Natural Environment Blog

The Nature Conservancy have announced the finalists of their 4th Annual Digital Photo Contest. In an email to members, the Nature Conservancy said:

Thank you to everyone who submitted an image for consideration. Your love of nature has inspired us and continues to remind us of the magnificent lands, waters and wondrous species we work to protect and preserve, every day.

The support of members like you has allowed us to protect and restore over 119 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of river and is the reason that we are the leading conservation organization working around the world today.

There are 15 finalists in total, and it’s now up to you to vote for your favorite. Voting is open until Monday, February 8, 2010 at 10am EST. The Grand Prize Winner will be announced on February 15, 2009.

The winning photo will be featured on The Nature Conservancy’s website, which is visited by more than 3 million people annually.

So, place your vote now.

You can also check out all submitted photos at the Nature Conservancy’s Flickr page.

When you receive your electricity bill, do you often wonder, “Why do I pay so much?” There is no doubt that energy prices will not get any lower. On the contrary, they seem to increase all the time. However, there are things you can do to significantly cut back your energy intake. If you want to save your money to spend it on something more fun than bills, read the tips below.

1. Replace your light bulbs with energy saving ones if you haven’t already. They use up to 80% less energy and last 10 times longer than ordinary bulbs.
2. Always turn off the lights when leaving a room. This tip is commonly known, yet it applies strictly to traditional light bulbs that are not energy efficient. Remember that if you have got energy saving light bulbs, you should turn them off only in the case that you are leaving the room for more than 6 minutes. Constant turning these bulbs on and off will use more energy.
3. While cooking, always put a lid on the pot. This saves up to 15% on energy and your meal will be cooked faster.
4. When buying new appliances, choose Energy Star qualified models. They use 10 to 50% less energy and water than standard appliances.
5. When planning and building your house, make decisions that will make it energy efficient. Proper high quality house insulation and tight windows will ensure minimal energy loss. Installing windows shutters or outdoor roller-blinds will prevent warmth gathered inside the house throughout the day from escaping at night.
6. When ventilating a room, always turn off the heating.
7. Invest in a high-efficiency condensing boiler. This investment will surely pay off. Such a boiler is a real energy and money saver. A condensing boiler captures much more usable heat from its fuel than non-condensing boilers, meaning it does not require as much energy. This kind of boiler is equipped with a set of heating controls that gives you full control over the temperature in your home. You can adjust the temperature whenever you want.
8. Use heating wisely. If you have a programmer or timer combined with a boiler, set it so the boiler is working only when needed. If you spend part of the day out of the house, turn the boiler off. Modern houses warm quickly even if the heating was turned off for a long period of time. Most people do not need the heating on when asleep.
9. Do not leave electronic devices on standby. Maybe it sounds unimportant, but appliances left on standby still use energy. In an average household there are many electronics with standby modes, including TV sets, PCs, radios, and DVD and CD players. Every day, leaving them on sleep mode amounts to additional expenses which can easily be avoided. Each time you turn off an electronic device remember to unplug it as well.
10. Charge your cell phone properly. It is unfortunately a common mistake to leave the battery charger plugged in after the telephone has already charged. The charger left in the socket, even without the device, is still consuming energy. Always remember to unplug the charger.

Obeying these simple rules will help limit both energy usage and expenses. Simultaneously, you will contribute to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. World leaders are trying to do this on a global scale, but without the help of the citizens, they will never succeed.

Written by PennySaverUSA.com. Visit us online to find eco-friendly appliances for sale.

The Energy Star program was created by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in an attempt to limit energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. Savvy consumers know to look for the Energy Star logo when shopping for appliances, heating and cooling equipment, home electronics, office equipment, or lightning.

By purchasing one of the certified products you can be sure that energy expenses will be lower due to reduced consumption. You can often save up to 30% on your energy bill. The EPA has also extended the Energy Star label to cover new homes, buildings, and manufacturing plants.

At Home

Home electronics such as TVs, DVD players, cordless phones, and audio equipment use electricity even when on standby mode.

TV sets are probably the most popular and the most energy consuming in this category. An average household has at least two of them. In order to qualify for the Energy Star label, a TV has to be at least 30% more energy efficient than a standard unit not only when it is on, but also when on standby. There is a wide variety of Energy Star compliant TVs to choose from, whether you prefer LCD or plasma. They are manufactured by Hitachi, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, and many others.

