Filed under: affordable, biodiesel, build, diy, dual fuel, eco friendly, economical, electric car, hybrid, kit car, lpg
With rising fuel costs more and more people and are looking for
alternatives. One such alternative that is gaining popularity,
especially with the do-it yourself types, are the electric vehicle
kits. Anyone familiar with automobiles can now use these kits to
convert traditional gas powered vehicles to one powered by electric
current.
However, converting a traditional Gas powered vehicle into an
electric vehicle can be a very daunting task.. read more…
Filed under: 746, German cars, USA, autos, carbon, cars, eco, economic, efficient, environment, high mpg, lpg, sustainable, sustainable fuel, tuning, web, www.lpgcarshop.co.uk
Environmentally friendly? Perhaps not, but still
an interesting development none the less. Is this a vision of the
future – in that car manufacturers will continue to sate our lust for
big engined, over-powered saloons and sports cars – but.. read more…
Filed under: alternative energy, carbon, eco, environment, footprint, lpg, trading
It is now standard practice for tyre retailers to impose a tyre
disposal charge when you change your tyres, which tends typically to be
about £1.00 a tyre. You may wonder why you have to pay this charge -
after all tyre disposal charges have not always been the norm.
The real answer to this question is that it is a simple case of
economics – a case of supply and demand. Going back twenty years the
scrap disposal scenario was totally different to the way it is today.
It used to be the case that car tyre retreading companies would collect
the majority of used tyres as the raw material for their production.
They used to pick up the used tyres free of charge (or even pay for the
privilege).
However, that was when over 4 million retreaded car tyres were sold in
the UK every year. In the meantime the market for British manufactured
retreads has been squeezed by cheap new tyres from the Far East to the
point where the UK market is no more than a tenth of what it was. This
means that retreaders no longer pick up the scrap tyres. This is done
by professional tyre disposal companies who need to charge the retailer
for this service.
Much of the tyre disposal in the UK is now carried out by members of
the Responsible Recyclers Scheme, which is now administered under
license by the Tyre Recovery Association. Members of the scheme
guarantee that the tyres collected are disposed of in an
environmentally friendly method, whether recycled or used as a fuel in
cement kilns. As a guarantee, members of the scheme are subject to a
stringent audit process conducted regularly by independent
environmental audit specialists.
The Responsible Recyclers Scheme also promotes best practice in the
tyre recovery industry and helps protect against the continuing scourge
of fly-tipping.
In the UK around 40 million tyres are taken off car, vans, trucks and
buses every year, a total of 440,000 tonnes. That is a huge amount of
scrap to dispose of and it has to be paid for somehow. Although the UK
tyre recovery industry currently has enough capacity to cope with scrap
tyre arisings, the balance between overcapacity and undercapacity is
relatively fine.
Of key importance in the tyre disposal market in the UK is The Landfill
Directive, which was adopted by the UK in July 1999. This banned the
disposal of whole tyres by landfill from July 2003 and shredded tyres
from July 2006. This has changed the entire scenario of how tyres are
disposed of and recycled in the UK and Europe. There are a number of
ways in which scrap tyres are recycled in the UK although all of these
can be defined as either reuse, recycling or recovery.
Retreading is still considered to be one of the most preferable method
of tyre recycling as it effectively doubles the life of the new tyre,
reducing the numbers of new tyres needed and thereby minimising waste.
Retread still make up nearly half of all truck tyres on the road but
the number of car tyres that are retreaded is now relatively small.
Other common uses for scrap tyres include sports and recreational
surfaces, landfill engineering, carpet underlay/floor coverings, and
road building. Roads manufactured using crumb rubber last longer, have
better traction and reduce noise.
In the UK scrap tyres are also widely used as a fuel in cement kilns as an alternative to the traditional fuel, coal.
About Author :
Article produced by BlackCircles.com – discount tyres for cars, 4×4s, and commercial fleets in the UK. Tyres can be ordered online and fitted at your local garage.
Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_189095_53.html
Technorati Tags: recycling, alternative energy, corporate, eco, environment
Filed under: buying and selling, dual fuel, ebay, lpg, safety, trading, web
In this second instalment I want to look at just how you track down your perfect car on ebay – what your options are and how you can make the whole process more efficient.
As I’ve said previously – ebay is now one of the biggest auto markets online and really is just as good a place to start your search for a new car as auto-trader, exchange and mart, etc..
You may think that a prime reason for starting off with one of these sites or in the classfied section of your local rag comes down to distance – all the cars listed are likely to be in your area. Who really wants to drive to the other end of the UK just to test a car they may or may not like? What if you don’t like the colour, the engine, want something newer, older…?! The list is endless.
