Image from ARKive.org media library

Image courtesy of ARKive.org media library

Species: Giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis)

Status: Endangered (EN)

Interesting Fact: The giant otter is also known as the ‘river wolf’.

The giant otter is one of South America’s top carnivores, and is the largest of the otter species. The giant otter generally lives in family groups of three to ten individuals, composed of a monogamous, breeding pair and their offspring born during previous years. These groups rest, play, travel, fish and sleep together. When cubs are born, they are cared for in a den by both the adult pair, and the older siblings. At two to three weeks of age, the cubs are taken to the water by the female, and at three to four months the cubs begin hunting and travelling with the family. The patch of cream coloured fur on the throat and chin is unique to each individual from birth. The diet of the giant otter is composed almost exclusively of fish, but it is also known to eat caimans, anacondas, other snakes and even the occasional turtle!

Up until the late 1970s the giant otter was excessively hunted for its valuable fur, with its naturally curious disposition making it a particularly easy target. Today, however, habitat destruction is the major threat to this species, with the areas in which the giant otter lives being destroyed and degraded by mining, logging, and damming.

For more information on the giant otter, visit the IUCN Otter Specialist Group.

View images and footage of the giant otter on ARKive.

Becky Moran, ARKive Species Text Author

Image by bekkli (source: Morguefile)

Urban Forestry is a growing trend in cities looking to actively clean their air and water while making streets aesthetically pleasing for pedestrians, bike riders, and drivers as well. While I could list any number of benefits trees in urban areas have been shown to produce, there was one advantage that I didn’t expect to see: safer, more eco friendly carsdriving through cities.

Now, you might be wondering how trees help to slow drivers down and create an atmosphere where greener cars and greener driving habits prevail. It’s quite simple; trees help create a natural, visual wall that drivers are constantly aware of. Imagine, for a moment, that you are driving down a deserted highway with nothing but flat land in every direction. An open road, if you will. Even if you’re generally a safe driver who abides by all the rules of the road, it’s easy to rationalize that driving 5 MPH above the posted 65 MPH speed limit, on a highway with no one in sight, won’t hurt anyone and will only get you to your destination faster. So you speed up to 70 MPH, turn up your radio a notch, and get comfortable for the rest of the ride.

Without any trees lining the streets of a city, there is very little differentiation between the sidewalk and the road ahead of you, minus a curb or street light. This is the thought process behind tree-lined roads, a product of the Urban Forestry movement. Not only do trees that line sidewalks and streets make a safer pedestrian environment, but that same “wall” of trees helps to slow drivers down and reduce emissions, a win-win situation for all. Not to mention that instead of speeding up quickly in these pedestrian-friendly areas, drivers could be saving money on gas by accelerating slowly.

Next time you drive through your city, take a look at the trees around you. You might not have realized the effect they’ve had on your driving habits.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

Source: Koen Olthuis, Waterstudio.NL

“What is beautiful about this project, is that it doesn’t demand expensive urban areas, while the wildlife on the ”Tree Sea” will affect the areas around it on the distance of many kilometres”, says the architect.

Source: Koen Olthuis, Waterstudio.NL

“Tree Sea” can function at various  altitudes. Its layers – above water – will be a habitat for birds, bees, insects, bats and other small animals. Beneath water, various species of fish and others aqueous creatures will find a shelter. If the climate is suitable, even artificial coral reef might sustain and develop.

Source: Koen Olthuis, Waterstudio.NL

According to Waterstudio.NL  building of this structure would take only two years to complete.

Image by Josh Parrish (source: Flickr)

One European bicycle culture consulting firm, Copenhagenize Consulting, released there results for a study exploring the world’s most bicycle friendly cities.  By no coincidence, this index is named after the world capital for bicycle culture, Copenhagen.  The index takes 20 major cities and analyzes them on 13 categories, including; advocacy, bicycle culture, bicycle infrastructure, perception of safety and social acceptance to name a few.  Each category was rated on a scale between zero and four points, with twelve bonus points built in for any impressive efforts or features.  A total of 64 points are possible.  To almost no surprise, Copenhagen and Amsterdam took the top two spots out of the twenty.  Ironically, Amsterdam placed first on the Copenhagenize Index with a score of 54 while Copenhagen scored 52.  Many cities that we usually don’t associate with bicycle friendliness came in on the list, including Budapest, Guadalajara, Dublin and Rio de Janeiro.

