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| | AAA Watch | AAA Decrees New Version of 3-Foot Rule "Not Objectionable"
Now That It Removes an Exception Specifically Intended to Appease Motorists. Wait, What?
Are you sick of hearing about California's 3-foot rule yet? We have to admit, we're getting a little tired of tripping over those bottles of champagne we thought we'd be broaching back in 2011. The original bill had three main intentions: to define the "safe passing distance" for cars overtaking bicycles (3 feet); to permit cars to cross a double line in order to safely pass a cyclist; and to make an exception that, if a car is unable to allow 3 feet when passing a bike, it may still pass provided that it slow to 15 mph. The latter was intended as a concession to narrow, congested urban roads, and specifically catered to drivers who had no opportunity to pass in the oncoming lane. AAA and Governor Brown both objected to the idea that cars might have to slow down, citing the possibility of rear-end collisons or traffic jams. So State Senator Lowenthal has proposed a new bill, SB 1464, with language identical to the original...except without the exception allowing cars to pass closer than 3 ft. Mysteriously, Jim Brown of the California Bike Coalition asserts that AAA finds the new language "not objectionable."
Complete Story | | | | In The News | Better World Club: An Auto Club For Environmentalists
by Jackie Cassidy for Common Ground Magazine
Auto clubs have been around since drivers were still dreaming of paved highways. They defend the rights of motorists, provide resources for travelers, and offer an array of emergency roadside services. Millions of people trust AAA, AARP, Allstate, and others to keep them safe and informed while driving - especially those of us whose parents and grandparents relied on the same companies. Like other kinds of insurance, membership in an auto club is intended to give you guaranteed help during an emergency. It's also intended to provide drivers with peace of mind.
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| | Member Alert | Ask Us For Maps!
Hey folks: our office is so full of maps that we're worried about attracting a dangerous swarm of cartographers. Start thinking about taking summer road trips! Plan that long-overdue visit to Great Aunt Betty in Vermont! We have city, state, province and territory maps that cover the entire US and Canada; maps of National Parks (to go with the National Park Passes you can order through our member site); even waterproof maps of Hawaii so you can drip salt water all over them in the car. Check out the complete list by logging in and clicking on the Map Order link.
| | | | | | Top Story | Better World to Reward Ecologically-Friendly Towing Companies
Staff Writer Hates to Stereotype, But Secretly Hopes to Find Drivers Decked Out in Fair Trade Organic Coveralls
Let's be blunt: we believe that businesses should promote social and environmental responsibility. We also believe we can change the corporate status quo by being consumer advocates, partnering with like-minded businesses, and recognizing the gumption of businesspeople who rise above their competitors to fundamentally change the way their industry works.
In keeping with that mission, Better World Club is working with one of our towing networks to identify and reward green roadside service providers. We're asking towers questions about the efficiency of their fleets, the technology they use to improve dispatching efficiency, their investment in alternative fuels, and the ways that they recycle.
Participants have the chance to win a cash prize, and the company with the most environmentally-friendly service will receive a "Greenest of the Towing Industry" award, which includes a $1000 bio-diesel prize, at the Florida Tow Show in Orlando this spring.
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Better World Club Donates to Business for Democracy
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We provide hundreds of discounts for products, services, hotels and car rentals - many of which are green! Click here to log on and take a look. | | | Partners |
Williamsburg Environmental Group
Since they put it so eloquently, we'll let them speak for themselves. WEG is "a full-service environmental consulting and engineering firm that serves both the public and private sectors in providing simple, cost-effective solutions to today's complex environmental problems. We offer specialized environmental services in the areas of ecology, environmental planning, water resources, ecology, stream assessment and restoration, landscape architecture, golf course planning, construction administration, and regulatory support." WEG is also certified as a "Small, Women- and Minority-owned Business" by the state of Virginia, and Better World is proud to welcome them as partners.
Looking for coverage for your company's or organization's fleet? Contact us!
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Our Green Auto Insurance Includes a Free Carbon Offset. Click here to get a quote.
Member Special
 Integrity Auto is a repair facility located in New Tripoli, PA. They are involved with the Extreme Green Business Initiative, a partnership which encourages independent shop owners to find new ways to improve and reduce their use of toxic substances. They're also offering a 10% discount to Better World Club members. Log in to the member section of our website to take advantage of the discount.
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| | Share This on Twitter and Facebook |  | | | | Washington Watch | All High Gas Prices are Not the Same
Who's Getting the Money Makes a Difference.
Why Can't the Obama Administration Explain This?
Republicans are fond of attacking the Obama Administration for today's price of gasoline, which is averaging just about $4.00 per gallon.
Apparently, Secretary of Energy Chu and the President made some incriminating comments a number of years ago indicating that high gas prices weren't the worst thing in the world.
But all high gas prices are not the same. Oil-based products have some real flaws that only higher prices can mitigate.
• We are subject to the whims of OPEC - and the "C" could stand for "Cartel" rather than "Countries." This means that the market is not setting the price. We should be actively trying to break the cartel by using less oil. Rising gas prices are a step toward doing so, by making alternatives more price competitive.
• Fossil fuels create pollution and other "externalities"and the market doesn't force the oil companies to clean them up. Taxes can be used to clean them.
• Then there's global warming/weirding. We need to reduce our gasoline usage if we are going to climatically calm the planet.
Given these facts, it is "market oriented" to have the full cost of fossil fuels like gasoline reflected in the marketplace. This could be done through a carbon tax. Or by cap-and-dividend, which would use part of the tax to clean up pollution and return the rest of it to the American taxpayers. But with the price higher, alternative fuels would become more desirable.
This is a far cry from where the dollars from today's oil purchases are going: into the hands of the cartel, the oil companies, and speculators.
Complete Story | | | | TravelCool Website of the Month |  Don't Hitchhike With Strangers: Take a Roadtrip with New Friends
Ridejoy is a brand-new ride-sharing site with a whole lot of heart. The developers are passionate about their role in promoting collaborative consumption, and they have come up with a service that takes the hassle and uncertainty out of sharing a vehicle with strangers. Their users log in via Facebook, which they say is "a great way to show people you're a real person and not just some crazy person. Plus, when people use their real names they're more likely to be nice on the internet." Ridejoy's posting system prompts drivers to list their preferred departure time, number of available seats, and the cost of sharing gas: both riders and drivers are able to view information from each other's profiles (you get to choose what others see) so there's less fear of being stuck with an axe murderer - or a polka aficionado. Ridejoy currently serves the West Coast, but will soon be nation-wide.
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