Earlier this year, we were thinking about possible vacation destinations, and cruising down the Mediterranean sounded like a cool idea.  One of my coworkers raved about a 3 week cruise she took to Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, which compelled me to investigate further.

Just as I was starting to get excited about the prospect of taking a cruise, I came across this article in the NY Times.  Basically, cruise lines are not well policed when it comes to compliance with environmental policies.  For example, did you know:

• Most ships run on bunker fuel, which is the dirtiest and cheapest fuel oil
• A one-week voyage on a large ship is estimated to produce 210,000 gallons of sewage, a million gallons of gray water (runoff from sinks, baths, showers, laundry and galleys), 25,000 gallons of oily bilge water, 11,550 gallons of sewage sludge and more than 130 gallons of hazardous wastes

Until the industry changes its ways and makes significant strides in reducing its carbon footprint, I won’t be taking a cruise anytime soon.

Not to be outdone by Toyota’s announcement of the plug-in hybrid Prius and Toyota’s Lexus hybrid and the small Toyota iQ, Honda has recently announced a new hybrid. Unlike the Civic hybrid, Honda’s new hybrid will be designed as a hybrid from the ground up. The recently captured spy pictures above show exactly what Honda is going after – Toyota’s popular Prius hybrid.

Honda’s new hybrid appears to be based off the FCX Clarity fuel-cell concept car. Rumors say this new hybrid will replace the Insight, while others claim this will be the new Civic hybrid. Honda is targeting this new hybrid as an entry-level car. Estimates are that Honda will produce 200,000 each year, with half of those sold in the U.S. Some say the price may be as low as $19,000 – no matter what the price is, look for it to be competitive and lower-priced than the Prius. The car will be a five-seater, 4 door hatchback, also similar to the Prius. This new model is not expected to use lithium ion batteries, and gas mileage is expected to be well above 40 mpg. Rumors have the car arriving in the U.S. late 2009. I’m crossing my fingers for it to come even sooner!

Fortunately Google offers great transit instructions in 50 cities worldwide, including the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, Austria, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Swizerland and the UK? Just go to Google Transit, and enter your start point and destination!

This link shows the results I get from Google Transit for a trip from my alma mater, the University of California at Berkeley to the Google campus.

You can also get the same transit help on your mobile phone via Google Maps for Mobile (GMM), which is actually a great app that I use all the time. Go to the GMM page to download the app to your phone (works on some phones) or just to learn more. There’s even a video about how it works!

Two months ago, I wrote about the all electric Tesla Roadster, one of the fastest cars on the road. Tesla Motors opened its flagship Los Angeles, California showroom back in early May. The showroom actually features the service center as a main attraction point!

I’m excited to announce Tesla Motors has opened its second showroom, this time in Northern California. This showroom is located at 300 El Camino Real, Menlo Park, just north of Palo Alto and the Stanford Shopping Center. It’s close to where I live, so you can bet I’ll be by for a visit. It’s a 40,000 square foot facility, which Tesla says replicates their Los Angeles store on a much larger scale. From the pictures I’ve seen (some of which are above), I have to admit the store and showroom look like quite an incredible experience. Just like the Los Angeles store, the Menlo Park showroom features open views into the service center, which is currently being used to put final touches on cars for delivery to customers.

The current hours of the store are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sunday from 12:00pm to 5:00pm. Test drives are available, but by appointment only. Rumor has it you need to show you’re a serious buyer by putting down a $5,000 deposit on a Roadster before they let you take out one of their babies. Although I’m not quite ready to throw down $100,000 on one, I’m more than ready to check out the showroom and the sweet Roadster! Who knows, maybe I’ll catch someone on a good day, and they may let me take one out (in my dreams)!

Although I’m sure they won’t give you a complimentary tank of gas upon delivery of a Tesla Roadster, I do hope they give you a full charge!

To our readers: Sorry about the delayed post, but we were having problems with our servers last night.

San Jose is hosting the Plug-In 2008 conference this year which runs through July 24. It is the largest and first dedicated plug-in hybrid conference. This year, representatives from government, auto, and utility are discussing what is needed to make plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles a reality. In other words, they are dealing with the when scenario, not the if. One big issue being discussed is the electric grid upgrade that will need to happen in preparation for a surge in demand once plug-in hybrids are mass produced and sold.

Also in attendance are scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs, and exhibitors. New technology and research will be shared along with the latest innovations in plug-in technology and power grid infrastructure improvements. What makes this conference particularly exciting is that the conversation has changed from speculation and theory to planning for the inevitable introduction of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

I’m encouraged conferences and conversations like this are occurring. You can be sure more will come in the near future. Currently, the general consensus is that Toyota and GM will offer plug-in hybrids some time in 2010. You can be sure other automakers will be right behind them!

Two months ago, I wrote how high gas prices may actually be good in that we are beginning to change our often wasteful habits. As a nation, gas consumption is noticeably decreasing. We’re carpooling more, we consolidate errands, we avoid unnecessary trips, and we’re buying smaller cars. I can’t remember the last time larger, more powerful vehicles were out of vogue!

I just read a Time magazine article that discusses things we can like about $4 gas. It’s a great article which not only discusses the sacrifices we have to make, but also looks at the silver lining in terms of the positive adjustments we’ve made to accommodate high gas prices.

