We'll post here from time to time current news items of interest. For comprehensive daily news coverage on SUVs and fuel efficiency, visit www.suv-backlash.org/sb.
4.14.07
We Stepped It Up!
This was the day that 1400 events were held around the country to ask Congress
to Step It Up and cut carbon emissions by 80% by the year 2050. Our own gathering
at the Audubon Center on Richardson Bay in Tiburon, co-organized by DBF Board
member Eva Karlen, was well attended. More
4.2.07
"Step It Up 2007" Campaign, April 14th 2007,
A Nationwide Day of Action on Global Warming
Bill McKibben, author of "The End Of Nature", has initiated a Nationwide
Day of Action on Global Warming: "Step it up 2007", www.Stepitup07.org.
On April 14th, all across the country, Americans will be gathering at iconic,
meaningful places to demand: "Step it up, Congress! Cut Carbon Emissions
80% by the year 2050". More
4.2.07
High Court Ruling is a Sweeping Victory in Fight Against
Global Warming
In a huge victory in the fight against global warming the Supreme
Court today issued a ruling in the case of Massachusetts v. EPA decisively
rejecting the Bush administration's inaction on global warming. In a 5-4
vote, the High Court sided with the Sierra Club, 12 states, 3 cities, and
the other petitioners in the case by agreeing that carbon dioxide and other
global warming pollutants can be regulated under the Clean Air Act (CAA). More
10.26.06
Next Generation Cars for the Next Generation
This week we came across an organization that we know you'll want to check out:
Federal Assistance to Student Car Buyers. The organization is attempting to secure
passage of legislation granting a one-time, 20% federal subsidy to college/vocational
school students, and the newly graduated from these institutions, to purchase
fuel-efficient cars. To learn more and sign a petition, go to www.FASCB.org.
10.18.06
Top Ten fuel-efficient vehicles
Hybrid and economy-class vehicles built by Toyota Motor (TM) and Honda Motor
(HMC) dominate the government's annual top-10 fuel economy list for 2007 vehicles.
More
8.30.06 - New York Times
Leaders accept California bill to cut emissions
California's political leaders have announced an agreement that imposes the
most sweeping controls on carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, putting
the state at the forefront of a broad campaign to curb the man-made causes
of climate change despite resistance in Washington. More
7.12.06
Petitions go to Ford
On June 30 our Don't Be Fueled petitions, together with those from A New American
Dream were presented to the Ford company in Detroit. We will be starting a new
Petition campaign very soon. Check back for details.
6.14.06
Inconvenient Truth
Last weekend, the movie broke the all-time per screen record for any documentary
movie in history and, incredibly, according to Variety, broke the all-time
per-screen record for any movie opening on Memorial Day weekend. (Incidentally,
that record was set by The Shining, back in 1980.) More
6.02.06 - San Francisco Chronicle
Muni cleans up its act
San Francisco's Municipal Railway, which has been criticized for not moving
quickly enough toward a more environmentally friendly fleet, took delivery
Thursday of the first of 56 diesel-electric hybrid buses. The buses -- made
by DaimlerChrysler at a cost of about $488,000 apiece -- will not only reduce
pollution from the Muni bus fleet, but also improve fuel economy and make
service more reliable, officials said. More
1.22.06 - Marin Independent Journal
HOV Access Stickers
The California DMV reports that they are approving about 200 HOV access stickers
each day. Once the state has issued 50,000 decals - which at the current rate
may be around March of this year - Caltrans will study whether the carpool
lanes have become too congested to allow access to any more solo hybrid drivers.
If the 90 day study determines that this is so, then the program could be
shut down to new users as early as summer, 2006. So, anyone thinking of buying
a hybrid car and applying for one of those prized yellow stickers might want
to get moving with their plans.
1.10.06 - New York Times
E.P.A. planning closer estimate of car mileage
By Micheline Maynard
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed the first major overhaul
in 20 years in the way it calculates fuel economy ratings for cars and trucks,
a shift the agency said would reduce mileage estimates by 5 to 30 percent,
depending on the type of driving and kind of vehicle.
The new testing method, according to Stephen L. Johnson, the E.P.A. administrator, would come much closer to bridging "the gap between what the window sticker says and what consumers can expect in their fuel economy". The agency expects to introduce the changes starting with 2008 models, which will go on sale as early as a year from now.
Consumer groups have long complained that the E.P.A.'s ratings are far too optimistic, compared with fuel economy that drivers achieve under real-world conditions. Recent tests by Consumer Reports magazine, for example, found that E.P.A. window stickers could be off by up to 50 percent. More (requires sign-in).
12.30.05 - New York Times
Willie Nelson Sells Biodiesel
Willie Nelson has birthed his own brand of alternative fuel. BioWillie is
a type of biodiesel, a fuel that can be made from any number of crops and
run in a normal diesel engine. "Hey, here's the future for the farmers,
the future for the environment, the future for the truckers." More
10.26.05
A terrific lecture by Tom Wenzel
A terrific lecture was given by Tom Wenzel on SUV safety, or the lack thereof.
