approve wind power's tax credit, which was
contained in a larger package of tax provisions.

Duke Energy Proposes Solar Power Generation Plan

Duke
Energy Carolinas is proposing a $100 million plan to install electricity
generating solar panels at up to 850 North Carolina sites including
homes, schools, stores and factories.

On 6 June 2008, the company filed an application with the North Carolina
Utilities Commission asking for approval to implement this solar
distributed generation program. Distributed generation is energy
created close to where it is used, rather than being produced
in large power plants and transported to customers over power
lines.

"We
believe an initiative of this scope and scale will help us meet
the requirement of North Carolina's new Renewable and Energy Efficiency
Portfolio Standard (REPS)," said Keith Trent, group executive
and chief strategy, policy and regulatory officer. "This program
also will enable us to evaluate the role of distributed generation
on our system, and gain experience in owning and operating renewable
energy resources."

If
the program is approved by regulators, Duke Energy Carolinas would
spend two years installing approximately 20 megawatts of distributed
solar generation on rooftops of customer businesses and homes
or on ground sites within the company's North Carolina service
area.

Solar
power has to be converted from direct to alternating current.
Once that's done, Duke Energy Carolinas customers will benefit
from more than 16 megawatts of power, enough energy to serve more
than 2,600 homes.

Duke
Energy Carolinas would own and operate the equipment and the power
produced by each installation would be used to serve the utility's
customers. Customers who agree to place solar panels at their
location would be rewarded based on the size of the installation
and the amount of energy it produces.

The
company plans to recover its $100 million investment through North
Carolina's new REPS cost recovery mechanism. The company estimates
that, over its life, the program will increase the average customer's
bill by no more than 25 cents a month. The average customer uses
about 1000 kilowatt-hours of electricity each month.

For more information: Duke
Energy

Don't let a lack of space stop you

At my home in Alabama, we have dedicated a section of the front yard to
the vegetable garden. This year, we have planted cucumbers, tomatoes,
pumpkins, onions, garlic, bell peppers, and sunflowers. Our plot is not huge, only 4-5 feet wide and 20-30 feet long, but by combining some containers and in-ground plants, we maximize the space and the yield.

I am working in South Carolina for several months and living in a flat, so I am not capable of planting and tending the garden space to which I am accustomed - but this will not stop me.

Two years ago when I was working a year and a half job in North Carolina, I transformed my balcony into a hanging garden thick enough to blot out the afternoon sun. I am doing it again at the new flat.



Even the smallest patio
or porch can boast a crop of vegetables or a garden of flowers
in containers. Planter boxes, wooden barrels, hanging baskets
and large flowerpots are just some of the containers that can
be used. The container gardener is limited only by his imagination.

Last week, I began this year's container garden with two tomato plants, five of cucumber, two bell pepper, and intermixed a few sweet basil plants.



The point is to not succumb to the thought that you don't have enough space to garden - if you have room for a pot, you have room for a garden.

The World Hunger Crisis

Did you hear about the hunger crisis? The world hunger crisis is all over the news this week. In just three years, the price of staple foods like wheat, corn and rice has almost doubled. If we don't do something soon, hundreds of thousands of people face starvation and a hundred million more could fall into extreme poverty. I just took action with the ONE Campaign and you can too, here: http://www.one.org/hungercrisis?rc=hctaf

Learn more about the world hunger crisis. Join the conversation on the ONE Blog.

What is *in* the bag counts for more than what the bag is made of

Prompted by Seattle’s proposed twenty-cent charge on grocery bags,
Sightline has once again highlighted their study of the environmental
impact of paper vs. plastic. Check out the handy graph on the right.

The vertical axis is “embedded energy,” meaning the amount of energy
required to produce and transport the associated goods. Embedded energy
equates roughly to climate change impact.

As you can plainly see, the stuff in the bag matters a lot more than the bag itself. In fact, it matters about 186 times as much.
The analysis compared “four servings of two different diets: the first,
a meat-based diet that included beef, potatoes, tropical fruit, and
drinks such as soda; the second a vegetable-based diet composed of
produce grown within the country where is was consumed and a soy-based
protein source.”

The moral, obviously, is not that we should waste bags. But if
you’re looking to lower your environmental impact, paper vs. plastic is
maybe not the only question to be pondering.

Source: TerraPass is a low-cost, verified way
to balance the global warming impact of your driving, flying, and home energy use...

LEARN MORE »

VW developing car to get 238 mpg by 2010

 

Volkswagen has announced it plans to bring out plastic and magnesium car that can get 238 miles per US gallon by 2010. Neither experts nor the company imagine many people lining up to buy the small but expensive car.

There were plenty of pamphlets touting environmental concerns and banners proclaiming green credentials at the Frankfurt Auto Show which ended last month. But German carmaker Volkswagen said Tuesday, Oct. 9, it intended to put its money where its mouth is regarding promises to cut carbon dioxide emissions by meeting consumer demand for cars with better gas mileage.

"The environment is a topic of discussion in our society and we do not think it is going to come in like a wave then roll back away, as it has in the past," VW spokesman Andreas Meurer said.

Still, no one at VW expects the company's single-cylinder car in development, which would require one liter of gas to travel 100 kilometers -- the equivalent of 238 miles per US gallon -- to be a record breaker in sales terms, CEO Martin Winterkorn.

