EcoGeek News: Volt Unveiled, Eco Driving, and UFO cars

This week marked General Motors' 100th anniversary. And rather than being focused on all the things that were part of that history, the most attention seemed to be focused instead on the company's future offerings, namely, the forthcoming Chevy Volt. As EcoGeeks, we are in love with the Volt because it is a game changer. Although it is still two years from reaching the market, the impact of GM's commitment to developing an electric vehicle is showing in Toyota's current work on a plug-in version of the Prius, Honda's new hybrid Insight, and a number of other companies also pressing forward with new vehicles that use battery electric drive. From our sister sites, Envirovore discusses the recent California Farmer Protection Bill; EnviroWonk reports on the results of a big, bipartisan Senate conference on energy; and an article about biofuels is cross-posted to both sites. And Now...On to that and the rest of the News! How Green Is the Volt...Really? As GM finally unveils their next-gen game-changer, the question on everyone's mind is whether getting your car's power from the grid is better for the environment than getting it from gasoline. The short answer is yes. The long answer... is why you read ecogeek. Japan's Landfills Abound with Gold, Silver and Platinum In Japan's landfills, there is enough gold, silver and platinum to propel the country into the top tier of resource-producing countries - along with Australia, Brazil and Canada. The millions of electronics that are discarded each year, including televisions, mobile phones, MP3 players and computers, have created so-called “urban mines.”. UK Driver's School Grades on Eco-Driving New drivers practice and study to learn the rules of the road. In the U.K., new drivers are also being tested on how they can become more efficient drivers. The Driving Standards Agency, which examines new drivers, is beginning to test not only proper ways to stop and go, and how to park and shoulder check, but also how efficient a driver should be. Efficient driving, such as not speeding too much and avoiding sudden brakes, could save motorists a whole month’s worth of fuel each year, according to the government agency. Alaskan Police Pull Over Solar “UFO” Car Alaska doesn’t get much action, really, so it’s no surprise that police thought they were pulling over a UFO when they saw the above solar car tooling down the road. I’d probably have thought the same thing, except that UFOs are unidentified FLYING objects. Want Your Own Wind Turbine? Here's Our Guide Small-scale turbines are an exciting area of development. The standard, propeller-style turbine is well established, and there are many suppliers for this kind of generator in a range of sizes. But, besides the propeller turbine, there are a number of other options that are being developed and coming into availability that offer different features and performance that can make them appealing alternatives for some.   And, of course, don't forget to check out the news on the other EcoGeek Network blogs, too: Carectomy - http://www.carectomy.com/ EnviroWonk - http://www.envirowonk.com/ Envirovore - http://www.envirovore.com/ And be sure to check in for more information about all the latest green technologies at EcoGeek.org

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