Filed under: Etc., MPG

Nothing’s gonna stop us now.

AAA Chicago is saying that despite high gas prices, the typically busy Memorial Day weekend roads will once again be full of travelers again this year. The AAA estimates that 38.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home over the holiday weekend (May 26-28), which is 1.7 percent more than last year. Most of these, about 32.1 million (84 percent) will travel by motor vehicle, which is 1.8 percent more than 2006 year. AAA says that flight prices are down five percent compared to last year. The Travel Industry Association of American surveyed 2,000 adults nationwide to get these results. There are more details from AAA after the jump.

So, what does this mean? Are high prices just not an issue when it comes to relaxing for the weekend? Are people saving money elsewhere to afford to travel? Do more people have fuel-efficient vehicles, so the high gas prices don’t sting as much as they might? Or is it just tradition that puts us on the road this weekend, whatever the circumstances?

Related:

• How much!? Gas prices shoot past Katrina-level records to new high
• Hey there $3/gallon gas! Long time no see. How’ve ya been?
• Happy weekend thought: gas prices still on the up

Source: AAA Chicago
AAA Chicago: Record High Gas Prices Won’t Hinder Memorial Day Travel

AURORA, Ill., May 17 /PRNewswire/ — More people will take to the roads this Memorial Day weekend than ever before, despite substantial increases in fuel costs, according to AAA Chicago. AAA estimates that 38.3 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home this holiday weekend, a 1.7 percent increase from last year. About 32.1 million travelers, or 84 percent of all holiday travelers, expect to go by motor vehicle, a 1.8 percent increase from the 31.5 million who drove a year ago.

“Motorists may save money by staying closer to home or cutting their budget in other areas, but the roadways will be filled with Memorial Day weekend travelers across the country,” says Beth Mosher, spokeswoman for AAA Chicago.

Prices may fluctuate during the weekend. Currently in Illinois, the price of regular unleaded is $3.38 per gallon, up 42 cents from a year ago. In Indiana, a gallon of regular unleaded costs $3.29, which is a 40-cent increase from 2006. Nationally, regular unleaded gasoline is $3.11.

Another 4.4 million (11 percent of holiday travelers) plan to travel by airplane, up 1.0 percent from last Memorial Day. A projected 1.9 million (5 percent of all holiday travelers) vacationers will travel by train, bus, or other mode of transportation, about even with a year ago.

Travelers will get a bit of a break this holiday weekend when making their way to their destination. AAA’s Leisure Travel Index shows flights over the holiday weekend averaging 5 percent less this year than last year, with the average flight costing $166. Car rental rates are expected to fall 16 percent from last year, with renters paying an average of $31, almost $6 less than last year. Hotel rates, however, will be up about 13 percent from a year ago, with travelers spending an average of $174 per night at AAA 3 Diamond hotels.

The average household that is traveling this Memorial Day Weekend will spend $594.

Many American households will be traveling with their children. In fact, 57 percent of households with children under 18 will bring them along on their Memorial Day vacation this year nationwide. Travelers from the Midwest region are most likely to travel with their children, with 66.6 percent saying they would be bringing their kids along. The Southeast follows close behind with 60 percent traveling with kids under 18. Fifty four percent of parents in the Northeast will travel with their children, while 53 percent of parents in the West say the same. The lowest percentage of families traveling with kids under 18 will be from the Great Lakes region, with 50 percent.

AAA’s travel agents continue to see increased interest in summer travel compared to a year ago, especially in international travel, which continues to grow in popularity. In addition, cruise sales for AAA travel agencies are up 4.7 percent, online bookings have increased 35 percent and sales of trip insurance are up 4 percent during the same period last year.

The greatest number of Memorial Day auto travelers will originate in the West with 7.6 million travelers, followed by the Southeast with 6.9 million; Midwest, 6.8 million; Northeast, 6.0 million; and Great Lakes, 4.8 million.

The West is expected to produce the largest number of air travelers with 1.4 million, followed by the Midwest with 1.2 million; Southeast, 900,000; Northeast, 500,000; and Great Lakes, 400,000.

