I am pleased people are reading....

I am pleased that one of you took the time to post a response. I do not know if you have commercials for Sonic Drive In where you live, but I was beginning to feel like one of the characters. In one commercial, a man and woman are in their car and he starts talking about posting to his blog how much he likes Sonic. She says, "so your mom can read it?". And he says, "she's one of the readers". I did not know if anyone besides me reads anything here, so it is nice to know some people do.

I originally started this blog when I joined Ethos FR. That drew me more into thinking about our environment and dependency on foreign oil and that drew me more into the politics of it all.

Why are we still so addicted to foreign oil? Why have we not made it our mission to break that dependence with more fuel efficient cars that are affordable? Why have we not done more work on mass transit systems in larger cities? Dallas has DART but it is inconvenient for most of us. I looked into it so my husband could use it to go to work but he would first have to drive 20 minutes to the nearest stop and then change trains a couple of times and spend 1h 45min just riding the train to get to work. Definitely not worth it. We could do better.

Let me know what you think.

Until next time...

Amy Hansen

What Is B20 Ethos?

Here is an article from Waste Age about B20 Ethos.

California's Chula Vista residents are adding another health craze to their list — using a blend of biodiesel and ester to reduce fuel emissions from garbage trucks.

Used in collection trucks by San Diego-based Pacific Waste Services (PWS), the biodiesel/ester concoction is made from 80 percent diesel and a 20 percent mix of biodiesel and Ethos Fuel Reformulator (Ethos FR), named B20 Ethos. Biodiesel typically is derived from soybeans and vegetable oils. Ethos FR is a nontoxic, nonhazardous ester.

Already, PWS is reporting emissions reductions of 63.9 percent after one month of using the B20 Ethos, and the company expects to reduce more than 500 tons of pollution annually.
PWS sought B20 Ethos when Chula Vista mandated that the company use an alternative fuel in its waste vehicles. “We initially looked into natural gas, but it was so expensive and we would have had to convert the entire fleet,” says Andrea Calbow, PWS recycling manager. “So we looked into biodiesel and also found that Ethos had helped to reduce emissions.”

With B20 Ethos, there also is no need to modify or convert the fleet — the diesel and biodiesel blend is delivered “ready to use,” and Ethos FR is added to the mixture once at PWS' facility, Calbow adds.

Biodiesel and Ethos FR can be used separately, but Ethos FR would not fulfill Chula Vista's requirements because it is not a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-recognized fuel alternative, as is biodiesel. Plus, when used together, “there is a greater percentage of biodiesel's benefits recognized,” Calbow says.

When PWS tested the fuel blend in a two-month pilot last spring, the company became the first fleet in the country to use B20 Ethos, engineered by World Energy, Chelsea, Mass., and San Diego-based Ethos Environmental Inc. PWS then began using Ethos FR and adding biodiesel in the fall.

The new fuel not only reduced emissions, drivers also reported vehicles were running smoother, Calbow says. The benefits, however, are not without costs. B20 Ethos costs PWS an estimated $50,000 more per year than diesel. Nevertheless, PWS says the increased fuel efficiency makes up for the difference.

Ethos FR also helps to reduce truck maintenance. The fuel removes carbon deposits and automatically cleans and lubricates the engine's internal parts without using petroleum-derived solvents, Calbow says. Over time, solvents cause engine wear and tear and lead to the release of hydrocarbons and increased emissions. Ethos FR also cleans the internal combustion engine because its molecules penetrate the metal, creating a layer to reduce friction and heat.
California mandates that fleets reduce their emissions. Before PWS began using B20 Ethos, its trucks already were operating within the state's emission limits. But laws may decrease emissions output again.

PWS plans to apply B20 Ethos to other operations in the future. For example, the company's San Diego fleet currently is only using Ethos FR, but will incorporate biodiesel later this year.
“With gas prices going up, more talk about pollution, and [the desire to] reduce maintenance costs and the effects on the environment, timing is everything,” says Ana Cobian, Ethos Environmental's vice president of communications.
“Giving other options to fleets could give us cleaner air at a lesser cost,” Calbow adds.

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There are alternatives out there. To learn more, visit here. If you are not interested in a business opportunity, just click on "step 3" to get tons more information. Once you have done that, make sure you watch the videos and click on the news link at the top of the page to read even more articles.

Until next time....

Amy Hansen

Texas Governor's Race

I have decided to change the content a little. Gas prices and environmental issues are linked to politics so I'm going to include some information on that here. I hope you enjoy this new route and hope also that you'll participate in some discussions here.

I live in Texas and we are very lucky to have 4 people running for governor this year. I am glad about that because I have basically decided that Democrats and Republicans are just two sides of the same coin---all they want is power and money. They just try to cater to different segments of the population with their rhetoric to get their power and money.

