Posted by: Rebecca @ 4:37 pm
Getting to the prom is part of the excitement of the night, so it’s a choice you want to make wisely. There are many options, and this is a night where a taxi (yes, including a Mom-Taxi), may not be your ideal preference. You may even be considering driving yourself. However, the flair of stepping out of your house in your tuxedo with your elegantly dressed date and having a professionally dressed chauffeur open your car door for you can set the mood for the night. You went to the trouble of picking out the perfect corsage or boutonniere, now pick out the perfect prom car.
If it’s just you and another person, a sedan or small SUV may be all you want for your private car service. You and your date can sit comfortably in the back seat while your chauffeur takes you to the prom. If you have up to six or seven people going together, a large SUV will give you a presidential sensation for your prom arrival. If photo stops are on your agenda, charter the vehicle or inquire about prom packages.
Looking for a stretch limo for an elegant entrance or Hollywood approach? Stretch limos can hold a variety of different passenger counts, whether you have eight people or twenty. Typically, these vehicles are equipped with televisions, DVD players, music hookups, and a bar with glassware that will be stocked with soda and bottled water.
Whichever vehicle you decide, remember to choose a reputable limo company so that you are not surprised without a ride on the night of your prom. Safety is of the utmost importance, so you want a limo company that is properly licensed and insured and employs reputable chauffeurs who are also personal. Prom is a once in your lifetime event, so take no chances. Chicago limo companies are plentiful, but many may not be a good fit for your prom.
We will be happy to provide you with the best ground transportation service you can get for your prom night. Call Going Green Limousine at 773-295-5959 and ask about our prom limo packages today. We hope you have a wonderful and memorable event.
Posted by: Rebecca @ 2:46 pm
Green Washing at the Chicago Auto Show (Part 2 in a series)
When we did some research on the Lincoln EcoBoost we determined that the eco in EcoBoost needed a boost of its own in order to be truly environmental. Our last blog referred to how we thought the Lincoln EcoBoost was a form of green washing that was introduced at the 2010 Auto Show. It is possible that Lincoln itself agrees since the EcoBoost was much toned down at the 2011 Auto Show, with more fanfare being given to the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, a truly greener car.
If you drive a high performance car and want to make a smaller impact on your fuel economy, then EcoBoost can give you a slightly better chance at this than the same car that does not have EcoBoost. Note, the key word here is slightly, as demonstrated below.
Lincoln MKS without Ford EcoBoost: 16/23mpg
Lincoln MKS with Ford EcoBoost: 17/25mpg
Yes, these numbers are directly from Ford Lincoln and are therefore the actual miles per gallon that Lincoln estimates you will get. With the EcoBoost you can expect to gain 1mpg in the city and 2mpg on the highway. And the cost difference for this “eco” car is only $6,890 more than it’s “non-eco” counterpart.
So, it’s not really an eco car. Although, to be fair to Lincoln, they never did say it was eco. They just said it was an eco boost.
That being said, if you want a high performance car that can be slightly more efficient when you are racing it on a track and get V8 power with a V6, then you may want to buy an EcoBoost car. If you are conscientious of the environment then the EcoBoost may just be a little too much like green washing for your needs.
Our eco car service uses hybrids to reduce emissions by up to 80% in our industry. This is a point we stress repeatedly but it is so important because limo service cars idle the majority of the time they are working. They idle in the limo lot waiting for planes, they idle at curbsides waiting for passengers, and they idle in city traffic.
Limos do not require V8 high performance; most clients do not want to be driven around like they are in a high speed chase. Limos need to be comfortable, clean, and reliable. They need to be driven by chauffeurs who know how to drive smoothly and safely. If you are an eco car service, limos also need to be truly eco friendly; otherwise all of the idling limo cars do will not make a difference on the environment.
Limo companies need to start being responsible for their contribution to greenhouse gases. It’s not enough that people are starting to think green. Limousine companies need to actually start going green. When it comes to the limo industry, cars with EcoBoost aren’t going to reduce emissions enough to make an impact.
