Julia Roberts wants car that runs on veggie oil

So Julia Roberts and main squeeze Danny Moder were caught at a gas
station with their Prius. That warrants an army of paparazzi to
surround the pumps and record the action. PopSugar picked up on the
event to link to an interview with Roberts in Life & Style where
she says wants a car that runs on vegetable oil. "I think it's a small
price to pay to smell like a french fry," she quips.

Skip the gas station, fill up at fast food joints

High fuel prices don't bug Chuck Danley of Peyton. He drives every day, but hasn't been to the pump since December. Instead of paying to fill up his diesel pickup, he fills up with used vegetable oil.



Danley gets the used oil from restaurants around town, filters it to remove the food particles, then puts it into his truck. Danley raves about the oil, saying it lubricates the truck's engine better than regular diesel. "I've done no modifications to the engine," said Danley. "All I have done to the truck has added a separate fuel tank that holds the vegetable oil separate from the diesel."



He said he does not lose any power, and he gets about the same gas mileage--not that it matters, since the oil is free. Of the 96,000 miles he has put on his truck, 90,000 were on vegetable oil.



Technorati Tags: oil, bio+diesel

Speed Limit Has German Blood at 178 m.p.h. Boil

With a stretch of empty road ahead, Mr. Bongers floored the gas pedal, and within seconds the speedometer registered 286 kilometers an hour (178 m.p.h.) — something that is still legal here. That, by way of comparison, is about the speed of a commercial jet taking off.



Few things are closer to the German heart than the freedom to drive like Michael Schumacher, the fabled Formula One champion. Rule-bound and risk-averse in so many other ways, Germans regard driving on the autobahn at face-peeling speeds as close to an inalienable right.



Now, though, Germany’s love of speed is colliding with its fears about global warming, as it becomes clear that its Sunday race-car drivers are spewing tons of carbon dioxide into the air.







Technorati Tags: green, environment, green+house+gasses

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Look, no carbon footprint

It was a night for partying. Fireworks fizzed across the sky as half a million people celebrated Brisbane's annual Riverfestival last September. Then came a deafening roar. An Australian air force F1-11 swooped over the revellers, leaving behind a stream of flame hot enough to be felt below. Within a second it was gone, and cheers went up as the DJ announced the completion of the highlight of the evening, a "dump and burn".

The aircraft had jettisoned most of its fuel into the sky and ignited it. Later, the festival organisers announced that 300 trees had been planted outside the city to soak up the estimated 68 tonnes of greenhouse gases released by the stunt: dump, burn and offset.

That tree-planting was a small part of one of the fastest-growing businesses in the world: the sale of promises to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, often at bargain-basement prices.

A green energy effort has the wind in its sails

A grass-roots effort to fight global warming and high utility bills is sprouting in the suburbs, as advocates push for renewable energy in schools and local governments one step or solar panel at a time.
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In Lexington and Arlington, members of groups promoting fossil fuel alternatives are urging residents to contribute to the New England Wind Fund to qualify for free 2-kilowatt solar energy systems to be used by the towns' municipal buildings.

In Medford, solar panels atop Hormel Stadium and City Hall are already saving the city $2,000 a year.

And in Lowell, University of Massachusetts facility managers have invested in wind energy to help power residence halls.

The changes often begin with grass-roots efforts.

Nancy Nolan and Keith Ohmart are two members of Lexington's Global Warming Action Coalition trying to rally 300 households in town to make donations to the New England Wind Fund by March 31.

The group has already succeeded in getting 150 families to donate money, which means, at minimum, Lexington will receive a 2-kilowatt solar panel installed atop Lexington High School by the end of the year. The total cost of materials and installation is $22,000. With 300 contributors , the town would get two panels.

"I like to call this a wind-wind situation," said Nolan, a founding member of the coalition and a Lexington resident for 15 years.

"The big picture is that a program like this shows what everyday people can do," said Nolan.

"This is an opportunity to raise the consciousness of people in town about carbon emissions and alternative energy sources," said Ohmart, a 17-year resident who hopes the solar panels can also be an educational tool for high school science classes.

