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A few months ago Thom and I watched Who Killed the Electric Car? It's a documentary about how in the mid 1990's the electric car came and went and many didn't even know it. Some would say conspiracy theory and others would argue that it just wasn't marketable--that people wouldn't buy it. But people were buying it and were very upset when their nice little quiet zero emission cars were taken from them. I recommend the film to anyone interested in learning more about the subject. It's fascinating. Anyway, it appears that the electric car is pushing through to its second appearance. What fans of the plug-in are trying to assure is that the plug won't get pulled once again. Apparently there are things we can do to help it. Read the email below. I'm really interested in joining the adopt-a-dealer campaign but I think it would be cool if there were several people I knew who committed to it as well. The fact is that we need representatives in Joplin and everywhere else and I don't think I'd last as long if I was going around to dealerships all on my own. So, would you read this and think about it? Would you contact others whom you think might join in? If you'd like to help please email me (stark.erica@gmail.com) or comment on this post. I'll get back to you. Meanwhile read the letter below, it was in my in box today.  Dear Erica Stark, Do you want plug-in electric cars with gas mileage better than 100 miles per gallon on the market, available for everyone to buy? So do we! But the US auto industry is standing in the way of getting this climate-saving technology onto the streets. For curbing climate change, for energy independence, for being prepared for peak oil, for cleaner air and for keeping good-paying jobs in the auto industry in the U.S. – it's time to bring plug-in electric cars to market! New technology to extend the range of hybrid cars by plugging them into renewable energy sources exists right now. We've been reporting on this technology in our publications for the past couple of years. Last summer, we produced a full issue of our quarterly magazine all about the most responsible fuel choices for our future, and we explained how plug-in hybrids are our best (and fastest!) hope for dramatically reducing the fossil fuels we consume for transportation in this country.
Now we're ramping up our efforts. We want all of our members – each one of you – to talk to your local car dealer, and demand better from Detroit. The US auto industry killed the first generation of electric cars in the 1990s, and we won't let it happen again.
That's why we've produced our online Adopt-a-Dealer guide to make it easy for you approach a car dealership in your area. All you have to do is start a conversation. Use our toolkit with talking points, sample letters, and a step-by-step guide to get your campaign on the road. Co-op America members have a history of taking collective action and achieving big victories for the green economy -- from pushing Procter & Gamble to start selling Fair Trade coffee, to pushing electric utility companies to cancel new coal-fired power plants, and more. Now is the time to take action with the auto industry. The largest chain of auto dealers in the country, AutoNation, is already on board with our campaign. "These new hybrids would offer consumers a 50-mile all-electric range, get the equivalent of 100 miles per gallon, be fully recharged at night and deliver all the performance and comfort of traditional gasoline-powered vehicles
without the damaging emissions," says AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson. "We believe Americans will buy these vehicles, which is why we want to sell them." Help us get your local Ford and GM dealer on board with AutoNation, or visit your local branch of Penske Automotive Group, the country's second largest dealer. Please download our kit, and visit your dealer today. Any dealership you choose to visit represents one more step toward bringing these cars to market.
Imagine each of the 60,000 e-activists reading this message today going to 60,000 different car dealers. And imagine each of those dealers learning more about plug-in hybrid technology, getting excited about selling these cars as the next generation of responsible automobiles, and communicating that enthusiasm directly to the decision-makers in Detroit. We can make a huge difference for the future of cleaner transportation. When you take action with our Adopt-a-Dealer guide, please let us know and feel free to contact us with any questions, and especially with news of your successes. Good luck! It's great to be working with all of you,
Alisa Gravitz
Executive Director
Co-op America | 
Download our
Adopt-a-Dealer toolkit and take action with your local dealer.
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| PLUG-IN FACTS | | • Plug-ins powered by electricity from wind or solar can be 100-percent emissions-free. • Plug-ins charged with coal power still produce 30 percent fewer greenhouse gases than conventional gasoline vehicles. • Plug-ins cost less per mile, the equivalent of 75 cents per gallon. • Plug-ins can be a reality now. Current technology has been proven to work, and the current electrical grid could already power 73 percent of our commutes. |
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| Labels: adopt-a-dealer, climate action, coopamerica.org, electric car, gas mileage, green, plug-in hybrid
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I haven't purchased my reusable grocery bags! I was reminded of this by Meghan Breeze who just bought her own. I guess I haven't done it because I don't know where. Meghan, were did you buy your bags? I suppose I could just get some canvas bags or even make them. That would work.
Just a reminder, if there's anything you're doing or plan to do to be more environmentally friendly, please share. It's encouraging to hear what others are doing and in some cases (like the one mentioned above) it pushes me to do what I've already committed to but haven't gotten around to.
By the way, the new cloth diapers are fantastic. I'm so excited about them and Ela seems to really like them. Here's to cloth!Labels: cloth diapers, environmentalist, green, grocery bags, Meghan Breeze
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I've denied it so far and I still hate to admit it: I've gone through my life as a consumer, without giving so much as a thought to what my wasteful habits have done to the environment. I now stand convicted. Seriously, I feel convicted and now I have to take responsibility for the damage I've done and start looking for active ways to put a stop to it (I doubt I can undo what's already been done). So, in a desperate attempt to redeem myself I hereby declare myself a tree hugger. Think it's extreme? I used to think it was, but I've come to see I have to go all the way if I'm going to change my daily wasteful routines and habits. Here are just a couple of steps I've taken in an effort to create a new, more environmentally friendly routine: - Cloth diapers. Yes, I know, this sounds kind of extreme. But it's not so bad as it sounds. Nowadays you can buy cloth diapers that work just as well or better than disposable ones. And yes, it will be a little more work for me to wash them, but it helps to think of the ton of waste (yes, literally one ton per child) that won't be dumped in a landfill to finally decompose about 500 years later. - Recycling. This is one that I was already doing but I've decided I need to be more dedicated. - Reusable grocery bags. No more paper or plastic for me. Cloth is the new coolest grocery bag. - No more Wal-Mart. This one isn't just about the environment but about fair trade and even American and world economy. I've been meaning to cut this one out of my daily routine for quite some time now but hadn't taken the time to find a new place to shop. My new stores: Food4 Less and Dillons (both under Kroger). Go here to find out why I will be shopping at these places. Also, local shops such as Fox Farms and Suzanne's. If anyone has any suggestions of what else I can do, please comment. Maybe there's something you've been doing, please share. I'm very excited about the changes I'm making and I'm hoping to find others who feel the same way so we can feed each others enthusiasm. Labels: cloth diapers, environmentalist, fair trade, green, recycling
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