I have been thinking about biofuels recently. I think it has been on my mind thanks to a recent car rental experience Joy and I had in California, and thanks to a proposal my City Councilman is making that would over time require all heating oil in New York City to be B20 biodiesel.

I am putting forward some ideas for consideration. I am hoping for some good discussion and maybe even to get the attention of people who can get the attention of lawmakers, because local, state and Federal government involvement would be important for these proposals and I think at least two of the ideas are politically viable.

My family travelled to California in December to visit my family. Even after 10 years in NYC, I still miss living in California. I want to blog about car rentals. Yep, car rentals and renting eco-friendly (relatively speaking) cars. We don't own a car, but we rent whenever we need a car. Whenever we can, we rent a green alternative kind of car. Which means slowly we are gaining personal experience with several kinds of car rentals in Los Angeles...and many options are available elsewhere.

We are willing to spend somewhat extra for a green car, particularly since you save money on gas. But sometimes the difference in cost is too much, so we just rent a regular car with good gas milage. But I always feel better when we can rent an actual green car. Below I describe our experiences with electric, hybrid and biodiesel cars.

With oil in the $75 range, and poised to go higher at any moment (the current crisis extends into Iran?  Rebels in Nigeria?  A deepening chill with Venezuela?  Russia gets tired of being talked to like a three year old? Mexico runs dry? Take your pick.), American automakers have responded by... designing new large SUVs.  It's hard to blame them, when there's little evidence that American consumers have shown any willingness to drive around in vehicles occupying less than an acre of road space.  

In fact, despite the rising costs of fuel, statistics out last week show that the average MPG grew from 21 MPG in 2005 to.... 21 MPG in 2006.  

But if there's one sure thing, it's that it will get worse.  As Jerome a Paris has detailed in his series of diaries, there's every evidence that the post-Katrina rise in oil prices is only a prelude to what's to come.  There's little to no capacity for expansion on the production end of the pipe, and an ever greater demand sucking at the other end.  You couldn't ask for a better formula for demonstrating the effects of supply and demand on prices.  Forget "price gouging."  That's only a distraction.  Oil prices are going to go up, and there's next to nothing any president or congress can do to prevent it.

So... what then?  Do we have to sit and take it on the chin?  Just exactly what are the options?  How will you get to work five years from now?  How about ten?

Okay, so my Prius rocks 50MPG on a daily basis, but I'd still consider a trade.  Say... for this car.

Why am I interested in this little white 2 seater?  Because it's projected to get 330 MPG that's why.

Bring in this car, and forget the oil crisis.

Okay, only a few of these are being made in Motor City, or anywhere else in the US of A.  But the North American International Auto Show, held this week in Detroit, was the opportunity for auto makers to roll out some high mileage hybrid and diesel cars.

If you'd a new car fan, this is your day to revel in everything from concept cars to the models that you'll see on the road this year.