Lexington isn't the only community jumping on the alternative fuel bandwagon. Ten communities -- including Arlington, Cambridge, Brookline, and Newton -- have signed on to try to make the March 31 deadline.

Lexington's Solar Challenge is connected to a statewide program known as Clean Energy Choice that promises solar panels to cities and towns. Sponsored by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative , the program is an effort to encourage contributions to the New England Wind Fund , which finances clean-fuel initiatives throughout the region.

Living with Ed Hollywood Premiere Party

On December 21, 2006, Ed Begley Jr. and his wife Rachelle Carson threw a party for Hollywood industry friends at the Sunset Lammle 5 Theater in Hollywood . As is the case with most Hollywood parties, the paparazzi found out in advance and showed up to take photos of the attending Hollywood stars. It turned into quite a gathering! Ed and Rachelle’s surprise guests included:

- Richard Benjamin - Bruce Davidson - Geena Davis - Peter Falk - Jeff Goldblum - Glenne Headly - Eric Idle - Adrienne Janic - Jack McGee - Paula Prentiss - Cheryl Tiegs - Billy Mumy - Harry Shearer…and many many more!

It was a great way to celebrate the launch of this groundbreaking new series! Thanks to everyone who attended!

Mayors unite on the 'green' front

Earth-friendly buildings, cars help cities fight global warming and save money

Pittsburgh, once the gritty center of steel manufacturing, now boasts the first "green" convention center and one of the world's largest environmentally sustainable buildings: the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

On the banks of the Allegheny River, the building taps an underground aquifer for drinking water and recycles water used in its bathrooms. Roof skylights and glass walls produce diffused light and uniform temperatures to light and heat the building naturally. The center is a striking monument to Pittsburgh's efforts to transform itself.

Pittsburgh also may soon give developers a "density bonus" if they build similar Earth-friendly projects. That could mean buildings 20% higher or larger than zoning allows.

Going green can transform the city's reputation, says Councilman William Peduto: "Nothing will be able to shed the image of Pittsburgh as a smoky city better than that."

Easy Ways You Can Save Energy, Money

Change Your Bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs have been around for decades. They use much less energy and last much longer than conventional incandescent bulbs.

But fluorescent bulbs tend to give off a depressing, sickly light. Technology has changed over the years, and there are many newer fluorescent bulbs that provide warmer light.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs are available in a variety of styles, including warmer light for living spaces and more traditional fluorescent light for work spaces.

CFLs fit in standard lamps and come in many shapes, ranging from ones that look like traditional bulbs to "squiggly" models that take traditional fluorescent tubes and bend them into spiral shapes.

Compact fluorescent lights are more expensive -- at first. They cost around $4 to $15 per bulb, while standard incandescent will cost about $2.50. But Energy Star-endorsed light bulbs last up to 10 times longer than conventional bulbs.

Perhaps most importantly, the CFLs use two-thirds the energy of incandescent bulbs in the same amount of time. This means energy savings for your family and about 300 fewer pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, according to ClimateCrisis.net, the Web site associated with the documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."

Unplug

Even when TVs, computers and other electronic appliances are off, they use energy. According to ClimateCrisis, 5 percent of all domestic energy use is wasted this way. That translates to 18 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere every year.

Unplugging appliances when they are not in use can save you money in energy bills, especially if you have many appliances.

Look For Efficient Cars

You have probably heard about this one. Simply having a car with better gas mileage is a major boon to the environment. ClimateCrisis puts it into numerical terms: Improving gas mileage only 3 miles per gallon saves about 3,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released each year.

If you are in the market for a new car, there are several types available that use fuel-efficient technology. Hybrids that have gasoline engines and electric motors are the most popular, because they tend to get the best gas mileage and are widely available.

Buying a hybrid probably won't save you money, however. The Kelley Blue Book puts most hybrid sedans at $20,000 to $25,000, while comparable nonhybrids often cost around $15,000 to $20,000. You might get some of that money back in savings on gas, but probably not all.

For many families, the size of hybrid cars has been a concern. The two most popular and fuel-efficient hybrid cars, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid, can each fit only four people comfortably.

