Image by Per Ola Wiberg (Powi)

A few weeks ago I wrote my blog about Carbon Dioxide and International Climate Action Day.  But I decided today that rather than writing a blog about something else, I wanted bring your attention right back to International Climate Action Day – which for those of you who aren’t familiar with it, is tomorrow (October 24th).

International Climate Action Day is a day where each and every one of us can take a little time out of our busy schedules and lives and do something that says “I stand for a safe climate future!” It doesn’t take much time or effort and thankfully, 350.org has tried to make it as simple as possible for people to join in and do something.

With everything from stencils to action maps showing where planned activities are taking place, from t-shirts to information to educate your community and more, there is no reason you too can’t be part of this global day.  There are already over 4000 events planned in over 170 countries – make sure you are part of it!

Let me make it simple:

1. Go to the 350.org website.
2. Read the invitation on their website which explains what International Climate Action Day is and invites you to participate.
3. Go to the 9-Step Organizing Plan page and follow those steps to plan and/or attend an event.
4. And, if you blog, write a blog about it – let others know!

It’s never too late to plan or attend an event!  350.org has the tips, tools and information you need to make any event, big or small, a success.  The more people that become aware of how their actions can lower CO2 levels, the better off we will be.  And please remember, lowering CO2 levels is something each of us can work on every day: bike to work one day rather than drive, take public transportation, use a proven fuel additive or buy an electric vehicle, car-pool, hang your clothes out to dry, conserve water and energy, buy local food or grow your own herbs and vegetables, plant trees around your home, install solar panels on your roof….the list could go on and on.

But the most important thing to remember is this isn’t just about one day, it’s about every day.  It’s about changing our habits and routines so that we will have a cleaner environment and many, many bright days ahead of us!

Images from Zipcar.com 

When it comes to the form of transportation you use, would you consider yourself biofriendly?  Do you own a hybrid or electric vehicle? Do you bike to work, car-pool or take public transportation? Do you use proven fuel additives or biofuels? Do you walk whenever you can?  Well, no matter what you’ve done in the past, there’s a relatively new form of public transportation you should know about for your future…car-sharing.

What is car-sharing? Simply put, it’s an innovative way to provide people a temporary vehicle to use when the need arises.  Let’s say for example you use public transportation most of the time, but need a car every now and again, then car-sharing could work for you.  What if you just don’t want to add more monthly payments to your budget, cover maintenance costs, etc, then car-sharing could work for you.  What if your family could really use a second car sometimes, but you don’t need one fulltime?  What if your company wants to provide “company vehicles” without having to purchase or maintain their own fleet?  What if you’d just rather find a greener form of transportation…again, car-sharing could be right for you.

Enter Zipcar®…”The best new idea in business” (Fortune Magazine).  Zipcar boasts car-sharing locations in cities across the United States, as well as London, England and Toronto or Vancouver, Canada.  Zipcar locations are also conveniently located on over 100 university campuses across the United States.  Perfect for when it comes time to send your kid off to college.  Now there’s no need to buy them that new car, just enroll them in Zipcar and they are ready to go. 

So, how does it work?  Simple…you enroll on the Zipcar website and once approved you will get your Zipcard in the mail.  You pay a yearly fee for the service and then pay the hourly/daily fees associated with each time you use a Zipcar.  You can make your reservation online, but then get this…once you arrive at the Zipcar location all it takes is a wave of your Zipcard and you have immediate access to the vehicle.  Another amazing convenience is that each car comes with a gas card, insurance and 180 free miles at no additional cost.  

Needless to say, car-sharing is the smart solution when you need to travel as their cars can be rented by the hour or by the day.  Why pay for a full-day rental if you only need the car for an hour or two?  Even if you have a last minute trip, you can use your mobile phone to find the closest Zipcar location, make a reservation and your car will be ready to go when you arrive.  What are you waiting for?  Time to try out the latest biofriendly mode of transportation!

Image by biofriendly

No matter what form of transportation you use, one of the key things you should factor in is cost to you and the environment.  How much does it cost to run that vehicle?  How much is your car polluting the air?  How much will a proven fuel additive help lower emissions and improve fuel economy? Is it better for the environment and less costly to you to use public transportation?  Is time a factor in whether or not you are using public transportation?  How easy is it for you to get to the bus or train station?  Is there a station near your work?  All of those questions are a factor when it comes to deciding what form of transporation is best for you.

We’ve been doing that in our family and continue to find new ways to cut down.  First of all, out of necessity, we became a one-car family.  Even though we have two kids and a 70-lb dog (who goes with us a lot of the time), we just didn’t want to continue to make 2 car payments or pay twice as much insurance, especially since I work from home.  We also recently moved and there are a lot of stores and activities in close proximity to us, so walking is a great way for us to get around (when it isn’t 103 degrees outside).  Getting rid of one car saved us about $500+ per month on just car payments/insurance, not to mention gas, maintenance, repairs, etc.  It also saved about 9 tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the environment every year.

