According to MedlinePlus, windshield wiper fluid isn’t exactly the safest stuff. “Windshield washer fluid is a brightly colored liquid made of methanol, a poisonous alcohol. Some young children may mistake the fluid for juice, which can lead to accidental poisoning. Even small amounts can cause significant damage.”

Yes, I know you’re (hopefully) not drinking it – but do you really want to be keeping those sorts of chemicals in your garage and car… which eventually leak into the environment?

Windshield wiper fluid contains methanol, also known as methyl alcohol and wood alcohol. This extremely poisonous alcohol can be deadly to a child with just 2 tablespoons… and about 2 to 8 ounces can be deadly for an adult.

It also causes damage to the environment, leaking into the ground and throughout the air to further create pollution. Billions upon billions of gallons of washer fluid end up in the environment every single year.

Methanol also erodes pavement and contributes to the early degradation of the highways and roads, which ends up costing cities and municipalities more money to make the costly repairs.

Lovely stuff, isn’t it?

Luckily, there are some greener, cleaner options out there: ones that get the job done, won’t wreak havoc on your car, are cost-efficient, and safe for yourself and the environment, too.

We’ve done some investigative work to see what’s out there. Although the choices are slim pickings, it’s worth hunting them down, especially in the winter months.

EvergreeN Windshield Washer Fluid is one of them.  It is a 100 percent plant derived alternative to conventional windshield washer fluid. It is also completely environmentally friendly, non toxic and biodegradable. v

EvergreeN is available in both summer and winter formulations. The Summer Formula is safe for the pavement and completely free of methanol and non toxic.

The thing is, the only economical solution that is available to manufacturers to lower the freezing point is, indeed, methanol, but EvergreeN has figured out a way to use just a trace of it. In fact, they claim it is the lowest concentration of methanol in any product on the market, and will not freeze down to negative 15 degrees F. The concentration in the winter formula is so low that is is completely non-flammable, unlike conventional winter windshield wiper fluid.

EvergreeN isn’t the only option, though. Other companies are following suit. Advance Petrochemicals Ltd. makes a methanol-free concentrate compound to remove sap, bird droppings, bugs, and other grime from windshields.

Go smooth

Do away with jerky, sudden movements with the gas pedal. One second of wide open throttle creates the same amount of carbon monoxide emissions as 20 minutes of normal driving, so be a little more gentle with the gas. Green Car Tyres.

Try: Circles Into Squares – Relaxing Renaissance & Celtic Music for Yoga, Massage & Meditation, a new CD guaranteed to calm you while driving.

Early to shift

Manual transmission drivers should avoid revving their engine unnecessarily – no matter how “cool” it sounds. Your engine burns less fuel if you shift a little earlier than you normally would.

Try: Blue Planet’s Recycled Eyewear – you’ll look even cooler than revving your wheels. Check out Wilder
and Jaia, two of our favourites.

Plan your route

Need to do a lot of errands? Have an appointment on the other side of town. Staying away from congested areas, hills, different speed changes and stop and go traffic allows you to burn less fuel to your destination.

Try: a Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch GPS Navigator or keep it simple with an 2010 United States Road Atlas.

Use the cruise

A constant or steady speed burns less fuel than frequent and abrupt changes, so if you have the option, use the cruise control when you can.

Try: With your car in cruise, you can be a little safer while simultaneously enjoying your morning coffee. Enjoy it in an Aladdin Recycled and Recyclable 16-Ounce Mug. Comes in a variety of bright colours!

Go for shaded parking

Your car’s interior will be cooler, and the air conditioning might not be necessary – letting your car drive a little cleaner while you cool down.

Try: An eco-friendly alternative to plastic or reflective sunshades, like the Jumbo Cardboard Sunshade

Never idle

Drive-thrus, canal bridges, border crossings, and waiting for someone should be avoided at all costs. Do what you can to shut it off if you know you’ll be longer than a brief moment.

Try: Have a book on hand in the car for times that you might be stuck in the car. Check out new eco-driven titles, such as Good for Business: The Rise of the Conscious Corporation, The Green Workplace: Sustainable Strategies that Benefit Employees, the Environment, and the Bottom Line, and Frugillionaire: 500 Fabulous Ways to Live Richly and Save a Fortune. Green Motorhomes for Sale

Image courtesy of arval.be Buy car insurance Paramus Honda

But now, the car-maker is ridding itself from its typical construction in favour with going green.

At this week’s Geneva Motor Show, the company unveiled their newest creation: the Ferrari 599. This 200mph electric hybrid has been developed with the environment in mind.

Ferrari’s classic performance, combined with its notable good looks, is married to a pollution and fuel consumption cutting initiative, making their brand just a little greener.

The vehicle is equipped with an electric motor that backs up a more traditional 6.0-litre V12 petrol engine. The typical two-seater design will accelerate from 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds (which, by the way, is faster than its standard counterpart) and to 125mph in 10.4 seconds.

The electric part of the hybrid system also comes into play with braking, taking the energy that is often wasted from putting on the breaks and using it to recharge the batteries. This, then, can move the car simply by electric power.

