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That being said, I believe that the new ultra-low sulfur diesel is the most underused real alternative to gasoline today, as we search for the ideal solution for the future of transportation fuels. The new diesel fuel, when combined with the new 2007 diesel engines, reduces green house gases by almost 20% per mile driven vs. a comparable gasoline engine. Anyone who believes that diesel engines are noisy, smoky and slow has not had the opportunity to drive the recent turbocharged diesels with Bluetech emissions technology. Diesel engines have become perfected in Europe over the past two decades, and in Europe today more than 50% of new vehicles are diesels. Additionally, beyond using less fuel to travel longer distances, the comparatively lower vapor pressure of diesel and bio-diesel fuels reduces emissions during fueling by more than half when compared to gasoline or ethanol.
The changing cycle
India may be the second largest producer of bicycles in the world but precious little has been done to promote the cause of cycling in the country. Shveta Pathak reports that the cycle industry is today churning out beauties that could easily make a style statement but the road ahead is rough for the two-wheeled bikes. And, the status-conscious still refuse to adopt them as a mode of transport. DO you remember the tinkle of the bell as daakiya Rajesh Khanna delivers the post in the song Daakiya daak laya? Or, the very urbane Aamir Khan making your breath stop for a while as he competes for the famous race in Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander? If you do, you mustnt have forgotten the spirit lent to these moments by the good old bicycle. India is the largest cycle manufacturer in the world after China.
The Transom
Beyond Green : The Harlequin on its way to becoming first LEED ...
The Harlequin office complex, anticipated to be the first LEED-certified project in Benton County, is completed and its first tenant moved in. LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The Harlequin has been nearly 17 months in the works. Brady Hill of Four Frogs LLC and builder Charles Benningfield will both tell you the project hasn't been easy, but the end result marks the high point of both of their careers. The Harlequin, at the northwest corner of Southwest B and Sixth streets, is unique in a couple of ways. For starters, it's an example of successful redevelopment within one of the oldest sections of Bentonville. A matter of blocks from the Wal-Mart Home Office, the four-building office complex boasts a combined eight office spaces, specifically designed to cater to vendors, but with the added draw of 700 to 900 square feet of fully furnished living space directly above.
A total of RM245,000 in cash prizes up for grabs in cycling ...
A total of RM245,000 in cash prizes up for grabs in cycling competition By LIM CHIA YING WITH a route that will traverse five states, the Jelajah Malaysia (JM) 2008 cycling race is once again expected to bring on the adrenaline rush to many excited fans. A total of 21 teams, of which five are national teams from Malaysia, Bahrain, Vietnam, Japan, and Indonesia, and the rest made up of club teams and UCI Continental Teams from other countries, will battle and compete for the ultimate honour and titles like Overall Winner and Overall Team Winner. Into its second consecutive edition, the race organised by Ten Speed Events Sdn Bhd will be held from Jan 7 to 13 and will take off at Putrajaya, before proceeding on to Negeri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor, Genting Highlands, and ending at Dataran Merdeka. Title sponsor for the race is communications company Electcoms Berhad.
Is there a European Islam?
Please don't hold me to the highest standards of BBC accuracy on this one. A Muslim saint, a Muslim portrait, acknowledging a Christian brother? Well, yes, Albania is the headquarters of the Bektashi, a Sufi group. Sunni Muslim Muslims are said to make up 70% of the population in Albania, and most of them are not Bektashi, who are Shia, but Sunni. It's mildly curious to me that while some people argue Turkey shouldn't join the European Union because most of its population is Muslim, I have never heard the same argument applied to Kosovo or Albania. Perhaps it's because they are so small. Perhaps it's because, for many, the religion is only nominal. As I write this, in Albania's capital Tirana , I can hear the call to prayer but the approach to religion seems much more European than the more profound attachments one may find in other parts of the world.
Interiors: Let there be light
Light is one of the most powerful elements of interior design, yet it is often the one aspect that people forget when renovating," says Sally. "There are so many effects to achieve, changes in texture, shadow and mood. Yet until you know how it works, people have no idea how a narrow-angle downlighter will dramatise a vase of roses, or how the soft, diffuse light of frosted-lens uplighters will flatter the complexions of guests at a dinner party." .
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