So, what can we possible like about $4 gas you ask? According to Amanda:

1. As shipping costs increase, more jobs are coming back to the U.S.
2. With increasing transportation costs, urban sprawl has dramatically decreased
3. JB wrote about this – 4 day workweeks are reality in some companies and governments
4. Decreased pollution
5. We are more frugal – we check tire pressure more often and are buying smaller cars
6. People are driving slower to save gas, which has resulted in fewer traffic deaths
7. Insurance rates for some are decreasing as they drive less and qualify for lower mileage rates
8. There is less traffic as people drive less, carpool more, and increase their use of public transportation
9. With skyrocketing gas bills, police are walking and bicycling more, which means more police spending time in communities
10. As people eat out less, obesity decreases

You may not agree with all these points, but Amanda does offer a fairly compelling perspective. We all hate to see people making sacrifices, especially when putting gas in the tank means being unable to put food on the table. However, as Amanda writes, “The suffering will go on. But the story, like any good tragedy, is not without redemption. “

“Casual car pools” or “ad hoc car pools” are informal car pools that form when drivers and passengers meet — without specific prior arrangement — at designated locations.   

It’s totally fascinating because it’s organic, and the site even lists a set of etiquette (don’t talk to the driver), and a list of drivers to avoid.From what I can tell, casual car pools have only sprung up in the S.F. Bay Area, and it’s really hard to get one going because it requires critical mass, but it’s a really interesting concept, and speaks to the fact that even though we are in a car society, there are many creative ways we can use to break the tyranny of $5 gas.Want to learn about some in your area? Do a Google search for ‘alternatives to driving’, and there are a ton of great resources. And let us know if you have any other interesting ideas. 

A while back, I wrote about Wal-Mart’s efforts to go green, including their efforts to implement green technologies and push their supply chain to go green. I’m happy to report that Wal-Mart is continuing to forge ahead with its efforts.

Over the past two years in the U.S., Walmart has increased the number of local farmers it works with by 50 percent. It expects over $400 million of produce will come from local sources this year, which is defined as purchasing and selling produce in the same state. Before you scoff at the fact that Walmart defines local as the same state and not within some arbitrary 150 mile radius, remember Walmart’s massive scale and the fact that there probably aren’t many farmers who can support supplying a few Walmart stores, let alone a single one. Also, ask yourself how many times you’ve eaten a Florida or California orange or produce grown in another state. Sourcing intrastate is a big step forward, especially since produce travels 1,500 miles on average before reaching consumers’ homes.

Walmart gave peach sourcing as an example. By sourcing peaches from 18 states instead of two, Walmart saves 672,000 miles and 112,000 gallons of fuel, equivalent to approximately $1.4 million in transportation costs. Given grocery accounts for 41 percent of Walmart’s U.S. sales, it’s easy to see how savings like this add up quickly. In addition, by sourcing more produce locally, Walmart is ready to accommodate the already large and growing demand for organic produce.

One of Walmart’s biggest principles is to lower costs so savings can be passed onto customers. It’s no secret a big reason Walmart is going green is that it’s good fiscal policy for them. Walmart saves money through many of its green initiatives, and they’re not afraid to admit it. Walmart may not do everything right, but it’s efforts to go green should be applauded by all of us. The next step I’d love to see Walmart take is to identify how eco-friendly (or not) a product is relative to competing products in the same class.

Anyway, with the recent July 4th holiday, I’ve started hearing a lot more about people who are taking “staycations.”  In case you haven’t already heard about this, a staycation is a vacation that is spent close to home.

Instead of taking a road trip, for example, a growing number of people are opting to spend their vacation time at home, enjoying their local surroundings.

Personally, I think this is a fabulous idea.  You can relax in the comfort of your own home, check out the local attractions (how many of you have visited the museums in your city on the “free” day?), save money on transportation and food costs, etc.

I wonder, how many of you are doing the same this year?   I have to admit, the thought of a staycation has crossed my mind.  But, I guess it’s not worth worrying about as I have very few vacation days left that I can take at work!

1. Create a new spreadsheet at Google Docs. (http://docs.google.com/)
2. Save it with a short title like “Gas Mileage”
3. Click on the “Form” tab, (see picture above) and click on “Create a form”
4. Click “Add a question” and add a question title for each of the major things you’d like to track. In my case, my question titles were: Mileage, Gallons Used, and Notes.
5. When you’re done, share the form to an email address your phone can access. 
6. Check your email from your phone. You should have received an email from Google Docs inviting you to fill out the form you just created. Don’t do it yet. Instead, there should be something like this in the mail: “If you have trouble viewing or submitting this form, you can fill it out online:http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?key=pzwSTILvb5uMiZJHoFEiiVg&email=true
7. Click on that spreadsheet link, and when it opens in your phone’s browser, bookmark it
8. Next time you fill up your gas, pull out your phone, and go to that bookmark. Fill out your odometer reading and miles used, and hit submit. 

That’s it! Every time you hit submit your miles and gallons used will be uploaded to the spreadsheet you just created! Its a super easy way to keep track of your mileage. Take a look at my spreadsheet here. One caveat is that if you create the form, you can add additional columns for calculations (such as figuring out the gas mileage) but you can’t paste those formulas down – it interferes with the way the form fills out, so you need to paste down the calculation each time. But other than that, it works great! You can even add charts, as you can see in mine.