Cash for Clunkers Program is Running on Empty

I was just perusing one of my favorite green blogs and it seems the cash for clunkers program AKA CARS is completely empty of its 875,000,00 million dollars. That was fast!!! But here is some hot news off the press. Another 2 Billion would be great!

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) told colleagues Friday morning that the House will vote today on a measure to transfer $2 billion from the stimulus to replenish the depleted cash-for-clunkers program, which has run out of money in its first week.

Under the fast-track bill, Democratic leaders will use funds from a renewable energy loan guarantee included in the stimulus, according to the bill text, obtained by POLITICO.

The bill would extend the program through Sept. 30, 2010. Democrats have portrayed the run on cash for clunkers cash as a great success for the $1 billion program, which allows car owners to turn in older, less fuel efficient cars for a $4,500 rebate to purchase higher gas mileage vehicles.

“Cash for Clunkers may have run out of cash, but America’s consumers haven’t run out of clunkers. We’re going to work with the Obama administration to keep this wildly successful program going until it reaches its goal of helping consumers take 1 million gas guzzlers off the road,” said Rep. Ed. Markey (D-Mass.), who co-authored the legislation.

What is Going On with Cash for Clunkers

If you are like me and try and keep up with all the biggest 'green' initiatives then you should keep a close eye on the cash for clunkers program, which is now being named CARS and that stands for Car Allowance Rebate System. You can check the .gov site often but for some real insight you can visits sites like Cash for Clunkers Blog.

Auto Recycling in Toronto

While on the topic of going green I stumbled on a forum thread about used parts in Toronto and it reminded me about how important auto recycling is for the future of a greener and healthier planet. Besides the fact that you can save a ton of cash by buying used auto parts I truly believe it can help rid the planet of some of the biggest waste pileups.

So next time you have an old car sitting around make sure to take it to an eco-friendly auto recycler and don't just have it shredded. Better yet why not take advantage of one of the programs that allows you to donate your car to charity, that way you do a good deed, get a tax receipt and also help the environment.

Going Green in the UK

Here is some data from the kitchens of the Brits that will make you say ummm. If everyone in the UK replaced their old washing machine with an energy saving model, British households could save almost one billion pounds collectively and over 400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide could be saved.

According to the Energy Saving Trust switching to an energy-saving washing machine can save 45kg of carbon dioxide a year per household which equates to 86 extra washes. A staggering 90kg of carbon dioxide can be saved by switching to a low energy dishwasher, equivalent to 170 washes.

A new survey reveals that green gadgets are beating TVs and American-style refrigerators as the most sought after items in the kitchen. The results show a trend towards more environmentally-friendly kitchens emerging, with one in four Brits putting energy-saving washing machines, dishwashers and recycling bins at the top of their kitchen wish-list.

The survey of 2500 people across the UK carried out by kitchen retailer Sigma 3 found that the residents of Cardiff and Liverpool are most likely to opt for green kitchens, with over a third of them prioritizing energy efficient appliances. Belfast and Glasgow inhabitants are the least likely to opt for green gadgets.

The results also show that the greenest Brits are over 45 years old, with one in four voting eco-friendly appliances as the must-have gadgets of the year. Women are the most environmentally-conscious with almost a third opting for energy efficient washing machines and recycling bins compared to around one in five men.

The survey shows that conservation in the kitchen is a growing trend and perhaps surprisingly eco-friendly gadgets are more in demand than the popular ice-making fridges, pull-down televisions and integrated audio solutions. Experts claim that the credit crunch has contributed to this trend. At least something good has come from this darn nasty credit crisis.