Rainharvest.co.za » eco friendly driving

Top 10 Ways to Use Less Fuel

admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:28:46 +0000

Here we go again: gasoline prices are soaring close to $4.00 a gallon, and several of the countries that export oil to the U.S. are in such political turmoil, we can’t be sure our supplies will continue. When, oh when, will we say, “Enough, Already!” and get serious about reducing our dependence on petroleum?

The problem isn’t just “foreign” oil. Using any kind of fossil fuel to meet our transportation needs is a losing proposition. Drilling for oil wrecks the planet, or have we already forgotten the Gulf Oil disaster? And burning oil generates climate-changing carbon dioxide and nasty particles that create asthma-inducing smog.

If you’re in the market for a new car, take a look at electric options like the Chevy Volt or Nissan Leaf. Gas-electric hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion merit consideration, too. Aim to buy the most fuel-efficient vehicle in your price range; this site maintained by the U.S. Department of Energy, will help you compare your choices.

But most of us can’t just go out and buy a new set of wheels (unless they’re on a bicycle). These ten tips offer the fastest, easiest ways you can save gas and money, no matter what kind of car you drive.

1. Drive smart - Avoid quick starts and stops, use cruise control on the highway, and don’t idle.

2. Drive the speed limit - Remember – every 5 mph you drive above 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.10 per gallon for gas.

3. Drive less - This should be a no-brainer. Walk, bicycle, use a scooter or moped, combine trips, and telecommute to work.

4. Drive a more fuel-efficient car - Consider one of the new hybrids; at the very least, choose from among the EPA’s “Fuel Economy Leaders” in the class vehicle you’re considering.

5. Keep your engine tuned up - Improve gas mileage by an average of 4.1 percent by maintaining your vehicle in top condition.

6. Carpool - According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, 32 million gallons of gasoline would be saved each day if every car carried just one more passenger on its daily commute.

7. Use mass transit and “Ride Share” programs - Why pay for gasoline at all?

8. Keep tires properly inflated - Improve gas mileage by around 3.3 percent by keeping your tires inflated to the proper pressure. Replace worn tires with the same make and model as the originals.

9. Buy the cheapest gas you can find - Buy gas in the morning, from wholesale shopper’s clubs, and using gas-company rebate cards. Track neighborhood prices on the Internet.

10. Support higher fuel-efficiency standards and the development of alternative fuels - Ultimately, our best hope for beating the gas crisis is to increase fuel efficiency while we transition to renewable and non-petroleum based fuels. Endorse efforts to boost average fuel efficiency to at least 40 mpg. Support programs that promote research and development of alternatives to transportation systems based on oil.

If you do want to get rid of an existing vehicle, here’s how you can recycle it.

Source: Big Green Purse

We have to accept that we are still dependent on fossil fuels and probably will be for some time before renewable, clean energy can replace them. In the interim, we need to try to use less fossil fuel based energy by changing habits and switching to more efficient vehicles when possible. We can also offset our carbon emissions by purchasing eco friendly insurance, now available in South Africa!

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems has incorporated Yes Solar Mpumalanga so that we can offer solar water heating systems to further reduce your environmental impact (water and energy are linked). Yes Solar is a distributor for Solsquare Solar Solutions- high quality German-engineered solar energy systems that are competitively priced. Solsquare solar geysers are SABS- and Eskom-approved and are fitted by qualified, Eskom-accredited solar installers. Now is the time to install a solar geyser while the Eskom rebates last (this money will run out eventually) and before the looming energy crisis arrives. Solar water geysers can reduce household electricity costs by up to 50%.

Water Rhapsody’s WWF AWARD-winning water conservation systems (see product demo) include rainwater harvesting systems, grey water recycling systems, swimming pool backwash recycling, water-saving toilet flushing mechanisms and rainwater tanks (we are authorized JoJo Water Tanks & Atlas Plastics water tank dealers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo- best water tank prices in the Lowveld!). Two new industrial water recycling products have been added to our water system lineup, read about the Poseidon Advantage & Poseidon 1500.

Our water and solar systems will save the environment while you save money on water and electricity bills; get free water and free water heating!

Green Driving Tips (beat the fuel price hikes!)

admin — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 05:31:54 +0000

The current hide crude oil prices will affect the global community; fuel prices are on the rise, especially in South Africa. Here’s how to get more mileage from your fuel tank:

Green driving doesn’t necessarily mean replacing your old car with a ‘green car’. Hybrid cars are often expensive and come at a greater, unseen environmental cost (e.g. the mining, shipping and manufacturing of some batteries for electric cars uses up huge amounts of energy). It’s cheaper, easier and possibly more eco-friendly to simply change your driving habits.