Luckily, ebay have not only taken notice of this but, with appropriate use of the tools they provide, they’ve made your life a whole lot easier. Using the CAR FINDER you can begin to narrow down the vehicles you may wish to view by make and year, then add in variables to your search such as distance from a specified postcode (you can use any – doesn’t have to be where you live), price, etc..
In terms of lpg vehicles, you can quickly use the Autos categories (in combination with the postcode / distance search) to quickly track down LPG CARS, LPG VANS and PICKUPS + other commercial vehicles and even any LPG PARTS (such as convertors for your existing car) that you are after.
Further to this, if you need the vehicle or part quickly, narrow listings down to Buy-it-Now or classified only. This effectively turns ebay into any other online store – just bigger! You’ll notice by clicking THIS LINK that there are now less cars available to you by specifying you want Buy-it-Now (BIN) listings only – but importantly they’re all available to you NOW. Very useful if say Saturday is the only day you can shop for your new car and you need to SEARCH, VIEW and CONCLUDE a deal all on that one day. Especially as ebay has now integrated Skype into its system – making it easier than ever to establish contact with sellers, when you need to.
So those are the basics – I can’t stress enough the importance of experimenting with the Car Finder because once you get the hang of it, tracking down the perfect motor for you (lpg or otherwise) will be just so much easier.
I’ve been buying and selling on ebay for years – if you’ve any questions please take advantage of my experience and leave a comment on this post, thanks. Cameron
Technorati Tags: lpg, ebay, cars, vans, pickups, commercial, buying, selling, trading, safety, perfect car
The world is worried about depleting fuel reserves. Research is on the
fast track to find alternative fuel. People need transportation which
means increased consumption of fuel. With economy booming in many
nations more and more people are buying cars.
In 2007 the US car buyer is making fuel efficacy a prime concern when
buying a car. Cars are ranked as fuel efficient based on the
Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) miles per gallon ratings. The
basis is 55 % of city mpg rating and 45% of highway mpg rating. Cars
are now available in gas, electric, and hybrid versions apart from
petrol or diesel run cars.
Here is a look at fuel efficient cars as listed by http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/119083/article.html :
1. Toyota Prius: ratio of 60/51 mpg. The hybrid version is the most fuel efficient vehicle in the US market.
2. Honda civic Hybrid 49/51 mpg. This is a perrineal favorite.
3. Toyota Camry Hybrid 40/38mpg.
4. Toyota Yaris 34/40 mpg. Gives pleasant handling.
5. Honda Fit 33/38 mpg .
6. Toyota Corolla 32/41mpg. Is one of the most fuel efficient.
7. Mini Cooper 32/40 mpg.
8. Hyundai Acccent /Kia Rio 32/35mpg . This is a great buy in economy range of cars.
9. Honda Civic 30/40 mpg.
10. Nissan Versa 30/36 mpg. It’s the best in its category.
Another top ten list that is dependable is at
http://cars.about.com/od/helpforcarbuyers/tp/top10_fuel.htm where he
has considered fuel efficiency along with comfort and driving pleasure.
According to Aaron Gold, the cars to consider overall are:
1. Toyota Prius 60/51 mpg.
2. Honda Civic Hybrid 46/51mpg.
3. Volkswagen Golf 38/46 mpg.
4. Mini Cooper 28/37 mpg.
5. Hyundai Elantra 27/34 mpg.
6. Ford Focus Station Wagon 26/34 mpg.
7. Honda Accord 26/34 mpg.
8. Nissan Altima 24/31 mpg.
9. Chevrolet Malibu MAXX 22/30 mpg.
10. Buick Le Sabre 20/29mpg.
When buying a car you need to consider several aspects:
• Cost.
• Maintenance.
• Environmental friendliness.
• Durability.
• Personal preferences.
• Availability of parts and cost of parts.
• Insurance costs.
• Road tax.
While expert advice is important you must think about where you stay,
where the nearest dealer is located, and whether the car can adapt to
the weather conditions in your region. Never buy a car blindly always
find out how suitable the car is for you and your family. Think resale
too!
Use the expert advice available on online auto retail websites to find
out all the information you need about cars. Always comparison shop for
a car and car loan, get the best deal possible and enjoy many miles of
pleasant tension free driving.
with thanks to: Arthur Raise
Arthur Raise is a writer for Used Cars For Sale
, the premier website to find help on Cars including topics on car
rental, national car rental, thrifty car rental, online car rental,
pickup trucks rental, cargo van rental and more.
First of all, the term carbon footprint refers to a measurement of greenhouse gases released by human activities based on the amount of carbon dioxide units that is produced. This helps scientists and government decision makers gauge how severe a particular human activity affects the environment by contributing to the so-called Greenhouse Effect.
