Treehugger.com's Top Ten Going Green Driving Tips

Go Green and save green, by Derek Markham.

1. Limit yourself: The song says, "I can't drive 55", but you really ought to. For every five miles per hour you drive above 55 mph, you lose 10% fuel efficiency, so keep your speed down when you can.
2. Don't be idle: If you're stopped for more than a minute, shut off your engine. Fuel efficiency savings of up to 19% are possible by being more aware of not letting your engine idle while stopped.
3. Get the lead out: Do you take off from stoplights like you're drag racing, then hit the brakes at the next one? Accelerating less aggressively and slowing down moderately for stops can increase your fuel efficiency by over 30%.
4. Go steady: Many traffic lights are timed for efficient traffic flow, and by maintaining a constant speed, you'll hit more green lights in a row.
5. Go for a cruise: Use your cruise control on the highway to maintain a steady speed and keep yourself from accelerating unnecessarily. An average fuel savings of 10% is possible by just cruising. For mountainous drives, skip the cruise control and accelerate smoothly on the hills, coasting down the other side with minimal fuel.
6. There's an app for that: Got an iPhone? Install a fuel saving application like MyMPG that lets you know when you're wasting gas.
7. Streamline your ride: Improving the aerodynamics of your car reduces drag and improves fuel efficiency. Got a roof rack full of gear? Leave it at home and feel the difference.
8. Hack your fuel efficiency: Change your plugs regularly, keep your engine tuned up, and your filters clean. Empty your car of any extra items you've been hauling around for years to lighten your load.
9. Jump in the pool: Drive alone, and you're making the gasoline industry very happy. Find a carpool for work commutes, and ask your friends and neighbors to combine errand runs with you.
10. Gear up: Cars are more fuel efficient in a higher gear, so when you're up to speed, pick the gear with the lowest engine rpm and you'll burn the least amount of gas, while reducing the emissions from your tailpipe.

How much do carbon emissions cost?

Global investors called for strong action to control global warming at the International Investor Forum on Climate Change in New York this week. British economist Lord Nicholas Stern asserted that unmitigated climate change poses a threat to the world economy. Said Stern, "But building a low carbon economy creates opportunity for investment in new technologies that promise to transform our society in the same way as the introduction of electricity or railways did in the past."

A similar theme was echoed at the recent AlwaysOn GoingGreen West conference in San Francisco. Quantifying the cost of a carbon emission seems the most urgent and logic

al step. Once carbon emissions has a cost associated with it (as in the UK), legislature, tar

gets, incentives and goals are much more easily set. From an investor point of view, where there is cost, there is a flow of capital and opportunity.

For example, India's emissions reduction plan calls for 20 gigawatts of electricity to be derived from solar by 2020. As a result, global investors are looking at the opportunity so

lar offers.

Most importantly, by not taking action on climate change and/or investing in sustainable sources of energy, we run the risk of leaving future generations with fewer, maybe none, options for clean air, water and food.

Blogging from Going Green West Conference

Cutting-edge greentech CEO's, investors and some of the biggest names in green technologies debated and presented the latest inventions and new opportunities. Highlights include:

Technology New Issue Market is recovering nicely according to David Chen, Executive Director of Morgan Stanley. Solar has better demand source - good investment pick. Biofuels and Energy Efficiency rank high as well. First CleanTech IPO since crash is A123.

Congratulations to BrightSource Energy - the Winner of Always On GoingGreen 100!

R. James Woolsey - Regarding oil - look for fuel efficiency, go electric where possible (hybrids), biomass-based liquid fuels for longer range. Can use existing infrastructure - nice start for a working coalition to move forward.

Spain is Going Green!

If nature, culture, art, tradition and great food weren't enough reasons to go to Spain, now, if you drive an electric vehicle in Spain, parking and charging is FREE. And if you are fortunate enough to live there and own an EV, you will enjoy a 75% tax reduction.

The Spanish government has earmarked $2.2 million for green transportation initiatives, including possibly converting 546 public telephones into EV charging stations. Considering most of these old booths are in located high traffic areas and situated close to the curb, the idea seems to have merit.

Crazy!

Guiltless Green Home Theater

If you were struggling with your green conscious over whether you should get a home theater or entertainment center, but feeling guilty about the amount of power it would consume, struggle no more! Just get the new Guiltless Green Home Theater, designed by The Home Theater Specialists of America, HTSA, an association of 61 custom home theater designers.

The Guiltless Green Home Theater is powered by four solar panels mounted on the roof that help offset the electricity needs of the theater's Sharp XV-Z15000 DLP projector, a 100-inch Stewart Filmscreen, an Integra DTR-5.9 receiver, the Sharp BD-HP50 Blu-ray player and SpeakerCraft’s AIM 8-1 in-walls, MT-1 in-wall and Bass X10 in-wall subwoofer, Lutron Grafik Eye lighting system and Salamander Designs’ Geneva Twin20 equipment cabinet and Alex theater chairs and is offered for $29,575, complete with the solar panels and installation.

According to HTSA, the solar panels will pay for themselves over four years of energy savings. After that, you’re in the black…and in the green the whole time.

In addition to the long-term savings in energy costs, solar panels can add more value to your home, and a number of rebates and tax incentives exist on a state and federal level. Through 2016, the federal government will offer a 30 percent rebate on the cost of solar panels. For more information about Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency, go to energystar.gov/taxcredits and for your individual state go to the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency at dsire.com.