If you don't like dogs, there's now a new reason to continue avoiding canis domesticus. New Zealanders Robert and Brenda Vale have put forth the hypothesis that the care and feeding of a pooch is more environmentally harmful than rolling in a Toyota Land Cruiser. Those shifty, antisocial felines aren't much better, so don't get any more smug than you already are, cat people. One ten-pound feline's care is the same to the environment as a 3300-pound Volkswagen Golf, the theory goes.

The Vales present this work in their book "Time to Eat the Dog? The Real Guide to Sustainable Living." The animals that wind up in dog food burden the land while they're alive, and the amount of goodies that people lavish upon their dogs, from squeaky toy to special grooming sessions also do the equivalent work of burning the rainforest.

The claims have been disputed, of course – no doubt by more than a few dog lovers. The chief researcher for Seattle's Sightline Institute, Clark Williams-Derry, ran some numbers of his own and came up with results that don't square with the Vales. The think-tank scientist calculated that for the Vale's numbers to add up, the average dog would have to eat twice as much as the average person, an idea that is difficult to fathom since people are heavier than most dogs.

The takeaway from all this is simply that dog (and cat) ownership does have an ecological footprint. Like everything else in your life, keeping a pet is intertwined with our insatiable consumerism. The truly concerned will carefully consider where the products and items they purchase for their pets are made, what goes into them, and what that means for the planet. The rest of you will keep letting adorable little Beaufort leaves deposit on our lawns.

[Source: Seattle Times | Image: Andrew H. Walker/Getty]

The EPA is aware that range-extended electric vehicles can game the current fuel economy test to deliver mileage estimates way up in the stratosphere. It makes for impressive advertising, like General Motors' touting of the Chevrolet Volt's estimated 230 mpg, but the EPA wants to give a more realistic reflection of the fuel efficiency of these types of cars, and it's not alone.

According to USA Today, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory would like the EPA's new formula to provide buyers information about the efficiency of the vehicle on either of its two fuels, providing two different numbers. An Israeli company also wants more data, pushing for three pieces of information: electricity used when fully charged, electricity consumed to top off the batteries, and how much fuel the range-extending gasoline engine uses when pressed into service.

The new ratings are important to consumers and automakers alike. If accurate, these new ratings would give buyers more insight into what they can actually expect to get. For now, carmakers are holding their breath to determine just what they'll be able to get away with claiming when advertising... let the lobbying begin!

[Source: USA Today]

Fiat's advanced Multiair technology could be an easy port to Chrysler's powertrains as the companies move ahead together. "It is low-invasive hardware" said Lucio Bernard of Fiat Powertrain Technologies, the division of the Italian automotive conglomerate tasked with developing the parts that make the cars go.

The Multiair system, which uses its sophisticated software and fast-acting electrohydraulic actuation to send the throttle plate off to the annals of history, appears deceptively simple. The system slots into the cylinder head kind of like a Lego brick, and is easily adaptable to most engines. This being the case, adapting it to the Chrysler engines we already know and love wouldn't be too difficult of a task.

The software to run it all is what Fiat is most proud of; the competition is years behind, it says, and the company has patented its rig. Alfa Romeo already has MultiAir out in the wild with the MiTo, and with the need for fuel efficiency gains in Chrysler's lineup, something that's essentially as easy as snapping pieces together seems very attractive.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Now here's just the thing to mix up with a heated-up Flattie, or better yet, a Rajo Model T powerplant, which would be perfectly authentic for the vintage. Oh sure, purists will argue that this artifact, which apparently started life as the Harris Steam Car carrying a Stanley Steamer power unit, should be returned to its original state. Good luck figuring out exactly what that was.

With a deft enough touch, you could pay homage to the 1930s craftsmanship in this vehicle without ruining it. Either way, if you're determined enough to buy this obviously Stout Scarab inspired vehicle for $8,500 or more, it will be yours to do whatever you choose, critics be damned. Going all Travels With Charley with this thing, especially towing a homebuilt teardrop trailer, would be a fantastic summer diversion, and if you did go all external-combustion-engine on it, you'd always have a fire to sit around at night.


