Is There a Green Light for the “Kia Ray” to Enter the Hybrid Market?

At the recently held 2010 Chicago Auto show, Kia unveiled a snazzy concept hybrid car “The Kia Ray” that turned a few heads at this prestigious show. Upon a first glance, this car proves to be very eye catching with its EcoDynamic inspired design. This amazing four seat compact sedan has a proposed mileage range of about 746 miles with an impressive fuel rating of 202 mpg. The battery alone can power the car for about 50 miles on a single charge. This truly green car reduces its carbon footprint by utilizing roof top cool glazing solar glass and recycled materials whenever possible

Kia’s popularity has been gaining momentum in the US market since it’s official entry into the market in 1994. Recently Kia opened a plant in Georgia employing 2,500 people and creating an additional 7,500 jobs in the surrounding area. Their best quarter sales were stated in 2009. They continue to diligently and methodically market themselves and are spreading their consumer awareness through providing an affordable vehicle and a solid 10 year 100,000 mile warranty.

If you are curious about how the various Kia vehicles perform, rent a Kia on your next vacation or road trip. Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, Dollar, National & Alamo all provide Kia car rentals. Do your own research, make your own decision and remember, invest your money wisely. Choose companies and products that resonate with your core beliefs.

Green Job: DIY Battery Reconditioning

If you could think of a cool job that you could do in your spare time in your garage that would help the environment would you want to know about it? Have you ever thought about where all the used rechargeable batteries go when you think they are not useful anymore?

Unfortunately, most batteries rechargeable or not go into our trash cans and then into our landfills where they eventually leak acid into the soil. This obviously is not a good thing especially as we own so many electronic gadgets that require rechargeable batteries such as computers, Ipods cameras, phones, gardening and power tools just to name a few.

So what is the number 1 reason we throw our batteries in the trash?

“BECAUSE WE DON’T KNOW WHAT OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE.”

Here are a few options to consider:

1) If you want to make one small change today, find  2 shoe boxes and label them “Used Batteries” for all your disposable batteries and “used rechargeable batteries”

2) Check with your city to see if they have a drop off location for used disposable batteries. Walnut Creek, California is an example of what options are available for convenient drop off in their city.

3) Find a local business that specializes in battery reconditioning or rechargeable batteries.

4) Start your own battery reconditioning business it’s a lot easier than you think. The benefits include:

• Not a significant investment to get started.
• A battery reconditioning service can be started in a small space such as a corner of your garage.
• Can be a great side business, an extra stream of income, or a great summer job for a high school or college student.

If you want an outline of what it takes to start a battery reconditioning business I found a cool link for you to review.

How to Set-up a Battery Reconditioning Business

Green Personality, what kind of lawn “Mower” are you?

Choosing a lawn mower is a matter of sifting through a bewildering array of types, power ratings, and fuel sources. Let’s break it down a little to make the process easier. What if you could choose your lawn mower based on your personality? After all there are four basic choices, Push mowers, Electric mowers, Cordless mowers and gas mowers. Which mower best fits your personality?

• “Pushy Personality” Push reel mowers are powered by you, after all you need to be in control. They’re quiet, they don’t need cords or recharging, and they don’t pollute. But on large lawns, you might not want the workout you get when using a push reel mower. They also tend to be less effective on grass taller than two inches. A push mower might be a challenging choice if you tend to be impatient, lazy or a procrastinator.

• “Electrifying” Electric mowers do reduce air pollution but they also have some restrictions. They need to be plugged into an outlet to power them, which means you’re constrained by the location of power outlets, the length of your power cord, and any obstacles that may snag the cord. If you have a small yard but don’t want the forced exercise of using a push reel mower, an electric mower may be for you. If you need boundaries in your life and want to help contribute to the air quality by reducing air emissions in your neighborhood this is a good choice.

• “Rechargeable” Cordless mowers are powered by a rechargeable battery. Although you are not tied to a cord, time is of the essence. You don’t have to deal with the hassles of keeping a cord plugged in, but battery life becomes a constraint. Depending on the battery capacity, the size of your yard, and the height of your grass, you may not be able to complete your mowing job on one charge. If you have a small yard and effective time management skills this is an excellent “green” option

• “Gassy” Gas mowers If you can smell the toxic fumes need I say more? Gas mowers offer the most power, which is best if you’ll be mowing tall, dense grass or if your yard is larger than 2,000 square feet. But you will have to keep gas and oil on hand as well as keep the engine serviced. They do serve a purpose but if you live in a residential neighborhood and you have a small amount of grass to mow it is ridiculous to have a gas mower that we know pollutes the environment when we know either of the three above choices are acceptable.

So if you are in the market to purchase a lawn mower may I suggest that you visit this link at Amazon.com and see what kinds of lawn mowers are currently available.

I invite you to visit my Uplifting Green Store if you are in the market for a lawn mower.

I like the fact that you have a good chance of getting free shipping since all of the mowers you choose will be over $50. After all it will save you time of going to the store as you can read the reviews on line and do you really want to shove a lawn mower in the back of your car if you don’t have to?

I also invite you share your lawn mower personality and to review the lawn mower you purchase. Make sure you include your city in your review so your neighbors can hear what you think.

Here’s the link to the Uplifting Green Store