There are many sedans that can get up to 40mpg without an EcoBoost option and some hybrids are able to get up to 50 and 60mpg. Other options such as hydrogen powered vehicles are already becoming more feasible. Realistically, electric vehicles will be on the market soon enough with unlimited mpg and they will have zero tailpipe emissions.
So, whether you are an eco car service or a consumer interested in reducing your carbon footprint, going green can go beyond green washing. Hybrids are one of the greenest choices we currently have available and EVs will most likely be next.
If you’re interested in learning more about EVs, stay tuned for our upcoming blogs, where we not only discuss EVs, but also the greenest hybrid we found at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show.
Posted by: Rebecca @ 7:17 pm
Every major metropolitan city offers limousine service, Chicago included. There are also suburbs, towns, and small cities with limo service. There are over 9,000 limo service cars in Chicago alone, and that does not include taxis or suburban limo companies. The number of limos that are not yet going green is toxic.
To quote directly from Jason Rothstein’s book, Carless in Chicago,
“According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average car burns 581 gallons of gasoline per year, and in doing so, emits nearly 600 pounds of carbon monoxide, nearly 40 pounds of nitrous oxides, nearly 80 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and a whopping 11,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, a contributing greenhouse gas. The average Chicagoan burns through about 880 gallons of gas per year, making his or her contribution about 65 percent higher.”
Now, what makes these numbers even more significant is in the consideration of limo companies. The statistics above relate to the average resident, not limousine services that spend the majority of the day idling. Limousines, both sedans and stretch limos, idle while they are waiting at the airport, which can be for hours at a time. They also idle during traffic as well as when they are in front of their pick up location waiting for passengers.
This means that the statistics for poisonous emissions listed above are much higher for limos, especially in Chicago and other major metropolitan cities where limos are used regularly. This is why it’s not enough to think green. Limousine service needs to be going green with truly reduced emissions.
Hybrids can reduce emissions in our industry by up to 80%, which means you are making a significant impact by using an eco car service that uses hybrids instead of traditional sedans or other vehicles. With all of the technology that is available today, only hybrids and electric vehicles can really help to reduce your carbon footprint when you are taking a limo service.
There are some cars now that are being touted as more energy efficient, such as cars using the Ford EcoBoost. However, those cars are designed to deliver high performance, such as getting V8 power in a V6 engine. They only range from 16mpg to 22mpg on the highway and even Ford admits the Eco Boost is not really advantageous for the environment.1 In comparison, the Ford Escape Hybrid SUV gets up to 36mpg on the highway, and Going Green Limousine has seen their Ford Escape Hybrid Signature vehicle get up to 60mgp in the city.
That being said, the eco part of EcoBoost cars does not really come into play in the limo service industry. When you hire a limo you are not hiring a race car driver. You are hiring a professional chauffeur who will take you to your destination safely and on time.
Our next blog will follow up on different types of cars that can help reduce your impact on the environment. But in the meantime, regardless of the car you own, next time you need to hire a private car service, think Going Green Limousine or choose another eco limo service that uses hybrids.
1 Driving Smart, by Sheryll Alexander, Why Smaller Engines Save you Money. Posted on Autotropolis.com
Section entitled Ford EcoBoost:
http://www.autotropolis.com/wiki/index.php?title=Why_Smaller_Engines_Save_You_Money
Posted by: Rebecca @ 6:00 pm
Chicago just had its first real blizzard since 1979 and the one we had prior to that was in 1967. Normally we would only have a 20” snowfall every fifty years1, so having three in that time frame may be yet another sign of global warming.
The term global warming may be misleading to some people, since they may think a blizzard is a sign that global warming is not taking place. However, understanding how global warming works means that these extreme changes in our weather are an indication that global warming is indeed occurring.
To learn more about climate change, check out these resources:
Yes Magazine http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet
Carbon Nation http://www.carbonnationmovie.com/
If you have additional resources to add regarding climate change, please post them here. We would love to hear from you!
1 Chicago Blizzard: City Digs Out After Third Biggest Snow Storm EVER
The Huffington Post, February 1, 2011
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/02/chicago-blizzard-flights-canceled_n_817187.html#s233897&title=Winter_Weather
I loved my old dishwasher. I loved it so much that I was willing to pay to have it repaired on those few occassions that required it. But the last time it broke down, I decided it was time to get a new one. After all, it was already nine years old with a projected life expectancy of ten years. So off I went, excited to buy my new dishwasher and add another energy saving appliance to my life.