Another group of energy absorbers at home are appliances such us washers, fridges, freezers, and electric heating and cooling units. When it comes to dish and clothes washers, the Energy Star versions not only use less energy, but are more water-efficient when compared to standard models.

Heating and cooling equipment usually generates the highest costs, so pay extra attention to energy consumption data when changing one of these units.

In The Office

Offices use many electronic devices, so it is obvious that they use lots of energy. What is more, most office equipment is left on 24/7. It is really important to make sure that energy consumption is kept to a minimum.

Energy Star labeled devices use less energy to perform regular tasks and automatically enter a low-power mode when not in use. As far as computers, certified models use as much as 70% less energy than those without active power management features.

Again, there are many companies that produce energy-efficient office equipment. Hewlett-Packard offers as many as 1,000 models of office products that have earned the Energy Star logo. These include notebooks, printers, scanners, and all-in-ones. Samsung proudly features that their entire line of notebooks and netbooks have qualified for the certificate.

Summary

In summary, the US government ratings system called Energy Star helps consumers choose energy-efficient equipment that on average uses 20–30% less energy than standard units. Buying items labeled as Energy Star compliant ensures not only reduced energy expenses, but also gives you the ability to have your own input in limiting greenhouse gas emissions.

This post was contributed by PennySaverUSA.com. Please visit us online if you are interested in refrigerators, freezers, washers, or other energy-saving appliances for sale.

The Nature Conservancy is continuing to offer green gifts this year, with its Green Gift Guide. You may remember that it launched its Green Corporate Gift-Giving Center last year.

Included in this year’s gift guide are TNC’s “Top 5 Eco-Friendly Holiday Gifts”.

1. Adopt an Acre ($50 per acre)

   Help protect threatened habitats by adopting acres in critical locations around the world at only $50 per acre. Adopt an acre in one of the following places:

   • Africa’s Grasslands and Savannas
   • Austalia’s Gondwana Link
   • Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula
   • The Appalachians in the United States
   • Las Californias in the United States
   • Southern Coastal Plain Forests in the United States
   • Brazil Atlantic Forest
2. Plant a Tree in the Atlantic Forest ($1 per tree)

   One dollar plants one tree and helps support the Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil.

   When you give Plant a Billion Trees as a gift, you can select the number of trees you plant and to help save paper, you can set up an e-card to announce your gift on any day you choose.

3. Adopt a Coral Reef

   The Adopt a Coral Reef program raises funds for important coral reef projects in the Dominican Republic, Palau and Papua New Guinea. The program provides critical funds for the permanent protection and restoration of these reefs.

   As some of the most biodiverse and wondrous places in the world, coral reefs need our immediate attention. If the present rate of destruction continues, 70% of the world’s coral reefs will be destroyed by the year 2050.

4. Help Save the Northern Jaguar.

   Deforestation and hunting have led to the decline of the northern jaguar. Your gift helps protect the habitat that northern jaguars need to survive and flourish.

5. Give Clean Water

   Every time a free-flowing river is altered, a lake is fouled by toxic runoff or a wetland is drained, the ability of freshwater systems to sustain life is disrupted and weakened. Your gift will help to finance conservation activities such as restoring riparian forest, setting up environmental education projects, installing equipment that tracks pollution and sedimentation rates in rivers and streams and giving families peace of mind that the water they drink is safe and clean.

So there you have it. The top 5 eco-friendly holiday gifts from The Nature Conservancy. Be sure to check out their other gifts at the Green Gift Guide.

If you would like to drive more environmentally friendly, but there is no chance for you to switch to a hybrid, there is probably a way to make your used car burn less fuel and therefore reduce emission.

Have you ever heard about “remapping”? Although many people will associate the term with the modified car scene, it is actually becoming an increasingly common practice amongst mainstream motorists.

What is engine remapping?

Remapping refers to a process that alters a car’s standard ECU settings to gain more horsepower and torque, and, in some cases, to reduce fuel consumption. What’s more, remapping is a cost-effective modification that, when performed by a certified remapping specialist, can take as little as two hours to complete.

Those who own turbocharged cars will benefit from the greatest power gains, with up to 30 percent more horsepower and torque obtainable after a remap, whereas non-turbo engines typically give a 10 percent gain in these areas.

