Natural Environment Blog

When assessing cars we usually consider if they are economical to run, but we should also consider how economical our own driving habits are. Indeed, by following the fuel economy tips below, you’ll be able to save on fuel and save the planet without having to change our used car to a brand new hybrid :

1. Keep a steady average speed – avoid travelling at over 100km/h (65mph). When driving at higher speeds, your car uses most of the energy produced to combat the air resistance. As a result, your car’s fuel consumption is most effective at the speed of 50-90km/h (30-50mph), so it’s best to avoid over-accelerating wherever possible.
2. Use the highest possible gear – most cars’ engines are more effective at lower revs, so make sure you change up as you accelerate to keep the revs down around 1,500 - 2,500rpm.
3. Clean your car’s air filter regularly – driving your vehicle with a dirty filter can reduce its economy by 10 percent, as this restricts the air from reaching the engine.
4. Make your car lose some weight – Every extra 25kg makes your car consume 1 percent more fuel, so remove all the unnecessary items you’re carrying around, such as a roof box or bicycle rack, if you’re not going to use them in the near future.
5. Predict the situation down the road – when you see red lights or traffic ahead, do not accelerate. Speeding unnecessarily and then braking rapidly burns more fuel than if you drove at a steady pace.
6. Do not leave the engine idling – even when idling, an engine consumes fuel. So, if you’re stationary for more than 10 seconds, it’s more economical to stop the engine and then restart it when required.
7. Close the windows – if driving at more than 50km/h (30mph) open windows increase the air resistance, which will be reflected in more frequent visits to the petrol station.
8. Pump up your tyres – correct air pressure is essential for economical driving. What’s more, it’s easy to monitor and control your tyre pressure, as most petrol stations have a gauge and pump that drivers can use free of charge.
9. Avoid overusing the air-conditioning – use your air-conditioning only when it’s necessary, as it can increase the fuel consumption by up to 10 percent.
10. Ask yourself one simple question before each journey – ‘do I really need to go by car?’ For short hops, consider using a bike or walking from time to time, thereby cutting your fuel consumption and your carbon footprint.

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.

Earth Hour 2009 will be at least 3 times bigger than 2008 with more than 76 cities officially participating. These before/after photos were taken during Earth Hour 2007 in Sydney. Photo: madradish.

Earth Hour 2009 stands to be the biggest Earth Hour to date. Last year, 26 cities officially participated in Earth Hour. The current count for 2009 is almost 3 times that figure - and we’re still more than 3 months away from the event.

Furthermore, organizers anticipate that over 1 billion people will take part in 2009 - up from 50 million in 2008. This is largely due to China’s involvement in 2009, where populous cities such as Beijing and Shanghai will participate

The official number of cities to participate in Earth Hour 2009 currently stands at 76 cities.

Official Cities To Particpate In Earth Hour 2009

Here are the cities currently listed for participation in Earth Hour 2009. Note that this figure is sure to increase over the coming months as more cities are announced.

Australia

• Adelaide
• Brisbane 
• Canberra 
• Darwin 
• Hobart 
• Melbourne 
• Perth
• Sydney

Bolivia

• Santa Cruz de la Sierra 

Bulgaria

• Sofia

Canada

• Toronto 

China

• Beijing
• Hong Kong
• Shanghai

Costa Rica

• San Jose

Denmark

• Aalborg
• Copenhagen
• Odense

Federated States of Micronesia

• Ponphei

Fiji

• Suva

Finland

• Espoo
• Helsinki

Guatemala

• Guatemala City

Italy

• Bologna
• Florence
• Milan
• Naples
• Palermo
• Rome
• Turin
• Venice

Jordan

• Amman

Mexico

• Mexico City

New Zealand

• Auckland
• Christchurch
• Hamilton

Norway

• Oslo
• Tromso
• Trondheim

Phillipines

• Manila

Poland

• Gdansk
• Lodz
• Poznan
• Torun
• Warsaw

Portugal

• Lisbon

Russia

• Moscow
• Petropalovsk-Kamchatsky

Singapore

• Singapore City

South Africa

• Cape Town

Sweden

• Ekero
• Gothenberg
• Kalmar
• Kiruna
• Lilla Edet
• Malmö
• Mullsjo
• Nassjo
• Norrkoping
• Orebro
• Sodertalje
• Ulricehamn
• Vaxjo
• Ystad

Turkey

• Istanbul

United Arab Emirates

• Abu Dhabi
• Dubai
• Fujairah
• Sharjah

United Kingdom

• London

United States

• Chicago
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• San Francisco
• Miami 
• Nashville

Note that China has already indicated that more chinese cities will be announced in the future.

About Earth Hour 2009

Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change.

