That might be about to change. Tire maker Yokohama announced their new dB Super E-spec line, the first tire made with orange-oil (yes, from oranges). It’s a fire made with 80 percent non-petroleum based materials.

“Yokohama Tire Corporation has effectively re-invented the tire,” the company said in a statement. What? Not going to say “re-invented the wheel?” Come-on. How often do you get to say that and mean it?

“The eco-focused dB Super E-spec mixes sustainable orange oil and natural rubber to drastically cut the use of petroleum, without compromising performance,” said Dan King, Yokohama’s vice president of sales. “It also helps consumers save money at the gas pump by improving fuel efficiency via a 20-percent reduction in rolling resistance. With these innovations, the dB Super E-spec could very well be the most technologically-advanced tire ever produced.”

Oil from orange peels combined with rubber was originally a racing idea, Yokohama says. Their ADVAN ENV-R1TM racing tires for Porsche GT3 cup cars use orange oil to improve a tire’s grip on the road.

The tires will initially be available in four sizes: 185/65R15 88H, 195/65R15 91H, 195/55R16 86V and 215/60R16 95V – which fit popular hybrids and other vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic Hybrid/Civic GX NGV, Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Nissan Versa and VW Golf.

We think it fits the Corolla, too, yes?

No doubt, rental car companies large and small have responded to increased consumer demand for fuel efficiency in the last few years by stocking up on gasoline-electric hybrids and other vehicles with better mileage and lower emissions. But whether or not these companies will continue their commitment to fuel efficiency as gas prices fall and consumers begin to look again at bigger cars remains to be seen.

Hertz may have sparked the trend in 2006 when it launched its Green Collection, which includes thousands of fuel efficient cars such as the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion, Buick LaCrosse and Hyundai Sonata. These models, now available at 50 airport rental locations, average 31 miles per gallon (mpg) on the highway, and most carry the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) SmartWay certification, indicating lower greenhouse gas and other emissions. In June 2007, Hertz bolstered its green offerings significantly by incorporating some 3,400 Toyota Prius hybrids into its American rental fleet.

Meanwhile, other companies are towing the line as well. Avis and its partner Budget offer 2,500 hybrids (Toyota’s Prius and Nissan’s Altima) for rent in the U.S. And Advantage Rent-a-Car, a smaller but up-and-coming player in the industry, has pledged to turn 100 percent of its rental fleet “green” by 2010.

Not to be outdone, Enterprise-the nation’s largest rental car company with a total fleet of 1.1 million rental vehicles-offers some 440,000 vehicles that get 28 mpg or better in highway driving. Some 5,000 of the total are hybrids (Toyota’s Camry and Prius and Ford’s Escape SUV), while another 73,000 can run on the ethanol-based biofuel or on regular gas. Customers of Enterprise (or one of its sister brands, Alamo or National) can also opt to pay an extra $1.25 per rental to offset their carbon emissions. (Funds go to Terra Pass, which funds clean energy projects.) And last year the company opened several new “green branches” where 60 percent of the vehicles for rent are hybrids or other fuel efficient models.

Of course, green car rentals do come with a premium. Renting a hybrid typically costs $5 to $15 more per day than an equivalent conventional car. In a recent comparison on overall costs (including gas expenses), SmarterTravel.com’s Sarah Pascarella figured that a two-day trip from San Francisco to Yosemite National Park was $55 cheaper in one of Hertz’s Hyundai Accent economy cars than in a hybrid Prius from their Green Collection. Comparisons with vehicles from Avis and others yielded similar results. “I found choosing an economy car over a hybrid was often the more economical choice,” she reports.

In order to encourage greener rentals despite the cost premium, San Francisco International Airport now offers travelers a $15 credit if they rent a hybrid from any of the companies operating there. Elsewhere, in-town rental locations usually offer better deals on hybrids, although customers should still expect to pay a premium for renting green no matter where they are-at least until both supply and demand for such vehicles rises, which will inevitably lead to price reductions.

