When Kermit the Frog first sang the line “it’s not easy being green,” I don’t think he was talking about the environment. We live in the “green” age in which there is an overwhelming drive to reduce our impact on the environment.
Recycling is a way for everyone to do his or her part for the “green” movement. California has been “green” for a long time. I remember separating paper, plastic, aluminum and glass from garbage for recycling at least 15 years ago, if not more.
Al Gore is doing his part by talking about the relationship of greenhouse gases to climate change. Some people doubt the connection, and I can respect that; everyone is entitled to his or her opinion. However, I am certain that everyone agrees that the weather is not what it used to be. That’s climate change in my book.
What about fuel efficiency?
With gas prices well over $4 at every pump I visit, I have been thinking about hybrid cars. I know many people who own a Toyota Prius, which can get about 45 miles per gallon. While this gas mileage sounds terrific, I was thinking about alternatives to gas powered engines.
The federal government is making a big fuss over hydrogen fuel cells and throwing a lot of money into developing this technology for widespread use. I’m not familiar with the details of this technology, but I know that the byproduct is water. I’m more concerned about how to store the hydrogen and oxygen that is required to make the car go. I need to read more about this technology, and I’m sure there are some very smart people working on this problem.
What about an electric car?
Believe it or not, this has already been done.
When I was in college, I was introduced us to a car called the EV-1, which was made by General Motors. An electric car? Surely it would be wimpy!
I was wrong. The EV-1 was fast, it could go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds, and its surprisingly quiet. The EV-1 had a range of 120 miles on a single charge. I figured this car would be all the rage in California, since the state was into being “green” before it became popular.
Interestingly enough, 1997 was the last I heard of the EV-1, and then I saw a documentary called “Who Killed the Electric Car?” in June 2008.
This documentary discussed the EV-1 and points out what an amazing machine it was; the car was way ahead of its time. Eventually the program ended. Why? Was it corporate greed? Was it there not enough demand? Watch the documentary and come to your own conclusion.
With $4 per gallon gas, it seems that there would be significant demand for an electric car. I hope General Motors and other car makers follow up on it. Technology has improved over the past 10 years, so I imagine the next electric car will be even better. My fingers are crossed!
Dr. Dave
