Environmental impacts

GreenerCars.com posts a report listing the most environmentally friendly vehicles. NONE are made in the U.S. There's also a list of the least eco-friendly cars: most are made in Europe, because many of them are diesels. Listed as the worst car for the environment, one I wouldn't have expected: the diesel version of the Volkswagen Touareg. Oh, and a couple of those giant American pickup trucks I see more and more. (Never have figured out the reason for those....)

Fascinating graphic posted on Michael Silence's blog at the Knoxville News, tracking corporate jets leaving Miami-area airports the morning after the Super Bowl. Interesting discussion on the post, too, about the environmental impact of all those light jets coming into production. Now I understand a little better why we see so many planes overhead here: looks like a good portion of the planes plotted went right over us.

And, an interesting report from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy: Potential for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to Meet Florida's Growing Energy Demand. Some frightening stats:

Florida is among the fastest growing states in the country, and the state’s electricity demand is growing even faster than the state’s population. To sustain economic growth, Florida needs to take action – now – to meet the increased energy demand. A particular challenge is peak demand – those times when extreme heat or extreme cold crank up air conditioners and heaters. Peak demand is growing even faster than Florida’s regular day-to-day electricity demand, and it is the most expensive type of electricity.

The authors propose some solutions, and there's a link from this summary to the full report.