Numerous trucking companies in the United States and around the globe are starting to “go green.” Rather than just a fad, they see it as a new, sustainable way of life. As customers begin to increase their awareness on all green-related issues, they are going to look for trucking companies that follow in line with their beliefs in creating a better, more sustainable environment. Today, many trucking companies are starting to implement a wide variety of sustainable practices that allow them to become less dependent on fossil fuels, thereby reducing their carbon footprint as they drive from one location to another. The switch to renewable energy and energy efficient measures not only saves them a few dollars, but it also saves the environment as well.

1 ) United Parcel Service is known worldwide, not just for their shipping but also for the variety of environmental initiatives. UPS has over 2,200 alternative fuel vehicles, which is the largest fleet in the industry. UPS also provides the opportunity to allow customers to make the switch to paperless billing and invoices. Since 2000, UPS has recycled more than 24 million points of used electronic equipment.

2 ) J.B. Hunt announced in August of 2011 that it was named one of the top 75 Green Supply Chain Partners by Inbound Logistics. It received this recognition for the number of green initiatives the trucking company has done to remain environmentally sustainable. COO of J.B. Hunt, Craig Harper, said “We are committed to delivering the safe, sustainable, and cost-effective transportation solutions our customers need, and we are honored to be included in this list of like-minded service providers.” J.B. Hunt has been able to improve overall fuel efficiency, lower transportation costs, and lower carbon emissions by approximately 50 percent as compared to the traditional truckload. The Green Fleet is dedicated to reducing emissions and the Hunt Carbon Diet improves energy efficiency while also lowering transportation costs.

3 ) United Van Lines is the largest moving company in Canada, and has won a number of awards, including the 2009/2010 Award from Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies. As United Van Lines has more than 200 locations throughout the entire country, the company has realized the large role it plays in maintaining the Canadian environment. Some of the green initiatives include using reusable quilted furniture pads and floor runners, recycling tires and cartons, having regular scheduled trailer and truck maintenance to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and looking to become a paperless company.

4 ) Swift Transportation is a top trucking company throughout the United States offering a variety of solutions, including heavy haul, flat bed, container, dry van, intermodal, and temperature controlled. Swift is a participant in the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership as it is dedicated to creating a better future using green technologies. The company uses all the latest technologies to decrease their carbon footprint using their Clean Fleet and all new trucks and trailers are certified by the Environmental Protection Agency.

5 ) Penske Logistics was named, in 2010, a Green 50 Supply Chain Partner by Inbound Logistics due to the numerous approaches taken to lower the trucking company’s miles per gallon performance as well as reduce carbon dioxide emissions from its fleet of trucks. Penske is also a member of the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership. Penske always looks for optimized routes that will increase fuel efficiency. The trucking company is also involved with a number of recycling and green lighting programs.

6 ) Atlas Van Lines is one of the premier residential and commercial moving truck companies around the United States. Because of the many short and long distance moves Atlas Van Lines does, they are always looking to conserve energy, reduce waste, and other things to protect the environment. For example, all trucks are equipped with on-board information systems that help truck drivers become more efficient with their fuel. Atlas has earned a lot of recognition for the company’s environmental stewardship, such as the John Biasini Award given by the Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana.

7 ) FedEx, since 2000, has teamed up with the Environmental Defense Fund to ensure their standard trucks remained environmentally friendly. FedEx for many years has continued to look for ways to make their fleet operations even more efficient than they already are. The work FedEx does with the Environmental Defense Fund helps to improve the company’s overall environmental performance, increase the market share for clean delivery vehicles, and maintain/improve operational performance. FedEx has continually looked to encourage other trucking companies to develop and purchase clean-technology trucks. Currently, FedEx has over 250 hybrid-electric delivery trucks.

8 ) DHL is one of the leading logistics companies around the globe. The trucking company recently introduced a brand new convoy of delivery trucks that are environmentally friendly throughout Manhattan, New York as a major step in the company’s green initiative. Frank Appel, the CEO of DHL said, “As customers worldwide are increasingly demanding greener logistics, sustainable business procedures, and initiatives…[it will not only foster climate protection to save our environment for future generations but] also enhance the profitability of our business.” DHL has done similar projects throughout Latin America.