However, my first question upon seeing this index was “Where does New York City come into place?” Well, New York City has a cozy spot right at the bottom (20 out of 20 cities, scoring 29).  This is a great start for New York City, however there is so much more to accomplish.  Plans to integrate bicycle usage into the City’s infrastructure are in development.  According to the report, New York possesses great responsibility as a city with international influence.

Visit the Copenhagenize Index website to view the complete report.

Earthgarage – Greener car.  Fatter wallet.

Source: img.izismile.com

Giuliano Mauri started building this cathedral in 2001. It is one of the most natural pieces of architecture in the world.
The artist, who passed away in 2009, claimed that the supporting structure will decay with time and the eighty hornbeam saplings he planted, will continue growing, forming a roof over the building  “Cattedrale Vegetale” is situated in the North of Italy.

photo by LuxTonnerre (Flickr CC)

A solar powered tourist boat, energy efficient office buildings, solar and wind power projects; and greener transport plans are just some of the reasons that Hamburg, Germany has won the title for European Green Capital of 2011.

But does this industrial European port city have what it takes to live up to the eco-city image it promotes?

Hamburg has scooped up the title European green capital for 2011. The northern German port city convinced the jury by presenting itself not as a green oasis but rather as a thriving industrial metropolis which has risen to the challenge of adapting to climate change. Hamburg has ambitious targets[:] it plans to expand its network of bicycle paths, push an inner city train system and promote electric cars. The city aims to cut carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2020.

–Deutsche Welle

Several websites promote Hamburg’s green ambitions and credentials, such as the official site for the city of Hamburg, the Hamburg European Green Capital website and the European Commission’s European Green Capital site, which highlights several European cities including Stockholm, Nantes and Vitoria-Gasteiz.

For more on ‘eco-city’ Hamburg, Germany, check out the following video report from Deutsche Welle’s Global Ideas series:

At just five-days-old, the EU’s plan to subject non-European airlines to greenhouse gas emissions fees continues to reverberate worldwide. A day after we noted that Delta Airlines has begun passing on some of the emissions fees to fliers, in the form of a $3 surcharge on tickets to or from Europe, comes a report in the Guardian newspaper that the four top Chinese airlines are refusing to pay.

Image courtesy of ClimateCentral.org (source: flickr/caribb)

The new rule subjects airlines flying to or from Europe to the EU’s Emissions Trading System, which allows companies that emit carbon dioxide, a gas that contributes to global warming, to buy and sell a limited amount of permits. The U.S., China and other countries are opposed to having their airlines subjected to this system, saying it would increase airfares and may violate international trade and environmental agreements.

It remains to be seen whether these airlines will incur penalties. As the Guardian story states, “airlines that fail to pay carbon allowances can be fined €100 ($128) per ton of carbon dioxide. Persistent offenders are liable to be banned” from flying to Europe. In other words — if the conflict persists, it could escalate into an outright climate change-related trade war. The Guardian story states:

If the EU applies punitive measures, Chinese academics have suggested that the country’s airlines should counter by reducing purchases of Airbus aircraft.

While such threats have since been played down, any escalation of conflict between these two huge economies would have implications for the world.

China says it is unreasonable for Europe to apply its policies to developing nations, which are still at the stage of rapid expansion of their airline industries and so find it difficult to cut overall emissions.

It says the costs of reducing carbon should be passed on to aircraft manufacturers — most of which are in Europe or the US — as an incentive for them to produce more efficient planes.