You can compute your own primary carbon footprint, by taking into account your fuel consumption in your household and your travel activities per year.
In the first category which is fuel consumption per household, you should factor in the following:
•electricity consumption per year for your household
•natural gas consumption per year for your household
•LPG (liquified petroleum gas) consumption per year by your household
•household oil consumption per year by your household
•coal consumption per year by your household
•and the number of people who live in your household.
For the second category, which involves travel activities per year, you should factor in these:
•total mileage of your vehicle per year (for those who own their own private vehicle)
•total mileage of your second vehicle per year (for those who have an additional vehicle)
•miles traveled on the train per year
•miles traveled on both local buses and underground transportation systems per year
•miles traveled on long distance bus and coach per year
•yearly travel by air, in terms of short-haul return flights, medium-haul return flights, and long-haul return flights.
You can use an online carbon footprint calculator (like that found on http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.html) and enter in all these factors. The online calculator will do the computing for you so you can see just how extensively your activities affect the environment by contributing to carbon dioxide emissions.
Once you know how your activities affect Mother Earth, you can start taking steps to minimize your contribution to carbon dioxide emissions. This is very important, particularly since African and Asian countries are revving up their economies which means a proportional increase in fuel consumption.
Some things you can do are:
•look for a green energy supplier who will supply power to your household. (A green energy supplier relies on renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric and wind power, which wreaks less havoc on the environment);
•turn off electricity-dependent machines if you really do not need to use them, or at least minimize usage of these items;
•minimize your central heating by up to 2 degrees;
•minimize water heating by up to 2 degrees;
•use a timer for your central heating at home so that it turns off when you leave home;
•only turn on the washing machine and clothes dryer if you have a full load of laundry to put in;
•try reducing water to heat in the kettle if you do not need that much hot water in the first place;
•do not overcharge your cellphone;
•defrost freezers and refrigerators periodically, even before ice builds up;
•try shopping only once a week, making bulk purchases so you can cut down on car fuel consumption;
•and minimize use of the tumble dry function – rather try using a clothesline and the sun to dry laundry.
There are many other things you can do to minimize your carbon footprint. Leave less of a carbon footprint and you will leave behind a more stable environment in the wake of your activities.
with thanks to: greenstore11
Green Store UK sells eco friendly gifts and energy saving gadgets. We have various energy saving gadgets such as the Smart Adapter which is a remote control plug set which enables you to quickly and easily turn off electric items off standby.
This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_224394_53.html
Filed under: buying and selling, ebay, investment, lpg, safety, trading, web, www.lpgcarshop.co.uk
This post is the first of a series of three in which I’ll comment o nthe ever increasing trend of buying through ebay. Traditionally the home of the stamp collector, electronics buyer etc.. ebay is now selling more cars than ever before (including more than most specialist car classified sites) and a higher than ever number of lpg cars and other vehicles.
In this post we’ll have a look at security and how to buy easily and safely on ebay and then follow up with posts on what vehicles are available with regard to cars and finally commercial vehicles.
You may already use ebay to make purchases or even sell items yourself. However, chances are that those items are of a comparatively minimal value compared to a new car – something which is commonly cited directly behind homes as one of the biggest purchases people commonly make. For this reson it is importnant to apply different principles and be particularly vigilant when buying cars.
As a general principle you should ALWAYS aim to arrange to view the vehicle and test it, just as you would with a car advertised by any other means. The only difference with ebay is that (in addition to the traditional handshake) you will need to conclude the deal on ebay by winning the car at auction or using Buy-it-Now. If you’re particularly fussy about the car you’re after, or have a very strict budget you may need to view many cars and be prepared to take time to go to the end of each auction. In this instance you may wish to search ebay with your exact requirements and budget in mind and find a car that you can view and conclude on instantly.
To this end, ebay provide the very powerful Car Finder tool which I can’t emphasise enough as being the best way to go about finding your perfect car on ebay. Not only does it let you narrow down make, model, engine, spec and extras (such as lpg conversion) but most importantly it allows you to specify location. Using a similar postcode/distance finder as autotrader and other car-ad systems, this allows you to order search results by distance from your location.
Now, you’ve found the car and won the auction. What about money? Two schools of thought here I would say – either the traditional route of cash-in-hand (which I would personally favour) or stick with ebay protocol and use PayPal or similar. Now, how you do this is u pto you but always, always have a mind to where the car is, who has the keys etc at time of payment. I.e. just because you met a guy at a carpark yesterday and test drove the car does NOT mean he’ll necessarily turn up at the same carpark to hand over the car – once payment is in his account!
