TresSugar

So You Think You Can Disco Dance?

GiggleSugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:00:00 -0700

Well, that is because you have not seen Sven and Helga! (That's what I like to call them anyway.) We posted this vid a long time ago, but it seems that Diesel jazzed it up to enhance its fabulosity and to shill some sneakers. Sven and Helga so thoughtfully walk you through some basic disco moves, my favorite being the perpetual pelvic thrust. And when their friends get up and the whole room's dancing, you can't help but get into the "disco feeling" yourself.

Did Hugo Chavez Call Bio-Diesel Lover Sean Penn a Criminal?

CitizenSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:55:24 -0700

In the ever complicated environmental tussle between clean fuel and responsible use of resources the differing opinions over the use of biofuels has produced an interesting contrast of ideas - fueled by Ethanol.

Sean Penn, actor/activist has just initiated a cross-country trek using a fleet of biodiesel buses carrying about 300 people that will burn the corn fuel for 1,800 miles from the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and ending in New Orleans for the annual jazz festival. Penn appeared twice yesterday at Coachella. He said of the trip, "I see this as a reckoning. My generation and those that came before have to recognize the numbing of incentive that we've passed on to the change hungry, imaginative, smarter than us youth of today." To see the larger implications of Penn's good intentions, read more.

Penn might mean well running his trip on corn, but he may have created an unlikely opponent. On the other side of the biodiesel debate is Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez who claims that “a US push to boost ethanol production during a world food crisis is a crime.”

Chavez also said that “the corn needed to fill an average car with ethanol would be enough to feed seven people for a year.” Venezuela is putting their corn where their mouth is, and will donate more than 385 tons to food to Haiti to help ease the suffering since the food shortages toppled their government.

Is Penn taking corn out of the mouths of the hungry while on his journey to try to inspire change and "encourage individuals to take individual actions"? Do you think biofuels are responsible for the current food crisis? Are they the answer to cleaner and renewable fuels, or just an eco-fairytale?

Source

A Car That Gets 65 Miles Per Gallon?! Not in the US

LibertySugar — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:00:10 -0700

Picture this: a brand-new, five-seat compact car, complete with a navigation system, gas mileage up to 65 miles per gallon, and a $1,300 tax deduction with purchase. Are you ready to buy? Well you'll have to move to Europe first!

High oil prices mean that Americans are hungry for more gas-efficient cars. But, the new Ford ECOnetic Fiesta,, which runs on diesel, will not be offered to the American driver. To find out why diesel is a deal breaker, read more.

Diesel pollution risks have motivated state lawmakers to tax diesel pumps more than gasoline. In addition, there are not enough refineries to produce large supplies. Mix in the fact that the Fiesta's diesel engine is made in pricey Britain, Ford doesn't think it can sell enough to make the car a smart business decision in the US.

There are indications that other (ironically foreign) companies will start selling ultra-clean-diesel cars in America. Volkswagen and Mercedes have cars coming out soon, which include a pollution trap that must be maintained. Purchasers of these new diesel cars will also receive a tax credit.

Do you think diesel will solve the US's gas woes, or will it just risk more pollution when the cars aren't maintained?

Souce

New York Taxis Won't Go Green Under City's Watch

CitizenSugar — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 10:00:13 -0700

New York City's plan to turn its whole fleet of yellow cabs green by 2012 got the red light this week from a federal judge, who ruled that regulation of fuel emissions standards falls under federal authority.

The plan called for every new taxi to have a standard of least 30 miles per gallon - a benchmark met by hybrid and clean diesel cars.

US District Judge Paul Crotty said enforcing the new regulations now would be costly to the taxi industry, which prompted Mayor Michael Bloomberg to release a statement saying the city is considering an appeal.

Green taxis are a focal point of Bloomberg's environmental plan. There are currently about 1,400 hybrid taxis in the city.

Picture It: Truckers Unite to Put Brakes on Runaway Fuel Costs

CitizenSugar — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:00:39 -0700

Photo of the Day: With diesel prices hitting $4 per gallon, a big group of road warriors assembled this weekend in Pennsylvania. In addition to the fuel costs, the plan to privatize the Pennsylvania Turnpike, which will affect the tolls on I-80, heavily influences big rigs traveling across the country. One of the group's spokesmen said, “Every freight that travels across Interstate 80 is paying $100 more.”

The rally of truckers turned out to organize a convoy to drive I-81 on March 31 to raise awareness of the effect that diesel prices have on us all. The eventual goal is a convoy to Washington, DC.

Source

Uphill Both Ways For Planet: Kids Take "Walking School Bus"

CitizenSugar — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 14:30:08 -0700

School's back in session. What's one thing we sure learned over our summer vacation? Gas costs a lot, and vehicles tend to need a steady supply of it in order to run. That includes school buses, which usually take pricey diesel that's up 34 percent in the past two years. Some Missouri parents had to get creative after the school district slashed transportation costs, eliminating bus routes - they formed a "walking school bus."

The idea is this: the neighborhood parents take turns "driving" or supervising the kids on the half-mile walk to school every morning. There are a bunch of benefits to the plan and not just for the environment. To see what they are, read more.