Research for Memorial Day travel is based on a national survey of 2,000 adults by the Travel Industry Association of American, which conducts special research for AAA.

AAA Chicago has represented roadway interests for motorists and pedestrians and serves as a leading advocate for various traffic safety and travel-related issues for more than a century.

For more information on any aspect of AAA Chicago’s breadth of service including AAA’s home, auto and life insurance products; travel-related services, AAA’s Show Your Card & Save program; and/or any AAA membership service including emergency roadside assistance, please visit our Web site at http://www.aaa.com/ or call us toll-free at 1-866-YOUR-AAA (968-7222).

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

As humans, many of us enjoy embracing the beauty of art. Adding a piece of creative work to your home often means it is delegated to hang on a wall, gathering dust. Sol Mesz, founder and crafty force behind Sillice, seamlessly blends the worlds of design and practical, everyday items – all while using recycled glass and natural colors. Plates, candle holders, soap dishes, board games, and jewelry are just a few of the many creations made in Mesz' Oxnard, California studio. During my recent chat with the artist, I found out about her background, desire to use eco-friendly materials, unique upcoming projects, and more.

Victoria E: What first drew your interest in artistic glass work?

Sol Mesz: Actually it all started with welding. While I was still in Buenos Aires, one day, out of nowhere, I decided I wanted to weld. In asking around, I was given the name of a renowned glass artist (Carlos Herzberg ) that happened to do welding for the structure of his glass sculptures. So I went to see him with the sole purpose of learning how to weld. During my first year with him, I concentrated mostly in metal objects and paid little attention to glass: I built a small table, a CD rack, a chandelier and a lamp. However, my teacher, being a glass artist, encouraged me to include glass into my designs. Slowly but surely, I started making the transition to glass.

Up until recently, I did mostly functional objects (jewelry, sushi sets, plates, candle ware, etc.). I guess this is partly because I have always worked as a product manager (for internet products, though), and partly because of my practical nature (I don’t like decorative objects that have no other function than to gather dust…). Only after taking art classes two years ago and being around artists, I started getting ideas for decorative pieces. So to my functional pieces I have now added a decorative line of work, which was very well received at my last solo show.

But even with my decorative pieces I always try to build some interactivity. In most of them, the design can be re-configured by the “user”. For instance: in the layers series, the panels can be and rotated, and the stacking order of the glass panels can be altered as well. Most artists want their pieces to express their own vision. However, I like the interaction with the customer (in fact, I love doing custom work) and letting them participate in the design process, if only by letting them alter an already made piece. Far from feeling that my vision is altered, I enjoy seeing the public engaged with my work.

My glass “education” includes training by renowned Argentine glass and vitraux artist Carlos Herzberg in different glass working techniques, including pâte de verre, vitraux, slumped and fused glass, mold making, sand casting and color making (this is a rare technique). I took ceramic classes to gain a deeper understanding of the chemical processes that occur with the substances I use to make colors. I took alampworking glass to expand the range of my glass working techniques. I also took a silversmithing class, in order to combine glass and silver.

VE: Upon starting your company Sillice, did you begin with the intention of operating as a sustainable business, using recycled glass? Why or why not?

SM: This is an interesting question. When I was looking for suppliers, I went to a local glass shop. When I explained to the owner what I wanted and what I was going to use it for, he asked if I could re-use window glass. His business was to supply his clients with new glass and whenever he replaced a window, he would take the old one with him as a courtesy, so he had a lot of second-hand glass that, if he did not give to me, would go straight to the dumpster.

I knew that glass does not lose quality when reprocessed and can be re-used over and over, so I took a sample and made some test pieces. Since that worked well, I started using him (and later other contractors in the area) to source my glass. Eventually, people in the community knew that I was working with recycled glass, so they started calling me to see if I could use their discarded glass.

Another interesting thing is that I used to sell my work in an upscale community, and I feared that if I said that my work was made with recycled glass it would diminish the value of my pieces to them. So for the longest time I did not mention the recycled nature of my pieces.