There is still time for a resolution because carbon fees do not have to be paid until March 2013. But Chinese airlines are already looking into legal actions against the EU and lobbying for countermeasures by the Chinese government.

While U.S. airlines are opposed to the EU aviation fees and are pursuing legal actions against it, they are not — at least not yet — outright refusing to pay. And other Asian airlines with a significant European presence, such as Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines, are cooperating with the plan as well, the Guardian reports.

By ClimateCentral.org

Image courtesy of The Natural Gardener

Most of us tend to choose organic, if the price differential isn’t too much !
But recently I’m beginning to wonder, what is more important, sustainability or organic certification ?

Leaving aside the debate as to the provenance of some approved organic treatments, copper sulphate for example, is the lack of an ‘organic’ tag putting us off sensible, sustainable practices ?

For example, we start all of our plants in a compost blend of wormcast and coir – full of good stuff and it’s nice and light.

We first experimented with this compost ( and then became totally hooked) when we found out these  worms are fed on waste paper collected from offices and organisations around Herefordshire ( where the worm farm is) plus farm manure, green waste and especially grown comfrey. An ideal way of recycling waste stuff, and fits perfectly with our objective of using ‘Nature’s Natural Cycle’

You cannot get organic waste paper though ! So what’s more important do you think ?

We also think that people need sustaining a bit to, that’s why our coir pots, produced from the waste husk of coconuts, are made for us by ladies in southern Sri Lanka.

It’s quite a cottage industry too, for the ladies of the area, to collect all of these waste husks but again can we be sure they are all organically grown ? (Although the ‘ Sri Lankan Coconut Development’ certifies they are.)

We have decided though that the benefits to the people of a poverty stricken area, the saving in the use of plastic and the returning of stuff back to the soil it came from ( that’s that ‘Nature’s Natural Cycle again)  outweighs the benefits of ‘organic’.

Most of what we sell though is, in fact, organic, everything from Neem fertiliser to Soap Nut Shells,but if we have to choose between sustainable practices or organic certification – we’re more and more coming down on the side of sustainability !

This blog post was written by Louise who works hard to make our world a little greener – The Natural Gardener.

photo by Gianpaolo Fusari (wazuluwazu on Flickr CC)

Honey from Newcastle, vegetables grown in Nottingham and London cheese are just a few examples of urban produce now being grown and sold in British cities. All across the country, people are increasingly choosing to grow their own food for reasons of economics, health and in order to feel a connection to their food and the land.

Sustain, a UK alliance for better food and farming, has launched an online project called City Harvest for ‘demonstrating and promoting the benefits of Urban Agriculture’. Sustain’s scheme Capital Growth, funded by the Mayor of London, includes some 1,500 growing spaces in London – a 30-fold increase since its launch in 2008, according to Sustain’s new report, ‘A Growing Trade’.

From the Independent:

Across the country, more than 2,000 new spaces for growing food have been created over the past three years. And this is just the start of the upsurge of inner-city farming. Already, eco-designers have been invited to look round the Olympic site in east London to see if there is potential for a farm after the Games.

For more information on urban farming in London see the following paper, published online by Canada’s office of urban agriculture (don’t be confused it’s still about London, England and not London, Ontario) entitled ‘Economic Costs and Benefits of Urban Agriculture in East London’.

There is also a list of London farms, which are open to visits from the public, on the Mayor of London’s website for young people.

Image by The Intrepid Traveler (source: Flickr)

In America, a street built for pedestrians is still a growing idea.  However, in Europe this idea is a normal part of life. Pedestrian streets have been a part of European culture for hundreds, even thousands of years, despite changes in how people transport themselves.  Cars, trains and buses have been integrated tactfully in many European cities while still preserving these pedestrian corridors.

Also known as a car-free zone, the largest pedestrian street in Europe is located in Copenhagen, called Strøget.  According to one Canadian news source, this street boasts a little over one mile of historic buildings with fine shops, eateries and more. The Strøget connects two squares, one on each end of the street.  Beyond that, about 80,000 people a day walk this car free zone in the summer, and slightly more than half of that in the winter. The Strøget started as a radical change to rid this street of cars in the early 1960′s, and ever since then the city has been giving more space to pedestrians and bicycles, and less to cars. Air quality in the area has improved since implementing this pedestrian street and directing cars elsewhere.