A quick summary of green driving tips:

Don’t step on the accelerator pedal! Drive smoothly.
Avoid unnecessary idling.
Plan your trip – it’ll save time and money.
Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle.
Use the air vents instead of using the air conditioner.
Maintain your car well- more fuel efficient and prevents costly mechanical failure.
Drive at recommended speed limits – lower fuel consumption and no speeding fines!
Drive at a constant speed (when cruising) in the correct gear.

(A republication of a popular 2010 www.rainharvest.co.za post)

Also see: How to Green Your Car and How to Hypermile and Drive Green.

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems Mpumalanga offers water tank and rainwater tank installation, rainwater harvesting systems, grey water recycling and water-saving devices for swimming pools and toilet flush systems (see product demo ). Our WWF Award-winning water systems can be retrofitted or built into new buildings and can be adapted to small households or large business blocks, hospitals, schools, lodges & hotels.

Water Rhapsody has incorporated Yes Solar- official distributor of German-made Solsquare solar water heating systems that are installed by Eskom-accredited solar installers (our solar geysers are eligible for Eskom solar energy rebates). We are authorized JoJo Water Tank dealers and Atlas Plastics water tank suppliers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province (best water tank prices in the Lowveld!). We are also able to supply sanitary hardware such as waterless toilets through our JoJo Tanks and Atlas Plastics dealerships.

Freshwater 101… did you know??

admin — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 17:30:18 +0000

We’ve all probably been made aware of some startling water-use statistics that are more ‘apparent’, but have we ever considered the water use/waste that is involved in less ‘obvious’ human activities?? One may be surprised to learn of some of the facts below…

Diet

The water it takes to produce the average American diet alone—approximately 1,000 gallons per person per day—is more than the global average water footprint of 900 gallons per person per day for diet, household use, transportation, energy, and the consumption of material goods.
That quarter pounder is worth more than 30 average American showers. One of the easiest ways to slim your water footprint is to eat less meat and dairy. Another way is to choose grass-fed, rather than grain-fed, since it can take a lot of water to grow corn and other feed crops.
A serving of poultry costs about 90 gallons of water to produce. There are also water costs embedded in the transportation of food (gasoline costs water to make). So, consider how far your food has to travel, and buy local to cut your water footprint.
Pork costs water to produce, and traditional pork production—to make your sausage, bacon, and chops—has also been the cause of some water pollution, as pig waste runs into local water sources.
On average, a vegan, a person who doesn’t eat meat or dairy, indirectly consumes nearly 600 gallons of water per day less than a person who eats the average American diet.
A cup of coffee takes 55 gallons of water to make, with most of that H2O used to grow the coffee beans.

Electricity, Fuel Economy, and Airline Travel

The water footprint of your per-day electricity use is based on state averages. If you use alternative energies such as wind and solar, your footprint could be less. (The use of biofuels, however, if they are heavily irrigated, could be another story.) You would also get points, or a footprint reduction, for using energy-star appliances and taking other energy-efficiency measures.
Washing a car uses about 150 gallons of water, so by washing less frequently you can cut back your water use.
A gallon of gasoline takes nearly 13 gallons of water to produce. Combine your errands, car pool to work, or take public transportation to reduce both your energy and water use.
Flying from Los Angeles to San Francisco, about 700 miles round-trip, could cost you more than 9,000 gallons of water, or enough for almost 2,000 average dishwasher loads.
A cross-country airplane trip (about 6,000 miles) could be worth more than 1,700 standard toilet flushes.
Traveling from Chicago to Istanbul is just about 10,000 miles round trip, costing enough water to run electricity in the average American home for one person for more than five years.

Industry—Apparel, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Paper

According to recent reports, nearly 5% of all U.S. water withdrawals are used to fuel industry and the production of many of the material goods we stock up on weekly, monthly, and yearly.
It takes about 100 gallons of water to grow and process a single pound of cotton, and the average American goes through about 35 pounds of new cotton material each year. Do you really need that additional T-shirt?
One of the best ways to conserve water is to buy recycled goods, and to recycle your stuff when you’re done with it. Or, stick to buying only what you really need.
The water required to create your laptop could wash nearly 70 loads of laundry in a standard machine.
Recycling a pound of paper, less than the weight of your average newspaper, saves about 3.5 gallons of water. Buying recycled paper products saves water too, as it takes about six gallons of water to produce a dollar worth of paper.

