The 10 Most Fuel-Efficient 2009 Cars and SUVs

1. 2009 Toyota Prius

Price: $22,000

If it's lonely at the top, the Prius knows it. The iconic hybrid is the most fuel-efficient buy again in 2009.

Fuel Economy
City: 48 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,133
CO2 Emitted: 4 tons
Barrels of Oil: 7.4
Air Pollution Score: 8 (of 10)

2. 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid

Price: $23,550

Second again, the Honda Civic Hybrid achieves the same strong fuel economy stats as the 2008 model. It can't match the Prius in city driving or price — but it does have a higher (better) EPA air pollution score.

Fuel Economy
City: 40 mpg
Highway: 45 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,242
CO2 Emitted: 4.4 tons
Barrels of Oil: 8.2
Air Pollution Score: 9 (of 10)

3. 2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid

Price: $26,650

The Nissan Altima Hybrid notches the third spot on the list again. What does third place mean? Better than most, but still 27 percent less efficient than the No. 1 Prius.

Fuel Economy
City: 35 mpg
Highway: 33 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,535
CO2 Emitted: 5.4 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.1
Air Pollution Score: N/A

4. 2009 Mercury Mariner Hybrid (Tie)

Price: $29,750

Tied with its sister hybrids in the Ford family, the Mercury Mariner is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market this year.

Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 31 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,634
CO2 Emitted: 5.7 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.7
Air Pollution Score: 8 (of 10)

4. 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid (Tie)

Price: $29,305

Tied with its sister hybrids in the Ford family, the Ford Escape is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market this year.

Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 31 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,634
CO2 Emitted: 5.7 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.7
Air Pollution Score: 8 (of 10)

4. 2009 Mazda Tribute Hybrid (Tie)

Price: $28,175

Tied with its sister hybrids in the Ford family, the Mazda Tribute is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market this year.

Fuel Economy
City: 34 mpg
Highway: 31 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,634
CO2 Emitted: 5.7 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.7
Air Pollution Score: 8 (of 10)

5. 2009 Smart Fortwo

Price: $11,590

A newcomer to the list in 2009, the diminutive Smart Fortwo may not be a hybrid, but it makes a statement. Choose the coupe or the convertible: Both models get the same mileage. The coupe is the most affordable model on the list of most-efficient 2009 models.

Fuel Economy
City: 33 mpg
Highway: 41 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,564
CO2 Emitted: 5.1 tons
Barrels of Oil: 9.5
Air Pollution Score: 8 (of 10)

6. 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid

Price: $26,150

The Toyota Camry Hybrid is unchanged from the 2008 model, but a notch down the list, thanks to the Smart Fortwo.

Fuel Economy
City: 33 mpg
Highway: 34 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,535
CO2 Emitted: 5.4 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.1
Air Pollution Score: 8 (of 10)

7. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta (Tie)

Price: $17,340

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta and the Jetta SportWagen are the only diesel vehicles to make the list in 2009.

Fuel Economy
City: 30 mpg
Highway: 41 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,711
CO2 Emitted: 6.2 tons
Barrels of Oil: 11.6
Air Pollution Score: N/A

7. 2009 Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen (Tie)

Price: $19,649

If you choose the automatic transmission rather than the manual, in either the VW Jetta or Jetta SportWagen, you lose 1 mpg in both highway and city driving — enough to cost $52 in diesel fuel per year.

Fuel Economy
City: 29 mpg
Highway: 40 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,763
CO2 Emitted: 6.4 tons
Barrels of Oil: 11.9
Air Pollution Score: 6 (of 10)

8. 2009 Toyota Yaris

Price: $12,965

The third Toyota to make the most-fuel-efficient list (and the most affordable of the three), the Yaris gets a combined fuel economy of 32 mpg. (Knock off 1 mpg in highway driving if you choose an automatic, rather than a standard transmission.)

