Green Options » Sasha Friedman http://greenoptions.com/author/lamoix/ Post archive of Sasha Friedman Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:10:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en http://greenoptions.com/author/lamoix/ http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d340c58523fa541c82b27b7a40c304ba?s=65&d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D32 Green Options » Sasha Friedman California Gets the Green Light to Regulate New Car Mileage http://gas2.org/2009/01/26/california-gets-the-green-light-to-regulate-mileage/ http://gas2.org/2009/01/26/california-gets-the-green-light-to-regulate-mileage/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2009 04:10:19 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2009/01/26/california-gets-the-green-light-to-regulate-mileage/

President Obama has instructed the Environmental Protection Agency to grant waivers to California and other states that seek to regulate vehicle emissions and mileage. This reverses a Bush policy and has automakers up in arms.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/01/26/california-gets-the-green-light-to-regulate-mileage/feed/ High Voltage Danger: Emergency Responders and Hybrid Cars http://gas2.org/2009/01/25/dont-get-electricuted/ http://gas2.org/2009/01/25/dont-get-electricuted/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:19:50 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2009/01/25/dont-get-electricuted/

Emergency responders have known the dangers of gasoline for a long time: it is a toxic substance with explosive flammability.

Now,  hybrid vehicles are posing new challenges - they combine high voltage wires with tanks full of gasoline.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/01/25/dont-get-electricuted/feed/ We Will Not Apologize for Our Way of Life http://gas2.org/2009/01/22/we-will-not-apologize-for-our-way-of-life/ http://gas2.org/2009/01/22/we-will-not-apologize-for-our-way-of-life/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2009 13:00:16 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2009/01/22/we-will-not-apologize-for-our-way-of-life/

Obama’s Inaugural Address contained some great hints about what the Alternative Fuel industry can expect with his presidency.

At the forefront, the single phrase, “We will not apologize for our way of life…” says to me that Obama will work to enforce America’s status quo. For this article I will focus on the quo of car culture.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/01/22/we-will-not-apologize-for-our-way-of-life/feed/ If Our Gas Taxes Go Up, Will Gas Prices Become Unfair? http://gas2.org/2009/01/14/gas-tax-going-up/ http://gas2.org/2009/01/14/gas-tax-going-up/#comments Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:23:47 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2009/01/14/gas-tax-going-up/ Faced with dwindling cash reserves, several states are considering raising their Gas Tax. Those with efficient vehicles will come out ahead. Low income families, the trucking industry and the alternative fuel industry will finish last.

Now I am all for taxes - there are many essential services that the government performs and they need money to do this. Most often, gas tax goes directly into maintaining and repairing roads and highways - a costly endeavor - but absolutely essential to keep our country alive.

What I’m specifically concerned about is how this will affect three groups: those with low incomes, the trucking industry, and the alternative fuel industry.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2009/01/14/gas-tax-going-up/feed/ N. Carolina Parks Using Solar Electric Cars to Replace ATVs http://gas2.org/2008/12/30/s-carolina-parks-using-solar-electric-cars-to-replace-atvs/ http://gas2.org/2008/12/30/s-carolina-parks-using-solar-electric-cars-to-replace-atvs/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:29:00 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2008/12/30/s-carolina-parks-using-solar-electric-cars-to-replace-atvs/ A North Carolina Parks Department has bought three electric cars as a way to lighten their impact on nature preserves.

Custom Solar Array

Two of the vehicles charge by plugging into the wall. The third has been specially retrofitted with a solar array over its flatbed, freeing it from the grid and allowing it to charge while in the field. The vehicles, which all have small flatbeds, will be replacing ATVs and trucks for hauling maintenance and landscaping materials. The Mecklenburg County Department of Park and Recreation bought the three GEM vehicles (Global Electric Motorcars - a Chrysler company) with help from the Solar Center at North Carolina State University.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/12/30/s-carolina-parks-using-solar-electric-cars-to-replace-atvs/feed/ The Future of the Gas-Guzzling SUV in the New Economy http://gas2.org/2008/12/24/the-future-of-the-gas-guzzling-suv-in-the-new-economy/ http://gas2.org/2008/12/24/the-future-of-the-gas-guzzling-suv-in-the-new-economy/#comments Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:51:36 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2008/12/24/the-future-of-the-gas-guzzling-suv-in-the-new-economy/ As the NY Times reported, Chrysler and GM have been closing production facilities left and right across the country; the latest closures have all been SUV facilities. What does this mean for the future of this American icon?

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/12/24/the-future-of-the-gas-guzzling-suv-in-the-new-economy/feed/ Biodiesel? Natural Gas? Electric Cars? Five Alternative Fuels Rated for Cold Weather Performance. http://gas2.org/2008/12/22/biodiesel-natural-gas-electric-cars-five-alternative-fuels-rated-for-cold-weather-performance/ http://gas2.org/2008/12/22/biodiesel-natural-gas-electric-cars-five-alternative-fuels-rated-for-cold-weather-performance/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2008 16:31:54 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2008/12/22/biodiesel-natural-gas-electric-cars-five-alternative-fuels-rated-for-cold-weather-performance/ In the spirit of the season, lets look at winter weather performance of five alternative fuels. After all, what good is your electric, hydrogen or CNG car if it won’t start in the cold?

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/12/22/biodiesel-natural-gas-electric-cars-five-alternative-fuels-rated-for-cold-weather-performance/feed/ North Dakota Ethanol Producers are at Risk as Fund Dries Up http://gas2.org/2008/12/18/north-dakota-ethanol-fund-is-drying-up/ http://gas2.org/2008/12/18/north-dakota-ethanol-fund-is-drying-up/#comments Thu, 18 Dec 2008 20:33:56 +0000 Sasha Friedman http://gas2.org/2008/12/18/north-dakota-ethanol-fund-is-drying-up/ Editor’s Note: Sasha is one of the newest additions to the Gas 2.0 writing team. Welcome Sasha!

North Dakota’s fund for helping ethanol producers hedge against fluctuating corn prices is about to run out, and the producers are getting worried.

haydnseek at Flickr under a Creative Commons license

The fund, paid for in part by farm vehicle registrations, was drained by high corn prices earlier this year, according to the Bismark Tribune. Ethanol facilities operate on very slim margins, amplifying the effect of market turbulence. The goal of the fund, run by the North Dakota Commerce Department, was to create a safety net — $1.6 million per year to be exact — for existing ethanol production facilities and to draw new facilities in as well. Now the fund only has $2.4 million left.

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