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EarthWeek Event Takes Energy Efficient Vehicles on the Road
EarthWeek Event Takes Energy Efficient Vehicles on the Road
Published 04-18-03
Submitted by Urban Options
Who: Urban Options, an East Lansing, Michigan based environmental education not-for-profit, along with owners of vehicles powered by ethanol, biodiesel, and hybrids
Where: The tour will visit middle schools and Earth Day events around the state, delivering the message is that biofuels and hybrid vehicles are the way to go !
When: Monday April 21, 2003 through Sunday April 27, 2003
EAST LANSING – Can school buses that smell like french fries really help the environment? That’s just one question that will be presented to middle school students during the Great Lakes Energy Efficient MotorRally.
Dubbed the GLEEM.2003 tour, this Earth Week event will drive the environmental benefits of cutting-edge vehicle technology, and the tools to measure them, right to student’s classrooms.
With the help of many organizations, including the Michigan Biomass Energy Program (MBEP) and the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services (CIS), this URBAN OPTIONS Project will provide students with tools to calculate the environmental benefits of driving with hybrid vehicles and biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel.
It will also present an introduction to fuel cell vehicles. While fuel cell vehicles may not be widely available for several years, hybrids and biofuels are now available and can have an immediate affect.
As a part of a curriculum developed for the event, seventh and eight graders will be able to inventory school buses and family vehicles to determine the emission reduction and other environmental impacts from using alternative fuels versus traditional petroleum-based fuels.
Nearly sixty percent of all the crude oil needed to power vehicles in the U.S. is imported. Burning fossil fuels is widely cited as the single greatest contributor to greenhouse gas build up, a major factor in global climate change.
By burning a mix of gasoline and biofuel, or by driving a more fuel-efficient vehicle, fewer emissions pollute the air. According to bts.gov, the combined total miles driven annually in Japan, France, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Canada, and the U.K. was 1.6 trillion, as compared to 1.4 trillion miles for the U.S. alone.
Every car, truck and SUV that burns gasoline emits carbon dioxide from its tailpipe – 20 pounds of CO2 for each gallon of gasoline burned, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Ethanol, which can be produced with corn, soy, mustard seed, and even some grasses, is considered a renewable resource. Mixtures of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, called E85, can be used in many vehicles currently available. Biodiesel, which may be used in regular diesel engines, can be made from recycled cooking grease or vegetable oil.
According to the University of Michigan Delphi Forecast and Analysis for the North American Automotive Industry, fuel economy will be a much higher priority to consumers for the next several years.
From April 21 through April 27 the tour will visit over a dozen middle schools and also stop at other specific checkpoints. These check points will be rendezvous sites where local owners of energy efficient vehicles, including hybrids and biofuel cars and trucks, can join in a leg of the GLEEM.2003 Tour.
Who is URBAN OPTIONS?
Urban Options is an energy and environmental not-for-profit organization located in East Lansing dedicated to helping people improve the environment and save money by using energy and other resources more efficiently. Visit the website at urbanoptions.org.