Fuel Economy
City: 29 mpg
Highway: 36 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,634
CO2 Emitted: 5.7 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.7
Air Pollution Score: 6 (of 10)

9. 2009 Mini Cooper (Tie)

Price: $18,550

There's a big advertising campaign around the fuel-efficiency of the 2009 Mini Cooper. The stylish little car delivers, besting 30 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

Fuel Economy
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,761
CO2 Emitted: 5.7 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.7
Air Pollution Score: 6 (of 10)

9. 2009 Mini Cooper Clubman (Tie)

Price: $18,880

Tied with its sister, the bigger Clubman is in its second year on the market.

Fuel Economy
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 37 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,761
CO2 Emitted: 5.7 tons
Barrels of Oil: 10.7
Air Pollution Score: 6 (of 10)

10. 2009 Honda Fit

Price: $14,550

Rounding out the most-fuel-efficient list is Honda's second selection, the Fit. It's the third-least-expensive choice, behind the Smart Fortwo and the Toyota Yaris. Choose the manual instead of the automatic, and you'll lose 2 mpg, and pay $115 more per year.

Fuel Economy
City: 28 mpg
Highway: 35 mpg

Annual Impact
Cost to Drive: $1,686
CO2 Emitted: 5.9 tons
Barrels of Oil: 11
Air Pollution Score: 6 (of 10)

article by By Dan Shapley on www.thedailygreen.com

Valentine's Day Gifts: Green Love for Everyone

Valentine’s Day might just be the most polarizing holiday out there: either you think it’s a can’t-miss opportunity to show your love for your spouse, friends, and family, or you think it’s a lame excuse to sell more greeting cards. Of course, if you and your partner don’t agree, that’s when the problems pop up. You might be perfectly happy with nothing more than an extra kiss in the morning—but if she (or he) wants an extravagant dinner, memorable jewelry, and a sentimental card, then you’d better get shopping. Luckily, stores and websites are full of eco-friendly alternatives to traditional chocolates, flowers, gems, and wines, so you can satisfy your partner’s Valentine’s Day requirements without investing in a bunch of environmentally harsh consumer products. Read on for our favorite ways to say “I love you”—to your significant other and the environment.

Traditional Gift: A dozen roses

Eco-alternative: A dozen organic roses

Photo via XcBiker @ flickr

Take the classic route with a bouquet of stems delivered to her (at work, preferably, for maximum “awwww”ing from her coworkers)—but go the organic route with a bunch from Organic Bouquet. In addition to sending an arrangement of organic blooms, the company purchases enough carbon offsets to make every order carbon neutral. If you’d rather go the creative (and longer-lasting) route, try making flowers from recycled paper; you might feel like you’re back at summer camp, but the display will last longer than any fresh bouquet.

Traditional Gift: A box of candy

Eco-alternative: Fair trade chocolate bars

Photo via Digital Sextant @ flickr

Boxes of chocolate look nice on the outside, but inside they’re a different story: a hit-or-miss collection of treats that get eaten within minutes of breaking off that red ribbon (like coconut-filled dark chocolate or mocha truffles) paired with the ones that get left for days (like strawberry mousse and chocolate-covered cherries). Cut out the risk with a collection of Fair Trade chocolate bars in his or her favorite flavor from companies like Green & Black or Global Exchange. Handy in the kitchen? Make your own dark chocolate truffles (using organic ingredients) with this recipe from Chef Nathan Lyon.

Traditional Gift: A romantic movie

Eco-alternative: A film of the Earth’s most exotic locales (at 50% off!)

Photo via Spirit Level Film

Forget Casablanca or When Harry Met Sally: This Valentine’s Day, you’ll want to snuggle in with your sweetheart and a copy of Spirit Films' Earth from the Air. The sweeping views of water, land, and wildlife from renowned photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand will have you falling in love—with your sweetheart and the Earth—all over again, while eagerly planning your next romantic vacation. (See some example shots in our Arthus-Bertrand slideshow.) Budget a little tight this year? Check out our TH Deals column and get the DVD for 50 percent off, with 10% of the purchase price going to one of TH's fave non-profits Architecture for Humanity.

