Five Eco-Friendly Ways to Green Your Pickup Truck

Contributed by Summer K. Sellers (thank you!)

When people think of hybrid vehicles, they think of tiny cars. But what happens if you need a pickup truck and still want to be considerate of the environment? If you work in construction, or work or live on a farm, a pickup is the only practical vehicle you'll consider buying. You wouldn't be able to do half of what you do every day without one. Here are five ways to have the best of both worlds.

Buy a hybrid pickup truck. If you can afford to do so, purchase a hybrid Chevrolet Silverado or a hybrid GMC Sierra, which are currently delivering an estimated 20 miles per gallon in the city and 23 on the highway. That's pretty good compared to their regular counterparts, which are getting approximately 12-15 miles per gallon in the city and 18-20 on the highway.

Convert your current truck to run on an alternative fuel. One alternative fuel to consider switching to is bioalcohol fuel, the most popular form being E85. This ethanol fuel is produced by fermenting sugars, which result in high octane ratings. Its tailpipe emissions-reducing base substance is most abundantly available in the Midwest because of large access to local corn crops, and is a less expensive option than people think, usually starting around $200-300. Another alternative fuel to consider is biodiesel fuel, which is made of oil extracts from animal fats, and plants such as soybeans and peanuts.

Purchase eco-friendly spark plugs. These green spark plugs work by using more efficient surface air gap firing technology, which produces a longer, more powerful spark arcing toward the ground electrode for maximum firing performance instead of a conventional air gap spark plug, which generates a short spark that travels in a direct path. In addition to reducing tailpipe emissions, these environmentally-friendly spark plugs maximize your fuel efficiency and improve your vehicle's performance.

Purchase eco-friendly motor oil. Green motor oil is made of tallow, which is saturated cow fat. When converted into unsaturated oil, it's less likely to clog up engine parts. It's non-toxic and can be disposed of at home if broken down into smaller molecules by using a second reacting agent. The molecules are eaten by microorganisms in the soil.

Install LED Lights in your truck. Consuming less energy, these long-lasting, light-emitting diodes, (LED lights)a, are commonly used for brake lamps, turn signals, and indicators. They're smaller in size, resulting in less material waste, and switch on faster than regular incandescent bulbs. These relatively inexpensive lights are very durable and reliable.

By implementing these five green ways, you'll know you've done your part to be eco-friendly in the automotive world, even if you have a pickup truck.

What are some other green suggestions you may have for improving your pickup truck? Is there one certain tip that has worked well for you energy- and dollar-wise?

Summer K. Sellers is a writer for the aftermarket auto accessories industry and editor of Torque, the TruckChamp.com blog. TruckChamp.com, a subsidiary of LOF, Inc., is a leading online retailer of discount aftermarket truck accessories. From towing mirrors to nerf bars, TruckChamp.com offers a wide selection of great products at low prices and is committed to providing incredible customer service.

Don't dump your pills!

Turn them in.  This weekend - September 25, 2010 - the DEA is organizing a National Take-Back Initiative.  From 10:00 am to 2:00pm, at locations all over the country (find yours here!) people can anonymously turn in outdated or unused medications for destruction.

Solid dosage medications (tablets/capsules/etc.) are being accepted.  No intra-venous solutions, injectables or needles.  In addition, illicit substances are not part of this effort.

Now that we have the specifics out of the way, let's talk for a moment about how fantastic this is.  Did you know that when New Jersey did this, they came away with 4.5 TONS! of pills?!  That's 4.5 tons of medication not in our water supply (please don't flush your pills!).  9,000 pounds of medication that won't end up in a landfill.  3.5 million pills out of the reach of children, teenagers and other vulnerable persons.  Need I say more?

If you can't make it out Saturday, don't worry.  Call your physician's office and/or local pharmacies - some accept unused medications.

I think I may be ill.

The other night, my husband and I were relaxing and watching a little television.  A commercial break came and there was a healthy looking man walking in a corn field with a sweet little girl.  Admittedly I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention until it reached the end and said that "sugar is sugar" and splashed a cornsugar.com logo on my screen.  Mouth agape, I looked at my husband and he looked at me.

Corn sugar?  Really?

According to Corn.org
"CORN REFINERS PETITION FDA FOR USE OF “CORN SUGAR” AS ALTERNATE NAME FOR HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

ELIMINATING CONSUMER CONFUSION IS THE GOAL"

As my husband said, why not "corn vitamins" or something else as ridiculous.  Uh, yea.  I think we, the consumer, understand just fine.  They say they want to "eliminate consumer confusion";  I think they want to rid themselves of the negative connotation that comes with HFCS and to create confusion so that people unaware of a change and trying to avoid HFCS will purchase products containing it.

In case anyone would like a refresher course in all things HFCS, read this.

So what do you think about this news?  Do you think the FDA will see through the corn refiners' petition and stand up for the consumer?  I'd love to hear your take on this.

Give Cloth a Try

I normally don't like to clutter up the blog posting about giveaways, but there is one going on right now that is quite large.  Diaper Junction is hosting a giveaway for a grand prize of  a $500 gift certificate to Diaper Junction to buy whatever you want!  Plus!
1st prize – 12 pack Fuzzi Bunz One size diapers in your choice of colors
2nd prize – GroVia “Half Time” Package in your choice of colors.
3rd prize – 6 pack bumGenius! 4.0 One size pocket diapers in choice of colors.

This is such a great opportunity for someone to try cloth, grow a part time stash to a full time stash or to win and donate to an organization or family in need.

So head over, enter and good luck!

Nominate someone who cares.

I just found out about this wonderful contest being held right now by the great people over at Ecover.

In celebration of their 30 years, now through September 30th you can nominate someone who has inspired you to be more green or someone that you think makes a difference.

Because Ecover cares about our environment, they want to take this chance to showcase others that do too.  They are looking for young people who are stepping up, inciting change and making a difference in their communities.  No action is too big or too small!

So what could they win?  Well, Ecover has put together a generous gift package.  One grand prize winner with receive a fabulous furniture set from Environment Furniture - their choice of a 6’ Santomer Dining Table + 2 Paulista benches or a Santomer Bed + a 2 Drawer End Table which are made from pieces of Peroba Rosa recovered from an old Brazilian coffee factory.  I had a look at this site and their furniture is beautiful.  The clean lines and textures are just gorgeous.

In addition to the grand prize, each of the Thirty Under Thirty finalists will win Ecover products for a year!  How amazing would that be?!

So head over, nominate someone that you feel has made a difference and maybe they'll get some good things coming back to them!

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

I know it's not exactly related to all things eco-friendly, but she is my light.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart, just now - at this moment - you are ONE year old!