There are 2 independent candidates for governor in Texas, Kinky Friedman and Carolyn Strayhorn. You should visit each of their sites to see their views on important issues even if you do not live here. It is actually quite impressive. I will tell you that when I vote in November, it will not be for the Republican or Democrat who is running. We need a positive change.

It is time to get both Republicans and Democrats out of office. The system has been so corrupted by lobbyists, special interest groups, and people with deep pockets that we each need to vote differently. I urge you to get informed this election season. Really find out what your candidate stands for, who's been lining his pockets, and if he or she is really for the people or for himself. That is the only way things will ever get better overall. Sure, every now and then a Republican or Democrat will do something that benefits the people but only if it benefits him first.

What issues are important to you? If illegal immigration is a topic of concern, visit Grassfire to get a copy of a scorecard on how different reps have voted on this issue. Grassfire is a conservative site but even if you are more liberal, you can still get information there.

OK. What are your thoughts? I am eager to hear from you.

Until next time.

Amy Hansen
Your Tech Mall -- corporate grade anti-virus protection, VOIP, fuel savings, and more.

Gas Prices Rise Again....

O.K. Just when I was getting used to gas prices being so much better, it looks like gas prices will go up again. So many global factors affect the price of gas. The only thing you can count on is that the price of gas will go up and down a lot.

This time, it appears that North Korea's nuclear test has put the fear into people and caused oil prices to rise, which naturally leads to gas prices increasing.

Also, OPEC announced they are cutting daily crude production by 1 million barrels.

Do you ever feel like this is all some orchestrated maneuvering to keep oil people rich? It does not seem too coincidental that OPEC made this announcement on the heels of North Korea's nuclear test. These incidents always come so close in time to each other.

The best thing to do is ride the roller coaster of gas prices as best as you can. If you can buy a new, more efficient car, then do so. If not, keep your current car in the best shape you can, change the oil frequently, and see what else you can do to increase gas mileage. You cannot control the price of gas, but you can control how well you handle it.

Amy Hansen
Your Tech Mall -- corporate grade antivirus, VOIP, fuel savings, and more.

Gas Prices Falling...2007 fuel mileage preview...

Well, the good news is that gas prices are falling. It certainly is a big relief. I hope that at least some people will remember the lessons we have learned from the high gas prices, though. It is still best to buy a more fuel efficient car and a car that produces less pollution. Oil will not be around forever. We need to continue to do our part not only to save gas while alternative resources are supposedly being investigated and developed but also to pollute less. It really is not that hard.

There is a new gas mileage guide preview for the 2007 models posted by the federal government. You can find the gas mileage preview here. It is in PDF format. Information on the 2007 models includes annual fuel costs, type of engine and MPG information.

I took a glance at it and there does not appear to be any surprises. Cars that have always gotten better mileage still do and the gas guzzlers still guzzle. However, I did not realize that the Pontiac G6 gets gas mileage as good as they report of 23/33.

It looks like most cars get about 20-25 MPG in the city and about 25-30 MPG on the highway. That's not too bad, but it could be better. Personally, I want better gas mileage and less pollution but I do not want to have to drive a tiny pedal pusher to do that.

I'll write more soon.

Amy Hansen
Your Tech Mall for corporate grade antivirus protection, VOIP, gas savings, and more.

Informative Ethanol Hoax Article

As you know, I am on the bandwagon about the ethanol hoax. I found a funny joke about it earlier at Organicopia:

Overheard from the farmers' table at the neighborhood Quick-Shop: How do you make ethanol?
Answer: Take corn and water; add subsidies.

Ah, yes, subsidies. Remember my earlier article where I said that if a product needs subsidies, it is not more affordable? Ethanol is a hoax, folks! Look for better ways to save on gas prices and reduce pollution. They are out there. From changing your driving habits to purchasing more fuel efficient cars (read my article about hybrids) to Ethos Fuel Reformulator.

Also, I came across this article today from Organic Consumers Association. You can find it here.

It is very eye opening. Yes, gas prices are still high and we need to help the environment, but ethanol is not the answer. You are being misled. Here is a copy of the article:

Wall Street Slams the Ethanol Hoax

Renewable Energy By Keith Good Farm Policy, June 19, 2006 Straight to the Source

By Keith Good
Farm Policy, June 19, 2006
Straight to the Source

On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal editorial board opined that, "'Be like Brazil' have never been words to live by except perhaps in soccer or samba. But suddenly Americans are being told we should imitate Brazil in its expensive devotion to driving cars that run on ethanol. VeraSun Energy, the second-largest U.S. ethanol producer, was the talk of Wall Street this week with its IPO. Wal-Mart wants to install pumps to cater to cars that run on a largely ethanol blend. Even Rudy Giuliani was plumping for the stuff this week, a sign that an Iowa campaign stop may be in his future. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115049715522182863.html?mod=todays_us_opinion

"We'd say the world had gone mad, except that this is a fairly typical case study in how political meddling distorts energy markets. Weary of high gas prices, drivers can be forgiven for desiring a 'miracle' fuel that is allegedly cheap and clean. But the corn farmers, ethanol producers, politicians and environmentalists who have promoted the new ethanol mania have no excuse for peddling misinformation.