Eventually, I started feeling more comfortable, and talked more about the recycling. To my surprise, this brought a lot of attention to my work, to the extent of having a county/state agency contact me to see if I was interested in developing my work at a larger scale. This was partly because window glass is the only type of glass that does NOT get recycled, so it was a very interesting enterprise for them (more details about why window glass is not recycled in the attachment I sent you last time).

They also put me in touch with a non-profit in northern California that was at the time organizing a competition for artists and small businesses that used recycled glass as part of their materials. This competition was sponsored by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the DOC (Department of Conservation) and I won an honorable mention. As a side comment, one of the more important prices went to an artist that made a real-life size torso sculpture with “one-buck-chuck” bottles. The sculpture was called “one-buck-chick”.

Another example of the attention that got the recycled nature of my work was the City of Palm Desert selecting my sculpture proposal as part of their public art program. Because they had just built a new Visitor Center facility, which was a green building (the first in the Coachella Valley), they felt that my sculpture “represented the spirit of the building” and placed it right at the entrance of the Visitor Center. This sculpture was made not only with recycled glass (donated by WM), but also with recycled metal from a rocket factory. You can view pictures of the sculpture here.

Also, I got a lot of media attention, in particular the green media: TreeHugger and other green blogs, Body+Soul (a Martha Stewart magazine), Viva (a lifestyle, green magazine from Canada), etc.

Now that I have found my niche, I do make a conscious effort to use recycled or natural materials whenever possible (like the raw materials I use to make my colors), in order to be consistent with my and my clients philosophy and lifestyle.

VE: Of the wide variety of items featured in your online store, which are your favorite to make?

SM: I have a few favorites, and each one is so for different reasons.

The jewelry line I like because it gives me a lot of creative room. You have to pack a lot of creativity in a space no bigger than 2×2. So I play with different creative resources like colors, textures. And then, once the design is chosen, I need to play with variations of the design.

The games are one of the favorites because I love to play and I love the elegance and yet functionality of the “hand-made games”. They can also be a creative challenge, because you have to adapt the original parts of the game to a design that I can recreate with my fused glass techniques. It is not just about recreating the game, but recreating it in an original and creative way. I have been working for some time now on an idea for a chess game which I will soon release.

Another thing that I like a lot is doing custom work. Unlike most artists, I like the interaction with the customer and the “creative energy” that is generated with the interchange of ideas. People like a lot being able to participate in the design process of the piece. It makes the piece more significant to them and it creates a connection between the customer and the piece that goes beyond simple ownership. An anecdote related to this is about a necklace that a customer wanted to have in a particular color combination. When she came to the studio to pick the colors, she was asking questions about the production process. So, I asked her if she could stay for an hour and gave her a pair of protective gloves and eye protection, taught her how to cut and paint the glass, and within an hour she had actually created the piece herself, making the piece she was commissioning for her friend even more meaningful. I then fired, finished and assembled the piece for her.

VE: Do you find that custom work for individual customers is a large part of your business?

SM: Not currently, but I am getting more and more custom requests. I am actually partially redesigning my current website to give more customization options. As I mentioned, people that buy hand made are people that are already looking for something “out the ordinary” and something special to them. Also, they also “buy” the relationship with the artist, knowing who made the item and how. So because of this, a natural next step is the custom work.

VE: As an eco business owner and operator, how do you balance your goals of helping to change/save the world and making a profit.

SM: Those two goals do not necessarily have to be conflicting. Not in my case, at least. The more I sell (in terms of product, not necessarily money), the more I contribute to the environment because I recycle more glass.

VE: Do you have any upcoming events or exhibitions?

SM: No, not upcoming. I am working on the redesign of my website to offer more options, but that’s it for now. I am actually very actively looking for fellow artists that also care for the environment to do a collective show. If anyone is interested we should get together!

VE: What do you say to the folks that still believe global warming is just a myth?