For example, the hugely popular  BMW 320D, which boasts 163hp and 340Nm of torque in standard guise, will have its power rating boosted to around 190hp and 400Nm of torque after a remap. Similarly, a 1.6 TDCi Ford Focus, which only offers 109hp as standard, will gain almost 30hp after a professional remap.

Can remapping my car’s engine improve its fuel efficiency?

In many cases, yes. Although the remapping process won’t directly make your engine cleaner, it can increase its fuel efficiency rating, which will have a positive environmental effect, and benefit your wallet, too.

For example, in both the cars mentioned above, fuel consumption will drop by around 1mpg after remapping. In the case of the Volkswagen Golf GTi 1.8T, meanwhile there is a 2mpg improvement after remapping, which will add up to considerable savings over time, particularly for those doing high annual mileages. What’s more, you can achieve even greater fuel efficiency gains at the expense of power, if this is your priority.

Why would I want to change a car manufacturer’s standard map settings?

When car manufacturers launch new models, they usually map the car on standard settings to suit many markets around the world.

For example, Ireland has cold weather and Spain has warm weather, but car manufacturers usually apply a base map setting that suits both of these climates. A remap, however, exploits the car’s ECU to better suit a specific location.

Manufacturers also leave a possibility to upgrade the programme later to respond to market changes and customer demands, which leaves the opportunity for aftermarket tuning companies to offer after-sale remapping services.

How does the process work?

Many drivers talk about having their cars remapped, but most won’t be able to tell you what the process entails. Although it sounds like a highly complex procedure, it isn’t!

Unlike most car modifications, a remap doesn’t require any handheld tools such as screwdrivers and spanners. Instead, the mechanic simply plugs a diagnostics laptop into the car’s ECU and sets about introducing the new settings.

There are several ways to remap a car, but the popular method is to remap the car’s ECU by reading data on the car’s EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) chip. The easiest way to do this is by connecting a diagnostics machine to the car’s diagnostics socket, which allows the mechanic to both read and modify the car’s standard map settings. Once the data has been read, the mechanic can then choose to overwrite the EPROM file and replace it with a completely new file, which means they can apply different maps where appropriate, but also restore the original mapping settings should you need them again.

All drivers considering having their car remapped should be aware of any warranty implications – you need to know if the process will affect your manufacturer’s warranty or not, as it still counts as an aftermarket modification. For this reason, we would advise you to check with your local dealer before going ahead with the procedure.

Similarly, you should notify your insurer after having a remap carried out. Although it is almost impossible to visually trace a remap, authorised dealers will be able to tell the difference when driving the car. Most car mapping companies offer a service that allows you to have the ECU reset to the old settings for a small fee if you aren’t happy with the remap. Prices vary for each car and company, but in the UK, you can expect to shell out in the region of €350 for a remap, including labour and the required diagnostics.

This post was contributed by the Editorial Team at Car Buyers’ Guide. Car Buyers’ Guide is the publisher of Ireland’s leading motoring websites and magazines. CBG.ie is the only motoring website to have exclusive partnerships with the leading national newspaper websites (The Iris Times and Independent Newspapers). CBG.ie is visited by buyers over 450,000 times per month and users view over 11.5 million pages on the website per month.

For the latest motoring news and views, as well as road tests, videos and a host of quality used cars for sale, visit CBG.ie

Small businesses will always strive for ways to reduce their outgoings, particularly in an unfavorable economic climate such as the one we find ourselves in. One good way to reduce expenditure is to look at utilities; switching suppliers or reducing usage can help with energy bills, although it can often be a complicated task.

One way that small businesses are beginning to benefit from attempting to reduce their outgoings is through generating their own electricity. Previously the costs associated with generating electricity prohibited small businesses from considering this option, but  generating your own power is becoming a relatively affordable thing to do.

Increasingly generating electricity is becoming a viable option for small businesses, who can pocket the reduced utility bills, and even selling surplus energy back to the National Grid. Here are three ways in which small businesses can generate their own electricity.

Solar Panels

There are two ways in which solar power can be used to generate electricity. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) uses the sun’s energy to boil some water, while Photo-Voltaic (PV) solar panels convert the energy directly into electricity.

Photo-Voltaic solar panels are still reasonably expensive, but can generate a significant amount of electricity. These are solar panels which use light, so they can still generate power even on grey, overcast days although obviously not as much as long, sunny days.

