Wecanlivegreen’s Weblog

We’re relative newcomers to the world of green. So, we’ve been spending a lot of time trying to find the ‘perfect’ solution to our transportation needs. A little about us…we are married couple in our thirties, with two careers, a dog, student loans and a mortgage. We love the outdoors and spend a lot of time in the mountains and in the water. We are looking for a more energy-efficient vehicle that can support our outdoors lifestyle.

We have spent the last nine months or so researching vehicle options and have settled on a hybrid as our next choice. Jim will be ready for another car in a couple of years, and we hope there will be better options for electric, hydrogen or biodiesel. We are excited about the prospect of electric vehicles, but as of December 2007, there are no affordable ($30,000 or less) highway-worthy (drive 60 mph or above) vehicles. If any electric car manufacturers are out there reading, we are ready and waiting! Until then, a hybrid is the choice for us. The next question is, which hybrid?

Jim: My number one issue is safety. I want a vehicle that is safe for my wife and for our future family. We also need a car that can take us to the mountains or ocean.

Marina: My number one concern is fuel-efficiency and smog emissions. I can’t stand paying so much for gas and I hate being a part of the climate change problem!

Jim: I appreciate Marina’s concern about fuel-efficiency. I feel the same way except I don’t want to compromise safety in this process. Car accidents are so common here in Southern California where we live, and I want to make sure we are as safe as we can be when we drive.

Marina: I know safety is important. But I just feel guilty not doing as much as I can to help our planet.

This week, we’ll start test driving hybrids. We’ll keep you posted. Wish us luck!

Jim and Marina, We Can Live Green at http://www.wecanlivegreen.com