Non-Toxic Products

Chemical Specialties Inc. is successfully launching its arsenic-free wood preservative into the commercial marketplace. A mixture of copper and quat — a commonly used disinfectant — ACQ-Preserve is predicted to spur an industry-wide phaseout of toxic, arsenic-laden preservatives typically found in lumber sold to home builders and hardware stores.

Air Pollution

Clean air progress has been phenomenal in big cities, according to the Foundation for Clean Air Progress. Most dramatically, from 1990 to 1999, Southern California's number of days of high pollution decreased 100 %.(The Foundation for Clean Air Progress)

According to the Washington Post, General Motors offered detailed plans to boost the fuel economy of its most popular cars, trucks and SUV's by as much as 50 percent, utilizing hybrid gas-electric technology, beginning with two pickup trucks in the 2003 model year.

Fuel Cell Car Coming

GM has road-tested what it says is the world's first drivable fuel-cell vehicle, an altered Chevrolet S-10 pickup. Fuel cell engines that run on gasoline are a transitional technology as every major automaker works toward vehicles that eventually would run on pure hydrogen. Fuel-cell fleet vehicles are expected within a year, with affordable versions available for consumers by 2010.