Earth Friendly

How often do you take a taxicab? If you live in the busy Big Apple, this might be a daily occurrence. Although it’s more eco-friendly to walk as much as you can, sometimes you have no choice but to hail a cab. Fortunately, Amos Tamam has made taxicabs more innovative since the 1980s.

Amos Tamam started small by servicing taxicabs in New York City, but he is now the CEO of Verifone Transportation System, Inc. He changed the taxi industry by figuring out how to enable fleet owners to process credit cards as payment. How convenient is that, especially when you don’t have cash readily on you?

It will be interesting to see how the taxi industry evolves in the future. Maybe Amos Tamam might have some eco-friendly ideas up his sleeve?

So you have your suitcase ready to go as well as a wad of spending cash, but what about your hotel, flight or car? When planning a vacation, it’s easy to let your common sense float away into the clouds, but with these easy green travel booking tips, the rest of your body will have a chance to float away with your mind this summer.

There have been articles online and posts on AOL’s homepage about gas prices rising again. Just when I started enjoying filling my car up for $20 it’s going to go back up. However, combating this issue isn’t too difficult, especially if you have friends and family members who make convenient carpooling buddies. Some city organizations have developed carpooling programs such as the one for Northeast Ohio called OhioRideshare. With their online setup, you can find a carpooling partner within a few minutes. So if you want to decrease your gas expenses to work, this is an easy way to do it. For more information about this program, read Carpooling, Just a Click Away.

Now is the best time to purchase a new car. So if you have always wanted to trade in your puttering piece of junk gas hog, then start shopping around. Even if you don’t have plans to buy a new car right away, you can still do some research and looking.

Obviously, there are many factors to take into consideration, but a factor that should be on the top of your list is fuel economy. Yes, it benefits the environment, but you also reap the rewards on a monetary level. For more information about fuel efficient cars, read the following article: Best Fuel Economy Cars.  

How much do you know about solar powered cars? They’re definitely an alternative for our future, but the practicality of them is still questionable. It’s more likely that you’ll see prototypes of solar powered cars than being able to drive one. However, the Toyota Prius does have a solar panel on its roof.

The best thing about solar energy is that once you spend money installing the solar panels, the energy is free. Although there is a window of opportunity for sunshine, being able to collect free solar energy during specific times is better than going broke for gas. For more information about these cars, check out the following article: Facts on Solar Powered Cars.

Since the weather is starting to perk up, it’s time for you to dust off your bicycle and start riding again. Once it’s spring, you can use your bike to run errands and even go to work. With the economy down, this is definitely an effective way to save money. Plus, if you had plans to lose weight this year, you can make that goal come true. So instead of stuffing bon bons in your face while your driving to work because you’re worried about how you’re going to make the rent or mortgage, ride your bike to save you money and prevent you from gaining weight. Check out the following article for more reasons why riding a bicycle is low impact on the environment and your wallet: The Cycle of Life: A Guide to the Two-Wheeled Commute.

Is riding in a taxi eco-friendly? Well, it depends on how much you use one. If you do most of your traveling by walking, riding a bike or taking a train or subway, catching a cab every once in a blue moon will not make your carbon footprint go through the roof. Plus, you have to consider the fact that people like Amos Tamam are improving the taxi’s technology.

Amos Tamam received his electrical engineering degree from Tel Aviv University in Israel, and he is the CEO of Verifone Transportation Systems, Inc. In July of 2007, Amos Tamam provided cabs with the ability to accept credit cards. The U.S. taxicab systems are becoming more convenient, and in time they will catch up with London’s eco-friendly taxis, which are carbon neutral.

Running is a great way to build up your endurance, especially if you want to start riding your bicycle to work once the season changes. Linus Gitahi has a blog about runners from Kenya, and reading stories about Olympic athletes can definitely jump start your legs.

According to Linus Gitahi, Kenyan running is called “Kalenjin running,” and it’s apparently a popular sport in this country since some of the world’s top runners live here. Running definitely challenges your body, and when you literally run your errands, it helps you burn calories and puts less stress on the environment. You might not do any altitude training like Linus Gitahi explains in his blog, but you can run to the closest store instead of driving your car.

It’s snowing in Ohio so the fun has just begun. Driving in the winter is not my cup of tea, but it’s a necessary evil that I have to deal with at least three to four days a week for work. One tip I have that also saves gas is to do your errands either on your way to work or on your way home from work. This might be the last thing you want to do, but you will eliminate the need to drive back out onto the icy roads on another day. Another tip is to keep your tires filled with the proper amount of air so that they grip the roads. Another important thing to be cautious of is static electricity, which can cause explosions at gas stations. I know it’s cold, but it’s safer to stand outside of your car while you pump your gas.  

Alert…school is right around the corner!

First of all, before you or you children go back to school, do everything you wanted to accomplish this summer. When I say accomplish, I mean have fun and party. Make a list of everything you didn’t get to do. I’ll try to help refresh your memory…maybe you wanted to visit the zoo, amusement park, water park, iMAX theatre, wine vineyard, state fair, etc. Or maybe you wanted to travel to the ocean or the mountains. Whatever you wanted to do now is the time to get it done.

Second important item: make a conscious effort to be eco-friendly this year at school. Use recycled paper and make sure to recycle it when you’re down with the notebook. Or keep notes electronically so you don’t have to waste paper. Setup recycling bins in your house or dorm room so that you recycle cardboard, paper and plastic items. Take advantage of mass transit so you don’t have to drive your car to school. Also pack your lunch to avoid buying pre-packaged food.