and organic alternatives from companies like Seventh Gen- folding models for commuters and a range of trailers, carriers
eration offer detailed labels. Conscious shoppers are reading and attachments for those who want to start shopping by bike
them as they look for plant-based ingredients and essential and bring the kids.
oils, instead of chemicals.
People can even make their own household cleaners, Contact: U.S. Department of Energy, FuelEconomy.gov; East
such as distilled white vinegar and water to clean windows, Coast Greenway, Greenway.org; The San Francisco Bay Trail
or baking soda, lemon juice and salt to scrub grout. These are
Project, BayTrail.abag.ca.gov.
safe for even the most sensitive family members.
Green Investing
Contact: Natural Products Association, NaturalProductsAs-
Jack Uldrich, the author of Green Investing: A Guide to
soc.org; Skin Deep, CosmeticsDatabase.com.
Making Money through Environment-Friendly Stocks, says
that, despite the recession, “I still think cleantech is an out-
Efficient Autos and Going Car-Free
standing long-term investment trend.” Still, he cautions that
The car market has taken a serious hit from the econ- green stocks should only comprise 5 percent to 10 percent of
omy, hybrids included. But while even the popular Toyota an investor’s portfolio. Why? He notes that renewable energy
Prius saw sales drop 44 percent between December 2007 investments are particularly subject to outside forces, such as
and December 2008, environmentally friendly vehicles are government investment, the availability of strong credit avail-
the declared future of the auto industry. able to fund solar panels and other energy systems, and the
This year’s North American International Auto Show rise and fall of gasoline prices.
in Detroit was all about electric models, from the Cadil- But venture capitalists are still flocking to clean tech-
lac Converj, a more luxurious version of the Chevy Volt, to nology ventures such as eSolar Inc., the nation’s first solar
the Toyota FT-EV city car, expected in showrooms in 2012. tower energy facility, in Pasadena, California, backed by the
Hybrid cars combine the gas engine with an electric motor investment firm Idealab. Ernst & Young reported that invest-
and utilize a car’s braking energy, making them both more ments in cleantech startups jumped 73 percent in the second
fuel efficient and less polluting. In the government’s 2009 quarter last year. Paul Deninger, vice president of the invest-
Fuel Economy Guide, the Honda’s Civic Hybrid was cited as ment bank Jefferies & Company, notes that the most exciting
a leader among compact cars, delivering 40 miles per gallon opportunities may actually occur in the process of managing
in the city/45 mpg on the highway. Among midsized cars, the current energy use “by happenstance, being green, rather
Prius tops the list with 48/45 mpg; in the SUV class, Ford’s than [in] managing the carbon footprint directly.”
Escape Hybrid gets a solid 34/31 mpg. Matthew Patsky, a partner of the green fund group Win-
Because they can cost $2,000-plus more than gas- slow Management, observes that in the future, fossil fuel sup-
powered cars, hybrids are a tough sell at the moment. plies will inevitably be supplanted by clean energy like solar,
Several federal tax credits designed to ease the transition to wind and geothermal. “Renewable energy, green building,
hybrid, electric and other fuel-efficient vehicles, like diesels, mass transit, improving efficiency…” Patsky concludes, “It’s
have come and gone, the latest called Cash for Clunkers—a got to win.”
federal stimulus program that offered up to $4,500 to anyone
who traded an old gas-guzzler for a new, more fuel-efficient
car. The discussion has many people seriously rethinking
Contact: Green Century Capital Management, Inc., Green-
their transportation options.
Century.com; Pax World Funds, PaxWorld.com; Winslow
At the same time, the American Public Transportation
Management Company, WinslowGreen.com.
Association reported a 4 percent increase in public transpor-
tation ridership last year—bringing it to its highest level in 52
Natural Awakenings readers across the country are among
years. Bicycle sales are picking up, too. In the first quarter of
those already investing in a greener future—whether switch-
2009, U.S. bicycle sales surpassed car sales.
ing to organic snacks and energy-efficient light bulbs, sup-
Rising interest in bicycle riding has led many cities to
porting local green businesses or bicycling to work. Collec-
open bike lanes. National efforts to create safe paths for
tively, these incremental changes are beginning to add up
bike riders include the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile
and the markets are responding.
traffic-free trail system between Canada and Florida that’s
21 percent complete. The San Francisco Bay Trail has devel-
Brita Belli is the editor of E/The Environmental Magazine
oped 300 miles of shoreline trails for bikers, hikers and other
and the author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Renewable
outdoor enthusiasts over the past 20 years, with an eventual
Energy for Your Home. Connect at Brita@emagazine.com.
goal of 500 miles. Today’s evolving bicycle designs include
October 2009
19
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