9 ) YRC Worldwide is one of the largest trucking services throughout the world, offering local, regional, national, and even international capabilities. They do a lot with heavyweight shipments and flexible supply chain solutions. YRC Worldwide takes the environment seriously. It is a previous winner of the SmartWay Environmental Excellence Award. The company’s Destination Green program aids them in reducing carbon dioxide emissions, gallons per mile, and empty miles. They are currently testing two diesel electric hybrids in the trucking fleet, which will be used for pickups and deliveries in metropolitan areas.

10 ) C&K Trucking, one of the largest intermodal trucking companies in the United States, takes a lot of pride in making the environment one of the trucking company’s top priorities. C&K Trucking works with the Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Transportation Program and has one of the highest ratings of all trucking companies. C&K Trucking has maintained focus on efficiencies and technologies that will aid in reducing their miles per gallon, thereby reducing their total carbon dioxide emissions. The company has installed software on trucks to measure efficiency metrics, retrofitted trucks, and created new speed management policies.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com

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A new report from ExxonMobil predicts that nearly half of the world’s cars will either be hybrids or powered by alternative fuels by 2040.

While hybrids now account for just about 1 percent of all vehicles worldwide, the oil giant forecasts that hybrids and alternative energy vehicles will move to the mainstream as governments increasingly push for better fuel efficiency.

The ExxonMobil report, “The Outlook for Energy: A View to 2040,” predicts that overall energy demand will remain flat in developed nations over the next three decades, but demand in developing nations such as China and India will increase nearly 60 percent from 2010 to 2040.

The report also predicts a worldwide boom in shale gas production and forecasts that 30 percent of the world’s electricity will be produced from natural gas, while demand for coal will peak before seeing “its first long-term decline in modern history.”

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

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Now that Toyota’s Prius Plug-in Hybrid has been officially announced, we can begin the comparisons with the other plug-in electric vehicle with an extended driving range, the Chevrolet Volt. The underlying question is which is more important to consumers: electric driving range, or total vehicle fuel efficiency?

The folks at Edmunds.com’s AutoObserver pointed out that the Prius PHEV will earn the right to drive in the HOV lane in California (because of the low total emissions), while Volt owners won’t have that luxury. Conversely, Volt buyers get the full federal tax credit ($7,500) because of the larger battery pack, but Prius PHEV owners get the smaller amount ($2,500). Still, the Prius overall will cost about $2,000 less after you figure in the tax credits.

Winning the hearts and wallets of consumers could come down to one number – but will it be 35 (as in the Volt’s estimated miles of electric range, per the EPA), or will it be 49 (as in the total MPG that the Prius will achieve in hybrid mode)?

At 37 MPG after the batteries are depleted, the Volt ain’t no Hummer or Escalade. And with 14 miles of electric range, the Prius PHEV offers much greater silent driving than the original Prius.

But which vehicle will cost more to drive based on how far you go between charges?

Assuming a gas price of $3.50 and electricity at 11 cents per kilowatt-hour, the Volt’s bigger battery makes it cheaper to operate as long as you drive 70 miles or less between charges. At distances of greater than 70 miles, the Prius PHEVs’ greater fuel economy as a hybrid makes it cheaper to operate.

This is one scenario, and the conclusions may change if the price of gasoline goes up or down, or depending on the cost of electricity in your neighborhood. Also, the calculations for both vehicles assume that the gas engine is not engaged until the full electric driving range is completed, which may not be true depending on driving conditions and driver behaviors.

However, the graph illustrates that for most trips (<70 miles in between charging), primarily driving on electric power makes the Volt cheaper to operate.

John Gartner is a senior analyst at Pike Research and a co-founder of Matter Network.

photo: BrainThought/Wikimedia

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Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based out of Michigan. Ford is the second largest United States automaker and the fifth largest international automakers. Ford has been very active in working on environmental initiatives and the clean technology industry. These things include compressed natural gas, flexible fuel vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, all-electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, increased fuel efficiency and PC Power Management. Here are just a few of the highlights associated with Ford and their environmental initiatives.

