Alcohol Fuel Availability

Regional supply and distribution

ħCentered tightly in

Midwest

ħNot generally available in

more heavily populated

areas on West Coast, East

Coast

E85 Service Station Locations in US

Further compounding these difficulties is the somewhat limited availability of

E85.

High distribution costs, mainly, restricts it’s use to a concentrated region in the

Midwest. (If you’re in Minnesota, you probably don’t have much of a problem

finding an E85 station, but the rest of us have to hunt around a bit to find them).

For future growth, obviously, this regional limitation must be overcome—either

through improved distribution means or, better yet, through utilization of more

diverse feedstocks.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) provides authorized for-hire motor carrier, freight forwarder and property broker licensing and insurance data to the industry and public via telephone requests and paper reports. This web site makes it possible to offer this information electronically. All information displayed via a database query is public information which has long been available under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

The licensing and insurance information about authorized for-hire motor carriers, freight forwarders and property brokers, provided free-of-charge, is the real-time, up-to-date information contained in the FMCSA Licensing & Insurance database. Licensing application and insurance information will appear on this web site as soon as it is manually entered into the L&I database by FMCSA staff or electronically filed by authorized insurance filers.

Choosing the Vehicle

Selecting which vehicle to purchase is the most important fuel economy decision you'll make.

The difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to $610 per year (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $2.44).

That's $3,050 extra in fuel costs over five years!

Replacing a Clogged Air Filter on Modern Cars Improves Performance but Not MPG

A new study shows that replacing a clogged air filter on cars with fuel-injected, computer-controlled gasoline engines does not improve fuel economy but it can improve acceleration time by around 6 to 11 percent. This kind of engine is prevalent on most gasoline cars manufactured from the early 1980s onward.

Tests suggest that replacing a clogged air filter on an older car with a carbureted engine may improve fuel economy 2 to 6 percent under normal replacement conditions or up to 14 percent if the filter is so clogged that it significantly affects drivability.

The effect of a clogged air filter on diesel vehicles will be tested in the near future.

Observe the Speed Limit

While each vehicle reaches its optimal fuel economy at a different speed (or range of speeds), gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas.

Observing the speed limit is also safer.

Increase Energy Sustainability

Sustainable energy use is energy use that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their energy needs. Achieving sustainable energy use requires that energy be

• Developed from renewable resources

• Produced by cleaner, more-efficient technologies

• Used more efficiently and with greater conservation

Almost all of the cars and trucks we drive run on fuels derived from oil, which is non-renewable. While there is some debate as to how long this resource will last, we will eventually have to find new ways to power highway vehicles.

Researchers are hard at work exploring new fuels and vehicle technologies:

• 

  Hybrids, electric vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles are areas of intense research, along with efficient technologies for gasoline and diesel vehicles.

• Renewable fuels such as ethanol and biodiesel can help offset petroleum use.

• Other fossil fuels such as coal, shale oil, tar sands, and natural gas are another possibility.

In the meantime, it makes sense to use fossil resources such as oil more efficiently to buy time to develop new and better energy sources and to make the transition to these sources smoother and less expensive.

Water Transportation Occupations

Job Outlook

Employment in water transportation occupations is projected to grow faster than average. Good job opportunities are expected.

Employment change. Employment in water transportation occupations is projected to grow 16 percent over the 2006-2016 period, faster than the average for all occupations. Job growth will stem from increasing tourism and growth in offshore oil and gas production. Employment will also increase in and around major port cities due to rapidly increasing international trade.

Employment in deep-sea shipping for American mariners is expected to remain stable. A fleet of deep-sea U.S.-flagged ships is considered vital to the Nation’s defense, so some receive Federal support through a maritime security subsidy and other provisions in laws that limit certain Federal cargoes to ships that fly the U.S. flag.

Employment growth also is expected in passenger cruise ships within U.S. waters. Vessels that operate between U.S. ports are required by law to be U.S.-flagged vessels. The staffing needs for several new U.S. flagged cruise ships that will travel to the Hawaiian Islands will create new opportunities for employment. In addition, increasing use of ferries to handle commuter traffic around major metropolitan areas should increase employment.

Some growth in water transportation occupations is projected in vessels operating in the Great Lakes and inland waterways. Growth will be driven by increasing demand for bulk products, such as coal, iron ore, petroleum, sand and gravel, grain, and chemicals. Since current pipelines cannot transport ethanol, some growth will come from shipping ethanol. Problems with congestion in the rail transportation system will increase demand for inland water transportation.