Source: National Geographic

Water Rhapsody’s WWF AWARD-winning water conservation systems (product demo) include rainwater harvesting systems, grey water recycling systems, swimming pool backwash recycling, water-saving toilet flushing mechanisms and rainwater tanks (we are authorised JoJo Tanks & Atlas Plastics water tank dealers in Mpumalanga and Limpopo- best water tank prices in the Lowveld!).

Our water and solar systems will save the environment while you save money on water and electricity bills; get free water and free water heating!

Five Innovations That Will Change The World in Five Years

admin — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 17:20:09 +0000

IBM has unveiled a list of five innovations that will alter the way we run our lives, and change how our societies work, in five years. Among the innovations are batteries that breathe air, environmental sensors built into practically everything from our cell phones to our wallets, adaptive traffic patterns for personalized commutes, and cities that run on waste heat from data centers.

IBM states that there are five major technologies that we can expect to alter our lives over the next five years. Their list makes a lot of sense considering the coverage of breakthroughs and prototypes we’ve had in each of the areas.

3D interfaces for talking with friends is in the works. IBM notes that 3D TVs are already gaining momentum, as is the video chat segment of the telecommunication industry. So it’s only a matter of time before you’re talking with your friends hologram-style. It could be a solution for more personal long-distance company meetings that can reduce business travel.

IBM also expects us to have batteries that breathe air as a source of energy.

“Instead of the heavy lithium-ion batteries used today, scientists are working on batteries that use the air we breath to react with energy-dense metal, eliminating a key inhibitor to longer lasting batteries. If successful, the result will be a lightweight, powerful and rechargeable battery capable of powering everything from electric cars to consumer devices,” states IBM.

While we first heard about this technology well over a year ago, we’re guessing this particular innovation is still farther than five years away.

But one innovation that we definitely agree will be common in five years is environmental sensors embedded in all our stuff. It’s already happening in pilot projects with cell phones and bracelets — sensors that detect air pollution, seismic activity and other data and transmit the information to a central database for real-time visualizations of real-world data.

“In five years, sensors in your phone, your car, your wallet and even your tweets will collect data that will give scientists a real-time picture of your environment. You’ll be able to contribute this data to fight global warming, save endangered species or track invasive plants or animals that threaten ecosystems around the world. In the next five years, a whole class of “citizen scientists” will emerge, using simple sensors that already exist to create massive data sets for research.”

Already, cell phones have become invaluable tools for citizen science, and the idea of citizen science as a source of useful, quickly collected information is on the rise. We can picture it being huge in five years.

IBM thinks that our commutes will be tailored to our needs in five years, with no traffic or delays. Now wouldn’t that be a dream come true!

“In the next five years, advanced analytics technologies will provide personalized recommendations that get commuters where they need to go in the fastest time. Adaptive traffic systems will intuitively learn traveler patterns and behavior to provide more dynamic travel safety and route information to travelers than is available today.”

We already have apps that help determine smarter routes for driving, and companies like Google are already working on mapping real-time traffic information to help speed the flow and reduce idle time for cars. While we might not have such a perfect system as IBM is daydreaming within five years, we expect we will indeed be a lot closer to improved traffic systems by then.

And finally, IBM expects computers to help run our cities, electricity-wise. The company states that as much as 50% of the energy consumed by a modern data center goes to air cooling, and new technologies can redirect that waste heat to other useful places, such as heating homes and offices. We’ve already seen this at work in places like Finland and IBM is running a pilot program in Switzerland. If subway systems can heat homes in Paris, then data centers are definitely an option as home heaters in five years.

Source: Treehugger

Green technology will help us become more sustainable as a species. Two critical areas where green tech is very important are water conservation and renewable energy.

Our water and solar systems will save the environment while you save money on water and electricity bills; get free water and free water heating!

How to Green Your Car

admin — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 07:32:26 +0000

Cars are one of the great mixed bags of our time. They are at once wonders of engineering and a threat to life on Earth. They create convenience and comfort and also snarled traffic and sprawling suburbs.

In the U.S., about 20% of all greenhouse gas emissions come from cars and light trucks like SUVs, contributing to climate change, air pollution, and disease. If you are truly trying to lighten your environmental footprint, the first thing to do is ask if you do in fact need a car. If the answer is yes, there are many things you can do to make your driving life greener.