"The Journal editorial board also stated that, "U.S. taxpayers today pay twice for ethanol: once in crop subsidies to corn farmers and again in a 51-cent subsidy for every gallon of ethanol. Without such a subsidy, ethanol simply wouldn't be cost competitive with gasoline. Then last year, Congress went further and passed a new ethanol mandate, requiring drivers to use at least 7.5 billion gallons annually by 2012.

"The immediate consequence of this new mandate was higher gasoline prices this spring, since the ethanol industry was ill-equipped to meet the new demand. Ethanol must also be carried by truck or rail, rather than through pipelines, and it requires special blending facilities. All this has both raised prices and created gas shortages around the country. But rather than blame their new mandate for the higher prices, the Members of Congress blamed, of course, Big Oil.

"Ah, but what about the other alleged virtues of ethanol? One favorite is that every gallon of ethanol will supplant a gallon of gasoline imported from tyrannical Mideast oil regimes. Thus, a la Brazil, ethanol can help the U.S. achieve the miracle of 'energy independence.'

"Sorry. The most widely cited research on this subject comes from Cornell's David Pimental and Berkeley's Ted Patzek. They've found that it takes more than a gallon of fossil fuel to make one gallon of ethanol -- 29% more. That's because it takes enormous amounts of fossil-fuel energy to grow corn (using fertilizer and irrigation), to transport the crops and then to turn that corn into ethanol. The Saudis ought to love the stuff.

"Interestingly, an Associated Press article from yesterday stated that, "With the market for corn-based ethanol booming, lawmakers from sugar-producing states such as Minnesota and Florida are hoping that beet and cane growers can soon jump onto the renewable fuel bandwagon.

"They cite the model of Brazil, which produces ethanol made from sugar cane.

"But critics, pointing out that sugar is much cheaper in Brazil than in the U.S., question whether the economics of sugar-based ethanol would work in this country.

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture is expected to issue a long-awaited study around July 1 on the viability of converting sugar into ethanol."Keith Collins, the USDA's chief economist, said that the soaring demand for ethanol and Brazil's successful track record make it worth discussing sugar-based ethanol here.

"A separate A.P. story, which was posted at DTN on Friday, reported that, "VeraSun Energy Corp.'s http://www.verasun.com/ debut on Wall Street showed investors' early excitement about ethanol, but some analysts say the burgeoning industry faces risks of oversupply, volatile commodity prices and a dependence on government subsidies.

"The 97 ethanol plants in the U.S. are producing about 4.5 billion gallons (17.1 billion liters) of the corn-based fuel per year, according to the Renewable Fuels Association http://www.ethanolrfa.org/, and another 33 plants under construction would boost annual capacity to 6.4 billion gallons (24.3 billion liters) within a few years.

"The clean-burning, high-octane fuel, has risen from obscurity in recent years because it's viewed as a way to help the U.S. cut its dependence on foreign energy sources. But Daniel Welt, a Standard & Poor's credit analyst in New York, said the industry's quick expansion likely will push capacity beyond base demand by 2008."

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Well, that's it for now. I hope you continue to educate yourself on the ethanol hoax and other hoaxes that are put upon us. I have some other interesting and informative articles here in my blog as well as gas saving tips and other information.

Until next time....

Amy Hansen
Work At Home Friend

Midsize Cars Pollution Scores from EPA...

The EPA is also a great place for information about cars. You can sort lists by different variables. Here are the top 2 vehicles for air pollution score in midsize cars:


Vehicle Mileage City Highway Air Pollution Score
1. Toyota Prius 51 60 9.5
2. Kia Spectra 34 25 9.5


You can find the full list here:
http://www.epa.gov/emissweb/midcar-06.htm

It's a great place to check out your future car. If you use it in combination with the TCO calculator from my previous post, you should be able to not only help the environment but your wallet as well.

Until next time....

Amy Hansen
Work At Home Friend

True Cost Of Ownership (TCO)

Wow. I have not posted in almost a month. My apologies.

