Environment

DEARBORN, Mich., Aug. 20, 2008 - The Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner are even more earth-friendly for 2009, thanks to class-leading fuel economy and new soy-based foam seat cushions wrapped in 100 percent recycled fabric, the first such seats in the automotive industry.

2009 Ford Escape

"As Ford continues to migrate soy-based foam seat inserts across many vehicle platforms, we're improving our environmental footprint by conserving limited resources and reducing carbon dioxide emissions," said Debbie Mielewski, technical leader, Ford Plastics Research.

In addition to the Escape and Mariner, the Ford Mustang, F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator also feature soy-based foam seat cushions.

August 18 , 2008 -- Subaru, the industry leader in all-wheel drive technology, is proud of its total business commitment to the environment. To ensure that Subaru’s environmental activities in remain at the forefront of business planning, the company formed the Subaru North American Environmental Committee (NAEC), which continually reviews progress and sets new goals.

The mission of the Subaru NAEC is to unite all North American Subaru operations in a cohesive environmental conservation plan to encourage environmental improvement activities within the company and the community, and help reduce dependency on natural resources.

Nissan Green Program 2010 environmental commitments receives stamp of approval from Japan’s Ministry of Environment

TOKYO, July 1, 2008 -- Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has been endorsed as an ‘Eco First’ company by Japan’s Ministry of Environment for its environmental commitments set out under the Nissan Green Program 2010. The official certification will be awarded to Nissan by the Minister of Environment, Ichiro Kamoshita, at a ceremony to be held at the Ministry of Environment on July 1.

Established under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment in April 2008, the ECO First program serves to recognize and promote the environmental actions of companies that are compliant with the Kyoto Protocol.

Wolfsburg, 27 June 2008 -- Volkswagen has won the international competition "Golden Drop of Oil 2008" for its innovative engine-gearbox combination, the powerful 90 kW TSI engine and the new 7-speed DSG gearbox. The energy and environment prize is awarded annually by the German automobile club "Kraftfahrer-Schutz e. V. (KS)". The club awards this prize for technical developments in passenger cars which make a significant contribution towards reducing fuel consumption and safeguarding the environment.

The jurors honoured the two new technical developments from Volkswagen as an intelligent combination which, together, achieve noticeable savings in fuel and emissions. It was emphasised that this technology is used in numerous models from the compact class through the small car segment.

TOKYO, Japan, June 23, 2008 – Honda Motor Co., Ltd. issued the Honda Environmental Annual Report 2008 (Japanese language version), outlining results of the company’s environmental initiatives for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2008 as well as targets for the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2009.

In the report, Honda discloses a wide range of information, including progress made during the previous fiscal year toward Honda 2010 global CO2 reduction targets and FY2011 environmental footprint reduction targets for business activities in Japan, as well as initiatives to be implemented to achieve such targets. Honda has expanded the scope of consolidated data and the extent of global information included within this report.

June 18, 2008 -- In May 2007, Renault introduced its Renault eco² label – a system for badging its vehicles so that customers can identify the most environmentally friendly versions. In November 2007, Renault entered an eco²-labelled Logan Concept in the Michelin-organized Challenge Bibendum, demonstrating that a car could be both 'ecological and economical' without stinting on performance or equipment.

Renault has maintained its commitment with the unveiling of TCe 130, Powertrain Engineering’s latest innovation in downsized engines.

Crawford "Buzz" Holling is one of the world's most influential ecologists

Jun 16, 2008 -- The Volvo Environment Prize, administered by an independent foundation, this year goes to Buzz Holling, Canadian ecologist and scientist, whose theories on how ecosystems deal with sudden changes have had great global influence.

Today, with many worrying about global climate change and unexpected natural disasters, Buzz Holling stresses the importance of increasing our society's ability to be flexible and cope with change. This is necessary for the continued use of natural resources, because crisis, Holling says, is an inevitable part of nature's way of functioning.

GM joins campaign to educate Californians about oil changes, helping reduce their environmental impact

SACRAMENTO, Calif., 2008-06-10 -- General Motors, the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the California Integrated Waste Management Board (CIWMB) announced today that they are joining forces to encourage drivers to follow their vehicle manufacturer's recommendations on oil changes, which for millions of GM vehicles could be much longer than the decades-old standard of 3,000 miles between changes.

GM Oil Life System

Seven-time Grammy winning artist Alanis Morissette has partnered with Mercedes-Benz and its “Mixed Tape” online music magazine for “Underneath,” the first video/single from her highly anticipated new album Flavors of Entanglement (Maverick/Reprise Records). Alanis, a strong supporter of environmental causes and organizations, chose the fuel-efficient Mercedes-Benz E320 BlueTEC for the music clip.

Alanis Morissette Partners With Mercedes-Benz And “Mixed Tape” For New “Underneath” Video

Ingolstadt, 02 June 2008 – World premiere in motorsport: At the 2008 Le Mans 24 Hours on 14/15 June, the three Audi R10 TDI prototypes entered by Audi Sport Team Joest will race for the first time with the next generation of Biofuel manufactured from Biowaste and promising a reduction in the emission of CO2 by almost 90 per cent when compared with traditional diesel.