VW made a 1-liter-car prototype in 2002 -- it's unclear how similar the new car will be

The car, whose body will be made primarily of plastic and magnesium, will only reach a maximum speed of 120 kilometer per hour (75 mph).

"People taking this car on the autobahn should pray they don't get run over by a trailer truck," said Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, director for the Center of Automotive Research at the University of Gelsenkirchen.

Clean Green - 6 natural recipes

All Purpose Cleaner
1/4 cup vinegar
4 cups warm water
Mix in a spray bottle, then add
1 tablespoon vegetable based liquid soap
(like Sun & Earth, Trader’s Joe’s brands, Seventh Generation)
25 drops of essential oil for scent -this eliminates the strong vinegar scent that can linger after use
(essential oils can be found in many scents in the natural foods section of Fred Meyers and at any natural foods market)
Shake Gently before each use         

Disinfectant
Add 30 drops of tea tree oil  to the All Purpose cleaner above.
Or
Clean surface as usual - then spray with 3% hydrogen peroxide let sit 10 minutes and wipe.

Mirrors and Glass
Distilled White Vinegar  in a spray bottle works better than any product on the market.  Simply spray surface and polish until dry with recycled paper towels. The vinegar will remove any built up residue from waxy chemical cleaners as well as fingerprints and any other grime that may have accumulated.  

Scrubbing and Scouring
Bon Ami   (commercial cleanser) is calcium carbonate with no chemicals added.
Pumice Stones work great, but not for fiberglass     
Wet pumice stone to use on porcelain, metal inside your oven, grill racks and stone surfaces

Wood Cleaning Formula
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1/2 teaspoon vegetable based liquid soap
Add a teaspoon of olive or Jojoba oil and 3 to 5 drops essential oil for scent
Mix in a bowl.  Saturate sponge; squeeze out excess and wipe wood.
Rinse sponge in warm water between washes.

Furniture Polish
1/2 cup lemon juice and 1 teaspoon olive oil
Apply to a soft cloth and rub into grain.
Remove and polish with a clean cloth.

 

Now, get out there!

Green Bugs (VW Beetles)

Back in 2004-2005, when I was looking to get a new car, I looked really hard at the New Beetles - but I could not get over that they had (at the time) no plans to produce a hybrid version of the Bug. The small car seemed, to me, to be a natural for hybrid technology. Alas, I went with my 2005 Prius and have enjoyed it greatly.

Here's a guy that didn't take "no" for an answer.

Bart Grabman, a senior at Stellar Secondary School in Anchorage, Alaska had a great idea to convert his car to electric. “We have a class called Passages, and in that course everyone’s supposed to pick a project or idea that they want to expand and do something big with, and so I thought, ‘What’s something awesome that I can do?’” Grabman recalls.
Grabman remembered a visiting speaker who had talked about converting his own truck to electric, so he decided to attempt the project himself. Grabman did research on the Internet, figured out what to get, what to do, and found a car — a cheap 1971 VW beetle.
Grabman says, “If you have a lot of money it’ll be easy.”  After a few weeks of looking, he found an electric car part kit on eBay for around $3,500. “People have been pretty supportive of the idea. I’ve gotten a lot people who have offered to help and want to help out in any way they can,” says Grabman, who has gotten some donations from the Stellar parent group and from family and friends. “But mostly I just owe my mom a lot of money right now.” But for all the costs, there are substantial benefits to owning an electric car.
But with a do-it-yourself price tag of at least $4,000, do the benefits outweigh the costs? For Grabman, the answer is an unhesitating yes.
“It’s a school project, it’s a learning project,” he says, unconcerned about whether the car will pay for itself in saved trips to the gas pump. “It’s about the process and the product, not just one or the other.”
“It’s been an interesting experience trying to figure it out, like, Oh, I guess I shouldn’t have taken that out. I didn’t really know what I was doing when I started, which is what kind of made the project so much fun. I’m not done with it, so I’m still learning a lot.”
It is rare to find a project in which the journey is as rewarding as the final result, not to mention one that helps the environment while saving you gas money. As EVs gain popularity, converting to electric may is the way of the future. (from: The Tuscaloosa News)

Finally, someone at VW paid attention, both to people like Grabman and the people clambering for Hybrid vehicles.

Even without a single hybrid vehicle (and due to a number of diesel fueled options), Volkswagen has consistently been near the top of many fuel efficiency lists. So, just imagine what would happen if the company decided to take one of their models, such as the Jetta or Beetle, and put some battery-charged hybrid goodness in. Well, a few months after announcing that they plan to put a hybrid engine in some of their compact models, V-Dub is taking all this hybrid talk a step further. Now, every upcoming VW model is scheduled to have a hybrid option, with some models hybrid-ready as early as next year.

Although only some models will have the power of full hybridization behind them (with the others taking advantage of "partial hybrid" technology), Volkswagen does have plans to eventually even offer full-electric versions of its smaller cars. The company has not yet released which cars will get the full and partial hybrid treatment, nor which cars are being considered for full electric status. One thing is for sure, Volkswagen wants to make sure we still see their name near the top of every fuel efficiency list released.
(from: AutoblogGreen)