Contact us to borrow the video of this talk. His research on SUV roll-over
rates and the safety of smaller, more maneuverable cars is staggering. More
5.30.05
Mothers (and Sons) March in Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade. On Memorial Day, we marched in the Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade, a wonderful annual community event. A convoy of three hybrid cars rolled down the parade route following our colorful banner.
4.21.05
Honda to Offer At-Home Gas Fill-Ups
LOS ANGELES - Honda to offer a new at-home refueling device in conjunction
with sales of its natural-gas-powered Civic GX compact car. The device plugs
into the car for the slow overnight fill-up, using a home's natural-gas connection.
More information
3.20.05
SUV Hybrid now on the Market!
Check out the new Ford Escape SUV Hybrid at the Ford
web site! 31-36 MPG with 4-wheel drive! We’re getting there!
3.18.05
POLL - Americans See Fuel Efficient Cars as "Patriotic"
DETROIT - Most Americans believe it is "patriotic" to buy a fuel-efficient
vehicle to help wean their country off Middle Eastern oil, according to a
new poll released on Thursday.
Some 66 percent of participants in the survey said they agreed that driving
vehicles that require less fuel to run was patriotic, since it could help
reduce the US dependency on Mideast crude.
More information
2.22.05
FIRST HYBRID SUV TAXIS IN UNITED STATES take to the
streets of San Francisco.
San Francisco, known worldwide for its historic cable cars, now has another
unique mode of transportation—YELLOW CAB COMPANY’S ten 2005 Ford
Escape Hybrid SUV taxis.
More information
9.01.04 - AlterNet.org
Here Come the Low-Mileage Hybrids
Equating a hybrid with a high-efficiency car was sufficient so long
as a hybrid was a high-efficiency car. Enter the Ford Escape- it ain't no
Prius. More
3.31.04 - Grist Magazine
It's the Fuel Economy, Stupid
Gas Prices and Fuel Economy Jump to Forefront of Presidential
Campaign
Record-high gas prices are fueling the already-raging fire of this year's
presidential race. John Kerry has come out swinging in favor of lower fuel
prices, prompting the Bushies to remind voters via TV attack ads that the
Massachusetts senator has supported higher gasoline taxes in the past. More
3.28.04 - New York Times
Awaking to a Dream
Imagination is on my mind a lot these days, because it seems to me that the
only people with imagination in the world right now are the bad guys... I
so hunger to wake up and be surprised with some really good news — by
someone who totally steps out of himself or herself, imagines something different
and thrusts out a hand. More
3.26.04 - New York Times
Kerry Is Sticking With Plan to Raise Auto Fuel Efficiency
In the face of rising gasoline prices and stagnating fuel efficiency, Senator
John Kerry is sticking with a plan he backed in the Senate to increase the
nation's fuel economy standards 50 percent by 2015. More
February, 2004
In February, Don't Be Fueled! was happy to welcome New York
Times reporter Keith Bradsher to San Francisco. Keith spoke to a packed
room about the updated, paperback edition of High and Mighty: SUVs: The World's
Most Dangerous Vehicles And How They Got That Way, called by the New Yorker
magazine's Malcolm Gladwell the most important book on vehicle safety since
Nader's Unsafe At Any Speed. We enjoyed learning more from Keith at lunch
afterwards.
 |
DBF co-founders Lauren Klein Hayes, Betsy Rosenberg, Lynn Fuller and Eva Karlen with Keith Bradsher (center) at San Francisco's Yank Sing Restaurant |
2.15.04 - New York Times
A Shade of Green: S.U.V.'s Try to Soften Their Image
This year, Ford and Toyota plan to sell the first two hybrid sport utility
vehicles. With carlike mileage expected, the advent of the hybrid S.U.V. may
change the uniformly visceral antipathy to sport utility vehicles among environmental
advocates, even if automakers are unlikely to sell enough hybrids to significantly
reduce fuel consumption or pollution any time soon. More
1.5.04 - The New Yorker
Malcolm Gladwell talks with The New Yorker’s Ben Greenman
about the boom of the S.U.V. culture. More
1.6.04 - Marin Independent Journal
Don't Be Fueled founder Betsy Rosenberg interviewed
After a series of wake-up calls "I went from driving a gas-guzzling SUV
to a gas-sipping Toyota Prius," she says, proudly touting a car that
gets upwards of 50 miles per gallon. More
1.6.04
Don't be Fueled inspires a change from Diesel to Hybrid
for a woman who could "go out and buy any car I wanted". More
2.25.04
The Pentagon Sounds the Alarm on Global Warming
By Arianna Huffington
A new Pentagon study, entitled "An Abrupt Climate Change Scenario and
Its Implications for United States National Security," reads like the
plot summary of the upcoming Dennis Quaid doomsday flick, “The Day After
Tomorrow,” in which global warming pushes the planet to the edge of
anarchy and annihilation. More
AMERICA'S
TWISTED LOVE AFFAIR WITH SOCIOPATHIC CARS.