America is working to integrate pedestrian streets and make them a part of the culture. Times Square, right here in New York City, has created a pedestrian plaza.  It evokes mixed emotions out of New Yorkers.  Some people say that Times Square will lose its charm, and many cab drivers are displeased with losing their pickup spots.  Others are hopeful that this will create a more pleasant Midtown Manhattan experience.  Officially created in February, 2010, Bloomberg reports that creating these plazas has improved traffic flow seven percent faster than before.  Injuries to motorists and pedestrians are down, 63 percent and 35 percent respectively. Bloomberg also reports that vehicle-caused pollutants are down 40 percent.

All-in-all, the pedestrian plaza have positive effects for the pedestrian and the motorist. They are a win-win in the constant conflicts between pedestrians and cars.  The Times Square pedestrian plaza shows that this type of infrastructure helps reduce carbon emissions and save money on gas, all while improving traffic flow.  The Strøget and Times Square show how a balance between the car and pedestrian can make everyone happy in the long run.

Earthgarage – Greener car.  Fatter wallet.

Image courtesy of ARKive.org media library

Species: Saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica)

Status: Critically Endangered (CR)

Interesting Fact: The large proboscis-like nose of the saiga antelope is thought to help with body temperature control.

The strange looking saiga antelope has an extremely distinctive appearance, with an enlarged nose that hangs down over the mouth. This impressive nose is thought to warm and moisten inhaled air during the winter, and act as a filter against dust during the dry summer. Saiga antelope feed by grazing on various plants, and are usually active during the day. They are nomadic, and undertake long seasonal migrations of up to 1,000 kilometers. During the mating season, male saiga antelopes will aggressively defend a group of females. Fighting between males can be violent, often ending in death. Males also tend not to feed during this time, and the mortality rate can reach 90 percent due to exhaustion. Females usually give birth to two young, and these remain concealed in vegetation for the first part of their lives. The saiga antelope can be found in Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

In the early 1990′s, Saiga antelope  were thought to have numbered over a million. However, habitat loss and poaching over the past 20 years have resulted in a population crash, with only around 50,000 individuals remaining. Hunting is now banned throughout the saiga’s range, and a captive breeding programme has been established with further research needed in order to understand how to best conserve the fascinating saiga.

For more information on the saiga antelope, visit the EDGE website.

View images and footage of the saiga antelope on ARKive.

Becky Moran, ARKive Species Text Author

photo by Joaomorgado (Wikimedia Commons)

When I go shopping for groceries in Portugal I have the choice between two major supermarkets plus several bakeries and fruit and veg places. When I hit the big supermarkets I can either buy flimsy biodegradable bags at one or stand in the exclusive eco queue at the other. Since I’m a dedicated eco-fascist I like the eco queue, which doesn’t provide any cheap plastic bags and only sells large reusable ones. As it is the lines are always short and using it makes me feel smug. Maybe people will start to catch on and it will have a longer line than the regular checkout, which will cause them to open more eco-queues. If environmental apartheid doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.

The two-mile walk to both supermarkets is paved with sights: a beautiful aquamarine ocean, incredible mansions in various states of disrepair and later examples of architecture ranging from the concrete futurism of the totalitarian Estado Novo to the far out, down right science fictiony designs of some new landmark projects.

Imagine if the Borg from Star Trek: The Next Generation became property developers. They would build something exactly like the new, ultra-exclusive Estoril Sol Residence. Many people hate this overbearing collection of black glass cubes because it dominates the skyline and contains flats with a starting price of one million euros. I call it the Death Star and I actually like it. It replaced a really fugly hotel of the same name, which was falling apart and besides a few squatters and an electric car sales lot, looked like it hadn’t been a going concern for years. Admittedly, I kind of liked the old Estoril Sol too. It had a “They’ve finally done it!” Planet of the Apes bleak ugliness that I find fascinating.

