City Kitties

The City of Angels isn't exactly heaven for big cats, but cougars there do have some guardians who are helping them cross over ... the freeways.

Although we don't tend to associated cougars with cities, a population of them exists in the area around Los Angeles. The city puts a lot of stress on that population though.

As a species, cougars require large territories. Consequently, the roads in L.A. pose a major challenge. Some cougars are killed by cars, and the city's road system segments the population, creating a high risk of inbreeding.

Two environmental groups have stepped in to help address the problem with the "Save L.A. Cougars" campaign. The National Wildlife Federation and the Santa Monica Mountains Fund are working to raise money and support for a wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway. The crossing would give cougars and other wildlife a safe place to move between the areas divided by the road. To learn more about the project, click here.

It's good to know someone is watching over L.A.'s cougars.

Driven by a Cause

Good ideas are at their best when they spread.

Two years ago, I blogged about a way to donate cars for charity. That option was for people in the Pacific Northwest, but it appears other organizations are taking this idea out on the open road.

The Humane Society of the United States participates in the One Car One Difference program, which takes donated vehicles and sells them at auction with the proceeds supporting the charity (or other designated charities). To read more about the program, click here.

It's great to see the idea of donating cars to charity going around the block.

Leafing Through

Leaders make many contributions to society, but their ability to introduce new experiences to others is especially important.

The Internet is helping leaders share their experiences more rapidly, and this comes at a great time for electric cars. For example, Sam Koblenski, who has owned a Nissan Leaf for the past year and a half, is using his blog to share the adventures and experiences he's had with the car. He made his first Leaf-related entry two days ago. Check out his entire blog by clicking here.

I like this idea. Electric cars are beginning to establish a foothold in the mainstream market, so those individuals who already have them can both raise awareness and add to the momentum. They allow a potential buyer to find and read through stories from actual owners.

The story of electric cars is beginning a new and important chapter, and people like Koblenski are helping write it.

Going Beyond No

As a lover of ideas and the environment, one of the most frustrating things for me to hear is, "No, we can't do that."

That's why I love people who just blow past no, especially when they have the environment at heart, which brings me to Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla Motors. Musk got fed up with major car companies finding reasons why electric cars could not work as products and started making his own, the Tesla.

Even after Tesla began making fully electric cars, people said the company would never work on a large scale. It doesn't seem like Musk and his company are paying much attention to those doubts either because Tesla is enjoying much success lately with the promise of a lot more to come.

First, Consumer Reports called the Tesla Model S the best car it's ever driver (see the video below). Then, Tesla paid off its government loan nine years ahead of schedule.



Additional great news came today with this report that Tesla (1) was expanding the availability of its charging stations and (2) intends to have a model that's half the price of the Model S by 2017. Together, these developments suggest Tesla's cars are on their way to reaching the mainstream.

For Musk, the question about electric cars was never whether they could be done successfully. It was whether they ought to be made. The former question led to a lot of no, the latter to an unequivocal yes, and once Musk realized that, he ignored anyone who told him no and simply did it.

Remember Big Moves

Two months ago, I talked about two big events planned for late September. Today, I am just posting a reminder that September 22 is World Carfree Day and September 24 is the day for Moving Planet.

If you can, make plans not to use a car for transportation on those days, and if you feel like it, participate in a Moving Planet event near you.

Right now, a lot of efforts (like Al Gore's 24 Hours of Reality, which wraps up today) are being made to push for better environmental policies and practices, so it's a great time to get involved and help maintain the momentum.

Toyota Gives a Plug to the Hybrid

As I have done before, I will state that what you are about to read does not constitute an endorsement of a product. The following discussion is my attempt to spread news and offer my interpretation of it.

In 2012, Toyota will have a limited release of a plug-in version of its Prius. It's an encouraging step.

The car will only be available to people in fifteen states, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Additionally, most of these cars available in 2012 can only be obtained through preregistration, which has already closed. Toyota promises wider availability in 2013.

The limited release and the fact that this car still uses gas are downsides, but according to Toyota, the car has the potential to give drivers up to 475 miles per tank of gas. Together with the release of cars like Nissan's leaf, which I blogged about in June, this new Prius indicates that carmakers might be getting serious about fuel issues and carbon emissions. If that's true, it's good news for those who need cars and decent news for the planet.

Watch a video of the plug-in Prius below:

Keep Your Eyes Wide

When I think about progress in changing our energy sources and reducing the negative impact we have on the environment, one of the things that bothers me is when we put in place policies now that lock us in to the old technologies that have polluted the planet for years. For example, those vehicles being produced today (the one's that don't even get 20 miles per gallon) will be around for a number of years. Another example is building new coal plants, an action that shackles us to the impacts of those plants for decades.

Truthfully, things like this dishearten me because it seems like they suggest we aren't making the changes we need to make. However, I've been reading about an ongoing, four-year-old campaign called Power Shift, which coordinates rallies, demonstrations, and protests in support of clean energy sources and against sources that pollute heavily. Learning about the campaign has returned a little hope to me.

Recent efforts by Power Shift have centered on helping a coalition of many other groups stop the proposed building of the Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline through the middle of the US. Here is a video from the National Wildlife Federation about the pipeline:



I like that the pipeline and other energy issues are generating this king of enthusiasm for the environment. Recent years have not brought great environmental policy to the country, and sometimes, action is necessary. Watch the following video to check out some of the protests that recently took place outside the White House:

Five for Starting

Earlier in the month, I gave my top five reasons for addressing global warming. Now, I want to give five things people can do to help address it.