[Source: eBay Motors]

As hardcore as they come, Che Guevarra's image has been transformed by the very capitalism he railed against into something non-threatening enough that the totem has been given a pair of 3-D spectacles and serves as a logo for a rebel band of film enthusiasts. In sharp contrast to what the retail-industrial complex continues to try selling us, there are those that prefer the more organic charms of a beaten, scratched, oft-repaired and aged release print of any given movie, ratty-sounding optical audio tracks and all. Guerilla Drive In has outfitted a BMW motorcycle with a vintage Eiki 16MM film projector in a sort-of nod to The Motorcycle Diaries, and organizes clandestine movie showings at secret locations that are apropos to the plot or storyline of the film in question.

Joining a band of South American rebels may have been easier than getting onto the Members List of Guerilla Drive-In, a fun-seeking endeavor dreamt up by website developer John Young. The first thing one needs to do if they wish to watch Ghostbusters on the wall of a haunted fort with jumbo jets on final descent adding to the ambiance is to find the "MacGuffin." An AM transmitter housed in a bright orange Pelican case, the MacGuffin plays a continuous loop of a secret access code needed to join, very Spy Gear. Once the unit is found, you must email a picture of yourself with the transmitter and containing the access code to be notified of future showings. It sounds like a fun way to take in the charms of aged films with a coterie of similarly minded folks, tenacious enough to find that orange thing pumping out a signal at 1700 kilohertz and get on the list. If it seems like a lot of work for something you could just rent or download, we think that's sort of the point; the experience, more than the film, is the reward.

[Source: Guerilla Drive-In via PSFK.com | Image Source: Harold Ross, rossstudio.com]

Hypermiling is too strong a phrase when you apply the MPG-increasing practice to a Jaguar XK-R. Extra-miling might pass muster, but all it amounts to in this particular instance is driving a $104,000, 420 horsepower Jaguar convertible like it's a $22,000 Camry.

Why not go for big dollops of both performance and luxury when you're trying to rock every possible mile out of a tank of fuel? With that in mind, we lined up a Jaguar XKR convertible filled to the hilt with everything but the
$8,000 brake upgrade. When it arrived, the last thing on our minds was what kind of mileage it gets. Dressed in a metallic red called "Radiance" which complemented the tan leather interior and matching cloth top, it looked like the ride home from the office was going to be a good one. Then the thunderstorms rolled in and stayed for a week. Hit the jump to see how we dealt with the weather in our XK-R.

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The General Motors factory in Zaragoza, Spain is set to get a roof tiled in solar panels as part of a larger initiative throughout GM's European operations. 183,000 square meters of photovoltaic cells will be capable of providing up to a quarter of the factory's peak demand. Zaragoza is GM's biggest European factory, and the project will cost €50m, though its benefit will be significant reduction in energy bills for the automaker. GM has 19 other plants in Europe, and the Saint Petersburg factory is next on the list for the solar treatment. Other locations may follow, though some are likely better suited than others due to a variety of environmental and business factors.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub Req]

The Autoblog Green Podcast has finally reached our second dozen! Sebastian and Sam kicked it just before the July 4th holiday, and touched on the Tesla sedan, fuel prices making a possible case for economical vehicles to consumers, ethanol from invasive species, and the possibility of GM dusting off the EV1. Most importantly, the new design of AutoblogGreen is discussed a little bit, too. Thanks for listening, see you again soon!

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Sebastian is joined by Jeremy for AutoblogGreen Podcast #23, since Sam was hanging out with Bob Lutz and his Vectrix scooter when we recorded. Jeremy recounts his experience with Piaggio MP3 scooters on a ride from New York to Connecticut, and we move on to talk about the limited Prius supply as of late. We also touch on some developments at GM: the impending doom that may befall Hummer, and the coming of the Volt, which GM wants to build in Detroit. We go on for a while about hybrids and EVs for a while before wrapping up. Thanks for listening, we'll see you soon!

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For Episode #22 of the AutoblogGreen podcast, Sam and Sebastian recap the AVFI show in Las Vegas, and enter into a discussion focusing on diesel. Still on the diesel tip, Sam talks excitedly about the Volkswagen TDI Cup racing series before moving on to the much more charged topic of EV infrastructure. Our interview this week isn't so much a one on one as it is a speech from T. Boone Pickens, he of oil magnate status, about how oil is not going to last forever. Thanks for listening, see you again soon!

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