As you can tell from the starting price, the new Estoril Sol is beyond exclusive. Rumor has it that the daughter of the president of Angola has bought an entire floor. I think I saw her on the promenade one day with a minder. She was cute as a button and had two designer, gold-plated razor mobile phones. Actually I just googled the Angolan president’s daughter and that wasn’t her, but you get the idea about the kind of moneyed people who live in the Death Star, besides your northern European tycoons with champagne taste and money to burn.

Luckily, it’s got a lovely garden with reflecting pools and a big tiled tunnel to the beach, which are both open to the public. It also leads to a nice forest park. But you just can’t keep the riffraff out. Drunks are occasionally seen stumbling through the echoing passage and some dummy has already painted some graffiti (sorry, “street art”) on its entrance. It’s just a tag with a picture of one of the ghosts from Pacman – Inky or Blinky, I’m assuming. It made me laugh at least.

And Portugal is suffering. Wages are being cut, working hours lengthened and pensions slashed, supposedly to pay off debt on a €78bn international financial bailout. And sure, a Chinese corporation may be buying Portuguese public utilities, but they can never own the waves… can they?

Reuters/Romeo Ranoco

Several dozen men ran naked around the University of Manila. They wanted to draw attention to the need for greater environmental protection. Bare runs have become a tradition at this Filipino University.

Every year a group of students meet to fight in defense of the environment. The tradition started over 40 years ago. Then, the students were running around in protest against President Ferdinand Marcos. This year, runners fought for purification of the local rivers.

Although the message was not clear for all, this year’s event has been watched by hundreds.

“Whatever their advocacy was, I think it will definitely be heard and exposed,” said a student Mariel Abao.

“Even though they have a weird way of expressing it, at least the issue is given light.”

Watch the bare butts here!

Image by val-j (source: stock.xchng)

Christmas day and its frenzied build up is certainly not kind on Mother Earth and when you think of all the thousands of tons of plastic, wrapping paper and unwanted gifts it could leave you feeling as white as the snow outside, but does this have to be the case?

A new website, EthicalCommunity.com has recently launched which aims, amongst other things, to help us reduce our environmental impact. Eco conscious shoppers can browse from over 7,000 products, learn about the story behind each product and buy directly from the eco-sellers that made them.

Christmas is the perfect time for people to focus on what really matters – their family, friends and the environment – and, with a little planning, you can experience the joy of giving and receiving in a way that is kind on our planet. So here are our tips for how to prepare for a very Merry Green Christmas.

Tips for having a green Christmas

Christmas Cards.

We all love giving and receiving Christmas cards but what do we do with them after the festivities season is over as many contain glitter, laminate and dyes which mean they cant be recycled. Instead why not choose seeded paper cards that can be planted to grow gorgeous wild flowers.

Lose the wrapping.

Spending money on wrapping paper which is only going to be torn up and thrown away is a bit of a waste, instead why not make the wrapping part of the gift itself by wrapping it in Myfuroshiki fabric gift wrap which is a fun and affordable take on the Japanese art of “Furoshiki” (cloth wrapping). With just one of these any shape of object can be easily wrapped with no sticky tape, no scissors and no waste!

Christmas dinner

A study found that carbon emissions equivalent to 6,000 car journeys around the world are produced by the UK tucking into Christmas dinner each year. A Green Christmas dinners doesn’t mean only easting sprouts and peas, you can still enjoy your turkey but why not opt for an organic turkey this year it maybe a bit more expensive but it’ll be far healthier for you and your family as organic growing prevents the use of hormones and chemicals which are often fed to animals during the intensive farming process as well as ensuring high animal welfare standards for lovely Mr. Turkey.

Try to source Organic food from local farmers, as buying local will help reduce emissions caused by food being shipped all around the world and store any leftovers so they can be made into tasty Soups, stews and pies.