Top 10 Tips

Here are 10 highly effective ways to go greener. Hit it.

1. Drive a green car

There are now hybrids to match almost any need: two-door, four-door, SUV, luxury sedan. They get better mileage than their conventional counterparts, have cleaner emissions, and save money on gas. If a hybrid isn’t in your future, try for a car with the best MPG you can find; and remember that hybrids aren’t always the most efficient option, either.

Biodiesel can now be found in almost any state in the US. This clean, domestic, veggie-based, carbon-neutral fuel will run in any diesel car or truck with little or no modification to the engine. Straight vegetable oil is an option for the more ambitious green driver and can make fueling up almost free. Another veggie fuel is ethanol, and there are between 5-6 million flex-fuel vehicles already on the road — you may even be driving one and not know it.

Also, affordable, practical electric cars and plug-in hybrids aren’t too far off, either. But whether or not you drive a hybrid or alternative-fuel vehicle, there’s lots you can do to green your car right now.

2. Best practices

Driving technique has a lot to do with your fuel economy. Avoid sudden starts and stops and go the speed limit. Not only does speeding and herky-jerky driving kill your MPG, it’s dangerous. And even if no one gets hurt in a fender bender, how green is it to get a new bumper or have your car re-painted?

As a general rule of thumb, keep your engine speeds between 1,200 — 3,000 RPMs, and up-shift between 2,000 — 2500 RPMs. Also, drive wise and minimize unnecessary miles by doing errands in one trip, getting good directions, and calling ahead.

3. Stay in tune

Getting regular tune-ups, maintenance, and having clean air filters will help you burn less gas, pollute less, and prevent car trouble down the line. Pump up: if every American’s tires were properly inflated we could save around 2 billion gallons of gas each year! (Check your manual for optimal pressure). Lastly, get the junk out of the trunk! All that extra weight is sapping your fuel economy.

4. Car minus the carbon

There are many services out there now that can help you calculate your yearly emissions from driving and offset those greenhouse gasses through various means. Check below for a few carbon offset opportunities.

5. Carpool

Of course. Find coworkers, neighbors, and fellow students headed the same direction. Start with one shared trip per week. Also look into car sharing programs like FlexCar and ZipCar.

6. Leave the car at home.

For shorter adventures, walk, take public transit, ride your bike (regular, electric-assisted, or something fancier), skateboard, rollerblades, or even look into an electric scooter. Carrying groceries or other bulky stuff can still be done on a bike with a backpack or some slick modifications. Check out the Xtracycle, for example.

7. Drive part of the way

If getting where you’re going by bike or public transit alone isn’t going to happen, consider driving part of the way and then jumping on public transit or your bike (a folder would be perfect). A great way to beat traffic!

8. Go easy on the AC

Use the windows to help keep the car cool. Or try an electric or solar fan. Parking in the shade and using a reflective windshield shade can keep your car cooler when parked, meaning it takes less to cool it off when you get back in. If you car is new, however, let it air out. That new car smell is not friendly stuff.

9. Telecommute

Drive less with the wonders of working from home (or internet café, tree house, Mojave desert, etc.) With instant messaging, video chat, teleconferencing, and other world-flattening technologies, making the rush-hour trek to work and back might not be that necessary. Ask your boss or offer your employees a teleconferencing day once a week. Hey, it works for TreeHuggers and 44 million Americans.

10. Aspire to carlessness

Not everyone is going to be able to do it, at least not cold car-key. It will probably entail a shift in thinking and some time, but living car-free might be more within reach than you think. Living closer to work and school is a big part of it. Walking, biking, public transport, car sharing, car borrowing, and teleconferencing are a strong arsenal of tools to help reduce the need for a car. Give it some thought.

Source: Yahoo Green

Most of these tips show that you don’t need a ‘green car’ to drive green. In fact, it may be better to keep your current vehicle instead of trading it for a new hybrid vehicle. Think of all the energy, mining and manufacturing that goes into building even a green car; if you keep your old car but change your driving habits, you possibly might have a lower carbon footprint. However, it is important to maintain your old car properly so that exhaust pollution is minimized. Sometimes common sense and a bit of logic is all that is needed to become more eco-friendly.