Job prospects. Good job opportunities will result from growth and the need to replace those leaving the occupation. Most water transportation occupations require workers to be away from home for extended periods of time, causing some to leave these jobs.

Maritime academy graduates who have not found licensed shipboard jobs in the U.S. merchant marine find jobs in related industries. Many academy graduates are ensigns in the Naval or Coast Guard Reserve; some are selected or apply for active duty in those branches of the Service. Some find jobs as seamen on U.S.-flagged or foreign-flagged vessels, tugboats, and other watercraft or enter civilian jobs with the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard. Some take land-based jobs with shipping companies, marine insurance companies, manufacturers of boilers or related machinery, or other related jobs.

Automotive Assistance Programme Criteria

Market and Economic Criteria

In assessing applications a determination will be made on whether the Government’s support represents value for the use of public money.

Financial reports and internal business plans containing information on demand forecasts; cost forecasts; financial forecasts, documents that are submitted to an investment committee and that elaborate on various investment scenarios and/or documents provided to the financial markets by applicants are all likely to be helpful in assessing both 'additionality' and economic benefits as outlined below.

Additionality

The Government needs to be sure that it grants guarantees or loans where this genuinely makes the difference between the project happening or not, or whether the support genuinely influences the quality or scale of the activity. Provision of support can only be value for money if it passes this additionality test.

In assessing additionality, the following will be taken into account:

1. Counterfactual analysis: assessment of an application will seek to understand how the firm’s activity would be different with and without this guarantee or loan. The difference between the two scenarios is considered to be the impact of the aid measure and describes the incentive effect of the guarantee or loan.
2. Level of profitability: if a proposal would not, in itself, be profitable to undertake for a private undertaking, but would generate important benefits for society, it is more likely that the guarantee will have an incentive effect. To evaluate the overall profitability, analytical methods used might include evaluating the Net Present Value (NPV), the internal rate of return (IRR) and/or the return of capital employed (ROCE) on the project.
3. Amount of investment and time path of cash flows: high start-up investment costs, limited appropriable cash flows and a significant fraction of cash flows arising in the very far future should be considered positive elements in assessing the additionality of an award under AAP.
4. Level of risk involved in the proposal – support is less likely to be additional where the proposal is low risk

Economic Benefits

All proposals should contribute positive benefits to the economy. This means that the value of the tangible and intangible benefits must exceed the level of subsidy provided by the guarantee or loan. The net economic benefit of the proposal will be calculated drawing on the financial information for the proposal and market analysis.

Where there may be wider benefits not captured within the firm’s own data, these will also be assessed, they are likely to include:

1. Research and Development activity: Often, where research and development is undertaken the benefits of the activity spread beyond the firm that invested. The assessment of economic benefits will take into account information from the applicant about their research and development plans to judge whether there may in fact be wider economic benefits. In this case, such benefits are likely to be priced in line with the EC R&D&I framework.
2. General training: Where a firm invests in training, the benefits of improving the skills level of the workforce can be felt beyond the firm. Where this may be the case, such benefits are likely to be priced in line with the EU General Block Exemption training aid guidelines, so applicants will need to state whether they have training plans as part of their proposals.

In addition, an assessment will be made of whether the support represents value for money in terms of the employment created or safeguarded. The applicant should provide details of the jobs that (a) will be created and/or (b) will be safeguarded as a result of the proposal going forward. This should include details of both the skills and salary levels of the jobs created or safeguarded. In determining value for money, the level of deprivation and local labour market conditions will also be taken into account.

Technology Criteria

Applicants must provide the following information about their proposed projects covering how innovation will deliver reduced carbon emissions:

1. Is the proposal related to vehicle production? If yes, please provide details of how the new production process(es) will reduce carbon emissions, reduce the use of hazardous substances, and/or improve resource efficiency. Where relevant, please explain how the new process(es) will:

• Adopt renewable energy sources;
• Minimise heat loss;
• Provide more efficient water use;
• Introduce water-based/low solvent emission paint technologies;
• Reduce exposure to hazardous substances;
• Increase recycling of waste materials from production.

2. Is the proposal related to vehicle use? If yes, please provide details of how the project will ensure compliance with, or exceed the requirements of, the following European regulations on vehicle carbon emissions and air quality (where applicable):

• EU CO² regulations on cars
• EU CO² regulations on vans
• Euro 6 regulations on cars (air quality)
• Euro V/VI regulations on HGVs (air quality)
• European Directive 2004/26/EC (construction equipment sector)

3. For proposals related to vehicle use, please provide details of the technology that will deliver lower carbon emissions; for example, through innovation in vehicle design or engine technology.

