To View a list of all articles
about mortgages click here
Find Almost Anything
Enter Search Words:
70
Tips To Get Your Home Ready for a Quicker Sale at
a Higher Profit. Click
Here Free
Report
Let's all stand up and give soaring gas prices a big hand of applause!
No? You are not happy about our gas prices? Well, honestly I'm
not either, but the more I thought about it, the more I came to
believe that perhaps our soaring gas prices and dependence on
foreign oil has turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
It seems as though the most effective way to reach consumers is
through our pocketbook. Once more we are outraged at high fuel
prices and demanding something be done about it.
The auto industry has the technology to build fuel efficient
cars, it has had much of this technology for decades, but it has
not developed this technology into cost effective mass marketed
vehicles. Why? Because the consumer has not demanded it. No
matter what, the auto industry is and always will be consumer
driven.
As long as the consumer continues to purchase what the industry
is putting out, they will keep building what they are building.
Granted, because of emission controls and higher mileage
standards over the years we now have less harmful emissions and
better mileage than we did twenty years ago. While this has been
a great start we cannot let that become a stopping point.
Let's take realistic look at where we are today and how we, as
consumers, can help insure a more cost efficient and healthier
future for ourselves, our children and generations to come. We
now have hybrid cars that provide much better fuel efficiency
and less pollutants, and fuel cell vehicles that use no gasoline
and produce no harmful emissions.
Both hybrid and fuel cell vehicles are currently being
used in mass transit systems in many selected U.S.cities as well
as in Canada and Germany that include city transit buses, taxis,
and delivery vehicles such as UPS.
Military vehicles - In April, the U.S. Army took
delivery of the modified fuel cell Chevrolet Silverado that is
capable of generating 188 kW and 317 foot-pounds of torque, or
roughly the motor torque generated by GM's 5.3 liter V-8 engine.
This is the first time the vehicle has been driven in
California. It will be delivered to the Marines at Camp
Pendleton, Calif., later this year for demonstration and
evaluation.
"This vehicle has spent the last few months performing
civilian-type duty at Ft. Belvoir, Va. where Army soldiers have
been evaluating its performance and learning first-hand about
hydrogen and fuel cells," said Dr. McClelland, director
Tank-Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center
(TARDEC) of the U.S. Army.
World's First Individual Fuel Cell Vehicle Customer
California Hydrogen Highway - The Spallino family,
living in the Los Angeles area, will be among the first
individuals to begin utilizing the first of California's
Hydrogen Highway refueling stations, a statewide infrastructure
build out underway to offer hydrogen refueling station access to
private individuals. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced
the state's commitment to a Hydrogen Highway in April of this
year, creating a public and private partnership to build
California's Hydrogen Highway by 2010
In the Chino project, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage SUVs,
powered by fuel cells manufactured by UTC Fuel Cells, will
operate throughout Southern California and refuel at the
ChevronTexaco hydrogen station. Of particular importance is the
on-site production of hydrogen from natural gas. Natural gas,
with an existing distribution infrastructure, is critical to the
eventual transition to the hydrogen economy. This station will
also have the future capability to convert other renewable fuel
sources, such as ethanol, into hydrogen for refueling fuel cell
vehicles.
Hydrogen Fueling Station - The EPA has commissioned a
hydrogen fueling station at its National Vehicle and Fuel
Emissions Lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The station provides
compressed hydrogen gas for hydrogen vehicles in Southeast
Michigan.
The lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan is the first federal facility to
install such a vehicle fueling station. This state-of-the art
station serves as a real world example for others of the safe
installation and operation of a hydrogen fueling station. In
addition to supporting the Fuel Cell Delivery Vehicle Testing
Program, this station will also be used for the fueling of
hydrogen fueled vehicles deployed in the future in Michigan.
So perhaps our future is looking brighter with less dependence
on foreign oil and a good start for achieving cleaner air and a
healthier environment for everyone. But it rests in our hands,
each of us, the consumers, and what choices we make that will
determine our future.
Permission is granted to publish this article so long as the
byline and source are kept intact, the links remain active and
you do not make any changes.
Interest Only Mortgage? Consider A Graduated Payment Mortgage
Graduated payment mortgages (GPM) offer financing solutions for
those who expect their income to rise in the future. A hybrid of
an adjustable rate mortgage and fixed-rate mortgage, a GPM with
its fixed interest rate starts with low payments that... ...read more
Mortgage Brokers
When applying for a home loan, it can be difficult to ascertain your options and the best deal out there. Mortgage brokers can help you shop for the best loan for your situation.
Mortgage Brokers
A mortgage broker is an independent... ...read more
Repaying a Mortgage
The process of repaying a morgage is usually quite a long-term
affair, often taking several decades, but its terms are
tentatively decided from the time that the initial agreement is
signed.
Of course, most morgages do
offer some... ...read more
Retirement or Re-routing?
When I was in my twenties, the idea of retirement seemed a death sentence. Anxious to establish a place for myself in the professional world, I found the prospect of unstructured time terrifying and wasteful.
Now, in my fifties, I find the... ...read more
