Green-News: Wednesday 6.17.09

• More fuel efficient cars are on their way. Last week, the U.S. General Services Administration ordered 17,205 greener cars, to come from General Motors with 2,933, Chrysler with 7,924 and Ford with 6,348—costing a grand total of $210 million; via GreenBiz.com.

• And to improve cars, a laboratory in Colorado is working to enhance the efficiency of car air-conditioning. Tooling up new air-conditioning could save the United States 7 billion gallons of gasoline each year and help reduce carbon emissions; Green Inc. reports.

• The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is looking to go carbon neutral by 2020. Estimates claim global air travel accounts for 2% of carbon dioxide emissions. Currently, the IATA is focusing on carbon trading and eco-friendly fuels; via SustainableBusiness.com.

• The petroleum industry, i.e. oil, is being blamed for 1.5 billion kilograms of pollutants released into the environment. According to a new report, 90% of the 5.5 billion kilograms of pollution comes from just 12 industries, such as oil, mining and chemicals; the AFP reports.

• Twenty years later, Exxon is getting nailed for the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill near Alaska. The supertanker poured 50,000 tons of oil into the ocean off Alaska’s south coast. So on Monday, a U.S. federal appeals court ordered Exxon to pay a $507.5 million penalty; the AFP explains.

• This is funny. In 1909, The Titusville Herald in Titusville, Pennsylvania ran a report by the United States Geological Survey saying all petroleum and iron would be exhausted by 1939, natural gas by 1934 and coal by the 21st century —guess that didn’t happen; via Paleo-Future.

Image credit: jk_scotland