My initial reaction: Uggghh. Filled with regret. I wished I paid to have my old dishwasher repaired and kept it for as long as possible. This new energy saving dishwasher consumed SO much more energy, and without cleaning as effectively. I was manually rinsing my dishes, prewashing them in the dishwasher, setting all of the highest temperatures for the wash cycle, and then doing another prewash after the fact. Then I washed half of the dishes that were still dirty by hand. Energy saving? Nope. Not by a long shot. Not to mention the water waste, too.
Grrrr. Then I noticed a film buildup in the dishwasher getting worse and worse, so I called maintenance for my new dishwasher. Much to my dismay, I learned that I probably got rid of my older dishwasher prematurely, since the main problem was not my dishwasher, but my detergent, due to a change in their formula several months prior (coincidentally right around the same time my other dishwasher started developing problems). Okay. So, I now had a clean dishwasher and a new detergent and a renewed hope in energy saving dishwashers. Except . . .
. . . my dishwasher repairman cautioned me to always use the High Temperature cycle otherwise the water will never heat up enough to melt the detergent sufficiently. Of course, the high temperature cycle takes about an hour longer to run. He also reiterated that I need to let the hot water run from my faucet for at least thirty seconds prior to running a load so that the water can get heated (something I knew I had to do with this dishwasher but I never needed to do it with my old one).
Long and short of it, the new detergent coupled with running hot water and using a high temperature cycle does clean my dishes beautifully. I just still wonder about how much energy I’m saving with my new energy saving dishwasher when my old dishes cleaned beautifully without all of the extra energy efforts!
The holidays are quickly approaching and shopping is underway. Finding useful green gifts for the green lovers on your list isn’t always easy, but here are three great green ideas that are all under $9 and
can be found easily at The Container Store.
1) Staple-free Stapler and Paper Paper Clips, $6.99/ea
Remember in grade school when you were taught to fold the corner of your papers, rip two slits, and then bend the center piece over to “staple” your papers together? The Staple-Free Stapler does this for you, only more neatly and more securely than you can do yourself! Using a tab style punch, it secures up to five pages for you so you’ll never need staples again. Made of 100% sustainable wood pulp, you
can choose black, smoke, or white for only $6.99
Purchase a package of 50 Paper Paper Clips (no, that is not a repeat word typo!) for only $6.99 to accompany the Staple-free Stapler or as a stocking stuffer. They can hold up to 20 sheets of paper and can be recycled (and safely shredded) along with the paper!
2) 24/7 Reusable Bag, $8.99 (Stocking Stuffer Idea)
While reusable bags are becoming more common these days, the 24/7 Reusable Bag rolls up into a self-contained portable bag for easy carrying convenience. They feature a shoulder strap that is lightly padded and are made of lightweight rip-stop nylon. Generously sized
at 12”w x 5”d and 14”h, they come in a variety of two-tone colors, including aqua/sky, black/slate, brown/sky, eggplant/slate, green/sky (our favorite!), and red/slate.
3) Yesterday’s News Colored Pencils, $4.99/12 (Stocking Stuffer Idea)
If you’ve ever wondered what happens to recycled newspaper, wonder no more. Here they are converted into working colored pencils. The colored pencil feels like a wood pencil to the touch and can be sharpened with a regular pencil sharpener. Great as a stocking stuffer, you receive 12 colored pencils stored in a recycled newspaper container.
Extra Gift Idea: Pair the colored pencils with a sharpener and some recycled drawing tablets for the artist in your life, or give the ensemble as a gift of green to kids to educate them in a fun way on the ideas of environmental conservation.
It’s not just green minded recipients who will appreciate the novelty
and practicality of these green gift ideas and others. Unique gifts are always appreciated, so be novel in your gift giving this year, and have
a Green Christmas!
Do you have any other great gift ideas under $10 or some fun and uniqe stocking stuffers? Please share them here! Thanks.