Best Ways To Beat The Heat This Summer: Drink Lots Of Fluids And Support The "Safe Climate Act"

Not Necessarily In That Order

Global warming is a hot topic this year, and lots of folks are talking about it. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), however, is doing more than just talking. He's taking some action. Waxman has introduced the "Safe Climate Act" (H.R. 5642), a comprehensive bill that would gradually reduce greenhouse gas emissions through 2050.

According to Rep. Waxman, the bill's targets include freezing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2010, at the 2009 levels. Beginning in 2011, it would cut emissions by roughly 2% per year, reaching 1990 emissions levels by 2020. After 2020, it would cut emissions by roughly 5% per year. By 2050, emissions would be 80% lower than in 1990. This goal is similar to goals that have been announced by United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Senate version of this bill, the "Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act", was recently introduced by Senator Jim Jeffords (I-VT). This bill includes provisions that are very similar to those of Rep. Waxman's Safe Climate Act.

Drive Change by sending Congress an email and let them know that you support both the "Safe Climate Act" and the "Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act".

Related Articles:

Grist Magazine l Austin Chronicle l Vermont Guardian

Other Ways To Drive Change:

Take Action with the Union of Concerned Scientists and tell Congress what you think about tax breaks for Exxon/Mobil and drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge.

Haiku Activism!

driving with doo-doo
fossilized dinosaur poo
when will it run out?

Andrew Shannon
Bronx, NY

Send Congress and the White House a haiku and let them know that you care.

Jeff Cohen Takes His Critics Advice and Goes to Venezuela to Check Out Citgo

Readers of Kicking Asphalt may remember our back and forth with a thoughtful member who disagreed with writer Jeff Cohen's calling for a Citgo "Buycott". Better World Club does not have a position on the boycott, but we do want to keep our readers apprised of both sides. Read Jeff Cohen's report on his visit to Venezuela.

Additional Ways to Get Where You're Going:

Sebastian Mallaby says cheap carbon based energy is a "dishonest" way to fight global warming.

David Hasselhoff And LPG Vehicles

What's The Connection? Germans Can't Get Enough Of Either Of Them

(Well, They Have Good Taste In Cars, Anyway)

Subaru Offers The LPG "Ecomatic" In Germany

Americans own 30 percent of the world's vehicles, we drive farther each year than the international average and we burn more fuel per mile than any other country. With all the cars owned in the US, you'd think that we would have our pick of alternative fuel vehicles. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

For some reason, the auto industry seems to believe that Americans don't care about fuel efficiency or emissions. Who knows, perhaps it's due to government subsidies for "Big Oil", our love affair with SUVs, or our inability to either ride bicycles or take public transportation.

Regardless of the reason, as consumers and environmentalists, we can demand more options. For example, Subaru is currently offering three versions of the "Ecomatic" in Germany. The Ecomatic burns LPG instead of standard gasoline.

Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) is made up of a mixture of hydrocarbon gasses - primarily propane and/or butane. Greenhouse gas emissions from LPG vehicles are lower than gasoline.

Click here to let Takao Saito, Chairman and CEO of Subaru of America, know that you would like to see LPG vehicles offered in the US.

Related Links

Klicken Sie hier, wenn Sie das lesen können.
Do Germans really love David Hasselhoff? The answer, mein freund, is "Ja".

Peugeot To Produce A Diesel Hybrid

Mad Scientist To Produce An Atomic Dinosaur Hybrid

Don't Get Too Excited. Neither One Will Appear Before 2010

Though mass production is still a few years off, and the fact that they probably won't be offered in the US anyway, we're still excited about Peugeot's work on a diesel hybrid.

Drivers of diesel hybrids would get the best of both worlds: The power of a diesel combined with the efficiency of a hybrid. The cars also achieve 25 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gasoline-electric hybrid - 3.4 liters of diesel fuel per 100 km (roughly 69 mpg combined city/highway).

Related Links

Click here to see what the diesel hybrids will look like.
Click here to see what the atomic dinosaur hybrids might look like.