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By Matt Cunningham
| Sunday, May 11, 2008, 03:28 PM
After last week’s exploration of unorthodox, unique and just plain different alternatives to the conventional automobile, I thought it might be appropriate to talk about fuel.
Specifically, biofuel.
The Renewable Fuel Standard mandate included in the government’s 2007 energy bill called for the production of 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022.
All fine and dandy, until one considers the source of those fuels, especially the amount of space and energy needed to produce them.
Read this and this, then tell me:
Do you think biofuels are a way out of oil dependence, or are their proponents barking up the wrong tree (or cornstalk, for that matter)?
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By Matt Cunningham
| Saturday, May 10, 2008, 12:41 PM
To wrap up this week’s exploration of unique transportation alternatives, I had to go back to the old standby: pedal power.
If I still haven’t converted you to the bike-commuting crowd, take a look at this blog post. The post is from 2007 so I expect the numbers, given today’s gas prices, would be even more favorable for the cyclist.
I also found this blog, which appears, on first glance, to have a good grasp on the bike-commuter scene across the U.S.
If you check these two out, leave a comment and tell ‘em I sent you.
Continue reading "Velomobiles and the old standby"...
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General green living
By Matt Cunningham
| Friday, May 9, 2008, 01:56 PM
Today’s entry in this week’s list of unique ways to get around is actually a look back, rather than forward.
I found a number of pages dedicated to the California Commuter. Mini-car, enclosed motorcycle, homage to George Jetson - whatever you want to call the tadpole shaped little machine, inventor Doug Malewicki got it into the Guinness Book of World Records for averaging 157+ mpg in real-world driving conditions.
I read on a connected site that Malewicki was, as of 2002, working on a 2-seater version of the car that is designed to cross the county on one 26-gallon tank of gas.
I’ll see if I can find out more about where that project stands.
On a side note, Malewicki designed Evel Knievel’s rocket cycle that “jumped” the Snake River Canyon. The link here makes for some interesting reading.
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By Matt Cunningham
| Thursday, May 8, 2008, 01:42 PM
After yesterday’s post about the Uno, I received this e-mail from the folks at Motorcycle Mojo Magazine:
“Thanks for the link and the mention in your blog, it is much appreciated.
As for comments, we have had quite a few but the builder has been bombarded…
Europe especially seems interested in it as about 7 or 8 news papers or TV news stations have been requesting images of the Uno. Other requests have come in from many other places like South Africa, Germany, Sweden and the USA.
It took us completely by surprise.”
This thread intrigues me, so I’ll do some searching and see what other unique car alternatives I can find. Let me know what you think of the results: are they sideshow gimmicks, or signs of what the roads may look like in the future?
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By Matt Cunningham
| Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 11:35 AM
On the heels of yesterday’s post about the Tesla Roadster, here’s a take on electric transportation that’s a little further off the beaten path, but kind of neat.
I found an article in Canadian magazine Motorcycle Mojo about the Uno. Think electric sport bike with its two wheels side-by-side (Segway, anyone?)
Read the Mojo story for the kicker - the thing was designed and built by an 18-year-old.
Whether the Uno really works or not, it’s encouraging to see something like this come not from a big company, but from an inspired tinkerer’s garage.
I wonder if the fix (or fixes) to our gas-hungry transportation dilemma will come from a similar source?
I suspect some of you, dear readers, keep your eyes out for other electric concept cars, clean transportation technology and the like. What have you seen that piques your interest? Let me know, and I’ll look into it.
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By Matt Cunningham
| Tuesday, May 6, 2008, 03:31 PM
A colleague sent me this CNN story yesterday. Looks like the much-hyped Tesla roadster is finally a reality, albeit a very expensive one.
But what does this really mean for consumers, and for the whole idea of a practical electric car?
Is this the start of a clean revolution?
Is it a toy to make rich folks feel like they’re doing something good for the planet?
Is it something in between?
Drop your comments here, and let’s figure out if the Tesla is a new page in transportation, or destined to run out of juice before it makes a real difference.
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By Matt Cunningham
| Monday, May 5, 2008, 12:55 PM
I had over half a million results come up when I Googled “gas tax holiday” today. Big-name news outlets’ stories filled the entire first age (pretty rare in my experience; usually there’s at least one small interest group I’ve not heard of in that first-page mix).
Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain are stumping on the idea on CNN as I write this.
So what do you think would happen if the 18 to 21 cents of tax dropped off each gallon for a limited time? Would it make a difference in the short term? What about the long-term impact, after the holiday ends?
I’m very curious to see what the public has to say about this one.
Again, it’s your forum. Fire away.
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I think solar is THE long term solution.
What is your email? I want to discuss my new hybrid