Ten of the taxis serving Sea-Tac Airport are gas-electric hybrids and the number will grow to 25 by the end of the month. The Port of Seattle has required some older taxis to be replaced with the fuel-efficient cars.
More details here.
Speaking from experience, the Prius can easily and comfortably accommodate 3 to 4 passengers with quite a bit of luggage. It's a good choice for cab drivers.
Growth of the corn ethanol industry in California is fraught with unintended consequences, none of which are beneficial to the economy or the environment of the state. They include impacts on our overcommitted water resources, on our air quality, on the price of food, and on the financial burden to citizens while private investors profit.
Corn-based Ethanol is a wonderful political tool. It allows politicians to pretend to care about the environment while actually tailoring to one of the largest lobbyist group in the US.
Ford vehicles were responsible for 25 percent of the carbon emissions from cars in the United States in 2004, and GM vehicles were responsible for 31 percent. Both companies continue to resist a rise in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, and both promote ethanol as a viable part of the solution to global warming and energy security. However, ethanol-fueled cars are less fuel-efficient and using current technologies can even produce more global warming emissions than gasoline-fueled cars.
I'm not convinced that PHEVs are the answer either, but corn-based Ethanol is a joke.
A man walked into a bank in New York City one day and asked for the loan officer. He told the loan officer that he was going to Philippines on business for two weeks and needed to borrow $5,000. The bank officer told him that the bank would need some form of security for the loan. Then the man handed over the keys to a new Ferrari parked on the street in front of the bank.
I was at Walmart late last night to pickup a few things. I was also thirsty so I grabbed a bottle of Coke in a fridge next to the self-checkout cash registers.
I didn't have a bottle opener so I had to wait until I got home to drink it.
As I was drinking it and reading the label, I noticed it was bottled in Mexico. I also noticed that one ingredient was blatantly missing. High fructose corn syrup. I had to go look at a US can just to be sure.
I don't drink Coke very often but I can tell you I'm not buying anything but Mexican-bottled Coke anymore. I don't know if it tasted better, but I know it's better for me.
