The Monthly Newsletter of greenlight magazine

In late summer, Willie Nelson was performing at a 152-year-old winery in the mountains above Silicon Valley to a worshipful crowd of all ages, genders, ethnicities and headwear, and somewhere between "Beer for My Horses" and "Stardust" I couldn’t help but wonder: How does this former outlaw artist with grizzled braids, bandanna and at least a few unhealthy habits touch so many people?, how did he move from the fringe of society into the mainstream?, what happened? Well, times change, people change, people wake up, people learn. It’s no surprise that Willie Nelson is a believer in the power of bio-diesel. As the world around us changes and we learn more about the planet’s limits: let’s listen to Willie.
—Bill Marken, editor in chief, greenlight magazine

Our new issue of greenlight magazine gives a rundown on what we call "real-life green cars" – 10 relatively fuel-efficient models in five mainstream categories from small cars, including hybrids, to SUVs. We’re happy to say that a lot is going on outside the mainstream. Here’s a quick progress report on innovations that are making major strides toward reducing our reliance on conventional gas guzzlers.

Electric cars have created the most buzz, with a critically-acclaimed movie, “Who Killed the Electric Car?”, and a couple of worthy models available now.

• NmG from Myers, is part car, part motorcycle. Cost is $25,000. It will hit 70 mph. America’s only highway legal, all electric-vehicle currently sold.
• Zap! Has just rolled out the two-seater Xebra. It costs less than $10,000, gets up to 40 or 50 mph.

On the horizon, one of a new generation of hybrids, is the Brazilian Obvio, which runs on gas and ethanol, and reuses the power it generates.

For a report on “Cars that say good-bye to gasoline”, including vehicles that use no gasoline such as the Civic that runs on compressed natural gas, see Green Car Journal.

Biodiesel is a clean-burning renewable fuel replacement made from vegetable oils and animal fat. Willie Nelson tells you where to buy it.

You can learn how to convert a diesel engine to bio-diesel here. Or here.

What about ethanol, the corn-based alternative to gasoline, being developed to power flexible-fuel vehicles? Consumer Reports gives a discouraging review. The magazine says that ethanol emits fewer pollutants than gasoline but yields fewer miles per gallon, is more expensive, and is hard to find.

Rent a green car? The big guys are getting into the action. Hertz recently launched its collection of earth-friendly vehicles: 42 types altogether (such as Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Buick LaCrosse and Hyundai Sonata.), with high marks from the EPA for limiting air pollution. To view your choices, go to Hertz and look for Green Collection on the Vehicle Type menu.

Look into innovations in car renting such as car-sharing programs like Flexcar, offering low-emission vehicles for rent by the hour or longer. zipcar may have come to your area with its car-sharing, park-around-the-neighborhood approach.

Do you have personal experiences with any alternative fuels or vehicles, fuels or approaches? We’d love to hear from you.

For many years apples have been the poster children for what’s bad about the American agricultural system -- too many chemicals (apples are sadly susceptible to worms and many maladies), months of storage and long trips from the southern hemisphere to provide year-round supply, breeding and growing techniques that emphasized looks over flavor. Want us to go on? At least we have to mention the alar incident of the 1980s – and all the public debate about a chemical sprayed on apples to speed their ripening. At the same time, this beloved fruit has always had a good story to tell. And now is the time to hear it - and experience apples at their crisp, tangy-sweet best, which is why we fell for them in the first place. Here are a few reminders for apple-tasting time.

• Choose organic. Look for the USDA’s organic seal or ask the produce guy or the grower. Apples grown organically will not be sprayed for pests and diseases, or subjected to chemical fertilizers. Truth be told, with some organic apples, you may have to avoid a worm at the core – look for tell-tale worm holes near the stem, and cut the apple in segments.
• Does size matter? What about looks? Organic apples won’t be as flashy – as red, as gleaming, as big – as conventionally grown apples, the pumped-up, fruit-world equivalent of the Barbie Doll. But their flavor will be more intense – more like what you think an apple should taste.
• Shop locally. Apples can be grown successfully in almost any U.S. climate (Minnesota grows them, Florida grows them) – if the grower chooses locally adapted varieties. Some climates grow better apples than others.—e.g., I can tell you that Washington apples taste better than Southern California’s. Buying local apples gives you a chance at the freshest fruit and also cuts down on resources used for transportation. How far is it from New Zealand to St. Louis, for instance? 8115 miles.
• Know the seasons. Depending on climate, apples ripen from late summer through fall. Chilling can keep them fresh and tasty for weeks and even a few months. “Controlled atmosphere storage” is what keeps apples around all year. Stored apples taste fine for a while, then reach a point of diminishing returns -- when their texture becomes mealy and their flavor fades, even though they still look perky. Check for yourself in February and March when what you find will be cold storage apples. You may decide to switch over to other fruits when the only apples come from controlled atmosphere storage or have traveled halfway around the world long (remember our spring is the southern hemisphere’s fall apple season).
• Try the heirlooms. These are the varieties that George Washington’s grandmother knew. Hobbyists and a number of commercial growers have kept them alive for their distinctive flavors and non-Barbie looks. There are hundreds if not thousands available. See what is grown and well adapted to your areas. The names are fun to say even if you can’t find the apples: old-timers like Liberty, Karmijn de Sonnaville, Chehalis, William’s Pride, Ashmead’s Kernel. If you have room for an apple tree, it’s fun to grow an heirloom—check with nearby nursery for local recommendations. Trees of Antiquity is a good mail-order source.

My own take on apples: I hate worms and don’t like the flavor or texture of store-bought, picture-perfect conventional apples. What do I do? I buy organic apples and inspect them carefully. Avoid any that have little worm holes near the stem at the top. Avoid bruises and blotches caused by disease. Cut into segments when I feel paranoid about worms. I don’t eat the flossy regular Red Delicious, but organic Red Delicious are great – smaller, more of a matte finish to the skin, denser, less watery.

My favorite is California-grown organic Fuji, introduced to the U.S. in the 1980s: on the small side, more yellow than red, not glossy, sweet. I never get tired of them.

Tips from GreenHomeGuide.com

• First, turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F), particularly for fossil-fuel water heaters with their high standby losses
• Insulate your hot water lines so they don’t cool off as quickly between uses.
• Use low-flow fixtures for showers and baths.

See GreenHomeGuide.com for 8 more tips by Harvey M. Sachs, Ph.D., of the Buildings Program at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

Q: Is there such a thing as a green airline? I realize that airline travel is earth-unfriendly, but sometimes it's really the best - or only - option. —Frank P.

A. British Airways stands out as a leader on several fronts, including advocating an emissions trading scheme in the industry and establishing carbon offsetting and sustainable-tourism initiatives. Stateside, Jet Blue wins my vote for being the greenest airline because of its newer, more fuel-efficient fleet and its in-flight recycling and waste-management programs.…Read the Complete Answer.

In the Fall 2006 issue of greenlight magazine: Real-Life Green Cars · Halloween Ideas · Greenest Airline? · Composting Made Easy · A Better Bathroom · Cozy Cashmere · Healthy School Lunches and Treats · Laurie David's Green Life · Top 10 Earth-Friendly Best Sellers · Click to Read!

Editor's Picks

Solar Decathlon: College teams compete on energy-saving

Toon Toonz: art from [recycled] crushed cans

Grocery stores trying to protect you from mercury in fish

Oil sucks and wind blows: prize-winning videos

Bicycle as Chair: Beyond cool recycled furniture

» See All Links