This is Part 2 of our series on how musicians and music fans can save the world by reducing our impact on it. This installment is all about transportation – how we get to concerts, gigs, band practice, the record store and everywhere else we go to enjoy music, plus how our music gets to us. Part 3 will focus on music products, from albums to iPods, rechargeable batteries to recycling.
There are resources at the end of this article for more information on everything described.

:: Driving ::

Keep in mind there’s no such thing as an environmentally friendly car; driving is never eco-friendly.

Whenever possible, don’t drive. Driving kills forests which is a big part of what we need to survive (forests and phytoplankton provide most of the oxygen we breathe). Ride a bike, skate, walk, take the bus, catch a hybrid/electric taxi or any combination of these. There’s more time to enjoy life when you aren’t driving. Of course, sometimes you have to drive, so here are some tips for being less destructive. Keep in mind there’s no such thing as an environmentally friendly car – driving is never eco-friendly. All cars are mined out of the ground (very toxic and destructive!) and all cars have to be retired someday (also very toxic!) So, no matter what fuel you power one with, it is still nasty to create and nasty to destroy. Somebody is breathing the polluted air or drinking the polluted water released by those processes. Here’s how to not make things worse with fossil fuel fumes and how to laugh when gas prices hit $10/gallon:

- Electric Cars -

It’s hard to imagine a cleaner car. Plug and play. They’re getting less and less dorky looking every year too!

- SVO -

SVO stands for straight vegetable oil, 100% pure regular veggie oil. SVO can power any diesel vehicle that’s had a few extra parts added. I know a great place in California that will do it for you with quality parts and I bet these kinds of places are popping up other places as well. It’s not too difficult for DIY types either. I know a dozen people in SF who have done it to their own vehicles and they all run great. I even have a friend who drives his SVO pick-up truck into the mountains every winter and drives around in the snow for 3-7 day snowboarding trips. 360 miles roundtrip cost about $5 in fuel. With SVO set ups you can use recycled veggie oil. It’s easy to obtain from restaurants who fry – they pay a company to haul it away and are usually happy to give it away free. All you have to do is filter it so there is no food debris. Some restaurants have pretty clean grease, others do not, so all you have to do is shop around.

That’s Bridget with her Benz which was converted to run on pure veggie oil by Lovecraft Biofuels. You’ve got to see some of the 1800 conversions that they’ve done to all kinds of vehicles – even a few Hummers! Click on the pic to go to their gallery of sexy grease cars (and trucks, vans, school buses, Hummers…)

- Biodiesel -

Any diesel vehicle can run on biodiesel with no modifications at all – straight from the factory. Biodiesel is also made from vegetable oil, but the oil has been modified to run in a diesel engine. Diesel cars run great on biodiesel because it actually cleans out the residue left behind by regular diesel fuel! The diesel engine was originally designed to run on vegetable oil, so it is not strange that it still can. You can purchase biodiesel from many fueling stations and co-ops around the world, new ones open shop every year. You can also make biodiesel in your driveway or backyard if you are the DIY type. It’s as simple as making soup (or homebrew beer!). Biodiesel at the pump is labeled B100 if it is 100% biodiesel and nothing else. This is the best. B80 is 80% biodiesel mixed with 20% regular diesel fuel. B50 is half and half, B20 is 20% biodiesel mixed with 80% regular diesel, etc. A number over 50 is better, B100 is best.

- Hybrid -

Hybrid technology is getting more efficient and more stylish every year. Consumers are even hacking their hybrids to get even more astounding results! A regular Toyota Prius is capable of around 50-60 miles per gallon of gas while a DIY hack can achieve 90-125 mpg. Toyota projected that they would be able to offer a Prius that gets 90 mpg right off the lot in 2008. If you have some issue against diesel vehicles, hybrids are the way to go. In all honesty, diesels don’t make very good getaway cars, stake out cars, spy vehicles, etc. because they are slightly louder and slighter slower in the initial acceleration. Diesels make excellent workhorses, tanks, derby cars, and anything that favors strength over sound. When you need something with a fast take-off or a silent stroll, a hybrid is the way to go.

That’s all for this installment of our Musician’s Guide to Going Green and it’s plenty to digest. There’s also a pile of links with more info, more specifics and more examples of the different types of cars that use “alternative” fuels. The next installment will be more specific to music – albums, listening devices and the like. I’ll probably publish it over the weekend, so check back next week for Part 3.

Links To Alternative Fuels And Transportation

Lovecraft Biofuels in Portland and L.A. Will Trick Out Your Vehicle With SVO Kit
Grease Car Website About SVO Technology And Kits
All NYC Taxis To Be Hybrids By 2012
UPS Adds Alternative Fuel Trucks To Shipping Fleet
UK Utility To Add Charge Up Points
Zenn Mini Van Drives 500 Miles On 5 Minute Charge Up
Tampa Bay Gets Plug In School Buses
Arizona School Gets Hybrid School Buses
All Electric GT Sports Car
Baltimore Tavern Offers Free Grease To Grease Cars
Hybrid Trains

Pages about alternative fuel ~ biodiesel ~ environment ~ grease car ~ green ~ guides ~ hybrid ~ Prius ~ SVO