Buy the Right Car, Save a Polar Bear

A recent series of news stories suggests that polarpolitical and environmental concerns heighten the
ice caps are melting "faster than expected," and thatdemand for alternatives to petroleum-based fuels,
this phenomenon may result in the extinction of onescientists will continue to work on more efficient
of humanity's favorite animals, the polar bear.ways of producing ethanol.Diesel cars can run on
Apparently polar bears need to be able to migratebiodiesel, a combination of regular diesel fuel and
onto the ice to fish for food, and this shift in climatevegetable oil - based fuel; some cars are being run on
is already beginning to interrupt their ability to feedD100, which is 100 percent vegetable oil. Two
themselves.Most rational scientists believe this shift inconcerns with biodiesel are, again, availability, and the
arctic climate is due to global warming resulting fromemissions of nitrogen oxide, another culprit in the
the greenhouse effect, which is produced largely bygreenhouse effect. While biodiesel is promising, and
automotive emissions. While some scientists arehas the added benefit of reducing dependence on
speculating that it may be too late to reverse theforeign oil, any real effort to make biodiesel cars
trend of global warming, at least in the short run,more popular will have to come with much stricter
others believe that we need to do something drasticemissions standards which greatly reduce nitrogen
- now - to avoid environmental disaster.Internaloxide content.An interesting irony is that the EPA's
combustion engines are the big culprit here; they emitmileage standards, while having been criticized as
a variety of gasses into the air as they burn fuel,inaccurate, are actually a good way to gauge
including carbon dioxide, one of the main causes ofautomobile emissions. That is because the EPA
the greenhouse effect. Two automobileactually measures the emissions exiting the vehicle as
manufacturers, Toyota and Honda,a way to gauge automobile mileage. While a high MPG
have created gas-electric hybrid vehicles - the Priusrating may not necessarily be accurate in terms of
by Toyota, at this point the top-rated hybridyour gasoline usage, it's actually a pretty good way
designed to have the lowest emissions, and severalto choose a car with lower emissions.Global warming
designs by Honda, including the newly engineeredendangers more than polar bears; as the polar ice
Honda Civic - smarter, sexier, more fuel-efficient, andcaps melt, the temperature of the oceans rises along
with lower emissions, than its earlier versions. Fordwith the sea level. Warmer ocean temperatures fuel
offers a hybrid SUV in its new Escape, and evenhurricanes, making level three, four, five and
Lexus has come out with a luxury hybrid.Many carshurricanes more frequent. And many millions of
on the market today can burn a gasoline-ethanolpeople, in Micronesia, Southeast Asia, and around the
blend, which can lower emissions. As a matter ofworld live in areas literally inches above sea level; their
fact, any gasoline-powered vehicle can toleratehabitat, and possibly their lives, are threatened by the
blends of up to 10 percent ethanol, while many canrise in sea level accompanying global warming. While
use E85, an ethanol - gasoline blend containing 85driving a car with low gas emissions isn't going to
percent ethanol. The Dodge Caravan and thecompletely solve the problem of global warming, it's a
Chrysler Sebring are only two of many current modelcontribution that any consumer shopping for a new
cars on the market which can burn E85.One problemcar can decide to make.Aldene Fredenburg is a
is that ethanol, particularly E85, is not readily availablefreelance writer living in southwestern New
everywhere. Additionally, some critics have dismissedHampshire. She has written numerous articles for local
ethanol as impractical, claiming that ethanol requiresand regional newspapers and for a number of
more energy to create than it produces. As globalInternet websites, including Tips and Topics.