1) The Greener Miles Program is one of Ford’s largest initiatives to date. There are two parts to the Greener Miles Program. The TerraPass Program is the first part where Ford owners have the ability to calculate their carbon dioxide emissions from their car while driving. They are then able to purchase a TerraPass for an annual fee between $30 and $80 to fund renewable energy and energy efficient projects that decrease carbon dioxide emissions. The second part of the program is called Eco-Driving – Ford offers information on the driving habits of an individual as well as their automobile maintenance that will conserve fuel, save money, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

2) Ford Talking Cars Reduce not only Crashes but Fuel Usage. In June of 2011, Ford began working on a new technology that will allow cars to talk to each other, assisting in reducing crashes as well as fuel consumption. The technology will still not be available for a few years but will combine GPS with Wi-Fi capabilities. The technology allows cars to “see” other cars that are connected to the network. Reducing accidents will lead to less congestion and an increase in fuel efficient driving. Drivers will be aware of traffic conditions and suggest alternative routes.

3) ECOnetic is the trade name for a certain vehicle produced by Ford of Europe that emphasizes higher fuel efficiency as well as low carbon dioxide emissions. As opposed to other car manufacturers, Ford of Europe went along with a different design philosophy – to create extremely fuel efficient vehicles without ever compromising a person’s driving experience. There are three main routes of improvement – aerodynamics, resistance, and efficiency. While it not yet planned to bring the ECOnetic model to North America, some of the upgrade ideas are being looked at for future use.

4) Ford Partners with Google to Optimize Energy Efficiency. Ford is always looking for the next opportunity to anticipate the destination of a driver to they can optimize vehicle performance when it comes to driveability and fuel efficiency. After much research, Ford is looking to use Google API – a prediction program that will allow the conversion of information like historical driving data (when and where a driver travels) into real-time predictions. This cloud-based Google solution will use the profile of the driver to figure out information, including the times they travel and the routes they take. Google Prediction then anticipates the most likely destination and how to then optimize driving performance. The predicted route could then provide information such as electric-only driving.

5) Ford Partners with SunPower to Encourage Electric Vehicle Drivers to Continue to Drive Green. Since August 2011, Ford has begun collaborating with SunPower, a solar technology developer, to provide a rooftop solar panel system to those who own the zero-emissions Ford Focus Electric. It is part of the new “Drive Green for Life” program. The panels provide enough renewable power to compensate for the energy utilized in charging a car. It will produce approximately 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity yearly, which provides enough charge for 1,000 miles every month. The new program “Aims to reduce the total cost of owning an all-electric or plug-in vehicle. It will also help to lessen the environmental impact of charging electrically – around two-thirds of electricity in the United States is currently generated by coal or gas powered plants.”

6) The Energy Efficiency Efforts by Ford earn them their Sixth Energy Star Award. Ford earned their next Energy Star Award for Sustained Excellence from the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 2011. Ford improved the energy efficiency of all their manufacturing facilities in the United States by two percent in the previous year, raining their total improved efficiency to 15 percent. Other energy efficiency improvements include the ability to measure daily and weekly production and non-production energy use, installation of energy efficient lighting systems, installed solar power generation system at the Michigan Assembly Plant.

7) Ford Wins 2009 Environmental Protection Award for Energy Efficiency. In 2009, Ford won an Environmental Protection Award for its Energy Efficiency measures. This includes updated heating systems, updated facility lighting systems, curtailing energy use throughout extended production shutdown periods, and “using flexible tooling to assemble multiple vehicles on the same production line, which requires less manufacturing floor space and optimizes plant utilization.”

8 ) In January 2011 Ford Unveiled its First All Electric Car. The brand new Ford Focus, which was on display at the International Consumer Electronics Show at the Las Vegas, Nevada Hilton, is one of the first zero-emissions vehicles currently available on the market. The Focus Electric will “Cover the majority of daily driving habits of Americans,” said CEO and President of Ford Motor Company, Alan Mulally.

9) In 2010 Ford Won the EcoGlobe Award for Technology. Ford won a very major environmental award for their technology allowing engines to be more energy efficient and utilize hybrid technology, including auto-start-stop and braking regen energy without the full cost of a true hybrid electric system. The award, in which only ten are presented yearly to outstanding environmentally friendly car solutions, was given to Ford for its Ford Fiesta ECOnetic.