Christmas decoration

In general lighting accounts for 15% of household electricity and Christmas tree lights left on for 10 hours a day over the 12 days of Christmas produce enough carbon dioxide to inflate 12 balloons! So after Christmas dinner is over why not switch off the light and relax in the light from some beautiful candles made with beeswax which are naturally fragrant, nontoxic, soot-free, and non-allergenic. They’re completely renewable and require little, if any, additives making them a great alternative to Paraffin wax candles.

Living Christmas trees are carbon neutral, wildlife habitats and a naturally renewable resource so think about if you could grow the tree outside and bring it in each Christmas, this is also a great way to save money or alternatively why not have a Fairtrade Christmas tree delivered to your door.

Image by Walmart Stores (source: Flickr)

If you’re interested in staving off climate change without trying too hard, painting your roof white seems like a complete no-brainer. It’s far cheaper than trading in your SUV for a Prius, and it turns the laws of physics to best advantage. Dark roofs absorb sunlight that heats up your house, office tower, or apartment building. That means you’re bound to crank up the energy-intensive air conditioner to keep pace in the summer months — and since electricity in the U.S. comes largely from fossil fuels, the net result is more heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions, and more global warming.

But a white roof does just the opposite. It bounces sunlight right back into the sky, just as light clothing helps you stay cool in the summer. Cooler buildings need less air conditioning, which translates to fewer emissions of heat-trapping gases. That’s why Energy Secretary (and Physics Nobel prizewinner) Steven Chu endorsed the idea back in 2009 and why cities like New York and Philadelphia have launched white-roof projects.

Unfortunately, what seems obvious is not always true, and a new study available online and soon coming out in the Journal of Climate reveals some potentially bad news for white roofs. When Stanford University engineer Mark Jacobson, and his grad student John Hoeve modeled the total climate response to white roofs and other urban surfaces, they found the lightening may actually cause more global warming.

Here’s why: the sunlight that bounces off white roofs doesn’t all fly out into space. A lot of it is absorbed by particles of soot and other dark-colored pollutants that float around in the atmosphere (those same particles are already responsible for a good portion of global warming). The particles heat up, just like your house would have, and the net result is a warmer atmosphere. You house might be cooler, but it would be at the expense of heating the planet.

In short, says Jacobson in a press release: “There does not seem to be a benefit from investing in white roofs. The most important thing is to reduce emissions of the pollutants that contribute to global warming.” So much for trying to take the easy way out.

On the other hand, says Jacobson, there is another way to use your roof in the fight against climate change: cover it with solar panels. The panels intercept sunlight before it hits the roof, so your house doesn’t heat up so much. They don’t bounce the light back into the atmosphere where it can heat up soot particles. And they generate at least some electricity without emitting greenhouse gases. It’s not quite as cheap as painting your roof. But unlike that feel-good solution, it’s actually likely to be effective.

By Alyson Kenward.

Original blog post by Climate Central.

photo by didiz rushdi (Flickr CC)

As the sport of surfing grows, so does its environmental impact. Surfing equipment made of non-biodegradable materials such as synthetic resin surfboards, neoprene wetsuits and petroleum-based surf wax are just some of the products used by surfers that can have a negative ecological footprint.

Environmentally conscious surfing companies such as Envirosurfer are attempting to address some of the ecological issues with surfing products and offer green alternatives. For example, wooden or epoxy boards, as well as surfboards made with bamboo-based resin, last longer, are less wasteful and less toxic than typical polyurethane boards. Other tips include using thinner and more durable wetsuits, which create less waste than typical models. Wetsuits which do not contain PVC are also a less toxic option. And while surf wax may not seem like the biggest problem in the ocean, there are quality petroleum-free waxes available, which are made from natural ingredients, making them more environmentally friendly.

In the more general beach-going category – and by no means limited to surfers – is the subject of sunscreen. Most sunscreens contain toxic chemicals like oxybenzone and other poisonous ingredients that pose dangers to sea life and may have human health concerns. Fortunately, sunscreens free of these toxins are also widely available.