Traditional Gift: Jewelry

Eco-alternative: Recycled or Fair Trade gems

Photo via stephend9 @ flickr

Jewelry is a go-to gift for Valentine’s Day, but just grabbing something on your way home from work says “I completely forgot” instead of, "You're the love of my life." Put a little thought into it by tracking down handmade pieces formed from recycled metal and paired with natural stones and gems, like the conflict-free pieces from Kirsten Muenster, recycled stainless-steel from Tarma Designs, reused magazine earrings from BtheNV Designs, or classic diamonds from Green Karat. Dress your guy in cufflinks made with LED lights or fashioned from obselete subway tokens.

Traditional Gift: A weekend getaway

Eco-alternative: A stay at an eco-friendly hotel

Photo via Dan Harrelson @ flickr

Instead of jetting away for the weekend to the cheapest hotel in the best destination, try to find green accommodations in your vacation spot. Green Hotels offers descriptions and contact information for hotels across the country, all of which have taken eco-friendly steps like using VOC-free paint or furnishings or doing away with travel-size shampoos. Amelia Island Plantation in Florida, for example, uses green cleaners, encourages guests to re-use their towels, and installed Energy Star thermostats. (And, of course, buy carbon offsets to neutralize your travel output.) Planet Green's City Guides can also steer you in the right direction. Of course, if the economy makes it impossible to travel this year, raise the romance level with a staycation in your own city: take a leisurely stroll through your local park, spend the afternoon at a museum, and then snuggle in at home with chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne. It's all the fun of a hotel stay without the environmental or financial cost.

Traditional Gift: A fancy restaurant dinner

Eco-alternative: A meal at home from local ingredients

Photo via Trent Bigelow @ flickr

Skip the crowded restaurants, overpriced prix fixe meals, and the uninspired chocolate mousse desserts this year and instead treat your sweetie to a homemade meal based around organic, local ingredients. Check out Kelly’s lineup of romantic menus on Planet Green for inspiration, or give a collection of recipes meant to inspire romance—like The Seduction Cookbook by Diane Brown. Pick up your ingredients from a local farmer’s market for a locally-sourced, organic spread, pop open some organic or biodynamic wine to set the mood, and get things cooking.

Article found on www.treehugger.com

Are you walking down the beauty aisle?

Say "I Do" to greener styling tools. Getting hitched to eco-friendlier beauty instruments is a piece of three-tiered cake with our list of planet-positive beauty tools.

The Benefits

• Unveiling your prettiness. These tools work as well as or better than conventional ones we've used in the past.
• Eloping to a less wasteful world. Buying high-quality beauty tools that last a lifetime means less waste in the end.
• Vowing to support eco-materials. Incorporating sustainable supplies such as recycled aluminum and packaging, these aesthetic assistants help you give good face while leaving less of a trace on the earth.

Wanna Try?

• Silence HP Graphite - superquiet hairdryer that uses about 2/3 the power of conventional versions, is made in USA, and includes a lifetime warranty ($139).
• Paris Presents EcoTools - five-makeup brush set with bamboo handles and nonanimal bristles that don't shed like some of their more expensive, noneco counterparts ($11).
• Boscia Rose Blotting Linens - leaf fiber removes sweat and oil from shiny faces (without messing your makeup) and blots lipstick, and 10% of your sale supports breast cancer research ($10).
• Tweezerman Go Green Tweezer - well-aligned, travel-size tweezers that come in recycled packaging; $1 of your purchase goes to planting trees ($10).
• 95 and Sunny Nail Files - these colored crystal glass nail files last forever, so you don't have to keep buying emery boards ($5-$10).

Tip found on www.idealbite.com

Is an unsafe bottle repressing your thirst?

The Bite

Time for some bottle therapy. It used to be practically a requirement for the eco-conscious urbanite to lug water in reusable hard-plastic bottles, but it turns out those bottles can leach toxins. Choose lined aluminum, stainless steel, or glass instead.

