As I mentioned some time ago, my husband and I have been in the market for a new vehicle – but not any old car! As professional advocates on climate change issues, it is extremely important to us to make a choice that supports our daily efforts to improve fuel efficiency, keep our air clean, and reduce our carbon footprint.

When we’ve spoken about out interest in purchasing a new car with our friends, they all seem to simply think the obvious choice for us is a hybrid vehicle. But just because the vehicle includes hybrid technology, does not always mean that it’s the most fuel efficient. New technologies are always coming out and while we rely on manufacturers to tell consumers about the benefits, most have done a pretty lousy job. The educated car buyer is challenged to keep up with the innovations, learning the benefits, which manufacturer is using the technologies and when they will be brought to the marketplace. It’s not an easy task.

All hybrid technology is not created equal – and they differ from one manufacturer to another.Learn more about hybrids by checking out a post I wrote about them some time ago. You cannot rely upon car salesmen to tell you about the technology as many have not taken the time to learn about it or will be able to explain it well. Do your own research.

Compare vehicles that include hybrid technology with conventional models making sure to look at price, miles per gallon, and even maintenance. If you are more of a long distance, highway driver, hybrid vehicles may not increase your mpg enough to make it worth the extra money. For you, it may make more sense to seek out a conventional or diesel (TDI – Turbocharged Direct Injected) vehicle with excellent highway ratings. More on TDI another day… For those of you who are more short distance, city traffic drivers, hybrids may better suit your needs since the vehicle recharges the battery while breaking and operates utilizing the battery while slowing and stopping.

It’s important to also realize that hybrids will soon be coming out with another big improvement – plugs! No, this doesn’t mean you will be required to plug in your car or park near an electricity source. What it means is that you will have the option to charge the battery of the car with electricity from your home, allowing the vehicle to rely on the battery more than the gas tank. Still you can always fill up at the local station and still recharge the battery through slowing and stopping. Best of all, this improvement to the hybrid technology will come with a battery with much improved energy saving capacity. Hopefully, theses cars are only right around the corner, so if you are not quite in the market for a new car but are just starting to think about it, look out for new plug-in hybrids coming to a car dealer near you in the next few years – if not sooner!

Still, while the U.S. market has just barely more than a handful of hybrids currently available, they simply do not seem to fit our bill when it comes to picking a car. Sure the Toyota Prius, the best selling hybrid currently on the market, is worth a look and remains on our list, it does not have the hauling capacity we had hoped to maintain. The capacity is ok, and certainly doable but for a young couple likely to one day use the car for cross country trips, kids, and our occasional furniture shopping, it is only barely as big as we want – even with the seats folding down flat (a major perk in our book!). We do not prefer the relative low quality and lack of comfort of the Ford Escape and while the Saturn Vue was a pretty good ride, we felt it had very few tech options we wanted for the price, not to mention that we learned just after test driving that GM would be closing the line at the end of this year.

If price were no matter, the Lexus RX450h would be on the top of our list. It’s gas mileage is excellent (though could always be better!) and truly is an exquisite design of luxury. Unfortunately, that luxury comes with a hefty price tag that happens to be out of our ideal range.

So the question remains, will we find a vehicle that is both fuel efficient and family friendly in size which fits into our (hardly meager) price range at under $35,000? Stay tuned!

Welcome to 2009! We hope you had a great holiday and can’t wait to help you fulfill your New Year’s resolution to integrate more acts of green into your lives. 

Below is a pledge for you to sign which we are certain will help you up your green ante over the course of the year. While the list may be daunting at first, consider incorporating just a few new eco-friendly tasks each month. Over the course of the year, you will have made great strides towards reducing your carbon footprint and deepening your shade of green.

