The Guardian's New Green Community Gives Away G-Wiz
by Sami Grover, Carrboro, NC, USA on 11. 2.07
We’ve already heard about the UK-based Guardian newspaper’s efforts to go green, and the criticism it has received from some quarters over its travel and motoring coverage. We’ve also heard frequently about the G-Wiz, the popular Indian-made electric car (or quadricycle to be more precise) that has taken London by storm. Now it seems that the two are joining forces, with the Guardian offering readers who join its new Tread Lightly online green community the chance to win a G-Wiz for themselves. While any TreeHugger post on electric vehicles inevitably draws comments that they are not green enough, when power station emissions are factored into the equation, the Guardian would seem to take issue with this:
When charged using ordinary electricity, G-Wiz emissions (including those generated at the power station during the production of electricity) are at least 40% less than the cleanest hybrid and two-thirds cleaner than the average car. When charged using electricity from renewable sources, the G-Wiz is a completely sustainable and non-polluting vehicle.
The Guardian’s Tread Lightly campaign is intended to create an online community of readers sharing tips, and making pledges, to cut their emissions week-by-week and to move towards a lower carbon lifestyle:
It is an attempt to counter the defeatist attitude about tackling rising carbon emissions, by establishing an online meeting place for the community of people who are keen to be part of the solution, but who still seek motivation. By bringing readers together and encouraging them to make lifestyle changes, the hope is to show that individuals acting collectively can achieve impressive results. These changes range from the simple - washing clothes at 30C (86F), taking the bus instead of driving, - to the more imaginative, such as coordinating a "walking crocodile" for the trip to school.
::The Guardian::via site visit::
There is an urgent need to develop electric cars not only to reduce the pollution but also as a solution to oil crunch. Today the source of electricity is not green. In spite of that, electric cars pollute less; the percentage of pollution is less. Mean while initiatives towards developing alternative energy source should be taken seriously.
But safety issues are a threat to the success of electric cars, especially in the UK. GoinGreen has said that, the new G-Wiz i has been independently, voluntarily frontal crash tested, following the addition of the Lotus assisted safety package.
The crash test video is on You tube, check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKbVOe7q4Dc