Shortly after that we started driving my husband to work one day a week so that we could use the car.  We use it to go visit the kids’ grandparents.  We manage to see two sets of grandparents every time we do it, so it saves us time, gas money and emissions.  To further save gas/mileage, my husband car-pools home from work those days.

Then our most recent step was actually started due to a new program his work set up.  They now pick up employees from Union Station in downtown L.A., if they ride train to work.  His office is about a 10-minute drive from Union Station, so prior to the new program, it didn’t really work for him to take the train to downtown then try and catch other lines/buses to get closer to work.  It took too much time and he would arrive at work late.  But since his company set up this new shuttle service, it has been working great.  He takes the train once or twice a week, when he needs to go to his downtown office, and the company picks him (and others) up.  He likes it because it is a lot less stressful, he gets to relax or work on the train, it doesn’t cost us as much and is less wear & tear on the car.  Oh…and did I mention, when he buys a 10-trip pass and uses it, his company reimburses him for 50% of the cost.

So, no matter who you are or what actions you are currently taking to curb your transporation costs and pollution, take some time to research what else you can do.  You may be pleasantly surprised as your city may have just the right program for you.  For example, in New York there is a group call Transportation Alternatives and their mission is “to reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives”.  In the San Francisco and Boston areas, there is a car service called PlanetTran which provides “the Nation’s first public auto service to utilize ultra fuel efficient hybrid vehicles exclusively”.  In Portland, in addition to being a bike/pedestrian-friendly city, they have Tri-Met which includes buses, the Max light rail, WES commuter rail and the Portland streetcars, one of which can pretty much get you anywhere you want to go in Portland.

But no matter where you live, big city or small, you can always check the websites of your local Metro trains, buses and even the EPA has a great “Green Vehicle Guide” to help you cut costs and environmental pollution.  What are you waiting for?

Image by vagawi 

Whenever you have tires that just don’t have any tread left on them it’s time to get rid of them.  But what happens to tires that are worn down or no longer able to be used effectively?  Is there a biofriendly way to recycle them?  What kinds of things can be made by recycling tires?

First of all, before I go into tire recycling, let me mention a few tips to improve the life of your tires.  Make sure you rotate your tires regularly and keep them properly inflated.  Keeping your car tuned up (regular oil changes, using a proven fuel additive, tuning up your brakes, etc), driving on paved roads, ensuring your car isn’t weighed down with heavy items and even car-pooling are also steps that can help improve the life of your tires.  

But, when the time has come time to trade in those worn tires and get new ones, make sure you take your tires to a company that will recycle them.  Recycled tires can be used for a wide variety of products and with approximately 290 million tires discarded every year, recycling them is vital. 

For example, Vulcana® has a leather alternative (RubbRe™), which is made using recycled rubber from tires that were dumped in landfills.  Recycled tires can be used as planters in gardens or for that all-important tire swing in the backyard.  There are even companies who make tire mulch for use in gardens and playgrounds.  Mats, runners and truck bed liners are also common uses for recycled tires.   Another great use is as a fuel supplement for power plants, steel mills, etc.

Needless to say, there is no reason to fill up landfills with “used” tires when there are so many products that can be made by recycling tires.  Additionally, biofriendly tire advances continue to be made, like the researchers at Oregon State figuring out a way to “insert cellulosic plant material into tires, thereby cutting down the amount of dirty carbon black needed to make tires“.   Their cellulosic tires are not only more biofriendly, but have better traction on wet surfaces and are less affected by the heat.  Sounds like a winner all around!

Image from Freiker.org 

Now that most schools are back in session (or will be next week), parents are having to deal with dropping their kids off at school before they head to work.  Not only does this add more time to your morning routine, but you end up using more gasoline and often add frustration to the start of your day, etc.  The solution?  Have your kid become a Freiker!

What’s a Freiker? Freiker stands for FREquent bIKER.  Basically it is a kid who instead of being driven to school, they take their bike or even walk.  The Freiker Program was started about 5 years ago by a dad, who after unsuccessfully trying to convince his kids to ride their bikes to school (less than a mile from their home), decided to offer them small prizes if they would take their bikes.  The kids enjoyed it so much, he figured it would be a great thing for other kids to do and the program has been growing ever since. 

In Feb 2009, Freiker reached a milestone by having over 100,000 ”kid-powered rides” logged.  They calculated that out to be over 150,000 miles, over 3.5 million calories burned, nearly 8,000 gallons of gasoline saved and 150,000 tons of CO2 prevented.  As of today, there have been over 138,000 rides logged. 

One of the cool things about this program is that whole schools can get involved.  A school installs a ”Freikometer”, which is a solar-powered, internet-enabled RFID reader.  This allows kids’ rides to school to be automatically tracked and reported.  Each trip a kid makes is tallied and at the end of the year, they are rewarded with a party and prizes for their rides.