At home, I pledge to…

• turn off lights and appliances when not in use
• unplug chargers  and appliances that are not in use
• use computer sleep mode and turn off monitors when not in use
• open the dishwasher and air dry dishes instead of using the hot air dry cycle, run only full loads
• dry laundry on a clothesline
• wash clothes on cold cycle, wash only full loads
• turn down my hot water heater to 120F
• shorten showers by a few minutes to conserve hot water
• lower my thermostat by at least 1F during the winter season
• install a digital, programmable thermostat. Set it and forget it
• adjust thermostat when I leave the house (10F down in winter, 10F up in summer) (if you install the programmable thermostat and set it, you can check this one off too!)
• keep up with basic furnace maintenance- have it professionally tuned and cleaned, replace air filters regularly
• cook more efficiently- cover pots, use a pressure cooker when appropriate, keep burners clean, cook several dishes at a time in the oven, use microwave to heat food, for small meals – use a toaster convection oven instead of heating up your larger oven
• keep drapes or blinds closed at night in winter and during the day in the summer to reduce heating and cooling needs
• clean refrigerator coil every 4-6 months
• replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs
• when bulbs blow out, dispose of them properly or recycle if possible
• install light dimmers
• install faucet aerators in sinks to reduce hot water use
• install low-flow shower heads to conserve hot water
• install low-flow toilets to reduce water use
• insulate 4 ft of hot water pipes closest to hot water heater
• insulate all hot water pipes
• caulk and weatherstrip all my doors and windows
• have a professional seal my heating ducts to reduce loss of heated air
• replace old inefficient dishwasher (over 10 years old) with an Energy Star model
• replace old inefficient refrigerator (over 10 years old) with an Energy Star model
• replace old inefficient clothes washing machine (over 10 years old) with an Energy Star model
• improve my home’s insulation
• replace old furnace with efficient Energy Star model
• install a solar hot water heater
• eat one less beef meal per week
• eat organic food as much as your budget allows
• eat as local as possible; maybe eating “100 miler meals” – food that hasn’t traveled more than 100 miles
• compost food and yard wastes
• recycle paper, bottles, cans and other reusable materials
• buy recycled products whenever possible
• buy products that use as little packaging as possible
• take clothing and small appliances to charity thrift stores or other donation centers
• join a volunteer organization, or an environmental organization
• participate in government so I have a voice in sustainability issues and decisions
• register to vote so I can create help change in environmental policy decisions
• tell a friend

For my transportation, I pledge to:

• take public transportation to work or school instead of driving at least 1 day a week
• carpool to work or school at least 1 day a week
• replace at least 5 miles of driving with biking or walking per week
• inflate car tires properly, use recommended motor oil and keep car well tuned
• buy a fuel efficient vehicle (30 mpg)

For my workplace, I pledge to:

• make double sided copies
• only print when I really need the hard copy
• use the blank side of old documents for scrap paper
• buy recycled copy/printer paper.
• turn off my computer at night

The Green Ribbon Pledge will compute your energy savings for energy saving specific points. Thanks to the Stonybrook Green Pledge.

What are suggestions you can add to creating a greener 2009?  Please tell us below in the comments!

Real Christmas trees benefit the environment by providing greenscape, absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off fresh oxygen. But, with more than 25 million real trees sold in America each holiday season, its important that we look at the end game of all where all these trees go once the glitter of Christmas wears off. It shouldn’t be news to you that simply throwing out your live Christmas tree is a clear environmental faux pas – but what should you do with it? The answer may depend on available programs near you, but most everyone should be able to find at least one eco-friendly option which suits their needs.

Every year, millions of Christmas trees are sent to landfills or dumped on public property in America.

Decorate for the Birds

Prepare for your tree for its environmentally-sound end by decorating with compostable decorations such as popcorn garlands. Using compostable décor on your tree means that you don’t have to undecorate the tree before putting it in your compost pile, sending it to your community’s compost facility, or (and I think this is the best idea!) putting the tree outside to be a feeder for the birds. That’s right, simply put your compostable, decorated tree in your backyard and enjoy your natural bird feeder.

Community Composting for Xmas Trees

There are more than 4,000 Christmas tree recycling programs in the Unites States. Go to your community’s municipal webpage or contact your local trash pickup service to inquire about composting programs they offer. Still can’t find a local resource? Go to Earth911 and type “Christmas tree” and your location into their search to find local programs. Many services offer curbside pick up. Considering that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that about 24% of landfilled waste is yard clippings and compostable, doing your part to utilize your local programs can make a big dent in your personal contribution.

Still can’t find a local program in your area? Start your own Christmas tree recycling program and give the gift that lasts… less waste in our landfills.

For next year, use the buy local, buy organic rule for the purchase of your next real Christmas tree. Check out Local Harvest to find one of the more than 5,000 choose and cut Christmas Tree farms in the U.S.

And, if you are looking to the next step in low-impact living, consider purchasing a potted, living Christmas tree next year. Then, plant the tree in your yard after the holiday or consider donating it to a local arbor organization dedicated to greening your community. For those of you in the ever environmentally chic San Francisco, next year, rent a tree which will be picked up from you after the holidays and planted in the city.

Hope you had a happy holiday!

Image by Flickr user BowBrick used under a Creative Commons License.