The 2009 Nissan Cube is being called “Mobile Device” and promotional language from its makers includes such language as “personalize it. share it. connect with it.” How exactly does one “connect” with their car? We’ll find out later. But my favorite phrase from Nissan is “Share a loungey interior and smart fuel efficiency with your top four.” Okay, if that doesn’t sound like Nissan wants to appeal to the boxy Honda Fit, Kia Soul, Toyota Yaris, and Scion xB crowd, I don’t know what does. Are they trying a little too hard to reach their targeted demographic of the trendy car lover? Or is the Cube all it’s hyped to be? While Nissan Cube forums are very slow right now, is it the quiet before the storm?

What I immediatelty noticed is how the rear hatch opens; it swings out widely ala a 1970′s land yacht station wagon. Yeah, this crossover vehicle will fit in tight parking spots. Then you can’t open the rear hatch without hitting the car behind you. Can you foresee the same problems we do with this design flaw? The Cube boasts 57 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seat folded and finds its powerplant in the 122-horsepower 1.8-liter DOHC inline 4-cylinder engine with a new-generation Xtronic CVT and even an optional 6-speed manual transmission.

A Los Angeles Times review calls the 2009 Nissan Cube “coolness in a box” and “more studio loft than economy car.” Based on the Nissan Versa and Sentra chassis, the car can be had for around $14,000 street price pricing upward from there with the S and SL packages, or for about $20,000 luxuriate in the optional Krom Package; better sound, 16-inch wheels, and upgraded upholstery and lighting.

The 2009 Nissan Cube is aimed squarely (get it? squarely?) at the 18-25 demographic who will benefit from its electronic stability control features. (What is electronic stablity control?)

The bottom line is that this is a Nissan Versa with a trendy design.

It’s undeniable that there is a real buzz in the green community over prefab and kit home construction and we intend to spend more time on this blog updating you on the exciting developments surrounding this promising architectural movement!

Check out this guy’s video of his electric-powered 1975 Beetle. His electric Volkswagen Bug raises a simple question. What’s the answer?

Gas prices have gone up so dramatically in recent months that people are understandably nervous. One way they’re dealing with that is buying hybrid vehicles like the Prius. The Prius is virtually synonymous with hybrid, but maybe there’s a better choice? Check out this video from Edmund’s on YouTube. You might be suprised!

According to Japan’s business news source, Nikkei, Toyota is planning a Prius with solar panels by Kyocera Corp. Toyota has not unveiled any design plans for the solar panels. The solar panels will power the air conditioning on the Prius. If the solar panels on the Prius are only used to power the car’s air conditioning, in my opinion, it would be like a kind of waste as the solar panels could be used to power the car instead improving gasoline fuel efficiency.

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter, has been under intense pressure from the U.S. and other oil consumers to increase its crude output to help slow the soaring price of oil.

The kingdom already announced modest increases and said it would pump 9.7 million barrels a day beginning in July. But those increases have not done much to stem the skyrocketing price of oil, which closed near $135 a barrel on Friday.

The high prices are affecting consumers and economies across the United States, Europe and much of the world. Many countries have experienced social unrest as rising fuel prices have driven significant increases in the cost of food and other basic goods.

The cost of gasoline has also become a sore point in the U.S. presidential race, with President Bush and Republican candidate John McCain calling for lifting of a long-standing ban on offshore oil and gas drilling to increase domestic oil production. But Democratic candidate Barack Obama has said such steps will do nothing in the short term to ease American consumer’s pain.

It was unclear if Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi’s remarks Sunday at a closed-door session during the high-level oil summit in the port city of Jiddah would quell concerns.

Al-Naimi, who was expected to formally make the announcements in a speech later Sunday, reiterated his government’s position that the recent run-up in prices has not been caused by a supply shortage. But he said he also believes each country must do what it can “to alleviate these difficult conditions.”

For the remainder of the year “Saudi Arabia is willing to produce additional barrels of crude oil above and beyond the 9.7 million barrels per day which we plan to produce during the month of July, if demand for such quantities materializes and our customers tell us they are needed,” al-Naimi said in the speech, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press in advance.

The conference’s final statement restated the participants’ concern over volatile oil prices, but attempted to strike a balance over the cause. Producers, like Saudi Arabia say it is due to speculation, while the United States maintains it is due to insufficient supply.

“Spare capacity throughout the oil supply chain is important for the stability of the global oil market,” said the statement, which also noted that “the transparency and regulation of financial markets should be improved.”