SM: With all the evidence to the contrary, I think that those statements are made for political and economical reasons. I understand that changing current methods of production or supplies can be very costly. Unfortunately, that suffers from short-term vision as the changes will have to be made regardless at some point, since current due to the lack of supplies in the near future. I think that a good counter-strategy would be to show the economic benefits of going green. That is the only way to change an industry.

VE: Do you have any other nifty, secret projects in the works that you could hint at?

SM: Well… I mentioned that I made a sculpture of a Palm Tree for the City of Palm Desert. I love succulent and cactus plants because of their rich shapes and textures, so I am working on a set of smaller sculptures of cacti to go with that palm tree. It is in the early stages yet, but I am envisioning it as a “cactus garden” that is a companion to the large palm tree.

Filed under: MPG, GM

General Motors has decided to add production of a new six-speed automatic transmission at their Toledo, Ohio powertrain plant. The new transmission plant is designed for mid-sized front wheel drive cars like the Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura. The new transmission is a more compact design then GM current units with the gears mounted on the same axis as the crankshaft instead of being offset. The design of the transmission will improve both performance and fuel economy. GM will be spending almost $400 million to install production equipment at the plant and at supplier facilities.

[Source: General Motors]

GM To Invest $332 Million In Toledo Transmission Plant

• New fuel-efficient, front-wheel-drive, six-speed transmissions added to line-up
• Approximately 600 hourly jobs retained
• Nearly $1 Billion invested in Ohio in one year

TOLEDO , OHIO – General Motors Corp. will invest $332 million in its Toledo, Ohio transmission plant to produce a new six-speed, front-wheel-drive automatic transmission that will deliver an excellent balance of performance and fuel economy in GM’s mid-size vehicle segment.

The investment includes facility renovation, new machinery, equipment and special tooling to support the production of the new Hydra-Matic 6T40/45 six-speed transmission. In addition to the $332 million facility investment, GM will invest an additional $57 million for vendor tooling, containers and investments at other locations necessary to support the Toledo operations. Construction is slated to begin in July, and production of the transmission is scheduled to begin in February 2010. The project will retain about 600 hourly jobs.

“Six-speed transmissions play a key role in GM’s commitment to change the way the world drives,” said John Buttermore, GM Powertrain vice president of global manufacturing. “With more fuel-efficient transmissions and engines, as well as advanced propulsion technologies like flex fuels, hybrids and fuel cells, GM is transforming its product portfolio to reduce fuel consumption and emissions, while maintaining outstanding driving performance. The GM Powertrain Toledo plant and the new fuel-efficient products we are bringing here are integral in that transformation.”

The investment announced today is in addition to a $540 million investment GM announced last year for rear-wheel-drive six-speed transmission production at the Toledo Transmission plant. Construction of the 400,000 sq. ft. project is about two months ahead of schedule.

“GM’s investments in Ohio, totaling close to $1 billion in the last year, is a significant vote of confidence in our employees and UAW Local 14 who have demonstrated their commitment and dedication to benchmark performance that is contributing to the company’s turnaround,” Buttermore said.

Buttermore thanked Ohio’s leaders on the federal, state, county and local levels – including Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner – for providing the business case to support GM’s investments in Ohio.”

“GM is making an enormous commitment to the State of Ohio and I commend them for their investment in our state,” said Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland. “This is good news for Ohio workers and a testament to the great value of our highly skilled workforce and competitive business climate.”

The new 6T40/45 transmission provides improved fuel economy and performance and features a compact, contemporary design. It allows the vehicle to stay in first gear longer, improving launch and acceleration. It also retains an overdrive in top gear for low-rpm highway cruising. The transmission’s gear set is on the same axis as the engine crankshaft centerline, which makes the entire powertrain more compact. This provides chassis designers more flexibility in designing the vehicle’s interior space compared to a conventional off-axis transaxle.

GM Powertrain’s Toledo Transmission facility opened in 1916, and moved to its present location in 1955. For five consecutive years from 2000 to 2004 the Toledo Transmission Plant was ranked No. 1 in productivity by Harbour & Associates Inc.’s annual report on North American transmission and powertrain plants. The plant ranked No. 2 in 2005 and 2006. The 2.1 million sq. ft. plant employs 2,033 hourly and 265 salaried employees with an annual payroll of $276 million.