You'll see different versions of this list everywhere, but I want to give those who are starting out on this task something to get the process going. With that in mind, hopefully, you'll find most of these steps closely connected.

1. Calculate your carbon footprint. This will get you started and give you a baseline from which to work. Various carbon footprint calculators exists. If you have trouble finding one, refer to my post about The Nature Conservancy's calculator.

2. Make a list of things you do that use energy sources like electricity and gas. Using a carbon footprint calculator can help with this list because as you answer the questions for the calculation, you can note the sources of energy consumption the calculator includes.

3. Use the list from the second suggestion to make plans to cut energy use (use power strips to turn off appliances when you aren't using them; use fluorescent light bulbs; take shorter showers). The carbon footprint calculator can help with this list too.

4. Drive less by consolidating trips, walking, bicycling, and/or taking public transportation.

5. Contact your elected officials and ask them to create legislation that limits carbon emissions. This last suggestion is a little different than the others, but it is important because it deals with the larger system. It's great if individuals are doing their part, but the society as a whole must be set up to limit emissions, and elected officials are the ones responsible for that. For information about how to contact your elected officials, click here. The link allows you to find and contact officials, including the president, members of Congress, governors, and members of your state's legislature. Don't underestimate the impact of contacting these officials. Please let them know it's important to you that they address global warming with legislation.

Turning over a New Leaf?

I want to say right off the bat, the following post is not an endorsement of the car to which it refers.

In fact, if you read the earlier entry on donating your car to charity, you know that my perfect vision with regard to automobiles is a car-less life for myself.

With that said, I want to talk about this commercial for the Nissan Leaf. Actually most of the video is about the making of the commercial, but the commercial is tacked on to the end. Give it a watch, and then, continue reading below.



The commercial interests me for a number of reasons. First, I hope the Leaf is just a first step toward human's future with cars. (I have heard reports that more electric vehicles are on their way to the mainstream market, but honestly, I don't trust car companies on this one--they've moved the goalposts one too many times.) Yet I'll continue to hold a little optimism.

Another important point (one that is not made apparent by this commercial) is that Nissan, at least, is starting to talk about the impact of a car's whole life cycle. The company says it is already considering how to recycle the lithium batteries that power the Leaf. This is nice to hear because while carbon emissions are a big issue, pollution comes in many forms, and sustainability requires an examination of the whole picture.

Finally, the main reason the commercial caught my attention is its use of nature. Except for the very end, the only voices the viewer hears are from nature. Is this just another example of green washing, in which a company hides behind an environmental claim while making money and doing really very little to help the environment? I hope it isn't. I hope it's an example of a new mainstream way of thinking about our relationship with the planet.

Still, what's with making nature come to us? I mean that bear had to do all the hard work. And can we really connect with nature just by buying a car, especially considering the damage that act has done to the environment in the past?

A Day of Reconnecting

Last month, we had Earth Hour. Friday, April 22, is Earth Day.

Because it began as an attempt to produce actions that help improve the environment, Earth Day can sometimes be seen as a time that is just about "saving the planet." After reading some ideas for things to do on Earth Day, I realized that, indeed, I was carrying this faulty assumption.

While it's great if you can turn the day into a chance to limit your carbon footprint (walk or take the bus instead of your car), improve wildlife habitat, or support environmentally friendly policies, you can also make it about relaxing and reconnecting with the natural world. For you, maybe it's a 15 minute stroll outside to get some fresh air, an hourlong walk near the river, a quest to photograph as many different bird species as you can in three hours, or a day at a state park.

Whatever you choose, you can turn this year's Earth Day activity into an initial step, one that you might possibly expand upon next year.

You don't have to be an environmental activist to observe Earth Day. It's about strengthening the connection between people and their environment, and there is no reason you can't reap the benefits of that, so think about setting aside some time (no matter how much) on Friday for an "environmental experience."

Donating Your Wheels

Happy 2011.

Since it's a new year, most people are talking about new things, but I've been known to follow my own drummer from time to time, so I'm going to start the blogging year by talking about something old, specifically your old car.

Perhaps you're thinking about getting rid of a car you've had for a while (maybe because you are trying to cut down on the number of vehicles you own, you plan on getting a more fuel-efficient one, or you are venturing into the exciting world of a car-less life). If so, consider avoiding the hassle of selling your old car by donating it. People in the Pacific Northwest can pick up a tax deduction by donating their cars to a variety of charities through Northwest Charity Donation Service.

NWCDS accepts various vehicles, including cars, trucks, vans, jet skis, snowmobiles, motor homes, buses, tractors, heavy equipment, and boats. The company sells the machines, and the proceeds benefit the charity you have selected from the list of participating organizations, a list that features a number of animal groups. NWCDS often even takes machines that don't run, and the company will pick up your donation at no cost to you.

All in all, it's a pretty good way of saying goodbye to your old car.

It seems likely that if you live outside the Northwest, a company like NWCDS exists near you, so check it out. Also, if you would like some tax information about donating your vehicle, use the guide from the IRS.

By the way, if, after reading this post, you're still looking for something novel that aligns with the spirit of the new year, picture this: a car-less society. Totally cool.