833km per tank. Whatever.

A recent Nissan ad campaign claims that the 2008 model of their subcompact can travel 833km on a single tank of gas. Jealous that my car (which I thought was pretty gosh-darned fuel efficient) doesn't even come close to that, I did a little bit of research to assure the comparison of apples to apples.

The EPA and the US Department of Energy run a Web site called fueleconomy.gov, where you can actually compare multiple vehicles side-by-side. I'm trusting that the EPA is a little more impartial than individual manufacturers are. Check it out.

Oh, and for the record, a Toyota Matrix uses 4-6% less fuel than a Nissan Versa. Mwa-ha-ha-haaa! I win.

P.V.C. = B.A.D.

What better way to kick off my first-ever EnviroBlog than to share some info I read recently about polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a type of plastic commonly known as "vinyl". Although it's among the most common plastics going, turns out it's really, really nasty stuff. In short, it's a good idea to avoid it...

• Because its manufacture, use, and disposal involve dioxin, phthalates, lead, and other nasties that can cause cancer, endocrine disruption, endometriosis, birth defects, respiratory problems, and immune system damage.


• Because the full range of its effects on human health hasn't been fully determined.


• Because there are alternatives, including other types of plastic, that are not nearly as damaging to the environment and to our health.

The full article by Umbra Fisk (from whom I stole the above info) can be found here. Give it a read. Good information about some pretty bad stuff.