CONTACTS: Hertz, www.hertz.com; Avis, www.avis.com; Advantage, www.advantage.com; Enterprise, www.enterprise.com, EPA SmartWay, www.epa.gov/smartway/; Terra Pass, www.terrapass.com; SmarterTravel.com, www.smartertravel.com.

Dear EarthTalk: Are any major brands of disposable tissues, paper towels, napkins and toilet paper yet using recycled content and chlorine-free bleaching? — Sylvia Comstock, Montpelier, VT

Not many. In fact, some of the biggest names in disposable paper products are the worst offenders. According to the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), forests at home and abroad are being destroyed to make toilet paper, facial tissues, paper towels and other disposable paper products. Giant paper producers such as Kimberly-Clark (Scott, Cottonelle, Kleenex and Viva) and Procter & Gamble (Puffs, Charmin and Bounty) are, in the words of NRDC, “forcing the destruction of our continent’s most vibrant forests, and devastating the habitat for countless wildlife species in the process.”

Much of the virgin pulp used by these large manufacturers comes from Canada’s boreal forest. Some 500,000 acres of boreal forest in Ontario and Alberta alone-key habitat for caribou, lynx, wolves and scores of birds-are felled each year to provide pulp for disposable paper. Beyond wildlife concerns, Canada’s boreal forest, which stretches from coast to coast, comprises perhaps the world’s largest terrestrial storehouse of carbon dioxide, so it is critical to keep it intact to help mitigate global warming.

Kimberly-Clark uses some 1.1 million cubic meters of trees from Canada’s boreal forests each year to produce 465,000 metric tons of pulp. Only 19 percent of the pulp it uses to make home use disposable paper products comes from recycled sources. Some of its brands, including Kleenex and Scott, contain no recycled content whatsoever. Nor do Procter and Gamble’s Bounty, Charmin or Puffs, says NRDC.

Another issue with tissue (and paper overall) is the use of chlorine for whitening. Chlorine used in many bleaching processes contributes to the formation of dioxins and furans, chemicals that end up in our air and water and can cause cancer. Safer processes use oxygen compounds and result in paper that is “totally chlorine free,” “process chlorine free” (chlorine free except for recycled fibers that were previously chlorine-bleached) or “elemental chlorine free,” which substitutes safer chlorine dioxide for chlorine.

NRDC and other groups are pressuring the tissue products industry to change its ways, and are working to educate consumers about their options when buying tissue paper products. NRDC’s online “Shopper’s Guide to Home Tissue Products” offers reams of free advice on which brands to look for-and which to avoid. Marcal is the only household name that NRDC rates high on paper sourcing (100 percent recycled and 40 to 60 percent post-consumer content) and chlorine use (process chlorine-free). Brands ranking highest (up to 80 percent post-consumer content and process-chlorine free) include 365 (the Whole Foods brand), Seventh Generation, Earth First, and Planet, among others. No brands are totally chlorine free.

In general, consumers should seek out brands that specifically tout use of 100 percent recycled materials with a high percentage (40 percent or more) of post-consumer waste, and not just keywords like “green” or “eco” on their labels, which may be misleading. Also, before you even purchase that next roll of disposable paper think about how you can reduce the amount you use in the first place. Paper tissues, towels and napkins, for example, have re-usable options in handkerchiefs and cotton towels and napkins.

CONTACTS: NRDC Shopper’s Guide to Home Tissue Products, www.nrdc.org/land/forests/gtissue.asp; Kimberly-Clark, www.kimberly-clark.com; Procter & Gamble, www.pg.com.

GOT AN ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTION? Send it to: EarthTalk, c/o E/The Environmental Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; submit it at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/thisweek/, or e-mail: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php.