I was compiling a free report the other day to help people save money on car insurance and gas when I came across this great little calculator from Edmonds It allows you to choose the vehicle you own or are going to buy and calculate the true cost of ownership, tco, for any vehicle. This is great. You can find it here.

By the way, if you are interested in my free report, just subcribe here. You will receive a confirmation message asking you to verify your interest that says "a French message will follow". Just click on the link in the email to verify you want this report. You can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars with the information I have put together for you. And if you do not like it, it is a simple one click to unsubscribe, although there are only 2 emails in the series so it wouldn't really be necessary. If you do subscribe, remember the hungry spam filters and check your spam folder.

I hope this information was useful to you. I really like the true cost of ownership calculator. I can't wait to shop for cars so I can make good use of it!

Until next time....

Amy Hansen
Work At Home Friend

Top Ten Corporate Welfare Recipients...

I am including a list of the top 10 companies that receive what amounts to welfare from the government because ADM is the number 1 company. On May 15, 2006, I posted an article I wrote about gas prices and lobbyists that talks about ADM and the ethanol hoax here.

So, here's the list from Online Human Events :

Top 10 Corporate Welfare Queens
Posted Jul 24, 2006

Ranked by FreedomWorks.

These organizations grow fat and rich thanks to special treatment from the federal government. They manipulate the political system to get insider deals, government guarantees, fixed prices and other benefits, paid for by taxpayers and consumers.

10. United States Postal Service (USPS)The USPS is a monopoly more interested in job protection than efficiency or innovation. Labor costs consume 80% of USPS revenue, while UPS and FedEx spend only 56% and 42% of their revenue on labor, respectively. Reform would allow competition for mailbox and first-class mail service.

9. Maritime Shippers and UnionsThe Jones Act mandates that all cargo shipped between U.S. ports—including deep-water shipping to Hawaii and Alaska—must be carried on U.S.-built and flagged vessels. That protectionism costs the economy $1.3 billion a year in higher shipping prices, according to a 1999 study by the International Trade Commission. It’s time to repeal the Jones Act restrictions.

8. National Education Association (NEA)The ultimate monopoly is America’s K-12 government schools, and the NEA is the gatekeeper that opposes almost any reform. Sheltered from competition, public schools continue to decline despite dramatic increases in per-student spending. States should give all students a voucher that allows them to attend the school of their choice.

7. FreddieMac and FannieMaeThese are quasi-government companies that purchase wholesale mortgages, but unlike most investment banks, they get special government loans and are backed by an implicit federal guarantee. If the real estate market tanks today, taxpayers could be on the hook for billions. It’s time for Freddie and Fannie to grow up and cut the cord.

6. Big SugarUncle Sam gives sugar special status and protects growers from competition through import quotas and marketing allotments. A handful of industrial growers dominate the industry and receive more than $1 billion a year in subsidies from rigged prices, according to the GAO. Congress should end sugar’s sweet deal.

5. Big CottonU.S. taxpayers and consumers provide billions of dollars to cotton growers through a numbingly complicated array of programs that violate U.S. trade agreements. One company, Allenberg Cotton of Cordova, Tenn., collected more than $186 million from 1995-2004 just in cash payments, according to the Environmental Working Group. Congress should terminate the cotton program.

4. Asbestos lawyersWhile trial lawyers of all stripes abuse the legal and political system for personal gain, the asbestos litigation attorneys are a special breed. Runaway asbestos lawsuits have already bankrupted more than 70 American manufacturers, destroying 60,000 jobs and costing billions. Yet most of the litigants aren’t sick. Congress should pass medical criteria legislation to stop asbestos pillaging.

3. AmtrakPassenger railroads are a failure in America, and the Amtrak monopoly is the reason. Feather-bedding union rules and money-losing routes to nowhere are the hallmarks of this national embarrassment, which burns through more than $1 billion a year from federal taxpayers. Amtrak should be completely privatized and opened to competition.

2. Corporation for Public Broadcasting (NPR/PBS)Big Bird is on welfare, to the tune of about $347 million a year. While taxpayers foot the bills, Sesame Street’s owners make millions from licensing toys and videos. With massive budget deficits and plenty of new channels on cable and satellite radio, it’s time for Big Bird and his buddies to get off the dole.

1. Archer Daniels Midland (ADM)From ethanol mandates to sugar subsidies, ADM is a case study in corporate welfare. New studies show that it takes more fossil energy to create corn ethanol than the fuel provides, but Congress is doubling the amount we have to buy anyway.

So, the number one company on corporate welfare is ADM. The sad thing is that there are real alternatives to reduce pollution and our dependence on foreign oil, but nobody in the government listens to anthing but money.

Until next time...

Amy Hansen
Official Home Business Intro

P.S. If you want more information like this, you can subscribe to Human Events.