Walking gets the kids some needed exercise, and actually lets them sleep in as it's faster than hopping the bus. This, plus it's a return to basics. According to the National Household Travel Survey, in 1969 almost half of students walked to school, dropping to only 16 percent in 2001. One kid loves the change saying, "It's like recess before school."

Despite worries that kids roaming the street are less safe than those on a bus, some are hoping the new walking idea holds - because one school bus replaces 36 private vehicles, if parents decide to start dropping kids off at school, the benefits won't get a passing grade at all.

Source

Got a Passport? The Best and Worst Places to Live in Europe

CitizenSugar — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:00:13 -0700

With Italy's new laws against sleeping, eating, drinking, and singing in public all aimed at making the place more pleasant (or less, if you fancy a chianti and snooze al fresco) you'd think it'd be in the top two European countries with the best quality of life. Not so amigos, as Bush would say.

Let's start at the bottom: The poor UK has the lowest quality of life in Europe - even though Brits earn the most - according to research released yesterday.

That money can't buy them happiness - they pay a king's ransom for essential goods: 18 percent above the average for diesel, 49 percent more for gas, and 5 percent more for electricity. Life expectancy in jolly old England is the third-lowest at 78.9 years, and the constantly gray sky might be a culprit: Britain gets 80 percent less sunshine than Spain, leading more than 40,000 people to flee in 2006.

They might have run right to Spain, which claims the number one slot among those studied, offering the best quality of life in Europe - even though salaries are below average. Old number two is France thanks to their unbelievably great vacation policy, at 40 days per year.

Where would you live in the ol' EU? Does France's commitment to time off strike your fancy?

Source

Front Page: Election Riot in Mongolia, Bulldozer Attack, India's Truck Drivers Strike

CitizenSugar — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:56:28 -0700

Election Riot in Mongolia:
In Mongolia's capital, protesters rioted over alleged election fraud destroying the ruling party's headquarters, dampening hopes for a stable government, and resulting in five deaths. President Nambariin Enkhbayar declared a four-day state of emergency late last night after the fire was set at the headquarters. The emergency announcement is the first in Mongolia's history, and allows security forces to use tear gas and rubber bullets to break up demonstrations. About 220 civilians and 108 servicemen have been injured in the clashes, with another 700 protesters detained.

Bulldozer Attack:
A Palestinian smashed a bulldozer into a bus and several cars this morning in Jerusalem, killing three people before being killed himself. The rampage left dozens injured in the city center before a police officer engaged the driver, struggling with him in the cab of the vehicle, and shooting him dead. One witness said of the attack, "I saw [the bulldozer driver] crashing cars and going into the bus... He wanted to kill as many as he could."
India's Truck Drivers Strike:
India's truck drivers are striking, keeping nearly four million trucks off the roads to protest against rising fuel costs. The Indian government has cut subsidies due to rising global prices of crude oil and passed the increase on to drivers. Oil prices have risen by 40 percent since the beginning of the year. The strike is likely to push up the prices of food and other necessities. One trucker said, "we are already running under huge losses. The cost of diesel is so high that we have nothing left to live on."

Source

Front Page: Bush Goes to Europe, Spanish Truckers Strike, Quake Lake Still Rising

CitizenSugar — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:58:08 -0700

Bush Goes to Europe: President Bush has just departed for a farewell trip to Europe's major capitals, taking news of both concern for and confidence in the US economy. His first stop is Slovenia for his final US-European Union Summit. He will also visit Germany, Italy, France, England and Northern Ireland. Expressing concern about the economy and soaring energy prices (which hit $4 a gallon over the weekend and could go higher) Bush said in a departure statement that a strong dollar is in the US interest and the interest of the global economy.

Spainish Truckers Strike: While Europe waits for Bush, tens of thousands of Spanish truckers have begun an indefinite strike over the soaring price of diesel, which has risen by 20 percent this year. They stopped work at midnight and began disrupting traffic at one of the border crossings between Spain and France. The protesters prevented other trucks from passing, and shut down car traffic. Most of the 90,000 truckers participating have warned that many supermarkets will run out of goods within days. The head of the transportation association said, "we are the ones who move the goods that this country needs to keep working. If we stop because we haven't got the money to buy fuel then the country will stop."
Quake Lake Still Rising: The water level in an earthquake-formed lake in China is still rising, despite efforts to drain it. Early this morning, the water level was more than 6 feet higher than the man-made channel created to solve the problem. Experts say the lake could burst at any time, flooding the homes of more than one million people. A quarter of a million people have already been evacuated from the area since the earthquake that caused the quake lake to form. Government estimates now put the quake death toll at 69,136 with another 17,686 people missing.

Pinch Away, Penny Pinchers

GiggleSugar — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 10:10:14 -0800

Yesterday, we discovered a way to save a few pennies at the pump. Today, we've found another excuse not to exercise. Some Norwegian dude is in the business of turning liposuctioned human fat into bio-diesel, and he's already signed an agreement with a US hospital to receive weekly fat shipments. Why in America? Because more than sixty percent of us are overweight. Yeah, we got it goin' on!

So this holiday season, have your cake and eat it straight to the bank- because Mr. Norway is on the market for it!