One problem with solar panels is that they tend to mean power is only available during the day, when the sunlight is casting onto the panels. For domestic properties this can mean that solar panels are not appropriate, but for many businesses the majority of energy use takes place during office hours, when the sun is shining.

Either way, it will be useful to store the energy being generated, so most PV systems come with batteries which can be charged.

Another solution is to sell your energy surplus back to your electrical supplier (as long as you are still connected to the National Grid) and then paying them for your electricity when the sun goes down and you’re no longer generating power.

Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are experiencing a rise in popularity recently, particularly due to the shrinking price of micro-turbines in DIY stores.

While it may seem like the perfect solution, with the wind blowing all day and night, the amount of electricity which can actually be gleaned from these wind turbines is often negligible, depending on the specific location.

Wind speeds are always faster above ground level, at heights above an average house. The wind disturbance caused by other buildings around it further decreases the amount of electricity which can be generated.

A large turbine on the edge of a building where it can receive clean, fast air is more likely to generate a decent amount of energy, but there is also the annoyance of the noise of the blades spinning around.

Combined Heat & Power Units

Another method of generating electricity which is bound to become more widely available in the future is the use of Combined Heat and Power units (CHPs).

While they were previously only suitable for large buildings like factories and universities now small CHP generators are on the market, running on natural gas. The heat generated is channeled to provide heating and hot water for the building and is no less efficient than a modern gas boiler.

Future Benefits

While the technology required to generate electricity may still require a sizable initial outlay, the benefits should be apparent for years and years for a small business, with greatly reduced energy bills. As fossil fuels become scarcer the price of energy is bound to keep rising, so it’s no surprise that forward-thinking businesses are beginning to attempt to run under their own steam.

While these opportunities for businesses to save money on their energy use are still worth investigating, many of the technologies are not yet developed appropriately for businesses, and should probably be considered as future prospects rather than immediate changes.

Save Money Now

Most small businesses could be saving money now by switching business electricity supplier and employing energy-saving measures such as using natural light and ventilation where possible, avoiding leaving equipment on standby and turning off lights in rooms that aren’t in use.

This article was written by Adam Cairn on behalf of uSwitch for Business, a price comparison website, helping small and medium-sized businesses save money on their energy costs.

The benefits of choosing eco-friendly furniture and upholstery are two-fold. You can be kind to the environment, and kind to yourself. Refusing to use animal-derived materials saves land, water and food, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions and hazardous chemical-use

Choosing animal derived materials for furniture may seem natural, but this may not be the case, since these materials are known to emit toxic emissions which pollute the air, the water and the soil. Often the raising of livestock for wool, down or leather can be cruel.

Leather

Considered very luxurious by many, leather is made from animal skins, and is ecologically harmful. Raising livestock for whatever purpose, meat or leather productive, requires considerable amounts of feed, land, water and fuels. The excrement produced on farms also infects the waterways.

Even the process used to tan leather is noxious and polluting, with some of the oils and dyes used being cyanide-based. The tanning of leather produces a range of different pollutants including chromium, sulphides and acids.

Wool

You can be forgiven for thinking that wool is an environmentally-friendly upholstery material, especially since the sheep from which the wool comes are not killed, merely shorn. Many people (including the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have a problem with how wool-producing livestock are treated. They argue that even if they’re not subjected to pesticide-ridden habitats they could end up being mutilated by their owners.

Animal rights protesters have made a particular example of the Australian Merino sheep, who have been bred to have wrinkly skin which results in increased wool yields. Sometimes flies lay eggs in the folds of the sheep’s skin which can result in fatal maggot infestations, so farmers restrain the sheep without pain killers, cutting out chunks of flesh to discourage flies laying eggs.

Another environmental disadvantage of wool is the amount of gas that sheep and other wool-giving animals emit into the atmosphere through burping and farting. Sheep flatulence represents ninety-percent of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, so you shouldn’t doubt that this is a major contributing factor towards climate change.

Down and feathers

Down is a popular filler material for cushioned furniture, and is made from an insulating layer of feathers which can be found underneath the outer feathers of ducks and geese.

Down and feathers are collected from commercial meat processing plants, which means that it is impossible to know if they were raised organically.