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the annual global industry sales leader for 76 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 280,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit, GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

A couple of months ago, we wrote about Abu Dhabi’s Future Energy Company and their plans to build a huge solar power plant as part of the Masdar Initiative, a multi-part agenda for promoting and developing renewable energy and sustainability in the UAE. A few days ago they announced the next big thing to roll out of their master plan: a walled city in the Emirates desert which will purportedly be “the first zero carbon, zero-waste city in the world.” Perhaps the only other sustainable urban projects of comparable scale and ambition are Dongtan and Huangbaiyu in China (by ARUP and William McDonough + Partners, respectively) which in some ways share a similar context to this project, in that they are each situated at the edge of a burgeoning 21st century metropolis, and at the crest of dramatic cultural transformation. The Abu Dhabi development — called “Masdar” — will be designed by the celebrated architecture firm, Foster + Partners, and will house the Future Energy Company’s headquarters, as well as a new university. As Foster + Partners describes the project: The principle of the Masdar development is a dense walled city to be constructed in an energy efficient two-stage phasing… (more)

(Posted by Sarah Rich in Green Building at 10:12 AM)

Max Lindberg: GO's master podcasterEditor's note: When I introduced Max to you a week and half ago, I noted that he'd be producing a new podcast series titled "Greening the Golden Years." We're ready to go with the first installment of it; this will become a regular Thursday feature.

While much green media is focused on a younger demographic, we know that people of all ages are discovering the benefits and joys of greening the good life. Each week, Max will introduce you to elder citizens making a difference, and efforts by others (who aren't necessarily seniors) to help them live a more sustainable lifestyle. We hope you enjoy these productions!

Also, please note: we are calling this a podcast, though right now, we are still working on enabling the RSS feed. We'll have that up and running very soon.

To listen to the first installment of "Greening the Golden Years," click here.

Another municipality has discovered the potential of small-scale biodiesel production. Utah State University (USU), in conjunction with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), has decided to experiment with growing oil-seed crops in the grassy medians dividing I-15.

The unusual idea came from Dallas Hanks, a 44-year-old biologist who is working on his doctoral degree at USU. With an initial $50,000 boost fromUDOT , Hanks aims to prove the 2,500 miles of state-owned highway right-of-way could yield an annual average of 500,000 gallons of 100 percent biodiesel, also known as B100.”

Maintaining those ubiquitous, out-of-place strips of lawn comes at a surprising price – over a million dollars each year in mowing costs alone – and keeping that grass weed-free (as if that was really necessary) generally involves considerable herbicide applications. In the spirit of turning liabilities into assets, converting that sod into a renewable fuel source would have substantial benefits. USU and UDOT's researchers plan on starting out with a 1 mile test strip of various oil-seed crops, which will later be compared on a productivity basis to a flat, fertile farm plot.

Hanks, a former Utah Valley State College biology instructor, said he conservatively estimates planting swaths of safflower, camelina, canola and perennial flax will save about $1.6 million per year in mowing costs. UDOT officials said they wouldn't know the total taxpayer savings until the project's first-year experiment is finished.”

"It's really a great opportunity to show some leadership," said UDOT Executive Director John Njord.
By addressing efficiency, energy development and climate-change concerns, the project "has it all," said Laura Nelson, Huntsman's energy policy adviser."

State agencies in Utah recently began pushing for innovation and conservation under the Governor's order to increase energy efficiency 20% by 2015. If this experiment is successful, UDOT plans on using biodiesel produced from the freeway crops (or FREE-Diesel) in government vehicles.

For more information, see the Salt Lake Tribune.

 

My personal take:

This is about as cool as San Francisco's recent decision to start making biodiesel from the city's used restaurant oil. Depending on how much energy is used in the production of the crops, UDOT has the potential to reduced CO2 emissions by several million tons each year.

Has your city started producing its own biodiesel? If so, I'd be interested to hear and/or write about it.

