Check out this video of Senator John Kerry calling the US the Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas.  Take if from a major Washington power broker, the Gulf Oil Disaster has silenced the "Drill Baby Drill" rhetoric for sometime. The US has the world's largest reserves of Natural Gas and Senator Kerry believes it could help cure our addiction to foreign oil. This too is coming from an all but likely source. T. Boone Pickens and...

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The New York Times has reported Hertz will be renting the Nissan Leaf to consumers in 2011.  For people in the market or who are considering getting into the market for a fully electric car Hertz is providing the ultimate test drive. Renting a Nissan Leaf and giving consumers the ability to test how an electric car can work for them is an amazing opportunity to expand the market for electric cars. However, I warn...

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The newest dilemma in the Gulf Oil disaster is Methane Hydrates are blocking a giant dome that was to be placed over the leak. What are Methane Hydrates you ask? Also known as “Fire Ice” Methane hydrates are deposits of frozen methane gas found at the bottom of the ocean. Here is what a Dept. of Energy Study had to say about methane hydrates- If methane hydrate is either warmed or depressurized, it will revert...

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As nearly everyone knows, twelve days ago the oil rig Deepwater Horizon caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico and sank.  The tragedy resulted in a loss of eleven lives and is leading to one of the worst environmental disasters in history.  When the rig first sank two days after it had caught fire, there was faint optimism the rigs link to the oil reserve was shutoff.  There was also hope blowout prevention devices would...

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DriveAlternatives.com will soon be attending the Living Green Expo.  Admission is FREE. When:               Saturday, May 1, 2010 – 10am to 6pm                        Sunday, May 2, 2010 – 10am to 5pm Where:             Minnesota State Fairgrounds Grand Stand                       1265 Snelling Avenue, Saint Paul   Here is some information about the Living Green Expo taken from http://www.livinggreenexpo.mn/EventInfo.asp For more than 100,000 Minnesotans over the last eight years, the Living Green Expo has become an annual...

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Combining the business models of a carshare firm (like HOURCAR) and vacation home rental service (like Idaho Cabin Keepers) and what do you get? TransportCHAIN, a business plan competition winning start-up that is launching the first person-to-person car sharing service. For many urban dwellers that own a car and commute using mass transit the concept is great. Rent my car while I’m gone at work. Reserve it online when I need to on the weekends....

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Tech.mn has done a write-up and podcast on DriveAlternatives. Click over to here learn more about alternative fuels, green cars, and technology that can marry the two. http://tech.mn/news/2010/03/20/minnesota-local-startup-spotlight-16-drive-alternatives/ It's an exciting time for us as we prepare to launch our iPhone app (other products soon to follow). If you are in Minneapolis May 1st & 2nd stop by and visit us at the MN Living Green Expo  at the State Fair Grounds!

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The Chevy Volt is one upcoming green car where optimists and pessimists can find common ground. The tank should be kept half full or half empty, both are right! What you ask? Chevy is recommending the average driver only fill the Volt's tank half full (I'm an optimist). Why? Because 80% of Americans commute less than 40 miles per day and the Volt has a 40 mile range. With these numbers most people won't be...

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Our two favorite billionaires with major interests in green cars, Warren Buffet and T. Boone Pickens, have made headlines recently. First up: Warren BuffetIn 2008 Buffet made a $230 million investment for 10% of the Chinese automaker BYD (Build Your Dreams).  Fast forward two years and in a letter to shareholders Buffet has valued that investment at $1.99 billion. Quite the return on investment! Last year Buffet told a group of business student that he...

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Last week at the Consumer Electronics Show Chevy released a dummy iPhone application to give consumers a taste of what owning a Volt will be like. After downloading and taking a peek, this app leaves us drooling... The Volt’s OnStar app will allow drivers to: Check Electric Range Check Gasoline Range Unlock/Lock Vehicle Start Vehicle (including climate control) Set Charge Complete/Interrupt Messaging Set Delayed Charging (to take advantage of off peak rates) Honk Horn (to...

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