Carbon dioxide emissions are cut to 270g/km, which is a 35% reduction on conventional models. The company also claims that it is expected to do up to 25 miles to the gallon (petrol- only versions, on the other hand, can do just under 16mpg).

The company’s aim is to harness this green technology as an option in all its cars by 2015, a must with today’s environmental targets to cut CO2 emissions.

It does have a price though. The 599 seems that it will cost twice as much as the £207,000 petrol 559 GTB Fiorano (it’s conventional counterpart). But the company assumes that by time the technology is mainstream, the price will come down to below £300,000.

See other cars unveiled at the 80th International Motor Show’s website. The show runs March 4th through 14th in Geneva.

Images courtesy of carspyshots.net

Also, be sure to check out aluminum radiator manufacturer Mishimoto, who has recently announced their green plan to reduce wasteful packaging by 75%!

The SFGate recently reported that students and professors at San Jose State University have created the ZEM (meaning Zero Emissions), a human, solar and electrical powered vehicle.

Led by Tai-Ran Hsu, a team of 72 students took three years to develop a green vehicle that wouldn’t also overly consume electricity.

“If today we converted all gasoline-powered to electric cars, it would consume more electricity than the utilities can produce,” Hsu told the SFGate. “The whole idea of this vehicle is trying to mitigate the use of electricity by supplementing the electricity with a renewable source like solar power or human power,” he added.

The ZEM isn’t just electric; it also has four solar panels, as well as a motor that can be powered on silicone batteries, chargeable by standard household outlets. These silicone batteries take less energy to change than run-of-the-mill alkaline varieties.

But that’s not all. The ZEM can also be powered by humans, with a set of bicycle pedals for the driver and the passenger – perfect for a little afternoon exercise or if your battery runs out of juice.

The ZEM was awarded first prize in the 2007 national idea-to-product competition, winning $15,000. The vehicle cost about $80,000 to make.

Read the full article here.

Image: ZEM, courtesy of SFGate

The folks at Bright have harnessed onto the idea that we need to have a new approach to transportation; our gas guzzling vehicles clearly aren’t cutting it. They’re focused on exploring options that focus on energy independence and the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions.

The Bright vehicle will  run all-electric for 30 miles, then switches into hybrid mode for 400 miles. To achieve this, the company combines low-energy tactics and structure, using the utmost platform efficiency.

Their presented platform describes their aims; among them to reduce aerodynamic drag (the energy used pushing air out of the way), tire drag (the energy used from the friction of the tires to the road), and vehicle mass (lighter cars need less fuel).

They also employ PHEV technology in their smaller and less expensive 1.6 liter, four-cylinder engine, electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack, which will significantly reduce CO2 emissions and petroleum use.

Developed with recycled and sustainable materials and manufactured using environmentally friendly methods, their vehicles are good for the consumer and the planet.

The hybrid vehicle should be available in the model year 2013, with a 30,000 car production goal in the first year.

And what does it look like? They’ve only offered a teaser.

Stay updated at: brightautomotive.com

With many older vehicles still being used, this program offers various incentives to Canadians to turn in their earth-eating masses and swap for something more sustainable. Every individual who takes part results in reduced air pollutions and greenhouse gas emissions – and creating cleaner air, in general, most notably in the months of summer smog.

These factors, all of which cause climate change, apply to cars manufactured pre-1996, which was the year that the Government of Canada introduced policies to reduce the vehicle emissions. These models produce approximately 19 times more pollutants than ones manufactured before the change.

With $92 million in funding, the program offers various refunds and discounts, running until March 31, 2011. Public transit passes, memberships to car-sharing programs, and discounts on the purchase of a bicycle are among the ways to promote less car-use, however, rebates from vehicle manufacturers, as well as $300 cash, are offered, too.

Their launch also includes a National Car Recycling Code of Practice, which raises the standard of environmental care for vehicle recycling, therefore preventing the release of harmful substances into the environment by recycling responsibly.

As long as your vehicle is 1995 or earlier, in running condition, and has been insured and registered for at least 6 months, you are eligible.

“The Government of Canada remains committed to reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions to protect the health of Canadians and the environment,” explain Minister Jim Prentice at his recent announcement in Ottawa. “That is why we are working with the Clean Air Foundation, provincial and local organizations to get smog-causing cars off our roads.”

The Clean Air Foundation and the Government of Canada aim to remove at least 50,000 older vehicles a year from Canadian roads, which will result in 2,250 tonnes of smog-forming pollutants removed  from the air per year and thereby  reducing emissions of greenhouse gases

For details and to apply, visit: Clean Air Online and Retire Your Ride.

Image courtesy of Clean Air Online

The tracking tool also allows you to compare it with the ratings that are found in the EnerGuide Fuel Consumption Guide, as well as with other drivers, both in general and specific to your vehicle.

You can log-in as a guest for a one-time calculation, or register with a username to keep track for the long-term.

Once you log in, enter your vehicle information, and then plug in the amounts: the date, odometer reading, litres consumed, fuel cost, and driving conditions.

For those who tend to make an assumption about their consumption, you might

find this a handy tracking device to keep up-to-speed with the gallons you guzzle.

To try the program yourself, click here.

To explore fuel consumption ratings, click here.

Image courtesy of Toyota.ca and Office of Energy Efficiency