Things that make you go Hmmmm......

In another episode of "Things that make you go hmmmmm...," we struggle to understand the marketing angle of Atlanta Motorsports Park's green initiative. AMP is a private country club with a 2-mile road course and a $100,000 membership fee and is 'going green' with waterless urinals, tankless water heaters, reclaimed water for irrigation, oil and garbage recycling, high-efficiency HVAC, energy-efficient windows and lighting. With an honorable goal to implement the best practices in efficiency and sustainability, AMP is attempting to off-set their gas-guzzling green guilt.

Shouldn't these 'best practices' be standard? And is being responsible most of the time mean it is OK to be a little irresponsible some of the time, like with limited fossil fuel resources?

Driving, racing and appreciating cars are not going to go away, even as fossil-fuel burning vehicles shift to more sustainably-powered vehicles. The more we think green and implement green practices, the better.

But if you are AMP, why the need to tell people how you going green? As Margaret Thatcher put it, "Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."

Saving green going green with fuel max tires

Helen and John Taylor broke their own "48 Contiguous U.S. States Fuel Economy Guinness World Record" with an average of 67.9 miles per gallon! Key to the Taylor's success is both their choice of automobile – a 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, the 2009 Green Car of the Year – and their specially-designed Goodyear Fuel Max tires. The Taylors suggest that the tires were one of the main ingredients that allowed them to better their previous record of 58 mpg.

The husband and wife's previous record of just over 58 mpg was also recorded in the same 2009 Jetta; the only difference being the Fuel Max tires. Both attempts took three weeks and more than 9,000 miles following a counter-clockwise route that included scheduled stops in Virginia, New Hampshire, Ohio, Nebraska, South Dakota, Montana, Nevada, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Illinois, Louisiana and West Virginia. Some of the fuel-maximizing tactics the Taylors employed on the road included actions such as avoiding idling and higher speeds, minimizing vehicle drag and performing regular vehicle maintenance.

Said Helen Taylor, "We hope our record-breaking journey helps educate the driving public that decisions, such as choosing the right tires, using the right fuel and adopting fuel-saving driving techniques, can help anyone save money and fuel, and reduce carbon emissions."

The Goodyear Assurance Fuel Max tire features a proprietary fuel-saving tread compound that helps reduce energy loss as the tire rolls, so less gas is required to keep the tire rolling. The 4 percent improvement in highway fuel economy delivered by the new Fuel Max tires means, in essence, drivers can save 2,600 miles worth of gas over the life of a set of 4 tires.

Bucket trucks go green!

A plug-in hybrid Ford F-550 boom/bucket truck is being used by Southern California Edison electric company as part of a test to see if the technology can be applied to large commercial applications. The plug-in delivers approximately 70% more fuel economy (and emissions reductions) and uses the electrical system to power the auxiliary systems, such as the boom, when the truck is stopped at work sites, instead of leaving the engine running.

The Eaton Corporation is spearheading this program and also offers assistance to diesel truck fleet owners who want to purchase a hybrid apply for the 25% grant offered under the Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

$45.5 million in grant funds were recently approved to produce 378 additional trucks in the largest commercial plug-in hybrid deal struck to date.

Blogging from the National Clean Energy Summit

Al Gore is very passionate about America getting off our foreign oil dependency. He claims it is a national security measure. Some of the speakers at the National Clean Energy Summit being held right now at UNLV in Las Vegas have pointed out that 4.5 million of the 12 million barrels of oil that we use come from "unfriendlies." Participant T. Boone Pickens pointed out that America uses 25% of the world's supply of oil, although we make up only 4% of the population. If we continue status quo, there will be "trouble in paradise." Our current energy sources, method of transmittal and how we use it cannot continue. T. Boone suggests updating the grid to take advantage of wind, which is currently available; electric for light duty transportation and natural gas for all new Class A vehicles (and natural gas for backup when the wind isn't blowing or the sun shining).

Green Your Body and Drive it Green!

The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory will feature ways to green your body, inside and out, with eco-friendly lotions, makeup and natural oils as well as organic cooking oils, spreads and food ideas on August 7, 2009, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m., during First Friday, Las Vegas Arts District’s monthly arts, entertainment, and social block party held downtown.

A chance to win a copy of Robyn O'Brien's The Unhealthy Truth will be available and all antics will be broadcast LIVE here on goinggreen.com. If you cannot be with us in person, you can sign up on your left to win a copy of the book.

In addition, a five-passenger zero-emission electric van from rEVolution Vehicles will be on display to showcase greener transportation options available now and what to expect in the future. The G3reen Outlet in the Arts Factory, located at 107 E. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, connects people, planet and products through interactive displays, internet TV, business to business networking and creative workshops.