Here are some of the great features of the Freiker Program:

• Biking or riding to school gets kids exercising.  Rather than sitting in the car or riding the bus, they get exercise by riding or walking to/from school.
• Helps make kids more independent when they don’t NEED to rely on their parents or the bus to get to school.
• If you are a parent, you know how many cars sit and idle outside of school to drop off or pick up kids.  If more kids ride/bike to school this means less congestion and better air quality around the school.
• Since the RFID tags are placed on the kids’ helmet and rides aren’t tracked unless they have their helmet, this promotes safety and helmet use.
• It’s a great activity not only kids, but their parents and the school can support and get involved in. 

And don’t forget, October 7th is International Walk to School Day in the U.S.  Therefore, now is a great time to get your kid started on walking/biking to school as part of the Freiker program.  Talk to your kid’s school about getting involved.

You do your part by car-pooling, riding your bike to work, using a proven fuel additive, taking public transportation, etc. so please get your kids involved too.  The Freiker program sets a great example as it gets kids exercise through biking or walking to school, it’s environmentally-friendly, saves gasoline, lowers emissions and it’s fun! 

Image courtesy of Samson Motorworks 

Earlier this year I wrote about Samson Motorworks and their SkyBike™.  It looks like they have now come out with something even better – The Switchblade™!  And let me tell you, not only does the name make it sound cool, but the bike is top of the line.  It drives, it flies and it takes traveling green to all new heights.

What’s different about the Switchblade™?  Well, to start with the scissor wing design shaves about 200 lbs off the weight of the “bike” yet allows it to have a much better range and ability to maneuver.  When you want to drive it, the wings quickly swing closed into a case under the belly of the plane.  The case is designed to protect the wings from rocks, bumps, etc. that would otherwise damage the wings.

The Switchblade also is described as having a “Ferrari-inspired” shape with clean lines and smooth surfaces, which not only boost its appeal but allow for a more aero-dynamic drive/flight.  Other key features include: side-by-side seating, better range, slower handling speed and a wide cabin.  Also, since the Switchblade is a motorcycle, you should have no problem driving in the car-pool lane.

Now for some specs:

• Gross take-off weight – 1400 lbs
• Length 15’6″, Width 5’6″, Height 5’1″
• Seats: 2, side by side
• Speed: 90+ on the ground, 134 mph in the air
• Range: 880 miles ground, 340 miles air
• MPG: 60 mpg ground (estimate), 22 mpg air
• Wingspan: 23’5″ main
• Engine: 120 hp Freedom Motor twin rotor
• Fuel: regular unleaded gasoline (but it’s capable of using any fuel due to the freedom motor)
• NOTE: Having a freedom motor is like using a good fuel additive because both greatly reduce emissions and fuel consumption.
• Fuel capacity: 16 gallons including reserve

Essentially, you could take a road trip from Los Angeles almost all the way to San Francisco and back on one tank of gas (driving that is).  Or you could drive up and fly home if you needed to get back for that last minute meeting.  Either way the Switchblade is flexible.

Another thing to know is that they have already finished basic layouts for both a hybrid and electric version.  So when it comes to figuring out what your next green vehicle will be, remember to keep the Switchblade in mind.  Seriously…just think of the possibilities.  I mean, why settle for driving alone, when you can drive OR fly!

Image by biofriendly

If you ask almost anyone, they know that ride-sharing, car- or van-pooling and using public transportation will definitely make a difference to your fuel economy.  It will also save you money.  So, why don’t more people ride-share or car-pool?

Maybe it’s because they don’t know how much they will save.  Now I don’t live in the Northeast, but I recently starting following a company on Twitter and thought I’d go to their site and check it out.  It’s The Rideshare Company.  So I went to www.rideshare.com to calculate how much we would save if we had my husband ride-share or van-pool to work (I work from home, so no car-pool needed). 

I filled out their form and it showed that the estimated cost per mile for gas, maintenance and tires ran us about $0.2437.  Then it showed the estimated cost per day for vehicle depreciation was $11.63.  His overall estimated drive-alone commuting costs were $448.98 per month and $5387.76 per year.  Ouch!  Then they gave me the estimated cost for full time ride-share costs in a full size van – $1584.00, breaking down to about $132.00 per month.  Well, that’s a heck of a lot better than the $448.98 per month in drive-alone costs!

They also give you some environmental impact results they’ve had so far, including contributing to: 402 million less miles traveled, 11 million fewer vehicle trips, 201 thousand fewer tons of emissions released into the air (could be reduced even further with a good fuel additive) and 19 million gallons of gasoline conserved.  And that’s just from one ride-share company!

So, if every car emits its own weight in CO2 per year, then cutting just 25 miles a week from your regular driving could apparently save 1500 lbs of CO2.  Plus just think of the fuel economy, the savings and the lowered stress levels you would have by ride-sharing even just once or twice a week.  Honey…your ride-share is here!