Look Up a Vehicle | Green Vehicle Guide | US EPA
I feel good about driving my Fit (and hubby drives a new Civic) because we
are doing something positive. We also changed
18 incandescent bulbs in our house
We are definately making changes.
As far as an alternative fuel:
The drum-beat of alarm over global warming has set businesses clamoring for a piece of the sugar-cane action. There are plenty of other ways to make ethanol, of course, and scientists the world over are busy tinkering with everything from switchgrass to sweet potatoes. U.S. farmers make it from corn, but with the scarcity of arable land there’s just so much they can plant without crowding out other premium crops, like soy beans. (Meantime, the combination of limited land and surging demand have sent corn prices through the roof). So far nothing beats sugarcane—which grows in the tropics—for an abundant, cheap source of energy. Unlike beets or corn, which are confined to temperate zones and must be transformed into carbohydrates before they can be converted into sugar and finally alcohol, sugarcane is already halfway there. (from
The Race to Make Fuel From Sugar - Leadership and the Environment - MSNBC.com)
Isn't sugarcane an option?
I agree with ifitfitz that we need to "drive less, walk more, and eat locally produced food" and we need to understand and realize how our individual actions affect the whole world.
Great thread....keep it going!