10) New Ford Energy Efficient Shuttle Buses. In March 2011, Ford rolled out their Hydrogen V-10 E-450 buses in Columbia, South Carolina. This city is one of many around the world investing in hydrogen fuel cells to power public transportation systems. The bus is only one part of the one year program that assists in the city’s objective to transition all public transportation vehicles into hydrogen fuel by the year 2015.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com

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In July, at the Association for Computing Machinery’s MobiSys conference, researchers from MIT and Princeton University took the best-paper award for a system that uses a network of smartphones mounted on car dashboards to collect information about traffic signals and tell drivers when slowing down could help them avoid waiting at lights. By reducing the need to idle and accelerate from a standstill, the system saves gas: In tests conducted in Cambridge, Mass., it helped drivers cut fuel consumption by 20 percent. Cars are responsible for 28 percent of the energy consumption and 32 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, says Emmanouil Koukoumidis, a visiting researcher at MIT who led the project. “If you can save even a small percentage of that, then you can have a large effect on the energy that the U.S. consumes,” Koukoumidis says.

Of course speeding up to beat the light and thus avoid excessive car idling sounds great to the frustrated driver. However, there are safety concerns too.

The system is intended to capitalize on a growing trend, in which drivers install brackets on their dashboards so that they can use their smartphone as a GPS navigator while driving. But unlike previous in-car cellphone applications, the new system, dubbed SignalGuru, relies on images captured by the phones’ cameras. According to Koukoumidis, the computing infrastructure that underlies the system could be adapted to a wide range of applications: The camera could, for instance, capture information about prices at different gas stations, about the locations and rates of progress of city buses, or about the availability of parking spaces in urban areas, all of which could be useful to commuters.

The researchers did model the effect of instructing drivers to accelerate in order to catch lights before they changed, but “we think that this application is not a safe thing to have,” Koukoumidis says. The version of the application that the researchers used in their tests graphically displays the optimal speed for avoiding a full stop at the next light, but a commercial version, Koukoumidis says, would probably use audio prompts instead.

Koukoumidis envisions that the system could also be used in conjunction with existing routing software. Rather than recommending, for instance, that a car slow to a crawl to avoid a red light, it might suggest ducking down a side street.

This would truly be a smart computer but it needs a lot of current as well as historical data to make these last second decisions.

Article by Andy Soos, appearing courtesy Environmental News Network.

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Honeywell is a Fortune 100 company known for inventing and manufacturing a number of technologies addressing various challenges seen in today’s world, including security, safety and energy. On the website, it says that Honeywell is aimed at, “Making our world safer and more secure, more comfortable and energy efficient, and more innovative and productive.” As such, Honeywell is known for its large number of clean technology initiatives.

1) Honeywell Enters into an Agreement with EnergyHub to Expand Smart Grid Portfolio. In October 2010, Honeywell announced a supply agreement with leading home energy solutions provider EnergyHub to integrate EnergyHub’s technology. This will provide customers with necessary tools to simplify energy management and control energy costs. According to Joseph Puishys, Honeywell’s president of Environmental and Combustion Controls, “The Honeywell Home Energy Manager will complement our existing product line and improve consumers’ visibility and control over the cost and comfort of the utilities within the home. The Honeywell Home Energy Manager provides real-time meter reads, energy usage, cost and trending data as well as load measurement, load control, remote access, and real time connection to utility control systems.”

2) Honeywell UtilityPRO becomes the Fastest Selling Demand Response Thermostat. In 2010 Honeywell announced that its UtilityPRO is the biggest selling thermostat for all utility-sponsored demand response programs. Once it was introduced in 2008, over 350,000 were shipped, providing control over peak consumption while helping homeowners cut their energy costs. By 2011, Honeywell expects that its thermostat will give thirty-three utilities in the United States and Canada control over more than 500 megawatts of energy use. “Utilities are looking for ways to proactively manage consumption and meet their demand management goals with confidence, and advanced technology like UtilityPRO is the means to that end,” said Kevin McDonough, general manager of Honeywell Utility Solutions. “UtilityPRO appeals to both utilities and their customers by combining precise demand response control with Honeywell’s best-selling programmable thermostat and legacy of reliability.”

