Hybrid railcar goes into use in California With U.S. imports on the rise, ports are under growing scrutiny from air-quality regulators. Part of that concern focuses on the rail system that chugs goods out of ports and away to various Wal-Marts around the country. Yesterday, as part of its attempts to address such concerns, Union Pacific Railroad put into use one of the first locomotives using diesel-electric hybrid technology. The $800,000 "switch engine" -- a railcar that hooks freight cars to locomotives -- is expected to emit 80 to 90 percent less smog-forming nitrous oxide and use 40 to 70 …

Dear Umbra, I currently drive a 2002 Toyota Prius that gets about 40 to 42 miles per gallon on the highway, which is where most of my driving takes place. However, I've recently become enamored with biodiesel vehicles, and specifically with straight vegetable oil (SVO) vehicles. I'm interested in investing in an SVO system fueled by, hopefully, recycled oil from local restaurants. I've looked into your column archives, and in covering the question of biodiesel versus gasoline, you sided with gasoline. However, you've never grappled with the interesting question of an SVO vehicle versus a hybrid. (As there are no …

U.K. plans to offset CO2 emissions from officials' airline flights As part of its sustainable-development strategy announced today, the U.K. is unveiling an innovative program to offset the carbon-dioxide emissions generated by the air travel of its ministers and civil servants. Starting next month in at least three government departments, each time an official flies overseas on official business, an independent assessor will determine how much CO2 will result and how much money is needed to offset it. That amount of money will then be paid into a fund devoted to sustainability projects in developing countries: solar cookers in India, …

Legislation would force EPA to get realistic about fuel-efficiency stats A bill debuting in Congress today would require the U.S. EPA to revamp its gas-mileage tests to more accurately reflect real-world driving conditions. Currently the EPA determines mileage ratings for vehicles by using 30-year-old tests that allow vehicle engines to get warm, never push the speed above 60 mph, never run the air conditioning, and never accelerate quickly. Enviro groups have long argued for reform of the tests, but now the bill has garnered the support of behemoth auto club AAA, which has conducted its own tests and found that …

New Oregon law takes aim at smart-growth rules, excites developers Oregon's recently passed Measure 37 is threatening to sprawlify the state, even as it acts as a model for property-firsters across the nation who want to ease development restrictions. The measure mandates that the government compensate private landowners if zoning or land-use restrictions reduce the value of their property. Or, if cash-strapped governments can't afford to pay up, as is often the case, then they just can't restrict zoning. Smart-growth laws in communities across the country (including Oregon, for now) try to direct development to areas with existing roads and …

Dear Umbra, My girlfriend recently made a trip by train (about 600 kilometers, I'd guess), and it made me wonder just how much more ecological it is to travel by train instead of by car. What's your take on this? MichaelOttawa, Ontario, Canada Dearest Canadian Michael, The train, it is better. The car, it is the worst. That is my take, and I found a legitimate source that agrees -- namely, my favorite book. Let's all recite together: The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices, from the Union of Concerned Scientists. All aboard. Photo: Gareth Hill. The UCS compiled its …

Old diesel engines kill more than 20,000 Americans a year Particulate pollution generated by old diesel engines is killing more people per year than drunk driving, said a report released yesterday. Using data and methodologies from the U.S. EPA, the Clean Air Task Force and a coalition of public health groups found that more than 20,000 Americans -- particularly those in urban areas near bus stops, highways, truck stops, or construction sites -- die, and more than 400,000 visit the emergency room, each year after breathing in tiny particles of diesel exhaust. While the EPA has mandated the phase-in of …

Dear Umbra, Do you know of any car-rental companies that offer hybrids? I have heard of a bunch in environmentally friendly California, but my quick search in the Boston area has turned up nil. With high gas prices, I think I'm brewing up a new campaign! JeanDorchester, Mass. Dearest Jean, An environmentally focused rental group, EV Rental Cars, has joined forces with a big-name rental company, Budget, to offer hybrid choices in select "markets": Washington, D.C., major metropolitan areas in California, and parts of Arizona, Nevada, and Virginia. That might help some Grist readers, but it doesn't help you, Jean. …

Bill Walsh. What work do you do? I'm the founder and national coordinator of the Healthy Building Network. How does it relate to the environment? The Healthy Building Network is the only organization dedicated to linking green building strategies to the specific goals of the environmental-health movement. Our goal is to shift market demand in the building and construction industry away from what we call worst in class building materials, and toward healthier, commercially available alternatives, competitively priced and equal or superior in performance. Right now, stopping the use of polyvinyl chloride plastic, also known as PVC or vinyl, is …

Ansje Miller is a program director for Redefining Progress and staffs the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative, a consortium of environmental-justice, religious, and policy groups. Sunday, 20 Feb 2005 LOS ANGELES, Calif. Driving down California's Interstate 5 from Oakland to Los Angeles, the need for a new vision for the future of transportation was clear. The pouring rain transformed the usual L.A. gridlock into nothing short of a parking lot, with no other mass transportation options in sight. Six lanes of traffic full of cars carrying one person; in that moment, I understood the meaning of the phrase "road …