Some campaigners have warned that often geese and ducks are plucked while alive. Down and feathers have also been blamed for allergic reactions, although this is more likely to be due to the dust and dirty which can accumulate in bedding over a long time.

Cover finishes

Cover fabrics, such as cotton is often bleached or dyed, and releases carcinogenic dioxins into the environment. Permanent-press and stain- and water-repellent finishes can emit gas formaldehyde into the environment. Cotton covers can also have detrimental environmental effects, as cotton uses a lot of water and is treated with more pesticides than any other crop in the world. Cotton is resistant to dyes and bleaches, so half of these chemicals end up as waste in rivers and in the soil.

Adam Cairn writes on behalf of Gecco Interiors, who supply a range of eco furniture and green products.

Research conducted by Norwich Union insurance (recently rebranded ‘Aviva’) indicates that over the past 25 years, asthma has increased six times in children and three to four times in adults.

Diet and pollution is thought to be the cause of asthma, and it might be alarming to realise that sometimes seemingly innocuous items like paint can actually be dangerous pollutants.

The Impact of Paint on our Health

Exposure to paint fumes can lead asthmatics to suffer effects from wheeziness to asthma attacks, but it’s not just asthmatics that can be affected by paint fumes.

Studies have shown that the volatile organic compound levels inside newly-painted buildings are a thousand times higher than outside. The World Health Organisation released a report stating that painters have a twenty percent higher risk of cancer and forty percent for lung cancer.

Even normal, long term exposure to paint can have a detrimental effect on ones health, Danish specialists have discovered a neurological condition which they have dubbed ‘painter’s dementia’. Paint fumes can be particularly bad for health when combined with other problems such as skin problems, allergic reactions or headaches.

Paint is something which is hard to avoid for anyone who enjoys electricity, lights and shelter, so what can we do?

The Solution

Fortunately, the demand for eco paint is starting to gain momentum, and the possibility of protecting your family against the potential health risks of conventional solvent paints. Eco-friendly paints are made from natural ingredients, containing the bare minimum of synthetic constituents, and often none at all. Environmentally-friendly paint can be composed of all sorts of different substances including by-products. These natural ingredient paints do not emit damaging fumes into your home, and some are completely bio-degradable.

Be kind to the planet, your family, and your home

Green paint is just as easy to work with as conventional paint you would find in any DIY store, and they also come in the same range of colours. There’s no reason why committing yourself to environmentally friendly interior design should you mean you are forced to compromise on the style and quality you desire.

Natural paint is not prohibitively expensive, in fact it is very competitive with mainstream paint products, so hopefully more people will realise that they don’t need to expose themselves and their loved ones to dangerous pollutants inside their own homes.

Thankfully science has told us that paint is contributing to our seemingly-deteriorating health, and now slowly the tables are turning as environmentally-sound paint becomes readily available on the market.

Adam Cairn writes on behalf of Gecco Interiors, who supply green paint and other eco products for a green home.

Electric cars pave the way to a greener future for the automotive industry. Here, we explain the technology that makes these cars possible and look at some of the first production models, which will shortly be coming onto the mainstream market.

More Than Meets The Eye

Although an electric car may look like your average family runabout from the outside, what lies underneath its bonnet is completely different to a typical fuel-burning engine. While a normal petrol- or diesel-engined car works on the principle of internal combustion, an electric car uses electric motors powered by battery packs. These motors are charged from a fixed electrical source such as a power point.

Electric Cars - Old Technology

Although electric-car technology has only started to become available to the masses in recent times, it is actually one of the oldest methods of propulsion. In the late 1800s, engineers began to experiment with the technology, but as it was harder and more time-consuming to develop than the combustion engine, it was pushed aside.

Within the last five years, however, electric-car technology has come back into favor, due to concerns over dwindling oil supplies and air pollution.

Indeed, major manufacturers such as GM, Nissan and Mitsubishi have invested billions into turning the electric car into a practical mass-transit solution, with the Mitsubishi iMieV, Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt being the best current examples of mainstream electric vehicles.

At the moment, the only practical option available to the eco-conscious car buyer is a hybrid like Toyota’s Prius or Honda’s Insight, but starting in 2010, the above-mentioned full-electric models will come on stream.

Variety Of Electric Cars

Mitsubishi’s iMiEV features a 64hp fully electric motor that can travel up to 100km on a full charge. This car is currently participating in a long-term trial organised jointly by the ESB and Mitsubishi to evaluate its practicality on the Irish road network.