The Benefits

• Health-consciousness. Polycarbonate plastic used in bottles by Nalgene and other companies leaches bisphenol-A, which is linked to birth defects, miscarriage, and prostate cancer.
• Less waste. Plastic water bottles require 1.5 million barrels of oil each year to make.
• Hydration. Experts recommend we drink six to seven glasses of H2O per day, so keep a bottle handy.
• Hipster appeal. Metal and glass options now come in supercool colors and designs.

Personally Speaking

The Biter team probably looks like a group of crazy evangelicals when we hang out away from the office, with all of our Biter bottles in tow.

Wanna Try?

• Biter Bottles - our very own light, lined aluminum bottle ($20).
• Kleen Kanteen Water Bottle - made from dishwasher-safe stainless steel and holds 27 oz ($18).
• SIGG Kids Series - get lil' Biters started down the healthier path ($18).
• VOSS - its water comes in cool-looking reusable glass bottles; buy one, and use the bottle for life ($3).

tip found on www.theidealbite.com

Built In Dishwashers vs. Hand Washing: Which is Greener?

Image credit: Getty Images/Sami Sarkis

For a while, when it comes to green impacts, the prevailing wisdom has been that built in dishwashers beat hand-washing dishes, in a runaway. By the numbers, according to one study at the University of Bonn in Germany, the dishwasher uses only half the energy, one-sixth of the water, and less soap, to boot. That sounds easy enough, but there's a lot more to it than and black-and-white comparison between your faucet and sink and the appliance under your counter.

For example: How do the results vary with model of dishwasher? What hand-washing habits are people using? How do you heat the water in your home? And how often do you do the dishes? Turns out all these factors can change the impacts; keep reading to learn what goes in to calculating the greenest way to do your dishes.

Water use, energy use, and carbon footprint

There are three big factors we'll consider: water use, energy use (for heating the water, largely), and the carbon footprint that results -- we'll save things like soap and dishwasher cooking for another post. And, of course, following energy-saving tips like running the "light" cycle and turning off the "heated drying" option will change the way the numbers work.

Built-in dishwasher efficiency

The average dishwasher uses 6 gallons of water per cycle; the average Energy Star-rated dishwasher uses 4 gallons per cycle, and their energy use ranges from 1.59 kWh per load down to 0.87 kWh per load. Using the Department of Energy's carbon dioxide emissions numbers of 1.34 pounds of CO₂ per kWh, that's 1.16 to 2.13 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted per load, to go along with 4 gallons of water.

Energy Star assumes each load in a "standard" dishwasher (usually 24 inches in size) has "a capacity greater than or equal to eight place settings and six serving pieces," so we'll go with that when considering how many dishes need to be washed by hand.

Can hand washing be as efficient as dishwashing?

The short answer: maybe. First, let's look at water usage alone. The average faucet flows at 2 gallons per minute, so if you can successfully wash and rinse eight place settings -- plates, bowls, forks, knives, spoons, glasses, etc. -- and those six serving dishes that your dishwasher can handle without running the faucet for more than 2 total minutes, then, you might be better off hand-washing. Assuming you're washing 54 pieces of dishware (that's 48 pieces of dishware -- 6 pieces per setting -- and 6 serving dishes), you've got about 4.4 seconds of wide-open tap water per piece, or about 9.5 ounces of water to wash and rinse each dish.

Impacts of heating the water

Let's assume you use warm water for both washing and rinsing -- half hot water and half cold water. Heating 2 gallons of water with a gas hot water heater (from about 60 degrees as it enters your house to, say, 120 degrees, set by the thermostat on your hot water heater) takes about 960 BTUs, or about 0.9% of one therm (100,000 BTUs), assuming 100 percent efficiency.

Gas storage tank water heaters

Gas water-heaters are usually more like 65 percent efficient, so it really takes 1477 BTUs, or about 1.5 percent of a therm, to heat that water. One therm emits 11.7 pounds of CO₂, according to the EPA (pdf), so heating the water with gas for each 2-gallon load emits about .17 pounds of carbon dioxide.