3) Honeywell Gasoline Turbocharger Technology Look to Provide Better Fuel Technology. In December 2010, Honeywell’s turbocharged Chevrolet Cruze Eco engine is putting less efficient hybrids on notice with its major benefits. By 2015, Honeywell expects that its turbocharged gasoline vehicles will reach 20 percent of all vehicles. “Small gasoline turbocharged vehicles will play a huge role in the future of the US auto industry as automakers develop cars that meet drivers’ needs for better fuel economy, without compromising performance or price,” said Alex Ismail, President and CEO of Honeywell Transportation Systems. “The Cruze is a great example of a vehicle that refuses to compromise on fuel efficiency, affordability and fun-to-drive responsiveness.”

4) Honeywell Gets a $213 Million Energy Infrastructure Contract in Maryland. In March 2011, Honeywell was awarded a $213 million contract with the United States General Services Administration to support the development the Food and Drug Administration headquarters’ on-site utilities and energy infrastructure in Maryland. The 20-year projects will save more than 48 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 24,000 tons. The new plant will include “ two 7.5MW dual-fuel turbine generators, a 4.5MW natural gas turbine generator, two 2.25MW diesel standby generators and a 5MW steam turbine generator, as well as three 2,500-ton chillers and a two million gallon thermal energy storage tank.”

5) Honeywell Provides Energy Efficient Services in Pennsylvania. In March of 2011, Honeywell created an agreement to provide energy efficient services to Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County correctional facility. The upgrade is said to save approximately $2.5 million in operating and utility costs. A new water management system will be installed to control water more effectively and reduce annual water use by estimated 20 million gallons.

6) Honeywell Introduces New York Energy Conservation Program. In February 2011, Honeywell introduced a new $18.8 million building modernization and energy conservation plan for New York’s Municipal Housing Authority in the city of Yonkers. This program will assist the authority in improving energy efficiency, resident comfort and its own facilities, while at the same time reduce emissions and save approximately $1.4 million in yearly utility costs.

7) Honeywell Does the Lindergh with Biofuels. In June of 2011, Honeywell made the announcement that its Jet Biofuels will be a part of a trans-Atlantic flight from Morristown, New Jersey to Paris, France. The corporate jet will house executives from Honeywell UOP, the petrochemical division of the company. This will be the very first non-stop trans-oceanic flight on jet fuels.

8 ) Honeywell Increases Smart Grid Presence by Acquiring Akuacom. In May 2011, Honeywell announced that it had purchased California based Akuacom, a development company created automated demand response technology and services for smart grids. This service provides utilities with the ability to effectively monitor peak energy demand.

9) Integrated Energy Services. Honeywell offers buildings all around the world, including schools, commercial and industrial facilities with assistance in monitoring their energy expenses to increase savings. Honeywell’s Integrated Energy Services assists in taking advantage of all energy market changes. They work with the business to develop a strategy that includes energy supply and energy using assets. Integrated services include energy demand management, energy supply management, energy asset management, and power generation strategies.

10) Honeywell Selected to Provide their Automation Solutions to Newly Expanded Liquefied Natural Gas Terminals. Honeywell was selected by Korea Gas Corporation to supply a comprehensive automation solution for liquefied natural gas terminals. The solutions offered by Honeywell will guarantee the efficient and seamless performance of all Korea Gas Corporation facilities.

Article by Shawn Lesser, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Atlanta-based Watershed Capital Group – an investment bank assisting sustainable fund and companies raise capital, perform acquisitions, and in other strategic financial decisions. He is also a Co-founder of the GCCA Global Cleantech Cluster Association ”The Global Voice of Cleantech”. He writes for various cleantech publications and is known as the David Letterman of Cleantech for his “Top 10″ series. He can be reached at shawn@watershedcapital.com

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President Obama today will announce new fuel efficiency standards that will save American businesses that operate and own commercial vehicles approximately $50 billion in fuel costs over the life of the program. These work trucks, buses, and other medium- and heavy duty vehicles will be required to meet fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas emission standards for the first time ever beginning in 2014.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the standards in close coordination with the companies that met with the President today as well as other stakeholders, following requests from companies to develop this program.

