Green Machines: Biofuels And Hybrid Cars To Clean Up The Streets In 2008
In January it seems there are two things on almost everybodys minds: New Years resolutions and shopping. These may seem hard to reconcile but with the growing market of green and ethical consumer products it may actually be possible to combine the two and put your money where your mouth is in terms of those good intentions. Some of the most exciting developments for environmentally aware consumers in 2008 will surely come from a surprising source: motoring and car companies.
If youre tiring of your current car but youre not ready to go totally green and trade it in for walking then public transport or a bike cycling incidentally is a great way to shift some of the festive plumpness thats often another top January concern its worth looking into the environmental impacts of various vehicles production and manufacture. Find out about the fuel economy and emissions levels of cars before you buy and you could be doing a big favour to the planet human health and your bank balance too: obviously smaller engines with greater efficiency mean youll spend less on fuel while producing less harmful CO2.
Climate change has been the hot topic of the year from dinner tables to boardrooms and from muddy campsites to Westminster and Washington. Even Californias Governor one Arnold Schwarzenegger previously seen saving the world from killer robots and Harriersurfing terrorists has added his distinctive voice to the lobby for cleaner greener transport by setting groundbreaking goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the state. He plans to increase the number of hydrogen fuelling stations in California currently 25 to 200 and create a hydrogen highway there by 2010 making it a Mecca for owners of carbonneutral vehicles like his very own wildly inefficient and expensive but still hydrogenpowered green Hummer.
Good news for green consumerism then which is big news on this side of the pond too several hybrid and electric cars are already available here and theres a fastgrowing network of biodiesel fuelling stations across the UK with a mix of 5 biofuel to regular diesel already common thanks to the RTFO plan. The halfway house in the shorter term is represented by small efficient vehicles like the new diesel Mini and the funky Smart range from MercedesBenz which both also happen to be pretty fantastic in terms of looks.
Another thing to bear in mind whether youre looking for a new vehicle or just to cut the costs of your driving is car insurance its vital to ensure this is up to date each year as the law is quite clear that you cant drive without it. The car you choose will affect your premium as will many other factors like your driving history whether the car is kept in a garage and even having a tracking device installed often included with satellite navigation systems can mean a big saving. You can also often save by taking out car and home insurance from the same provider or simply through a loyalty discount once youve found the company thats right for you.
About the writer: Elisha Burberry is an online freelance journalist and keen traveller and watersports enthusiast. Originally from Scotland she now resides in London.
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