4. For proposals covering both vehicle production and vehicle use, please provide a summary assessment of the contribution which the new technology will make to reducing carbon emissions over the life cycle of the vehicle.

5. For proposals covering both vehicle production and vehicle use, please provide an assessment of the research and development requirements of the project, including the R&D stages for which support is sought [basic, applied and/or demonstration].

6. For proposals covering both vehicle production and vehicle use, please provide details of opportunities for suppliers to contribute to the project, both in terms of intellectual property and manufacturing opportunities.

7. For proposals covering vehicle use, please provide an assessment of the technology’s wider market potential. What contribution will it make to vehicle sales?

Financial Criteria

1. Guarantees may potentially be provided to support the following investment areas directly linked to the project:

• Research & development (basic research, applied research and demonstration)
• Capital expenditure – e.g. investment in new production facilities; new materials; prototyping; tooling; land and building costs – but in all cases linked to the project and the project’s duration
• Staff costs linked to the project
• Training costs linked to the project

Recoverable indirect taxes are excluded.

2. The applicant must provide evidence of having exhausted private sector sources before seeking either a guarantee or loan eg. evidence that a bank/banks have refused to fund. In general, HMG would expect to offer loan guarantees rather than direct loans to minimise the risk to the tax payer. Applicants seeking loans must demonstrate why the project cannot be financed on the basis of a Government guarantee or a third party loan and ensure their project is in line with EU Commission conditions for loans. It must also give details and demonstrate how and when the guarantee/loan will no longer be required/repaid.

3. In accordance with the European Commission’s Temporary State Aid Framework, under which this support scheme is provided, the following conditions as a minimum must be met and we would ask applicants to provide evidence demonstrating²:

• that the company is viable and, in particular, was not a firm in difficulty before 1 July 2008 according to the EU Commission’s view of what constitutes a firm in difficulty . The EU Commission regards a firm as being in difficulty in where it has lost more than half its capital, and more than a quarter of it over the previous 12 months.
• That the maximum guarantee or loan sought does not exceed the total annual wage bill of the applicant (including social charges and the cost of on site subcontractors) for 2008.
• Under the current EU Commission’s Temporary State Aid Framework, guarantees or loans must be granted by no later than 31 December 2010.
• Loans must be specifically linked to projects that involve early adaptation to or go beyond future European Community product standards on environmental protection.

The applicant should provide evidence that their application meets the above conditions, particularly on viability.

4. The Government is likely to require part or all of any guarantee or loan to be secured against the applicant’s assets and/or those of a parent company (where applicable), depending on the risk exposure for the taxpayer. The applicant must provide a summary of assets, including their current value, that are available to provide security.

5. The Government will charge an appropriate fee or interest rate to reflect HMG’s administrative costs and expected risk involved and with the aim of ensuring that the Government achieves good commercial value. The actual fee or rate will be set on a case by case basis and must comply with State Aid law. The Government is prepared to use the flexibilities available under the Temporary Community framework for State aid measures to support access to finance in the current financial and economic crisis in arriving at the appropriate fee or rate for the loan guarantee/loan.

Hydraulic Hybrid Research

EPA is a research leader in the application of hydraulics in vehicles. Hydraulic hybrid technology uses a hydraulic energy storage and propulsion system in the vehicle. This hydraulic system captures and stores a large fraction of the energy normally wasted in vehicle braking and uses this energy to help propel the vehicle during the next vehicle acceleration. The hydraulic system also enables the engine to operate more efficiently when it is needed.

Hydraulic hybrids draw from two sources of power to operate the vehicle - the diesel or gasoline engine and the hydraulic components. In other words, a typical diesel-powered or gasoline powered vehicle can be fitted with hydraulic components as a secondary energy storage system. The primary hydraulic components are two hydraulic accumulator vessels (a high-pressure accumulator capable of storing hydraulic fluid compressing inert nitrogen gas and a low-pressure accumulator) and one or more hydraulic pump/motor units.