Axle of Evil
by Gregg Easterbrook
Despite the inflammatory-sounding title, we highly recommend this detailed,
thoughtful history of how the auto industry created and marketed dangerous
truck-based SUVs to the mainstream auto consumer. More
3.13.2004
First Anniversary of National "DON’T BE FUELED!"
Gas-Roots Campaign
One year ago over 75 Bay Area moms marched on San Francisco’s Marina
Green with picket signs to launch their drive for better fuel economy and
safer vehicles. The organization, Don’t Be Fueled! Mothers for Safe
and Clean Vehicles (DontbeFueled.org) puts Moms in the driver seat to increase
supply and demand for more family-friendly and less polluting models and SUVs
that are less prone to rollover and have better braking and maneuverability.
More
3.13.2003
"Don't Be Fueled!" Campaign Begins
Soccer moms kick-off national "Don't Be Fueled!" "Gas-Roots"
campaign at San Francisco gas station. Demand automakers and lawmakers accelerate
production of higher fuel efficient and safer vehicles.
August 2006
We announce with great sadness the recent passing of our friend and colleague,
Sharon Schneider. Sharon had a keen involvement in the environment and as
we continue our work, we carry with us her energy and interest.
5.30.06
Mothers (and families and friends) walk in the Memorial
Day Parade. We again marched in the Mill Valley parade, a popular local
event where we have always received a good response and support. An assortment
of Mothers, teenagers, a very cute toddler in a stroller and family dogs walked
behind our banner followed by two hybrids cars driven by one of our Dads and
one of our Board members.
1.18.06
Don’t Be Fueled has hired a new managing director
Dr. Sandy Parry, a seasoned advocate for mothers, holds a Psychology degree
from the University of Edinburgh. We welcome her passion about fuel economy
and car safety issues from a mum’s perspective!
10.26.05
A terrific lecture by Tom Wenzel
A terrific lecture was given by Tom Wenzel on SUV safety, or the lack thereof.
Contact us to borrow the video of this talk.
His research on SUV roll-over rates and the safety of smaller, more maneuverable
cars is staggering. More
5.30.2005
Mothers March in Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade (again)
For the third year in a row, Don’t Be Fueled! has been a participant
in the Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade. What a lot of fun we have, as you
can see: dogs, kids, electric cars, hybrids, and this year even the new Lexus
SUV Hybrid. We’re always well received, with our brochures and a few
bumper stickers about higher mileage! Try it in your community! Photos
and more
12.17.04
DBF Founders in the News Spotlight:
The Chronicle recently ran separate articles about Betsy Rosenberg and Lauren
Klein-Hayes, two of the founding members of Don’t Be Fueled! More
11.15.04
Don’t Be Fueled! featured in film "Oil on Ice"
Do pick up a copy of the new DVD, Oil on Ice and have a viewing party! See
DBF Mothers speak out on film! You can find this fabulous film that tells
it like it is at www.oilonice.org.
A Dale Djerassi and Bo Boudart production.
3.22.2004
In September, Don't Be Fueled! was invited to the Bibendum
Challenge, and annual rally sponsored by Michelin
Tire of France to showcase innovations in vehicle technology. This year,
it was at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The 2004 Prius was on
display and available for test drive, as well as prototypes of hydrogen
fuel cell vehicles from GM, Honda, Nssan and other makers. Also on view
were some futuristic and fun vehicles not available in the US.
 |
DBF's Lynn Fuller and Betsy Rosenberg check out a prototype SUV. |
 |
The Nissan Hypermini EV was the cutest. |
3.13.2004
First Anniversary of National "DON’T BE FUELED!"
Gas-Roots Campaign
One year ago over 75 Bay Area moms marched on San Francisco’s Marina
Green with picket signs to launch their drive for better fuel economy and
safer vehicles. The organization, Don’t Be Fueled! Mothers for Safe
and Clean Vehicles (DontbeFueled.org) puts Moms in the driver seat to increase
supply and demand for more family-friendly and less polluting models. More
6.03.2003
Mothers Meet With GM Exec
Lynn Fuller and Betsy Rosenberg met with Dave Barthmuss, recently arrived
from Detroit to serve as GM's new California Manager for Environment and
Energy Communication.
5.25.2003
Mothers (and Sons) March in Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade
On Memorial Day, we marched in the Mill Valley Memorial Day Parade,
a wonderful annual community event. A convoy of three hybrid cars rolled down
the parade route following our colorful banner.
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