Our Environment

I found this handy water quality chart for identifying possible contaminates in tap water.

The chart breaks down to three categories; visual, smell, and taste. Once you have narrowed your water problem down you can then compare to a water contaminate chart and if you have a ppm (parts per million) meter you can see if the contaminate is above safe level. PPM meters can generally be bought for less than one hundred dollars at your local hydroponic or garden supply store.

Due to advances in battery technology and other improvements, Toyota is set to unveil a Prius capable of 94 miles per gallon. This represents about a 160% increase in efficiency over their previous model. The new Prius features a 1.8 Liter Turbo Charged engine that is capable of 0-60 in less than 10 seconds.

The new 94 mpg Prius would offer an improved 0-62 mph time of under 10 seconds. A newly designed 1.8-litre turbo engine will be coupled with the THS-II hybrid system and with ultra efficient lithium ion batteries to greatly improve fuel efficiency.

Toyota is also said to be considering a plug-in capability as as standard feature. Many who currently own a Prius modify the cars for plug-in charging. Although this can decrease dependence on fuel it can also void the car’s warranty.