Elsewhere, GM’s Chevrolet Volt does incorporate a petrol engine, but it is only used to charge the vehicle’s batteries if no power socket is available -– the car itself is propelled only by its electric motors.

GM Europe recently began a feasibility study that will analyse the recharging infrastructure for plug-in electric vehicles. Such infrastructure will need to be improved in order to eliminate the necessity for a petrol ‘back up’ as featured in the Volt.

As things stand, the Volt should appear in Europe under the Opel badge, but if GM sells Opel/Vauxhall (which seems likely) it will probably retain its Chevrolet badge.

Nissan’s LEAF electric car, meanwhile, is powered by compact lithium-ion batteries, which generate a power output of over 90kW, while its electric motor delivers 80kW. The spacious five-door car will go on sale in Europe, the US and Asia next year.

How Eco-Friendly Are Electric Cars?

Electric cars such as these models are clean, quiet and cheap to run, but it’s important to remember where most of the electricity that charges their batteries come from – coal-burning power stations!

Until such time as manufacturers can produce practical solar-powered electric cars, we’re afraid the electric car will still leave a carbon footprint, albeit a small one.

This post was contributed by CBG.ie.

Keep up to date with all the latest developments in green motoring technology, including a look at hybrid cars like Toyota’s Prius at http://www.cbg.ie/GreenCars.aspx

Hybrids have been a hot topic in the car industry for several years now, but electric cars are coming on in leaps and bounds, too. Like hybrids, their development has been prompted by the need for an alternative to petrol - and diesel-fuelled internal-combustion engines, which contribute to air pollution, global warming and climate change.

Here, we take a look at the technology that makes electric cars work, as well as the efforts being made by both car manufacturers and national governments to get us all to drive them…

How do electric cars work?

The electric motors in modern electric cars derive power from on-board energy-storage facilities. These are usually batteries, however, alternative power sources, such as electric double-layer capacitors, are also being developed.

Thanks to regenerative braking, some of the energy used to power electric cars can be recovered and used again. Batteries need to be recharged with mains electricity, but seeing as they cannot yet store enough energy for long-distance travel, extensive recharging infrastructure will have to be put in place before the use of electric cars becomes widespread.

This is something governments will have to make happen, while the manufacturers concentrate on prolonging the life of batteries and improving their recharging speed. The power grid can produce electricity from a variety of resources, some more environmentally friendly than others, including coal, water, wind, nuclear reaction and even the sun.

Let’s go electric

As society at large becomes more aware of the environmental problems associated with traditional cars, the eco-friendly alternatives have started to attract both the public’s interest and, more importantly, major financial investment. Nissan has announced plans to introduce an affordable electric car in Japan and the US in 2010, which makes it the first major manufacturer to set a definite launch date for a mass-produced electric vehicle.

It looks like this time around Nissan will get the jump on its Japanese rivals, Honda and Toyota, who were first to the market with hybrid vehicles. Nissan says its electric car should be introduced globally in 2012, and other major carmakers will no doubt follow suit before long.

Elsewhere, the British government has launched the world’s largest ‘real life’ electric-car trial. The £25 million scheme was announced in June and it will enable citizens to take part in long-term trials of electric vehicles, ranging from small city cars to sports cars and vans.

The project is being undertaken in cooperation with car manufacturers, power companies, regional and local governments and academic institutions.

In Norway, the finance minister has recently announced a plan to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars beginning in 2015. It is not yet certain if the proposal will be put into practice, however this announcement encouraged politicians (both elsewhere in Scandinavia and further afield) to start a serious debate on the future of the automotive industry.

The Japanese government has launched a campaign to promote the use of electric cars in the country’s eight biggest cities, and is going to offer tax breaks and subsidies to those willing to buy one. This is unsurprising when you consider that Japanese manufacturers are at the forefront of electric-car development.

Starting from July 2010, electric-car subsidies will also be offered to the citizens of the Canadian province of Ontario.

Back in Europe, the French government is currently working on several projects that will lead to the electrification of not only cars, but also scooters and buses.

Pretty soon, we expect almost every major country will have some sort of electric-car incentive programme up and running.

This post was contributed by CBG.ie. Visit us to find more motoring advice, news and reviews as well as a comprehensive list of new and used cars for sale.