Eco Driver's Ed: the 2010 Honda Insight
http://www.popsci.com/cars/article/2009-02/eco-drivers-ed-2010-honda-insight

Driving out the Prius

According to government research, aggressive driving, ultra-fast acceleration, speeding, and excessive braking can decrease highway mileage by up to 33 percent. Arriving this April, the new 2010 Honda Insight will tell its users when they are being wasteful, and when they are not. This hybrid is driven by a 88 horsepower gas engine and a 13 horsepower electric engine. A first time user of this car will be able to get around 40 miles per gallon easy. After engaging some of the energy-saving features on the car, the MPG can rise to the low 50s. A green button labeled "Econ" on the dashboard puts the car in economy mode. In this mode, the car accelerates slowly to maximize fuel efficiency and the air conditioner recirculates air and slows its fan. A feature on the car called "Eco Assist" shows a glowing arch over the speedometer. The color of this arch varies from blue to green. The blue arch means that the driver is being extremely wasteful, while the green arch means that the driver is managing the fuel very efficiently. A blue-green arch means the driver is somewhere in between the two extremes. The third feature on the Honda Insight is the "Eco Guide". There are five wreaths with trophies inside them. A driver can accumulate the leaf tier levels and achieve the trophy inside over the course of the car's lifetime.

The use of electric-gasoline vehicles is significantly increasing. Honda's goal to create a hybrid car that is also affordable will most likely jumpstart most people looking at Priuses to take a look at the new Honda Insight. Because the 2009 Prius costs around $25,000 at it's minimum level and $28,000 fully loaded, the Honda Insight will definitely give Toyota's near monopoly of the hybrid market in the United States some good competition. Honda estimates that the price of the Insight will be around $19,000. I think that's a pretty good deal for a brand new hybrid. If Honda's prices start triggering a decline in Prius sales, Toyota will be forced to lower their prices too, causing more people to buy hybrids and saving hundreds of dollars at the gas pump. Also, a 40 MPG rating in the city means much less CO2 being emitted into the atmosphere than if the person were not driving a hybrid. Overall, I believe the world is slowly becoming much more eco-concious in their car choices.

New York's Green Plan Draws on Global Solutions
http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-03/new-yorks-green-plan-draws-global-solutions

A Big Green Apple

Even before the recession, New York was looking for ways to save some green, and create some too. Now, New York is looking to improve the pollution situation, according to PlaNYC ( pronounced plan-why-see), an idea proposed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Some goals of PlanYC are to have adequate housing, clean up contaminated lands, upgrade the energy infrastructure of the city, reduce emissions that cause global warming by thirty percent, and have the cleanest air of any American city by the year 2030, when they expect to have an estimated one million new residents. This action was sparked by some green success stories around the globe. Malmö, Sweden used to be the home of Saab, a major auto manufacturer. Now, buses run on substances made from organic waste, most plastics are recycled, and the top energy source is wind power. Singapore has eased its traffic congestion problem and traffic has decreased by thirty percent, despite a 33 percent rise in downtown work. In South Korea, 1500 acres of reclaimed land is at the governments disposal for green purposes. Korea is also pulling one of New York's greener ideas, Central Park. They have already dedicated one hundred acres for the creation of a public park.

Michael Bloomberg's plan to make New York City a cleaner place was one that was long awaited. His high hopes for his city to become a much greener place by 2030 have been echoed all over the world. If his plan for New York actually executes as planned, it would be a breakthrough accomplishment in American History. It could be the spark needed to inspire other politicians to do likewise, and create legislation to make America greener. Even at the local level, mayors and governors could work together to formulate a plan to make their city, town, or state greener. It could start a competition among major U.S. cities to become the greenest one in the land. It is already amazing what other countries have done with their major cities to make them more environmentally friendly; why would it be any harder for people in the U.S. to do the same thing with their land? A change like this would resonate throughout the country and create a healthier living environment for future generations to come. After all, why should we get to hog all the beauty of the world and then just let it rot for our children? Although I may believe that Bloomberg's plan will not reach the high expectations, it should tell the politicians not to be afraid to propose greener laws.