Benefits of Hydraulic Technology: Hydraulic drivetrains are particularly attractive for vehicle applications that entail a significant amount of stop-and-go driving, such as urban delivery trucks or school buses. A major benefit of a hydraulic hybrid vehicle is the ability to capture and use a large percentage of the energy normally lost in vehicle braking. Hydraulic hybrids can quickly and efficiently store and release great amounts of energy due to a higher power density. This is a critical factor in maximizing braking energy recovered and increasing the fuel economy benefit. While the primary benefit of hydraulics is higher fuel economy, hydraulics also increase vehicle acceleration performance. Hydraulic hybrid technology cost-effectively allows the engine speed or torque to be independent of vehicle speed resulting in cleaner and more efficient engine operation.

Future of Hydraulics: Hydraulic hybrid systems create a unique opportunity to optimize engine operations. EPA has produced research concept vehicles that demonstrate the hydraulic technology. One concept vehicle is an urban delivery truck that uses hydraulic "launch assist." This delivery truck retains its conventional engine and transmission, but adds on a hydraulics package optimized for fuel economy. The next generation of hydraulic vehicles involves fully integrating hydraulic technology. In this configuration, the "full" hydraulic hybrid replaces the conventional drivetrain with a hydraulic drivetrain and eliminates the need for a transmission and transfer case. Using the full hydraulic drive in conjunction with EPA's clean diesel combustion technology is projected to improve fuel economy even more.

EPA also has achieved major breakthroughs in designing hydraulic accumulators and pump/motors to be more efficient, smaller, and lighter for motor vehicle applications, which will help improve fuel efficiency. EPA currently has cooperative research and development agreements with several private sector partners to further the development of hydraulics.

Variable Valve Timing & Lift (VVT&L)

Valves control the flow of air and fuel, into the cylinders and exhaust out of them. When and how long the valves open (timing) and how much the valves move (lift) both affect engine efficiency.

Optimum timing and lift settings are different for high and low engine speeds. Traditional designs, however, use fixed timing and lift settings, which are a compromise between the optimum for high and low speeds. VVT&L systems automatically alter timing and lift to the optimum settings for the engine speed.

What type of glove makes the most sense for car painters?

Don't make your choice based on price alone! All gloves do not provide the same level of protection. Latex gloves, for example, offer little or no protection because they rapidly degrade after being exposed to many chemicals found in paint materials. Latex gloves are not a good
choice for most painting tasks.

Nitrile gloves, in contrast, provide a better barrier to paints and organic solvents—the chemicals that are some of the toughest on gloves. Because they protect well and are durable, nitrile gloves (which cost about $10.00 for a box of 100 pairs) offer good value for your safety dollar. Of course, even nitrile gloves would not provide adequate protection against all chemicals for all tasks.

Certain strong solvents used in paints and for clean-up, like methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), pass through nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves should not be used for tasks where direct immersion of gloves in MEK lasts longer than a few minutes. Other glove types, like butyl rubber, provide a stronger barrier to MEK and similar chemicals, but these gloves are very expensive and might not offer painters the "feel" they need for most tasks.

Ultimately, shop owners should work with their painters and glove distributors to identify the right gloves: ones that protect against auto refinishing chemicals, fit comfortably, suit the task, and are a good protection value.

In a paint shop you're exposed to many chemicals that pass through gloves at varying rates. The right glove must protect you from the chemicals that penetrate gloves fastest.

Use the Recommended Grade of Motor Oil

You can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent by using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Using 5W-30 in an engine designed for 5W-20 can lower your gas mileage by 1-1.5 percent. Also, look for motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

Hybrids Vehicles

Hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors and can be configured to obtain different objectives, such as improved fuel economy, increased power, or additional auxiliary power for electronic devices and power tools.

Some of the advanced technologies typically used by hybrids include

Regenerative Braking. The electric motor applies resistance to the drivetrain causing the wheels to slow down. In return, the energy from the wheels turns the motor, which functions as a generator, converting energy normally wasted during coasting and braking into electricity, which is stored in a battery until needed by the electric motor.

Electric Motor Drive/Assist. The electric motor provides additional power to assist the engine in accelerating, passing, or hill climbing. This allows a smaller, more efficient engine to be used. In some vehicles, the motor alone provides power for low-speed driving conditions where internal combustion engines are least efficient.

Automatic Start/Shutoff. Automatically shuts off the engine when the vehicle comes to a stop and restarts it when the accelerator is pressed. This prevents wasted energy from idling.

Alternative Fuels to the Vehicals

Alternative fuels are derrived from resources other than petroleum. Some are produced domestically, reducing our dependence on imported oil, and some are derived from renewable sources. Often, they produce less pollution than gasoline or diesel.

To promote alternative fuels, the Federal government offers tax incentives to consumers purchasing qualifying alternative fuel vehicles.