On-demand (or tankless) water heaters are closer to 80 percent efficient, which changes the numbers a bit; it works out to about 1200 BTUs, or about .14 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Electric storage tank water heaters

The story is a bit different when considering an electric water heater; while most electric water heaters use between 86 and 93 percent of their energy for heat (compared to between 60 and 65 percent for gas), electric heaters aren't as efficient at heating water. It still takes 960 BTUs to heat that much water; it just takes about .28 kWh (since, according to the EIA, 1 kWh equals 3412 BTUs) to heat 2 gallons of water at 100 percent efficiency, or about .30 kWh at 93 percent efficiency. Each kWh emits 1.715 pounds of CO₂, on average (thank you, EPA), so heating water with electricity for each 2-gallon load emits about .51 pounds of CO₂.

Built in dishwasher vs. hand-washing: And the winner is...

These numbers indicate that it's possible to be more efficient when hand-washing, but it's pretty tough. Can you successfully wash and rinse a soiled dinner plate in just over a cup of water? If you can keep the water use low, equal to an efficient machine, you'll require less energy, but doing an entire load of dishes in 4 gallons of water is roughly equivalent to doing them all in the same amount of water you use in 96 seconds of showering (using a showerhead that emits 2.5 gallons per minute).

So, as long as you don't often run your dishwasher when it's only half full of dirty dishes, or unless you are very miserly with your water use (or have an old, inefficient dishwasher), the automatic dishwasher is likely to be more efficient. That is to say, it's possible to use less water and energy by hand washing your dishes, but it's not easy. Of course, if you do it just right, it might just be a wash.

article found here.

Unused Clothes Are Ruining Your Life

A passionate plea for simplicity and smart consumption. And 30 Easy Ways to Save Money

The message was unanimous at the kick off to the 5th Annual "Readings on the 4th Floor" at P.S. 107 in Brooklyn last night: freedom is simplifying and getting rid of stuff we really don't need, to make room for the more important things in life. Sure, you may be thinking, "consuming less is going green, but easier said than done."

Well take heart, because last night's panelists have some simple suggestions to ease your way to greater fulfillment. The ebullient Helen Coronato, mother and author of Eco-Friendly Families, suggested going through your closet and dividing your clothes into three sections: things you never wear, things you can't live without and things you maybe don't wear. Take the "nevers" to a thrift store or donation center immediately, and give the "maybes" a month. If you don't touch them, get rid of those, she said.

"Those maybes are ruining your life," said Coronato. "Freedom is getting rid of stuff, not being attached to things. You'll be amazed at how your life will change by getting rid of things. Get rid of them and make room for the stuff we really want: time."

Coronato suggests donating gently used business attire to a nonprofit organization like Dress for Success, which distributes clothes to low-income women who need to look sharp to pass a job interview. Weighted down by too many stuffed animals that no organizations will accept? No problem! Coronato pointed out that nonprofit Project Smile will get them in the hands of children who have suffered through a house fire, accident or other trauma.

Coronato's suggestions echo the mission of the Center for a New American Dream, which aims to help people live happier, more fulfilling lives while simultaneously reducing unnecessary consumption. The center has recently updated its book Your Money or Your Life, which "helps individuals calculate hours wasted working to pay for unnecessary stuff--stuff that dents both pocketbooks and planet while failing to fulfill."

Brooklyn Panelist Elizabeth Royte, author of Garbage Land and Bottlemania (the book I should have written in 2003 but didn't, not that I'm bitter or anything), suggested that people pick up free placards from local businesses and government offices to display on their homes. The signs alert mail carriers that the home is a "junk mail free zone," and she says the notice on her Park Slope, Brooklyn place has reduced her inflow of unwanted circulars and offers by at least 90% (paper has a huge impact on the environment).

From Water to Fashion, How Refreshing

Royte has also been working with municipalities across the country to bring back public drinking fountains, which she says health studies show are safe, encourage people to stay hydrated, and buck the trend of reaching for a new plastic bottle every time we need a sip. She pointed out that a number of local governments have let their once-robust supply of fountains deteriorate in the name of cost savings, what with everyone buying their own water anyway.

