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Save The Planet, Lose The Guilt
Beware Phony Hybrids
There are few symbols of personal green virtue more popular than the hybrid car. And some like the Toyota Prius (more than a million sold worldwide, getting 46 miles to the gallon) are the real deal.
But just because a vehicle is a hybrid doesn't mean it's green. Terry Penney says his Prius gets a 50 percent efficiency boost from hybrid technology, while some copycats get only 10 percent. "I go into car dealerships and they try to feed me a line of crap," says Penney, the technology manager for advanced vehicles and fuels at the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
In fact, half of all hybrid vehicles currently on the market are no more fuel-efficient than their nonhybrid versions, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists. The other half are phonies. "Hollow hybrids" have neither the hybrid technology—a battery that boosts the combustion engine—nor the efficiency to warrant the designation. Saturn's 2007 hybrid, Chevy's 2007 Silverado and the 2007 GMC Sierra Hybrid pickup are examples, says David Friedman, research director for the Union of Concerned Scientists' Clean Vehicles Program. Then there are "muscle hybrids," which use the battery to boost the power of a big engine rather than to increase fuel economy. The Lexus line and hybrid Honda Accords fall into this category, says Friedman. Charles Territo, spokesperson for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, says that in the past, hybrid customers saw fuel efficiency as only one of many important factors, and automakers were simply meeting those varied demands. In the past three months, he says, a "very dramatic shift" in consumer demand is producing a much clearer focus on fuel economy.
Consider Honda. Last year it ditched its Accord hybrids. Spokesperson Chris Naughton says the vehicle tried to balance fuel economy and performance in a way that proved unpopular. He says Honda has learned from the flop and is now focusing hybrid models solely on fuel efficiency.
The point is efficiency. Penney is on his fourth Prius in seven years, and turns in the cars every two years before the tax credit runs out. Friedman drives a Honda Civic HX, which he considers simpler technology that gets almost as good mileage as the hybrid, for a much lower sticker price. "In the near term, it's the simpler technology that gets us farther," he says. "That's the asterisk to all of this."
Lesson: Governments need to think about what kind of hybrids they are buying for their own fleets, or promoting through tax and other incentives.
How To Eat Green
Organic-food lovers prefer locally grown vegetables in part because they assume local is greener. Surely local tomatoes travel fewer "food miles" in an oil-fueled vehicle to get from field to table, right? It sounds logical, but it doesn't hold filtered water. "Food miles are a great indicator of localness," but not of environmental impact, says Rich Pirog, associate director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.
A big share of food exports are fruits and vegetables shipped between the northern and southern hemispheres to take advantage of alternating winters. But growing them locally might take more energy—to heat, light and irrigate winter greenhouses—than to ship the food. "You can't just look at the transportation piece," says Gail Feenstra, a food analyst at the University of California, Davis. "It's one piece of the whole puzzle. It might be a big piece, but more likely it's a small piece of the food chain's environmental impacts."
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Member Comments
Posted By: Ed Dunn @ 08/15/2008 6:44:39 PM
Comment: I have had an issue with the US Green Building Council. They have created a checklist (LEED) for building "Green". I have seen many people use the list as a guideline to design and build with. Problem is, most people, including architects are just not understanding the concept of simplicity and the use of natural elements such as the sun, earth and water. LEED, gives points for using green methods or materials. Trouble is, some people try to incorporate too much just to so that they can score high. Many times, buildings that have scored high on the LEED perform poorly in reality. LEED does not include passive solar design at all. Passive solar is an incredible way to get free energy from the sun to both heat and cool a building. Very few architects or designers understand how it works. Many would prefer to avoid it altogether as LEED gives more points for using HVAC systems that are energy efficient.
I have built structures, here in Flagstaff, AZ that use very little energy over the year to heat and cool because it is using the sun for this! They are very simple, and the funny thing is, they score very low on the LEED! The LEED instrument was designed by people in the industry, and that may be the problem. HVAC people may have discounted solar because if properly designed there would be little or no need for HVAC systems. This, to me, would be a perfect example of greenwashing.
Ed Dunn
Solar Design & Construction
Flagstaff, AZ
solar.ed@gmail.com
Posted By: ralphmcm @ 07/14/2008 7:57:22 PM
Comment: I would like to know the guidelines for being labled GREEN. I would also would like to know if a company that makes a great energy efficent product in a less than perfect green factory in China that is imported in the USA and save energy over all competion, can it be labled green or is it origin a problem?
Is commercial laundry equipment capable of having a green label?
Posted By: accrew4 @ 07/11/2008 9:03:26 AM
Comment: The whole idea of carbon footprint is missleading and IMO was suspossed to be that way. Why not use the method that the commercial industry uses to justify a manufacturing process. "The total energy and material cost of producing a product and getting it to the consummer." If it cost more to produce than the customer is willing to pay, then do not produce it. A prime example is bio-diesel, it still cost more to produce then the oil based diesel, when you remove all the tax breaks. We are not even going to mention the hugh cost of corn based gasoline additives.
For years the oil companies burned natural gas at the wellhead. Because it was going to cost to much to get to the customer and at the time there was little demand for natural gas. The same as LNG is today, the transportation cost to markets is just too high. Plus the lack of sea ports to unload the ships transporting LNG, caused by the NIMBY people and the huge safety issues associated.
The whole concept of just in time deliveries of products to stores and manufactoring plants, worked great when the transportation cost to the stores was low. Now with rising cost of diesel and the damaged caused by using longer and heaver trucks on our road systems. Trains are looking better and better, especially the new ones that can run on 70% LNG and 30% diesel fuel. IMO long haul trucking is going to join the wagon trains of 19th century.
As the rising cost of transporting products filters down to the cosumer. You will see more and more local produce stands open. The best example I know of is setting in front of me now. A bottle of all natural Dole sliced peaches. The peaches were grown in the USA and they were packaged in Thailand for sale in the USA. Also I have a bag of fresh peaches that were grown 5 miles from my house, that I have just bought at a road side market one mile away. Ha Ha