“While we were working to improve the efficiency of cars and light-duty trucks, something interesting happened,” said President Obama.  “We started getting letters asking that we do the same for medium and heavy-duty trucks.  They were from the people who build, buy, and drive these trucks.  And today, I’m proud to have the support of these companies as we announce the first-ever national policy to increase fuel efficiency and decrease greenhouse gas pollution from medium-and heavy-duty trucks.”

Under the comprehensive new national program, trucks and buses built in 2014 through 2018 will reduce oil consumption by a projected 530 million barrels and greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by approximately 270 million metric tons. Like the Administration’s historic car standards, this program – which relies heavily on off-the-shelf technologies – was developed in coordination with truck and engine manufacturers, fleet owners, the State of California, environmental groups and other stakeholders. 

The joint DOT/EPA program will include a range of targets which are specific to the vehicle types and purposes.  Vehicles are divided into three major categories: combination tractors (semi-trucks), heavy-duty pickup trucks and vans, and vocational vehicles (like transit buses and refuse trucks).  Within each of those categories, even more specific targets are laid out based on the design and purpose of the vehicle. This flexible structure allows serious but achievable fuel efficiency improvement goals charted for each year and for each vehicle category and type. 

The standards are expected to result in significant long-terms savings for vehicle owners and operators.  A semi-truck operator could pay for the technology upgrades in under a year and realize net savings of $73,000 through reduced fuel costs over the truck’s useful life.  These cost saving standards will also reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants that can lead to asthma, heart attacks and premature death.

Beyond the direct benefits to businesses that own and operate these vehicles, the program will also benefit consumers and businesses by reducing costs for transporting goods, and spur growth in the clean energy sector by fostering innovative technologies and providing regulatory certainty for manufacturers.

Read more about the new standards on EPA’s web site  and on NHTSA’s web site

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Driving is an inevitable part of day-to-day life for many commuters. The impact of vehicle related CO2 emissions can no longer be ignored. There are more than 250 million cars regularly operated in the United States. In total, these cars make 365 billion trips with a combined mileage of 2.3 trillion miles per year. No matter which way you look at it, this is hard on the planet. It is time to go green, regardless of your income. Fortunately, there are many impacting ways to be a green driver without having to buy a hybrid or electric car. All it takes is a little bit of creativity and some commitment to the greater cause.

Giving up driving all together would be ideal, but is too unrealistic for most Americans. Instead, you can start with a few simple steps to living a greener, commuter lifestyle.

Step One: Get a handle on your skills and seek to practice smooth and steady driving. Smoother driving with less time spent on the gas or the brakes can equate to substantially less carbon emissions. How is this so? One second of flooring it can make the same CO2 emissions as a full thirty minutes of travel. It takes a lot of energy to get that engine to go, so work on smoother transitions.

Don’t idle your car. Nine minutes of idling is double the pollutants of turning the car off and then on again when it is time to go. Despite the myths, you will not waste gas by restarting your engine. Try to avoid rush hour traffic. If you do wind up in traffic, be sure to turn off your engines if you are at a standstill for more than 30 seconds.

Service your car regularly. This means regular oil and air filter changes, and keeping those tires inflated. Poorly maintained engines can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 20 percent. Slightly deflated tires can also reduce miles per gallon. Simple updates will keep you on the green commuter track.

Step Two: Try to work from home whenever possible. You can start by telling your boss that it boosts morale, profits, and the eco-friendliness of the company. In addition, this could potentially save 2 billion gallons of gasoline per year. Telecommuting one day a week could cut CO2 emissions by 400 lbs. per year. Who would want to say no to that?

Get flexed with work. This means that if you can’t telecommute, maybe you can ask to have a schedule that is outside of the peak hours. This way you can avoid rush hour traffic and all the carbon-filled standstills that so often go along with it.

Use mass transit or use your body. Maybe you can use alternate transportation a few days a week. This could mean biking, busing, riding a scooter, or even walking if it’s not too far. This will not only save on CO2 emissions, but could also save you some gas money.

Step Three: Take the big step when the time comes. This means that when your old car dies, upgrade to an eco-friendly vehicle. While this may cost more upfront, it will undoubtedly save you in gas costs over time. With gas prices sky rocketing to nearly five dollars a gallon, this is a sound investment indeed. You could always look into purchasing a used hybrid or electric car to save a little more. In the end, you are helping yourself by helping the planet.

