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Ever wonder why conservatives sometimes seem liberal and liberals can appear conservative? When it comes to conserving fuel and the environment we sometimes view liberals as the ones who are passionate about fuel-efficient environmentally friendly cars while conservatives often seem to be defending SUV's and big trucks as the vehicle of choice. However, neither holds the mortgage on responsibility and conservation. Protecting the environment transcends political parties. No one wants to return to the days of "smog alerts" and gas shortages. If we can find a way where environmentalism can be profitable and responsibility is an attractive choice then regulations will not be necessary. This quest is shared by an unlikely coalition of forces from all over the world including automakers and environmental scientists. As we stretch technology into areas never previously conceived, tremendous progress is being made to reduce pollution and increase efficiency while reducing cost and dependence on fossil fuels. President Bush surprised almost everybody with his State of The Union pledge to develop hydrogen-powered vehicles. Hydrogen technology and the infrastructure to deliver alternative fuels have not matured yet but there are viable alternatives here and now for those wanting to embrace high fuel economy and low emission automobiles. Both Toyota and Honda currently offer hybrid vehicles that boast increased fuel efficiency and low emissions. I decided now is the time to look at one of these cars. My friend Pat Steiner, New Car Manager for Lee's Summit Honda, recently set me up with a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid. The very first thing I noticed is how little one has to give up in order to drive clean. The Hybrid version of the Civic is really the top of the line Civic EX with an electronic assist to the four-cylinder gasoline engine. While a Continuously Variable Automatic Transmission for an extra grand was available, I drove the manual with a Suggested Retail Price of $20,010.00. Because refilling options are difficult to find for alternative fuels vehicles and electric cars have a very limited range, both are impracticable for most people. The Honda Civic Hybrid has no such limitations, as it takes regular unleaded fuel and uses momentum to recharge the batteries for the electric assist. Together this combination electric/gas powered vehicle should realize over 50 mpg without searching for alternative fuel sources. Besides saving fuel, and money the harmful emissions exiting this vehicle are very low so that you can sleep well at night knowing that you are doing your part to save the planet from harmful pollutants. I used this car as a reason to join with the cross-country "Drive to Survive" event led by actor and environmentalist Dennis Weaver. Aside from his work in "Gunsmoke" and "McCloud", Dennis has most recently turned his attention to "Ecolononics", his term for combining Economy and Ecology. His Institute of Ecolonomics (IOE) created this cross-country caravan to demonstrate the viability and availability of Hybrid, hydrogen and alternative fuel vehicles. Stopping in Kansas City, Dennis visited with me about the hybrid vehicles available and shared his passion for saving the environment through technology that makes economic sense. Dennis and his wife Gerry have two hybrid vehicles with over 50,000 miles on one. He assured me that this type of vehicle is everything that it is advertised to be with both great fuel economy as well as reliability. As I expressed concern over items such as battery life, he reassured me that Honda covers its battery pack for 8 years or 80,000 miles. So as I continued my drive in the Honda Hybrid, I got an appreciative nod from the number one fan of Hybrid vehicles, Dennis Weaver. This approval as well as knowing that I was driving a quality vehicle made me realize how cool being politically correct can be. The 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid satisfies both sides of your political and financial conscience. You will now be the penny-pinching tightwad satisfying your fiscal conservative nature while also saving the planet and making friends with the environment as well. Every once in a while a car comes along that pleases everybody. Vehicle:
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©2003 - Stan Risener