In Norway, No Car Is "Green"

Apparently Norway takes the phrase “truth in advertising” to heart. New restrictions imposed by the state-run Consumer Ombudsman have banned the use of the words “green,” clean,” and “environmentally friendly” in car advertisements.

Model Green City: Treasure Island Starts from Scratch

Design firm Arup is looking to turn Treasure Island – a 400-acre man-made structure halfway across the bay Bridge, between Oakland and San Francisco – into a model of sustainability. The island, a former naval base decommissioned eleven years ago, currently features low- to mid-income housing for about 1,400 residents mixed with military and industrial refuse. The revamped area will house over 13,000 people, and the superfund site will be cleaned and greened-up.

Pedal-Powered Car Gets Pulled Over by Toronto Police


A renegade form of alternative transportation was outlawed in Toronto when the driver of a pedal-powered car was pulled over by local police. (According to the cop, "The safety factor [of the vehicle] is….unsafe.") The car, which uses muscle power in lieu of a motor, is propelled by four independent pedal and gear systems that are set inside of its metal body.

Amtrak Hopes to See More Green with Federal Funding, Increased Ridership

As fuel prices rise and air travel becomes more of a nuisance, Amtrak has become a more popular choice—especially among environmentally-conscious travelers who want to minimize their footprint. While trains are a lesser evil than cars or crowded, carbon-belching airplanes, Amtrak isn't without its concerns. The company is $3.3 billion dollars in debt and is asking the government for financial support. Amtrak "gets enough funding to survive, but not to flourish."

Cars Make Us Fat

A recent article by No Impact Man reiterates what is perhaps the environmentalist’s most persuasive argument: What’s good for the planet is good for us. This is as true in our diet decisions (natural, wholesome foods versus packaged, processed, nutrient-stripped crap) as it is in our transportation selections.

Ditching the Car for a Motorboard in L.A.

We at Carectomy are always pleased to come across news of people making the car-free plunge. But when the news comes from Los Angeles, the quintessential car-centric, freeway-laden American city, there’s an extra degree of joy. Kathryn Pope’s surgical tools for her carectomy: public transportation, car-sharing for “special occasions” via Flexcar, and a motorboard for local scurries.

Bike-Sharing Programs Coming Our Way

Lyon and Paris, France, offer the successful bike-sharing models that other cities are scrambling to copy. Their Velo'v and Vélib programs, respectively, offer thousands of bikes available for checkout at automated stations all over the city. Here’s a partial recap of some of the U.S. bike-sharing initiatives underway.