Read the entire article here.

Also check out:

Ericeira: World Surfing Reserve

Eco Surf Rescue Uluwatu!

Image by beggs (source: Flickr)

More and more Craigslist rideshares are safe and easy to come by. And while hitch-hiking has gone to the wayside over the last several decades, a new and evolved form let’s call “neo-hitchhiking” has emerged in ridesharing.  Once again Americans that have never met before are hopping into the same vehicle to share conversation while saving money on gas and reducing emissions by fitting more people into less cars.

Finding a ride is super easy. Just locate your town or city on Craigslist and click rideshare under Community in the top left.  Then type in your destination to narrow the search.  Look through the adds to locate a ride for you and get busy with e-mails, texts and/or phone calls to land yourself a cheap seat.

While there is no need to bore you with the nitty gritty of my experiences, other benefits deserve explanation.  Normally when individuals travel by plane, train, or bus they are left with their own thoughts or device(s) during the duration of their trip.  Even though they are in a vehicle full of people, an isolation exists that creates an uncomfortable and lonely ride. Instead, rideshares establish a more personable setting where conversation is encouraged and stories are shared along with savings.

In specific reference to my ride up to Seattle, I am convinced that you would be hard pressed to find another situation where a 40 year old musician, a 30 year old professional, a college student and a 20-something blogger have the opportunity to get to know one another while diving deep into discussions on life, thrift stores, and the ever-volatile nature of the American economy for hours on end.  By the time we arrived at our destination I knew my companions more than almost everyone else I encounter on a daily basis.

It has become too common place in this country for individual reliance on companies to perform daily tasks instead of looking within the community for assistance. And while this idea of comparative advantage is the American Dream unto itself, the level of dependence we have on advertised solutions to issues has gotten out of hand to where it depletes our bank accounts and harms our environment.

There are so many people in similar circumstances, going similar places, that we subconsciously choose to ignore instead of making an effort to get to know. Collectivism should not be the scary word it has manifested into over the years as we remain locked within our own agendas and expectations of outcomes.  What better way is there to get into the Holiday Spirit than enter a car full of other people you just met to save money on gas and reduce emissions on your way to the festivities?

Just hop on, tune in and hop out.

By Andy Grossman.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.

Image by frankh (source: Flickr)

A green car is any of a number of vehicles available on the market that offer high mileage through either hybrid or electric technology – or a combination of both. If you’re considering buying a new vehicle, there are many different reasons to put a green vehicle at the top of your wish list.

• Fuel economy. With a green car, you’ll get better fuel economy. Of course, that means the cost of driving your vehicle is lower than with a regular vehicle, particularly with the cost of gasoline topping $4 a gallon in parts of the country. Better fuel economy can also lower the price of gasoline. One of the variables that go into gasoline price is demand. In part, demand is determined by the amount of gasoline reserves available in the U.S. More drivers using less gasoline means more reserves, which actually lower prices.

• Slow global warming. Scientists around the world have determined that carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and other toxic emissions have eaten through enough of the protective ozone layer that the planet is getting hotter. This global warming is related to a number of dangerous side-effects, from the melting of the polar ice caps to stronger and more frequent hurricanes. The next best thing to reducing the number of vehicles on the road is making sure as many vehicles as possible get the best possible fuel economy. Here’s why: Each gallon of gas spews about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide into the air. But a vehicle with better gas mileage doesn’t put nearly as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Experts say the improvement from 20 to 25 mpg, for instance, is huge, saving about 10 tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the air during the life of the car.

• Cost benefit. There’s no doubt that the original cost to purchase a green car – whether it’s hybrid, electric or both – is higher than a traditional vehicle. But the lifetime costs to own a green car, such as gasoline, maintenance and insurance, are significantly lower than a regular car. While you still must take care of a green car, the technology behind hybrid and electric vehicles creates much less strain on the engine. That means maintenance costs are lower. Green car owners also can also get a cheap insurance quote on their vehicles because statistics show green car owners are less likely to be involved in accidents.