In the final news conference of the summit, al-Naimi urged the two sides to compromise.

“We all, whether producers or consumers, should cooperate together to stabilize the market — it shouldn’t be left for one side alone,” he said.

Al-Naimi also said that the kingdom was willing to invest to boost its spare oil production capacity above the current 12.5 million barrels per day planned for the end of 2009, reversing previous statements that the country would not go beyond that figure.

“In addition, we have identified a series of future crude oil mega-increments totaling another 2.5 million barrels per day of capacity that could be built if and when crude oil demand levels warrant their development,” he said.

The U.S. and other Western nations have put increasing pressure on Saudi Arabia to increase production, saying insufficient oil production has not kept pace with growing demand.

Earlier Sunday, King Abdullah also said Saudi Arabia was not to blame for soaring oil prices and instead pointed his finger at speculators, high fuel taxes in consuming countries and increased oil consumption in developing economies.

“There are several factors behind the unjustified, swift rise in oil prices and they are: speculators who play the market out of selfish interests, increased consumption by several developing economies and additional taxes on oil in several consuming countries,” the king said.

Abdullah urged the summit’s delegates to “uncover the truth” and dispel rumors to get the “real and full reasons” behind the skyrocketing price of oil.

Saudi Arabia increased oil production by 300,000 barrels a day in May, and a Saudi official confirmed Saturday that the country would add another 200,000 barrels a day in July — for a total of 9.7 million barrels a day.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown also called for future commitments from producers for increased oil and gas supply but urged that all countries should improve energy efficiency and develop alternative sources of energy, including nuclear power.

Earlier Sunday, U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman again called on Saudi Arabia to increase production, saying it has not kept pace with growing demand.

Bodman said world oil consumption growth has averaged about 1.8 percent per year since 2003 with the largest share of that growth coming from developing countries like China, India and countries in the Middle East, he said.

But for the past three years, global oil production has remained constant at roughly 85 million barrels a day, and OPEC production has remained largely flat, he said in a written statement.

“I believe that most of us agree on one thing: Prices are too high at present. And unless we act, the situation will remain unsustainable,” he said in the statement.

The kingdom called for Sunday’s unusual meeting in Jiddah between oil producing and consuming nations as a way to show that it was not deaf to international cries that high oil prices have caused social and economic turmoil.

The Gulf nation also has become increasingly concerned that record oil prices could hinder growth in the U.S. and other major industrialized economies, potentially leading to a decline in oil demand and a sharp drop-off in prices.

Also Sunday, Abdullah called for the creation of a $1 billion energy initiative for poor countries to help them combat the rising cost of fuel. He also said Saudi Arabia would contribute $500 million to help give poor countries loans to finance development and energy projects.

Natural gas can be found in oil fields, dissolved or isolaed natural gas fields, and in coal beds. When methane rich gases are produced by the decay of non-fossil organic material, they are referred to as biogas. Biogas can be found in swamps, marshes, and landfills, sewage sludge and manure by using anaerobic digesters and enteric fermentation in cattle.

Natural gas is a major source of electricity generation thru the usage of gas turbines, and steam turbines. Particularly high efficiencies can be achieved through combining gas turbines with a steam turbin in combined cycle mod. Natural gas is about cleanest burning fossil fuel and produces roughly 35% less carbon dioxide then petroleum and about 45% less then coal. Fuel cell technology may eventually provide cleaner options for convertiing natural gas into electricity, but as it is not yet price-competitive.

Coal is a non-renewable energy source because it takes millions of years to create and we’re consuming more every year than whats being produced. The energy in coal comes from the energy stored by the plants and animals that lived millions and billions of years ago. Think back to some of the first life forms that were on the planet.

Roughly 93% of the coal used in the United States is for generating electricity. Except for a small amount of net exports, the rest of the coal is used, as a basic energy source in many industries, including steel, cement and paper industries. The four major uses of coal are:

• For electric power
• For industry
• For making steel
• For export

Coal makes up roughly 50% of the electricity that is produced in the United States. Besides electric utility companies, industries and businesses with their own power plants use caol to generate electricity. Power plants burn the coal ot make steam, the steam in return turns turbines, which generate the electricty for consumers.

When coal is burned it gives off carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas that is linked with global warming and many respiatory and health related issues. During the coal burning another gas hat given off is nitrogen oxidie and mercury. Combining the two in the atmosphere produces acid rain, and smog.