On Monday, WWF officially announced that China will participate in Earth Hour in 2009.

Back in April,  WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) indicated that China would have more involvement in Earth Hour next year, but the extent of its involvement was largely unknown.

Hong Kong is already on the list of cities to take part in Earth Hour 2009. On Monday it was announced that Beijing and Shanghai would also participate.

WWF has also indicated that more Chinese cities will be announced in the future. 

2009 To Be Bigger Than 2008

In 2008, 26 cities were officially part of Earth Hour (although more than 370 cities, towns and councils took part unofficially). 

For 2009, the official count currently stands at 76 cities across 62 countries. It is anticipated that more than 1,000 cities, towns and councils will participate unofficially in 2009.

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change.

The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. In 2008, more than 50 million people around the globe participated. In 2009, it is anticipated that more than 1 billion people in 1,000 cities will participate in Earth Hour.

Masdar city's compact and shaded design will encourage walking and cycling. Photo: Foster + Partners.

A brand new city is being built in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates which, when finished, will be the world’s first zero carbon, zero waste city.

Masdar City, a completely self sustaining city, will be powered by renewable energy and all waste will be recycled or reused. 

The city will be built in the most energy efficient way possible. Because of this, its power requirements will be about a quarter of that of a similar sized city.

A solar-powered desalination plant will provide the city’s water. As with its power, Masdar will be extremely water efficient. Masdar’s water requirements will be 60 percent lower than other similar sized cities. 

The city will cover an area of roughly 6 square kilometers and will eventually be home to around 1,500 businesses and 50,000 residents. As many as 60,000 people will commute to the city on a daily basis via a light rail line.

The name Masdar translates into “the source” in Arabic. 

Designed by Foster + Partners, Masdar City is due for completion in around 8 or 9 years. The first stage of development will be complete in 2009.

Artist's impression of Masdar city, the world's first zero carbon, zero waste city. Photo: Foster + Partners.

A World First

This is the first time a city has ever been built with the aim of producing zero carbon and zero waste.

“The environmental ambitions of the Masdar Initiative – zero carbon and waste free – are a world first.” said Norman Foster Chairman of Foster + Partners.

“They have provided us with a challenging design brief that promises to question conventional urban wisdom at a fundamental level. Masdar promises to set new benchmarks for the sustainable city of the future.”

No Cars

Instead of using cars, Masdar residents can use eco-friendly travel pods, like the one above, that run on magnetic tracks.

Masdar city will be completely car-free. 

Instead of cars, residents will be able to use travel pods running on magnetic tracks. To use a travel pod, a passenger will simply locate a pod station, get into the pod, and program where they want to go.

And the stations will be plentiful. With around 1,500 stations, no point in the city will be more than 200 meters from a transport link.

But, due to the city’s layout, it is anticipated that many residents will cycle or walk to most destinations. Walkways will be shaded to make walking more bearable in the region’s extreme heat.

A solar-powered light rail system will connect Masdar city with other nearby cities.

Masdar’s Initiatives

Because of the ambitious goals of the Masdar initiative, the project includes a number of supporting initiatives to assist in acheiving the ultimate outcome. In particular, the Masdar initiative will include the following:

• substantial investment in innovative and renewable energy technologies
• the fostering of talent, expertise, and knowledge sharing in renewable energy disciplines
• the construction of local and regional green power production facilities that complement and balance fossil fuel production
• the reduction of carbon emissions through active participation in carbon markets
• the creation of a model, zero carbon, zero waste city that demonstrates the practical viability and appeal of living in alternative energy environments

The Masdar Initiative is currently seeking suitable partners from around the world to help achieve its ambitious goal.

For more on the initiative, see the official Masdar Initiative website.

Well, I’d never recommend you do this at home but…

…what better way to celebrate World Environment Day than to climb a skyscraper with your bare hands - and without a rope!

Alain Robert, 45, climbed The New York Times building in Manhattan. Robert reached the top of the 52 story building before being arrested and whisked away by police.

Robert had previously told reporters that he planned to raise awareness of global warming since this is one of the main problems for our time.

When visiting Alain Robert’s website today, you’ll see a banner ad at the top. Clicking on this ad takes you to Robert’s The Solution Is Simple website, where you can send a message to the leaders at next month’s G8 meeting in Japan.

By the way, Robert’s “Simple Solution” is as follows:

1. Stop Cutting Down Trees. Plant More Trees.
2. Make Everything Energy Efficient.
3. Only Make Clean Energy

Wow! It really is simple!

By the way, a second climber was also arrested for climbing the same building today. The cause (if any) is a little unclear at this stage, but he was wearing a “Malaria No More” tee shirt. The Malaria No More organization said they had nothing to do with him.