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It's a bird, it's
a plane, no it's a hybrid!
September 23,
2005
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When my third son was born I
had to face it, a larger SUV was inevitable. I couldn't stand the thought of
driving the "Magic School Bus" every day, but what's a gal to do when you have
2 large carseats, 1 large booster seat and a black cocker spaniel who thinks he's a
person?
Miss Frizzle seems to pull it
off without a hitch in the children's book series, so why can't I?
Aside from the numerous
scrapes and scratches from city driving, my very large SUV (3 full rows of seats) has
served me well.
Being a woman who truly wants
to impact the world we live in and make a
"difference", I've taken the steps to throw in my
gas-guzzling mode of transportation.
I walk whenever possible, I
look for cleaner grades of fuel, I carpool and I consolidate my trips in the
car. I know that every little bit counts and every individual CAN make a
difference. That is why I have begun my search for the sporty-est, fastest, coolest
hybrid, eco-ride on the planet.
If you're going to go clean,
here's some info you should know:
The nonprofit Union of
Concerned Scientists (UCS) launched a new Web site, www.hybridcenter.org, that offers
comprehensive information on hybrid automobiles. The site allows visitors to
respond to questions about personal driving habits, car ownership history and
location. It then produces information about carowner compatibility and car-to-car
comparisons, along with many more tips and services, free of charge.
The site has several features
to help consumers learn more about this new technology. On "hybridblog,"
UCS monitors and evaluates all the breaking news on the hybrid and clean vehicle
market. Watchdog articles give timely advice about
hybrids.
HybridActions allows visitors
to pitch in to help shape the future of the hybrid market. UCS will add new
hybrid vehicles to the consumer center and will post a hybrid scorecard for a more
thorough comparison of hybrid models.
"We will also continue
to expose 'hollow hybrid' models that are marketed as
hybrids but fail to use the technology and do not provide meaningful fuel economy
savings." says Scott Nathanson, National Field Organizer of UCS.
Hybrids earn their name
because they use a combiniation of two power
sources, typically gasoline and electric.
According to UCS, more than
200,000 hybrid vehicles have been sold in the United States since 1999. Six
models are currently available, but the industry anticipates the release of a dozen more over the next three
years.
So get on the bus Gus and
make a little plan Stan and listen to me...log on to www.hybridcenter.org and find out
more!
Keep
Rollin',
Beth Aldrich
We welcome your story or ideas for
a future FHI Connection! click
Source: Union of Concerned
Scientists/Mother Earth News, Sept. 2005 reported by Patrice R. Holderbach
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