Coronato added that it's important to remember that everything we use has hidden costs, be it underpaid child laborers who made it in other countries, heavy fuel use to transport goods across vast oceans, and toxic by-products we don't see. She said a good place to start is to think about other solutions to needs than just buying what's most convenient. Check out thrift stores and consignment shops, skip dollar bins in discount stores (which are packed with low-quality goods you probably don't need anyway), and to regift stuff you haven't used.

Panelist Starre Vartan, TDG contributor, blogger, Greenopian and author of the Eco-Chick Guide to Life, said to her one of the most important decisions in buying clothes is longevity. She said her goal is to buy only things she'll have to wear for years to come (even after that they can be repurposed for quilts, covers, and so on).

Starre also added that two-thirds of the energy that goes into keeping us clothed is taken up by how we treat the garments we have. She suggested line drying when possible (she said if everyone in the Northeast gave up their dryers we could shutter two nuclear power plants), washing with cold water, reducing detergent, hand washing delicates and only using "green" dry cleaners if you need professional assistance (find a directory of vetted local providers at Greenopia).

The panel's moderator, Treehugger founder Graham Hill, shared some of his successes with saving money by swapping out lighting with CFLs, drying his clothes on furniture in his small apartment, and even composting in a nifty device in his kitchen.

Is All this Worth It Compared to Bigger Problems ?

When an audience member questioned whether it is really worth the time of the environmental movement to harp on and quibble about bottled water, line drying and sippy cups when the planet is facing serious threats from global warming, population explosion and other massive problems, the panelists tried to put things in perspective. "I have leared that everything we do really does matter," answered Coronato. "Every little decision. Ask if you're doing something because that's just what you did before, or if there's a better way you could be doing it. Change begins in each heart."

Royte pointed out that although consumer packaging and cast-offs are only a small portion of our overall solid waste stream, reducing that material can have a big compounding effect. "In the great book Natural Capitalism, Paul Hawken talks about how every barrel of waste we prevent from going out to our curbs saves 32 barrels of waste upstream, from all the processes that go into making the stuff we use everyday," said Royte.

Starre added, to nods from the audience, "I feel like we've gone momentarily insane over the last 25 years or so. It used to be standard to reuse things, conserve, and so on. Then everyone started thinking we had to buy all new stuff all the time."

Royte suggested that if we really want to focus on the three big areas of consumption that have the most impact, those would be: how we heat and cool our homes, how we get around and how much meat we eat.

For her part, Coronato says her goal this year is to make sure everything in her house is both beautiful and functional. With the right tips, you too can go greener, and live better.

Check these 30 Easy Ways to Save Money and Simplify

Photo Credit: Gerville Hall / Istock
found on www.thedailygreen.com

Organic Food: Healthier for You and the Planet

Though known colloquially as food that is grown to be more healthy (and is more expensive), in order for organic food to be certified as such, it must be produced under specific, legally-regulated standards and be subject to testing in order to retain certification.

Organic food: the definition
In agriculture, this means that crops were grown without the use of conventional pesticides, artificial fertilizers or sewage sludge, and that they were processed without food additives (like chemical preservatives). When it comes to animals, they must be reared without the routine use of antibiotics and growth hormones and fed a diet of organic foods. In most countries, organic produce must not be genetically modified.

Organic food "stores": a history
Historically, organic produce was almost exclusively available directly from small family-run farms or at community farmer's markets. Lately, though, organic foods are becoming much more widely available; organic food sales in the United States have grown by 17 to 20 percent a year for the past few years, while sales of conventional food have grown more slowly, at about 2 to 3 percent a year. This explosion in popularity has led the way for bigger companies, like Wal-Mart, to get into the organic food business and change the way that organics are perceived and, to a certain extent, the way they're produced.

Keep reading to learn more about the ins and outs of organic certification, the market for organic food and more. Click here for the full story on Treehugger.com.