Common sense really, but you’d be surprised how often these simple rules are ignored.
We aim to give some insight into the financial and economical cost to society as a direct result of exhaust emissions from Petrol, Diesel and LPG engines. The financial costs are calculated based on city population sizes in the UK, and grams of pollutants emitted per 1000km travelled by each automotive vehicle fuel type. These figures relate directly to the economical costs in terms of health care expenditure. The results show the benefits that alternative fuels can offer to society as a whole, helping to reduce health problems such as Congestive heart failure, Respiratory problems and Bronchitis, which all relate to poor air quality. The report is based on findings from various sources including The Norfolk County Council alternative fuel trials, and the BeTa database report on social costs published by Netcen (AEA).
Automotive fuels are constantly taking blame and criticism from the Government as the main cause of poor air quality conditions in the UK. The levels of harmful gases in the environment are costing society financially, economically and physically. Most people are aware of the damaging effects that exhaust emissions have on air quality conditions, but what do these emissions cost to society in monetary terms?
Our analysis showed that the social cost of driving a vehicle varies significantly with the fuel type used. In a small town, Diesel results in social costs of �3.84 per 1,000km, petrol �1.04 and LPG �0.55p. In a large city, Diesel costs �32.70 per 1,000km, petrol �6.08 and LPG �2.33.
The cost of running alternative vehicles such as LPG cars is dramatically less than standard petrol and diesel vehicles and does not require higher maintenance levels. Further benefits include reduced engine noise, smoother vehicle running, exempt from congestion charges and low duty taxes. Having more vehicles running on LPG engine in the UK would assist in reducing emission costs to society while improving air quality.
Individuals and organisations that adopt the environmentally-friendly alternative automotive fuels and technologies are not only generating cost savings for themselves but also for the larger society.
Written by Laura Cowan at Fuelture Ltd, a UK based alternative fuel company with a national LPG conversion service. A more complete article can be reviewed at http://www.fuelture.com Fuelture Ltd aspires to build a unique network of state-of-the-art LPG Stations and to launch a unique LPG fuel card. Fuelture Ltd. works closely with performance engine specialists Nicholson McLaren Engines Ltd. Visit http://www.fuelture.com/ for more information about automotive LPG in the UK.
17th July 2006
Author: Laura Cowan
This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_73225_53.html
The term carbon offset is used in close relation to the concept of emissions trading. In emissions trading, a government agency is usually responsible for setting mandatory limits for emission of a type of pollutant. If the enterprise is able to stay within limits for emission of that pollutant, the government will grant economic incentives to the enterprise as a reward for reducing pollution released into the environment. Strangely enough, if an enterprise has surpassed the limit for the emission level of the pollutant, the enterprise has the option of purchasing “credits” from other enterprises which have been able to stay well within emission limits. A credit represents how much emissions an enterprise is permitted to release into the environment.
The same principle used in emissions trading has been set into place through the adoption of the global Kyoto Protocol carbon credits scheme. Carbon credits designates a monetary or financial value to greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, one credit means the owner of the credit has permission to release one tonne of carbon dioxide. The Kyoto Protocol is one internationally-recognized treaty which defines the limits of emissions that entire countries can release into the environment over a certain period of time. These countries are then responsible for regulating the businesses or enterprises which operate in their jurisdiction, as far as their level of emissions are concerned. Just like in emissions trading as shown above, the carbon credits scheme allows businesses which have surpassed the permitted amount of emissions released to purchase carbon credits from those businesses which have been able to stay within emissions limits. An interesting aspect of carbon credits is that they can be traded on an open market level as well, with a market price being observed.
On the other hand, there are companies which are able to observe a carbon project mechanism in the way they operate. A carbon project pertains to a business program where the enterprise attempts to reduce its total level of greenhouse gas emissions so that the company will receive funding in return (as a reward, so to speak.) Carbon projects are better than simply buying carbon credits because it means the business is attempting to voluntarily cut down on its greenhouse gas emissions. Some enterprises choose to adopt a carbon project because they may have been guilty of surplus emissions in the past, and saw the carbon project mechanism as being preferable to paying a carbon tax or buying carbon credits from other enterprises. (A carbon tax can be perceived as a default penalty to be paid by the enterprise because it surpassed limits for emissions.)
Green Store UK sells eco friendly gifts and energy saving gadgets. We have various energy saving gadgets such as the Smart Adapter which is a remote control plug set which enables you to quickly and easily turn off electric items off standby.
08th October 2007
Author: greenstore11
This article is free for republishing
Source: http://www.a1articles.com/article_224404_53.html
