Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Another Cool Website




Hey guys! I found another cool website:
http://www.hybridcars.com/

It talks about the effect of hybrid cars on the world we live in.. There was an interesting statement concerning battery toxicity which read "Some environmentally motivated car buyers are concerned that a hybrid utopia might turn into a toxic nightmare when the nickel metal hydride batteries in today's hybrids end up in landfills." Hmmmmm? This is something interesting to consider.

I still think that with or without battery toxicity, the environment is a lot safer without so much Carbon Dioxide being burned everyday. What do you guys think???

Anyway.. Also according to the website, there are also several health factors to be aware of concerning pollution:

*Pollution can cause acute respiratory problems, temporary decreases in lung capacity, and inflammation of lung tissue
*It can impair the body’s immune system
*Reduce the release of oxygen to body tissues
*Increase a person’s risk of cancer-related death
*Contribute to birth defects, low birth weight, and infant deaths
*Harm blood vessels in healthy individuals
*Make healthy active children 3 to 4 times more likely to develop asthma

And pollution is increasing everyday as cars and mileage traveled increases.. Here is another fact grabbed off of the website:

"Since 1970, vehicle miles traveled have increased approximately 150 percent while the U.S. population increased only about 40 percent. Today, there are approximately 200 million cars in America, and over 700 million vehicles worldwide."

Here are some other problems which arise from all the pollution and increase in cars around the world:

Water Pollution
"Runoff of oil, automotive fluids, and roadway chemicals are estimated at hundreds of thousands of tons per year, and are considered the leading source of impairment to rivers. In addition, hundreds of thousands of potential leaks from underground fuel storage tanks threaten groundwater, and improperly disposed of used motor oil ends up in waterways."

Noise Pollution
"Noise from car traffic, and loud car stereos and alarms, has become so ubiquitous that we barely notice it anymore—but it's taking its toll. Recent census data indicates that 1 in 8 American households suffer from bothersome noise from the street or traffic. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction, and lost productivity, and a general reduction in the quality of life and opportunities for tranquility."

Definitely check-out the hybrid car website!!

ALSO.....

For those of you who are curious about the Porsche hybrid, here is another article I found which states that the car is supposed to be launched in 2009 and available in Australia:

"Porsche to go hybrid by 2009
by Safura Rahimi on Wednesday, 07 March 2007
The 2008 Porsche Cayenne was introduced in January, with the 2009 hybrid model to follow in 2009.Porsche is set to launch a hybrid version of its Cayenne luxury SUV by 2009 with the aim of cutting down on fuel consumption, AutoInsider News reported today.

Porsche Australia's managing director Michael Winkler confirmed rumours about the gas-electric hybrid at the Melbourne motor show this week.

He said that the hybrid system is still in development and that it will be installed in the Cayenne 4WD, although it is not limited to one type of engine, AutoInsider News reported.

According to the AP, the company has teamed up with Volkswagen AG to develop hybrid engines that will cut down on fuel spending by about 30% to around 2.4 gallons per 62 miles.

Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking has also indicated in a German newspaper article that the Porsche Panamera will be next to feature the hybrid system.

Porsche joins Toyota and Honda in trying to reach eco-minded drivers. Hybrid engines draw their power from an electric motor and gas-power transmission, and so produce less carbon dioxide and less nitrates in the environment.

And according to the AP, Thomas Weber, an executive board member with DaimlerChrysler, said the Mercedes-Benz unit is set to launch its first hybrid car also in 2009.

The Cayenne hybrid will be available by 2009 in Australia."



Lastly, who drives hybrid cars??? Here is an unofficial, unverified list of celebrities who drive hybrids gathered from the hybrid car website:

Alexandra Paul
Alicia Silverstone
Dr. Andrew Weil
Arianna Huffington
Bill Maher
Billy Crystal
Billy Joel
Brad Pitt
Cameron Diaz
David Duchovny
David Hyde Pierce
Donna Mills
Donny Osmond
Ed Begley
Ellen DeGeneres
Ewan McGregor
Hart Bochner
Harrison Ford
Jack Black
Jack Nicholson
Larry David
Kevin Bacon
Kirk Douglas
Kurt Russell
Leonardo DiCaprio
Dr. Oliver Sacks
Patricia Arquette
Prince Charles
Rob Reiner
Robin Williams
Salma Hayek
Susan Sarandon
Tim Robbins
Ted Danson
Tom Hanks
Woody Harrelson
Will Ferrell

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Hybrid Vehicles and the New Porsche

Hello blog readers...

Everyone who is interested in new electric vehicles (EVs), hybrid electric vehicles, and/or lighter vehicles (such as golf carts, electric wheelchairs, personal transportation devices and scooters) should check out this website:

http://www.valence.com/technology/applications_motive.html%20

The company name is Valence Technology. They use a lithium phosphate technology system to create batteries that power electric vehicles.

Valence Technoloy created a lithium battery to run a new Porsche Cayenne SUV hybrid prototype. More information about the Porsche sports car will be talked about next week.

This website talks about the Valence Technology lithium battery:

http://www.valence.com/products/ucharge_overview.html

For information about another Porsche hybrid, the Cayenne SUV hybrid prototype SUV, here is an article:

http://www.businessweek.com/autos/content/jul2007/bw20070727_632056.htm?chan=innovation_auto+design_concepts+%2B+trends

Hybrid vehicles first started to appear in 2007. They support green living because they cause less polution, thus more eco-friendly to our environment.

Here is a website that contains a timeline of all the hybrid vehicles created and future hybrid vehicles:

http://www.hybridcenter.org/hybrid-timeline.html


Hope you enjoy these wesites and let me know what you think!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

The Green Ride

The Green Ride is a blog dedicated to the Green movement - A movement that is trying to help save our environment through eco-friendly living, a.k.a Green Living. This blog was created for my Journalism 498D class at the University of Arizona.


This particular blog will discuss how you can be eco-friendly through transportation. What vehicles are more eco-friendly? Are motorcycles really more eco-friendly than cars or is that just a myth? Why use public transportation? How can people help reduce pollution and what options are out there for them? ... and several more questions will hopefully be answered..


Please check this site often and comment on my blogs. I will be posting new stuff on a weekly basis so check back!

Thanks!


Image Hosted by ImageShack.us