But there are alternatives. The Toyota Highlander Hybrid seats 7 passengers and is rated at 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 27 in the city. That's nothing compared to the 51/60 mpg found in the Toyota Prius, but much better than SUVs of comparable size.

Reuse Your Food

If you have a garden, unused food and leftover food products can be a great resource. You can collect them in a pot indoors and then empty the pot into a compost bin each night.

Composting not only reduces the food waste you have to throw out, it also makes for nutrient-rich soil, which means you will have to buy less soil for your garden.

Bring That Bag Back

This idea is pretty simple. Instead of choosing paper or plastic at the grocery store, bring your own tote bag. That way, you don't have to use and then throw away quite so many disposable bags.

And when you see other shoppers' flimsy plastic and paper bags break away under the weight of their groceries, you'll be glad to have yours in a sturdy satchel.

Episode 5 - Ed's Perfect Birthday

It's Ed's birthday! And just like everything else in the Begley house, it's far from conventional. For starters, Ed wants to forgo eating out at a fancy restaurant to cook his own birthday dinner. He plans a vegetarian feast, which he cooks in solar ovens. While the birthday boy is busy in the kitchen, Rachelle gets new air purifiers installed and plans her surprise gift for Ed —- a tech-y and green gift she normally would never think of.

But she's also in for a surprise when Ed decides to switch the typical birthday cake to something a little bit strange.

Episode 4 - Point/Counterpoint

Rachelle has found the perfect home renovation that even Ed will approve of — kitchen countertops made of recycled material — and you'll never guess where they came from! While the construction turns the house upside down, Ed and Rachelle end up doing dishes in the most unlikely of places.

Episode 3 - Jay and the Big House

Ed takes an interesting assignment and speaks to his counterparts — muscle car fans — about the future of electric cars. Speaking of muscle cars, he then stops by Jay Leno's garage. While they check out Jay's collection of old and new cars that run on alternative energy, unbeknownst to Ed, Rachelle checks out a spacious new (and not solar-powered!) house for sale.

Episode 2 - Beauty and the Barrel

In this episode Ed wants to start collecting rain water to use around the yard. This is a great way to save on public water. I do think Ed is missing a golden opportunity here. He wants people to recycle but does tend to make things look trashy. Being green does not mean that things need to look ugly. There are plenty of rain barrels out there that look good. He should be showing people the you can be green and not look like the crazy person on the block.

Rachelle puts her foot down about adding extremely hideous rain barrels to their backyard and wins for now. Round two, however, goes to Ed as he squeezes another contraption into the backyard. After putting himself up on the auction block in the name of charity, Ed takes not one but two winning environmentalists out to lunch. Rachelle can't believe people pay to hang out with Ed.

Episode 1 - Meet the Bagleys

In this first episode we get a early look at how crazy Ed can be at times, and how his wife deals with him. Ed begins to show all of the different methods he uses to reduce and reuse items.

From his electric car to his white picket fence made out of recycled milk jugs to his outdoor oven powered by the sun, Ed Begley, Jr., isn't just an actor — he might also be the greenest man in Hollywood. Green living is easy for Begley, but for his wife Rachelle, it's another story. Sure she cares about the environment, but if she wants a long, hot shower, Ed times her and what seems like a normal task is anything but in this household. Want toast? Ed's stationary bike is connected to his solar-power supply, so each morning he rides to make more electricity. Meet the Begleys and laugh out loud as you get a glimpse of what it's like Living With Ed.

Living With Ed

Kermit was right — it's not easy being green. TV and movie actor Ed Begley, Jr., perhaps the greenest man in Tinsel Town, rides his electric car to the Academy Awards and powers his home with the sun and his stationary bike. But Living with Ed and his environmentalist passion isn't always a walk in the park for wife, Rachelle. This first-of-its-kind reality green show chronicles life with an earth-friendly fanatic with humor and heart. Check out this fresh unscripted docu-soap about the lifestyle of a diehard activist who puts his money and his time where his mouth is 24/7. Definitely not recycled TV.