Water Rhapsody Water Conservation Systems and Yes Solar Mpumalanga offer eco-friendly rainwater collection systems, rainwater tanks, grey water recycling, swimming pool backwash recycling, water-saving toilet flush mechanisms and high quality Solsquare solar geyers.

Contact us for a FREE QUOTE on a solar water geyser, rainwater harvesting system, gray water system or water tank (we are authorised JoJo Tanks dealers and supply and install the full range of JoJo water tanks and JoJo tank stands). Our water tank prices are hard to beat in the Mpumalanga & Limpopo Lowveld (we also supply high quality Atlas Plastics water tanks and other Atlas Plastics products on request).

How to Hypermile & Drive Green

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:56:02 +0000

9 Steps to Saving Fuel, Saving Money and Saving the Environment

Hypermiling refers to a collection of driving techniques aimed at improving your car’s fuel efficiency by reducing the demands placed on the engine. Since it’s possible to improve fuel economy by 37% just by changing the way you drive hypermiling is gaining interest in light of high fuel costs. While some hypermiling methods are controversial and potentially dangerous, this article will focus on safer techniques that can still save you gas and money.

1. Drive as if you don’t have brakes. Stopping and starting kills gas mileage. Increase the amount of distance between you and other vehicles, don’t race to red lights or traffic obstructions. Coast as much as possible. On newer cars (Manual Transmission) if the car is in gear and your foot is off the accelerator, the injectors shut off completely, creating FREE mileage at the cost of some minor engine braking. Engaging the clutch and/or putting the car in neutral causes the car to idle, using up gas as opposed to using none. Coast as often as possible, because if you’re smart enough with your coasting, your acceleration won’t even cause a hiccup in your cruising mpg.

This may be frustrating and difficult, however, if other drivers keep cutting in front of you. You should keep your foot ready to use the brake so that if you do need to stop suddenly you can react quickly. If using this technique at night, make sure you have clean headlights and that they are working properly. Obviously, you still need to obey all traffic laws and common sense. For example, you wouldn’t roll through stop signs; the increased risk of a car accident and/or traffic ticket is not worth a few extra cents saved in fuel costs.

2. Be gentle with the accelerator. When you slam down on the gas pedal, it pushes more fuel into the engine, making it run faster (and lowering the fuel economy and increasing your output of pollutants). Push the pedal down slowly, and lift it up as soon as you know you’re going to need to stop (when you see a red light, a stop sign, or brake lights from the car ahead of you) so that you can coast the rest of the way. You should never need to push down the pedal by more than an inch (2.5cm). Some cars are even being designed with pedals that “push back” when you’re accelerating too aggressively!

If you have a choice between various routes, go for the one with the least number of stops; country roads are good because you don’t have to stop (and go) as much and you don’t have to accelerate/brake to get on/off (like with the highway).

If you’re driving on sloped roads, it’s useful to think about where you should come to a full stop because that’ll affect how hard you need to accelerate:

Fuel efficient vehicles actually generate better gas mileage when a “brisk” acceleration method is used. Acceleration makes for terrible mileage, so get the acceleration out of the way so that you can cruise (excellent mileage!) Slow acceleration will yield less mileage on efficient cars.
Avoiding stopping on an incline heading upwards. Starting from a dead stop on a hill is the worst scenario in terms of fuel economy. Stop at the top of the hill, or stop before you climb the hill (if it’s safe).
When coming down a hill and faced with a red light at the bottom (where it levels out), try to stop well before the light so that you can use the remaining downhill slope to your advantage when you need to move again.

3. Avoid idling. Turning off the engine when you stop for more than one minute can improve fuel efficiency by 19%. In cold weather, letting your car idle to warm up reduces fuel economy and creates additional pollution; all you need to do is drive gently for 5-10 minutes and if you’re following the previous two steps, you’re going to be driving gently all the way anyway.

If you have multiple stops in one trip, plan it so that you go to your furthest destination first and make the rest of your stops on your way back. By taking your longest drive at the beginning, you give the car enough time to warm up for the remainder of the trip; if you took the short trips first, your car would take longer to warm up (because of the brevity of each trip). Since engines do not operate efficiently until they are warm, taking your longest drive first increases fuel efficiency.

4. Go slower up hills, and faster downhill. Going uphill slower allows you to use your momentum to help keep your car from using extra gas to get up the hill. If you plan for a hill by going faster you’ll get further up the hill before you need to use extra gas. While going downhill you can go faster using less gas, as such don’t lay off the pedal completely, use it until you’re going a little faster than normal. If you combine the two in areas with small hills you’ll see much higher mileage.