Article by Jenni Sunde, a freelance fashion writer and pop culture junkie. Jenni specializes in all things lifestyle-related. From home and design to health and beauty. With her love of art and all things beautiful, she delights in sharing her sense of style from her life to your computer monitor. Her title pegs her as an editor at a website that specializes in providing people with car insurance quotes, but her passion leads her into writing with a little more substance and a lot more heart. Article appearing courtesy EnergyRefuge.

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James Bond would probably prefer that they were mounted in the grill but how about laser spark plugs under the hood? The Optical Society (OSA) has announced that researchers from Japan’s National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) will present their research on the development of laser spark plugs for internal combustion engines at the 2011 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO) May 1 – 6 in Baltimore, Maryland. By igniting the fuel-air mixture of internal combustion engines more efficiently, laser spark plugs will reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx).

The United Kingdom’s Environment Agency explains: “Nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer and have detrimental effects on health. They are also greenhouse gases. Nitrogen dioxide is one of the eight substances for which the government has established an air quality standard as part of its national Air Quality Strategy.”

Nitrogen oxides are formed from the combustion of carbon fuels, primarily from the creation of energy at electric plants and in transportation. Nitrogen oxides contribute to a bevy of problems including acid rain, smog, climate change, global warming, and health concerns. Increasing the level of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere, nitrogen oxides add to the level of respiratory disease in all ages but particularly impact children and the elderly. Additionally, nitrogen oxides are cited as a cause of the deterioration of the quality of scenic vistas at National Parks in the United States and other views around the world.

Not only do nitrogen oxides impact human and animal health but also plant life. Numerous species including quaking aspen, eastern white pine, and flowering dogwood are sensitive to the pollution. By changing water and soil chemistry, nitrogen oxide emissions lead to fish kills and reduce tree growth. (EDF)

The invention of the spark plug dates back over 150 years. Names on early patents include Nikola Tesla and Robert Bosch. The essential design ignites the fuel mixture at one end of an engine cylinder and the efficiency of the reaction reduces as it travels the length of the cylinder. Traditional spark plugs become less efficient over time. Laser spark plugs should be able to spark more rapidly, thereby increasing fuel efficiency.

The NINS researchers consider their laser technology to be highly promising. Thus far no production vehicles are being equipped with laser spark plugs. The NINS researchers are said to be “working with a large spark-plug company and with DENSO Corporation, a member of the Toyota Group.” (OSA)

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Earlier this month, I asked the public for feedback on energy policy as part of the White House’s “Advise the Advisor” program.  Specifically, we asked for your comments and ideas about President Obama’s goal of reducing the amount of oil we import by a third in a little over a decade, along with the need to both increase our domestic energy production and reduce energy waste.

Thousands of you offered suggestions on how we can be more efficient and rely more on America’s clean energy resources.  Here is a summary what we heard from you:

Produce More Energy Here at Home

Many of you responded that we need to increase the amount of energy we produce here at home. Some respondents said that we have to do this without disrupting the environment. Lee from New Mexico said:

Let’s drill more oil wells in EXISTING leases. NO drilling in wilderness areas or threatened wildlife habitats.

The Obama Administration is developing incentives to encourage the timely development of oil and gas resources from existing and future leases. According to a Department of Interior report, 57 percent of all leased onshore acres and 70 percent of offshore leased acres are neither being explored nor developed. Taxpayers have a right to expect that companies given access to public lands for oil and gas development will develop the resources efficiently or step aside to allow other companies to do so, and we will provide both carrots and sticks to encourage oil companies to act.

When it comes to America’s energy future, the continued production of oil and gas from America’s domestic resources is a vital part of our energy solutions. We have already made progress: Last year, oil production rose to its highest level in seven years. At the same time, we need to ensure that we harness these resources safely and responsibly.

Make Our Transportation Sector More Efficient

Many respondents emphasized the need to increase the fuel efficiency of our vehicles to reduce our reliance on foreign oil. Margaret from Texas said:

Push hard on fuel efficiency in new vehicles — that’s the easiest way for consumers to improve automotive fuel efficiency. Push harder on industrial fuel efficiency — that should inspire innovation to reduce fuel use. Efficient is better than cheap in the long run.