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol

The sanctioning body for Formula One racing, the FIA, is currently examining options for new engine rules for 2011 and beyond. Over the past year they’ve been throwing out various proposals including hybrid powertrains. The latest proposal is a switch from the current 2.4L V-8 formula to 2.2L turbocharged V-6s.

The current engines have no rpm limit and many are thought to run at speeds approaching 20,000 rpm although the new proposal would limit that to 10,000 rpm. The new engines would also switch from running on 102 octane “gasoline” to some kind of biofuel. The FIA wants to reduce costs and make the engines more environmentally friendly. Since a switch to ethanol could end up with even more powerful engines due to the turbocharging, maybe they will make the jump to biodiesel instead. Formula One could have some very interesting times ahead.

[Source: F1-Live]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Imagine growing up, going to school, graduating, going to college for a couple years and then getting that magical phone call: "Son, it's time to change the light bulb." You rush home in flurry of excitement and anticipation as your parents show you how to change a light — something you yourself may not do until your own kids are in college. Those times are coming.

Well actually, they're here. But until prices coming down, most of us will simply rely on compact fluorescents to bridge the gap between changing a bulb one a year to once every couple decades. I spied a new entry into the LED fold over at MetaEfficient with a cool looking bulb called "The EcoLED". According to the stats, this long-lasting, efficient beast will last about 50,000 hours. In scale, that's about 11 years at 12 hours a day. Since I would never leave a light on for that long, you can expect this bulb to shine well into your midlife crisis.

The bulb mimics a 100-watt incandescent but only uses 10 watts of power. According to the site, that's good for $450 in savings and a reduction of more than 9,000lbs of CO2. You'll also want to use this bulb a little differently than the standard light,

"Remember: LED lights are directional (like a spotlight). This EcoLED light has a beam angle of 100 degrees, which is equivalent to a wide spotlight. It is not appropriate for use in lamps with lamp shades or other lighting applications where light needs to be emitted in all directions at once. (However, it can be aimed at a wall or ceiling to produce radiant ambient light that radiates through the entire room.)"

It should be noted that work is underway (especially by GE) to create LED lights that do in fact mimic the light radiance of incandescent and CFL bulbs. The color of LED lights (which is a brilliant, pure white light) is also different from the yellow glow of an incandescent. So far, that hasn't marred their label as "the bulb of the future".

You can pick up the EcoLED for $99 from BetterLifeGoods. While this may seem like ridiculous change for a light bulb, the experience of replacing it in the year 2027 will be simply priceless.

More info after the jump.

Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol

The sanctioning body for Formula One racing, the FIA, is currently examining options for new engine rules for 2011 and beyond. Over the past year they’ve been throwing out various proposals including hybrid powertrains. The latest proposal is a switch from the current 2.4L V-8 formula to 2.2L turbocharged V-6s.

The current engines have no rpm limit and many are thought to run at speeds approaching 20,000 rpm although the new proposal would limit that to 10,000 rpm. The new engines would also switch from running on 102 octane “gasoline” to some kind of biofuel. The FIA wants to reduce costs and make the engines more environmentally friendly. Since a switch to ethanol could end up with even more powerful engines due to the turbocharging, maybe they will make the jump to biodiesel instead. Formula One could have some very interesting times ahead.

[Source: F1-Live]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

Filed under: Honda, Toyota

I imagine that if you were to ask just about anybody on the street what car manufacturers they think of when you say green cars, the answer would most often be Toyota. Honda would be my guess as the second most often heard manufacturer. That could change if GM does in fact produce the Volt, or maybe not if Honda produces their new hybrid and Toyota continues to refine their Prius. I don’t imagine that Honda or Toyota are just waiting for competition from other companies either. Well, if I am right about people’s perceptions regarding Honda and Toyota, they are backed up by The Union of Concerned Scientists. As we have mentioned before, Honda has won the award of the greenest manufacturer of automobiles a few years running now. According to Treehugger, the award is not just based on their fleets of vehicles, but on all of their manufacturing facilities and overall practices.

[Source: The Union of Concerned Scientists via Treehugger]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.