The Porsche Panamera is one of my favorite concept cars this year; and I don’t even like Porsches all that much.  The Panamera is a four-door, four-seat powerhouse built in both V6 and V8 models and possibly a V10 if demand is high.  They haven’t debuted the car at any auto shows yet, but they have released a photo, the car on the road in classic Porsche silver.  The Panamera will debut at the 2009 motor show in Geneva and is expected to be strong competition against the BMW and Aston Martin.  Get that petition around for the V10.

This one looks like something straight out of I, Robot.  The Suzuki Kizashi 3 hasn’t been formally introduced to the public yet, but a few details are known.  It’s a 300-horsepower DOCH V6.  Judging by the build it’s seriously, seriously aerodynamic.  This is the first sport sedan in Suzuki’s line of Kizashis, the previous two were a wagon and a CUV.  This car is one that will inspire an actual release by Suzuki, they hope to release a sport sedan based on this Kizashi by 2010.

Another Suzuki.  I know it’s weird to have two Suzuki’s on this kind of list, but trust me on this.  The Suzuki Pixy is a three-wheeled pod built for use by a single person.  It’s meant to be used not on the roads, but on sidewalks and walkways, since its production is aimed for a time when our atmosphere is either toxic or post-nuclear.  Nice to know Suzuki is planning for that. Up to two pods can fit into what is referred to as the SSC (Suzuki Shared Coach).  The coach acts as a transporter (or car) and can travel much faster than the pods, so it is suitable for road use.  The pods are completely sealed and airtight.

The Mini SUV is nothing new on the outside.  It just looks like a bigger, better Mini.  The real wonder is the interior.  A built-in rail with an attachable tray allows passengers to pass objects from the front seat to the rear.  The best part of the car however is the Center Globe.  The globe sits on the dashboard between the driver and passenger, functioning as a navigation, speedometer and entertainment console.  While the driver is searching for directions on his/her side of the touch-sensitive globe, the passenger can surf the web.  Instead of using a key to ignite the engine, the driver places a Keyball into the upper edge of the globe, which then rolls down to start the car.  Remind you of Minority Report?  Production will most likely begin in 2010.

Buick Invicta, the most beautiful Buick ever built.  The name Invicta has been out of commission since 1959, and this concept is the perfect model with which to bring it back.  The car’s slick design leaves little to be desired, its sleek silver contour is like that of BMW’s GINA concept, the shape-shifting cloth car.  The 250-horsepower Invicta will inspire the design of the new Buick LaCrosse; so many consumers should be excited.  Buick takes a bold move here, straying away from its usual design to try to appeal to more auto consumers in China and the United States.  If the new LaCrosse looks anything like the Invicta, they should succeed.

“Aesthetic maintenance is important to preserving a vehicle’s integrity and value,” said Ron Fausnight a technical expert for Shell Car Care. “Routine maintenance, including washing and waxing your vehicle, can be viewed as preventative maintenance that helps to preserve a vehicle’s paint from the elements while restoring a polished, new look.”

Tires and wheels are often overlooked when washing a car, but they are two areas that take the most abuse throughout the year. Road grime, salt and brake dust can quickly collect on wheels, and without proper removal, can lead to discoloration of aluminum alloys and corrosion and pitting of steel alloys used. When removing the debris, use a cleaner that is pH-balanced to avoid any potential damage to the composition and finish of wheels. A pH-balanced product like one you can find on auto store shelves is as gentle as soap and water, but contains stronger cleansing and shine agents that are safe to use on all wheel types.

“While all preventative maintenance is important, maintaining a vehicle’s safety features should be an even higher priority,” Fausnight said. “Roadway safety needs a multifaceted car care approach, and taking steps to ensure visibility is important.”

Changing wiper blades at least once a year, combined with using a hydrophobic windshield repellent such as Rain-X, can dramatically clear a driver’s vision. The treatment seals the microscopic pores of glass, causing any precipitation to bead up and roll off the windshield.

Incorporating these tips into an annual cleaning routine, and performing regular maintenance, are important steps to preventing the deterioration of a vehicle and may help to save money in the long run.

Courtesy of ARAcontent