• Plenty of choices. There was a time when the only option on the market if you wanted a green vehicle was a Honda or a Toyota Prius. Those days are long gone. Check out our list of some of the top green cars for 2011. If you are hypnotically attracted to 50 mpg, go for the latest version of the Toyota Prius. If a stylish, electric vehicle suits your fancy, go for the Chevy Volt. More and more green cars are now engineered to battle toe-to-toe with the roomiest and most attractive regular vehicles. That includes models like the Lexus CT 200h and the Volkswagen Golf TDI.

Choosing a new vehicle is a big decision. If you’re a homeowner, it likely is the second-most expensive purchase you’ll make during your lifetime, considering the cost of the vehicle and insurance. Thanks to hybrid and electric technology, you have the opportunity to choose a vehicle that gets great fuel efficiency, reduces the amount of toxic emissions into the atmosphere and can produce a cheap insurance quote. Check out the many different green vehicles available and help to save the planet – and your own financial bottom line.

Image by moriza (source: Flickr)

The concept of designating a certain number of bikes for unrestricted use has many economical and environmental advantages.  It should come as no surprise to hear that that owning a car is expensive.  With the national price per gallon at $3.30, we are spending an average of $50 per tank.  This figure stands on the low end of the annual cost of membership in existing bike share initiatives ($45-$85).  For the price of what it takes many to drive just 400 miles you could have access to a bike in different areas of your town or city every day.

As for sustainability, choosing bikes is a no brainer.  The best way to reduce emissions is to simply stop emitting GHGs.  After their initial production the only environmental costs of bikes concern maintenance and repair.  And like remote roadside emergency phones, many of the rental stations are powered independently using solar cells.

Since 2009 three companies have designed 15 privately owned programs in cities around the US.  Bixi, B-Cycle and Sandvault systems have been developed to ensure customer satisfaction with every ride.  Where other initiatives have failed in the past, effective measures have been ensured for locking, availability and protection against vandalization.  The companies have shown that the better planned, designed and advocated for the programs are, the more the public will accrue the benefits.

Consisting of 1,300 bikes on 156 different stations “Capital Bikeshare” is the country’s largest operation to date.  Located in D.C. since May of 2010 and owned by Atla Bicycle Share (the same company in charge of New York City), the program utilizes the Bixi design first implemented in Montréal back in 2009.  Not only does Capital Bikeshare have around 16,000 annual members but each bike traveled an average of 400 miles per day.

Again the cost for this is cheap.  Participation in Capital Bikeshare is only $7 per day, $15 for 3 days, $25 for 1 month or $75 for the year.  Once a member, you receive a key that links directly to your bank card.  Each day you get the first 30 minutes on any bike for free before having to pay $1.50 for every additional hour. That means if your one-way commute is less than 15 minutes you never have to pay another dime after the initial cost.

Three other major programs with more than 500 available bikes are “Hubway” in Boston, “Nice Ride” in Minnesota and “DecoBike” in Miami – Hubway recorded 140,000 trips on their bikes in the last four months.

It’s no surprise that global populations are urbanizing at the fastest rate in history.  Already over 3 and a half billion people live in cities worldwide.  That number is expected to increase dramatically in the coming years.  If we keep wasting money on transportation costs there will be less money to exchange within the local community.  The best way for America to create jobs is to keep micro economic flows in motion. This tremendous shift of people offers a great opportunity for everyone to get out of the car and back on the streets.

Previous bike sharing efforts have failed due to a lack of interest and a lack of education.  The sooner these programs can become a part of our daily lives the sooner we can sign onto them and reap the benefits to begin drastically cutting down our daily expenses and reducing our emissions.

Make your own plans to get out of a car and onto a bike for next spring now.

To vote for a B-Cycle to franchise near you click here.

Earthgarage – Greener Car. Fatter Wallet.