5. Minimize the engine load. Generally, it’s better for your fuel economy if you maintain a steady speed, which is why using cruise control and driving at or below the speed limit is an important part of hypermiling. If you’re driving on a hill or any kind of varied terrain, however, you need to consider how much work the engine is doing. Sometimes, a steady speed means unsteady strain on your engine, which lowers fuel economy. Let’s say you’re approaching a hill. When you go up the hill, you should slow down, or else your engine will have to do extra work to maintain your previous speed. Practice with caution as you may annoy other drivers.

6. Park for easy departure. Instead of searching for the perfect spot close to an entrance (which will involve stop and go driving, especially with pedestrians involved and other drivers pulling in or out of their spots) pull into a spot that’s further away from the entrance. Look for the parking spot with the highest elevation and park face-out so that when you start the car and the engine is cold (at the lowest efficiency) you can use gravity in your favor without having to spin your car around.

7. Check tire pressure regularly. If the tires are incorrectly inflated, then there will be excess drag, or not enough surface contact with the road. The car therefore suffers a drop in efficiency.

8. Reduce the junk in the trunk. The more weight you’re carrying, the more the engine and drive-train have to work. Removing all of that unused junk in the trunk increases efficiency.

9. In a hybrid, Pulse and Glide. If you own a hybrid car, you can increase your mileage by learning to pulse and glide. Pulse and glide is a technique that can dramatically increase your mileage, but is best when you are on a road where there are few other people around.

“Pulse” or accelerate up to a speed that is the higher end of a range of speeds that are appropriate. Do this using one of the sweet spots for mileage/power ratio on your car. For the prius these spots are ~15mpg and 25mpg, and correspond to times at which the gas engine is powering the car and charging the battery.
“Glide” between acceleration, but use the accelerator to provide electric assist. This requires knowing how hard to push and in which circumstances, but is very easy to see on the consumption screen. Get used to the maximum electric assist you can use and you’ll go further between pulses, further increasing your mileage.

Source: wikihow

Many haven’t heard of the term ‘hypermiling’ but have probably practiced some of the tips mentioned above. This shows that you don’t necessarily need a green car to drive green. As a student, I remember trying all sorts of fuel saving tips out of necessity- who wants to spend money on fuel when there are so many other better things to spend it on? Even if saving money is not the primary incentive, reducing fossil fuel usage reduces your carbon emissions and lessens your environmental impact. The same can be said for water- when you save water, you generally save money too. Water Rhapsody has a solution to all your water conservation requirements. See the water systems featured on our product demo and contact us for a FREE quote! We also supply and install JoJo water tanks (we are authorized JoJo dealers in South Africa).

Water-fuel car unveiled in Japan

admin — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:55:55 +0000

Japanese company Genepax presents its eco-friendly car that runs on nothing but water.

Source: Reuters

Hydrogen-fueled machines are not particularly new or complex. There has been concern about the hydrogen in storage tanks on-board a car; hydrogen is potentially dangerous if the vehicle is involved with a collision. However, this water-fueled car apparently solves the problem by only separating the hydrogen on an as-needed basis. This type of technology is what the world needs but will the giant oil corporations (and all those that depend on them) allow this technology to become commercial? It would be great if the car could run on urine! (hydrogen can also be obtained from urine). If water does become a viable fuel for vehicles, the value of water will soar! Perhaps when water costs more, people will conserve it better. Potable water is already in short supply and anyone who has ownership or access to water will be very wealthy. If you don’t own a dam or live on a property with abundant water, you can still collect your very own free water- your roof is a great resource for rainwater harvesting! Water tanks are relatively inexpensive and there are many shapes and sizes available (see How to choose a water tank). See our frequently asked questions about rainwater harvesting the benefits of installing Water Rhapsody water conservation systems. Water fueled cars are likely to be very expensive at first so many of us must just follow green driving tips in the mean time!

Green Driving Tips

admin — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 17:02:23 +0000

A quick summary of green driving tips:

Don’t step on the accelerator pedal! Drive smoothly.
Avoid unnecessary idling.
Plan your trip – it’ll save time and money.
Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle.
Use the air vents instead of using the air conditioner.
Maintain your car well- more fuel efficient and prevents costly mechanical failure.
Drive at recommended speed limits – lower fuel consumption and no speeding fines!
Drive at a constant speed (when cruising) in the correct gear.