Green Commentaries Around the Web

Filed under: Etc., Audi, Green Daily

Green Police… It seems innocent enough at first glance, right? Apparently, though, Audi’s use of the term Green Police has got some people up in arms. We’ll get to the why and how in a moment, but first an explanation is in order. Audi has created a new social media campaign that will go along with a planned commercial during the Big Game in February, and the marketing will feature a made-up law enforcement agency called the Green Police.

A little kitschy, sure, but is it really that bad? Well, consider the fact that during World War II, the Green Police were a group that was affiliated with Nazi persecution and other unmentionable mass atrocities, and, well… it’s a bit easier to understand why some are taking offense. Especially as it comes from a German automaker. Naturally, though, we all get the joke, and it seems highly unlikely that Audi is purposefully trying to ruffle any feathers.

In any case, feel free to click on past the break to see one of the videos causing all the tension. What say you? Offensive or much ado about nothing?

[Source: mediabistro.com]

Continue reading Audi in trouble with the Green Police (w/video)

Audi in trouble with the Green Police (w/video) originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, Chicago Auto Show, Green Daily, USA

We’ll be on hand next month at the Chicago Auto Show, covering the goings-on at the event as usual. But we’ll be long-gone by February 21st, the last day of the show, which is when Chicago-area Toyota dealerships will be giving away a brand-new 2010 Toyota Prius.

One lucky winner will be chosen from all the eligible entrants that become fans of the giveaway’s official Facebook page, which you can find here. Caveats? Of course. You must be 18 years or older and reside in one of the following counties: Cook, Dupage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendal, Lake, LaSalle, McHenry or Will in Illinois; Jasper, La Porte, Lake, Newton or Porter in Indiana.

That means we’re out. Oh well. Better chances for the rest of you, then! See the official press release after the break.

[Source: The 2010 Chicago Auto Show Prius Giveaway]

Continue reading Want to win a 2010 Toyota Prius? Get in line at the Chicago Auto Show

Want to win a 2010 Toyota Prius? Get in line at the Chicago Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sun, 31 Jan 2010 08:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What cool uses can you come up with for a 4 gallon to 6 gallon plastic pail? Clothes washer, water filter, tool caddy, composting toilet,solar shower and much more. We started a new group for finding ways to reuse good used buckets into something useful again. Check it out at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bucketproducts/.

©2010 Green-Trust.Org. All Rights Reserved.

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Suniva, Inc., a solar manufacturer based in Georgia, is aiming to bring a commercial, grid-connected, stored solar energy system to the state for the first time.  The company has just announced a partnership with Georgia-based GS Battery USA Inc., that will combine Suniva’s solar modules with high tech batteries on a 30 kilowatt solar plant at GS Battery’s headquarters in Roswell, Georgia.

To make it a trifecta, a third Georgia-based company, First Century Energy of Atlanta, is the designer of the solar array.  It’s an interesting sustainable energy threesome given that GS Battery is a subsidiary of GS Yuasa Group of Japan, which is a global battery technology leader that has just contracted with NASA to assemble lithium ion battery cells in Roswell — and there’s a couple of other U.S. government connections, too.

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That’s right, the US government is “the single largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy.” In 2008 alone, it spent $24.5 billion on electricity and fuel.

This 28% reduction target Obama is ordering is equivalent to $8-11 billion in avoided energy costs. Additionally, it is far beyond the 17% reduction Obama has pledged to the international community for the US as whole, making the US government a leader by example on this issue.

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Aspergillus fumigatus – a common but sometimes lethal soil fungus

Aspergillus fumigatus is a fungus found commonly in ordinary garden soil. When the spores of the fungus are inhaled, It can also cause disease–sometimes fatally in those with already compromised immune systems and respiratory disease such as COPD. Doctors who treat the illness have long-recognized that in some patients, the fungus is resistant to standard treatment with chemicals called azoles. The problem becomes potentially worse as azoles are also heavily used as farm fungicides. A team of Dutch researchers (Verweij and Kema), reporting in last December’s edition of the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases suggest that over-use of the farm fungicide may be contributing to the growing resistance of this fungus to the disease-fighting chemicals.

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Probably the biggest news piece this week was Obama’s State of the Union address. David Roberts of grist seemed to hate it. Whereas often like-minded and equally critical Joe Romm of Climate Progress actually seemed to love it.

Dan Harding of CalFinder had mixed reactions, first “feeling passion stir deep within [him] and tingles of inspiration buzz beneath [his] skin,” then thinking that “[Obama's] speeches have grown more and more centrist.”

Immediately after reading those first two reviews (David and Joe’s), the idea for this article came to my mind. Who’s more powerful than the President of the United States of America?

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Filed under: Hybrid, Honda

Honda Executive Vice President Koichi Kondo doesn’t seem to think that the automaker will hit its worldwide sales goal of 200,000 Insight Hybrids in its first year on the market. Why? “I think we compromised too much on size in pursuing fuel efficiency” for the U.S. market, he said.

In total, Honda sold 130,445 Insights worldwide by the end of last year. The car was first introduced in Japan in February and then in the U.S. in March. Here in the States, the car’s second-largest market, Honda sold just 20,572 units in 2009 – a far cry from the 90,000 it hoped to sell here in the first year.

Further, in reference to the long-expected Honda Fit Hybrid, Kondo said:

There are plenty of people who think that the current Fit meets their needs already [when it comes to fuel efficiency]… A hybrid version might seem expensive. Our engineers are really struggling.

It remains to be seen whether the upcoming CR-Z can bolster Honda’s sketchy hybrid positioning.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Honda: Insight “too small,” likely to miss sales targets, Fit Hybrid a ’struggle’ originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 18:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: MPG, Volvo

Direct injection and turbocharging go together like peanut butter and jelly. Abbot and Costello. Brett Favre and protracted retirement negotiations. And it’s easy to understand why, considering that very few of us seem willing to give up performance in the name of fuel efficiency and these two technologies combined squeeze both extra ponies and extra mileage out of a small-bore powerplant.

Volvo’s first Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDi) engine will displace 2.0 liters and will offer up 203 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque at just 1,750 RPM (plus an overboost function unleashing another 15 lb-ft for short bursts). Volvo will first use the new mill in its European S80 sedan, to be followed closely by the V70 and XC60 models.

The new GTDi engine also features variable valve timing on both camshafts, further improving efficiency, and it will be offered with either Volvo’s dual-clutch fully automatic six-speed Powershift transmission or a six-speed manual gearbox. We fully expect Volvo to eventually offer this new powerplant in the United States as a replacement for its aging 2.5-liter inline-five. Click past the break for the official press release.

[Source: Volvo]

Continue reading Volvo introduces new direct injected, turbocharged 2.0-liter GTDi

Volvo introduces new direct injected, turbocharged 2.0-liter GTDi originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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