Increasing fuel efficiency is critical to breaking our dependence on oil and securing control of our energy future. Last year, the Obama Administration announced ground-breaking fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks that will save consumers money while reducing oil consumption by 1.8 billion barrels.

In addition to improving vehicle efficiency, we are also working to reduce oil dependence by promoting electric vehicles, developing advanced biofuels and encouraging the use of natural gas vehicle fleets.

Use Electricity More Efficiently

To build a clean energy future, we also need to make our homes and businesses more energy efficient. Peter from New York said that the federal government can help by:

Continuing to offer tax breaks for the installation of energy efficient appliances in homes and small businesses is a must. We also hear a lot about appliances such as TVs and computers being power hogs where they draw power even when not in use. Can there be a way for manufacturers to create circuitry allowing appliances to become smarter and shut off the current draw when not in use?

The Department of Energy is improving and enforcing appliance standards to drive innovation and make appliances more energy efficient. This is a great way to save energy – and save consumers money.

For example, in 1977, California approved landmark efficiency standards for refrigerators, air conditioners, and freezers. The resulting improvement in the efficiency of refrigerators is responsible for energy savings today greater than all the non-hydro renewable power generation in the U.S. Meanwhile, since the 1970s, the inflation-adjusted cost of refrigerators has dropped by about half while energy consumption was simultaneously reduced by more than 75 percent.

The efficiency standards that the Department has finalized since January 2009 are projected to save consumers between $250 billion and $300 billion over the next 20 years. There are also easy steps we can take to save energy, like putting computers in sleep mode when you’re not using them.

In addition to appliances, there are enormous opportunities to save money by upgrading the efficiency of buildings through steps like improving insulation and installing energy efficient windows. Over the next several years, we want to help millions of American families seize the opportunity to cut their utility bills by making their homes and appliances more energy efficient while increasing comfort.

Diversify Our Sources of Electricity

We also heard from many of you about the opportunities to promote clean sources of electricity. President Obama has set an ambitious but achievable goal of doubling our generation of electricity from clean energy sources by 2035. This includes renewables like wind, solar and hydro along with clean coal, natural gas, and safe nuclear power. We have launched groundbreaking research and development projects in areas ranging from thin film solar power to carbon capture and sequestration.

* Renewable Energy
Many of you said we need to continue to incentivize renewable energy. Wendy from Colorado said we need:

An ‘Apollo Project’ to research, fund and develop solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass energy production.

The Department of Energy supports cutting-edge research and development of renewable energy technologies. For example, we’ve launched a SunShot initiative to reduce the total costs of solar photovoltaic energy systems by about 75 percent so that they are cost-competitive with any other form of energy without subsidies before the end of the decade. Our goal is sponsor research and development that will lead to the deployment of renewable energy where the levelized cost of energy is competitive with the cost of any other form of energy. Concurrently, we have a critical role in helping create an energy transmission, distribution and storage system to take full advantage of these developments. Achieving this goal will be good for our environment – and our economy.

* Nuclear Power
Nuclear power received many comments, particularly in light of the recent tragedy in Japan. John from New Jersey saw nuclear energy as a vital part of our energy mix:

Replace oil-fired power stations with modern and safe nuclear power stations. When you factor in the wars we fight to protect our oil supply, the safety record of nuclear is acceptable. We have the smarts to design nuclear reactors that shut down safely. Let’s use those smarts.

President Obama and I believe that safe nuclear power has an important role to play in our energy mix as we move to a clean energy future. Already, nuclear power provides one fifth of our electricity – the largest carbon free energy source we have. The Department of Energy is supporting the development of sophisticated computer simulation and design tools that can increase the safety and efficiency of current and future nuclear power plants. The American people should have full confidence that the United States has rigorous safety regulations in place to ensure that our nuclear power is generated safely and responsibly.

Thank you again for your comments and feedback. By leading in clean energy, we can create millions of new jobs. You can read about more of our plans in the Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future that President Obama recently released. I invite you to continue the conversation with me on Facebook.com/StevenChu.

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