	Ethanol is produced domestically from corn and other crops and produces less greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuels.
	Biodiesel is derived from vegetable oils and animal fats. It usually produces less air pollutants than petroleum-based diesel.
	Natural gas is a fossil fuel that generates less air pollutants and greenhouse gases.
	Propane, also called liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), is a domestically abundant fossil fuel that generates less harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gases.
	Hydrogen can be produced domestically from fossil fuels (such as coal), nuclear power, or renewable resources, such as hydropower. Fuel cell vehicles powered by pure hydrogen emit no harmful air pollutants.

Speed Management

Speed management is a national and far-reaching problem that is best solved through collaborative and comprehensive efforts at all levels of government. However, from road design to enforcement the ability to implement policies designed to mitigate speed-related injuries and fatalities rests largely with State and local officials.

To help local officials and community safety advocates like you take control of the speeding management problem, the U.S. Department of Transportation is offering speed management training at locations across the country. In the span of just two days, U.S. DOT Speed Management Workshop attendees will learn how to:

• Evaluate crash data to identify speed-related problem areas;
• Review engineering of roadway segments to determine how to set reasonable speed limits;
• Enforce established speed limits appropriately;
• Develop effective public relations and media campaign strategies; and
• Secure collaboration and cooperation from traffic engineers, law enforcement, public policy makers and the criminal justice system.

2010 Prius first with ejector-cycle air conditioning

Toyota Prius fuel economy has always been about more than its gasoline-electric hybrid system. Low coefficient of drag, high-efficiency charging system, low-rolling-resistance tires, and zero-drag brakes also make measurable contributions. The 2010 model adds ejector-cycle air-conditioning to the list. Even if you have heard of ejector cycle, the design in the Prius not only is the first in an automobile, but one that by virtue of its integrated design is an impressive new engineering development.

In conventional A/C, the energy expended by the compressor to produce and circulate high-pressure liquid refrigerant is merely dispersed as the refrigerant exits the expansion valve, where it depressurizes and expands into heat-absorbing vapor in the evaporator. Engineers long have experimented with devices that, in a cost-effective way, could recover some of the energy of that blow-off of pressure to reduce workload of the compressor that pressurized the refrigerant in the first place. The need to meet new fuel-economy regulations is an incentive, and the ejector is an answer developed by Denso Corp. In the Prius, it reduces compressor power consumption by 11% at 25°C (77°F), 18% at 35°C (95°F), and 24% at 40°C (104°F).

The ejector, a specially shaped pipe with no moving parts, produces a pumping action from the pressurized flow of refrigerant. It has been used in large transport refrigerators and freezer trucks since its introduction in 2003. The first designs (as well as one section of the new ejector-cycle systems) are very similar to the jet pump, a venturi device that uses the normally wasted energy in the return flow from the pressure regulator in fuel systems. The venturi pulls fuel from one tank to another (as fuel in the pump-equipped tank is drawn out) in the "saddlebags" tanks of some SUVs.

Space requirements, including a large gas/liquid separator/accumulator on the low-pressure side, made early ejector-cycle systems unsuitable for automotive A/C applications. In 2008, an ejector system was introduced in the Toyota Land Cruiser, with a liquid reservoir built into the side of the condenser, eliminating the accumulator. However, that was a split application—one evaporator under the dash and a second in the console for a refrigerator, to enable one system to operate at two different temperatures. One temperature is chosen by the driver for cabin comfort, while the other is to keep food cold in the refrigerator.

Although the Land Cruiser system is a precursor of the type used in the Prius, no operating efficiency improvement was quantified, and the considerable space required was available.

In the Prius, the condenser with liquid reservoir continues, but more importantly there are two compact evaporators face-butted together. It is an ingenious package that includes the ejector pipe and a capillary tube that connects one evaporator with the ejector. This integration enables the system to fit into the under-dash area.

At the start of the cycle, operation is conventional. Refrigerant vapor first is pumped by the compressor through the condenser (where it cools to a liquid), then flows to the "expansion valve."

But in the ejector cycle, opening of the expansion valve does not allow refrigerant to vaporize; Denso calls it “flow adjustment valve.” Although pressure drops somewhat as refrigerant passes through, the valve is primarily metering the refrigerant flow according to system cooling requirements. The liquid refrigerant flow then splits, most of it—called "drive flow"—going to the ejector, and some of it—called "suction flow"—into a capillary tube.

Refrigerant flow through the capillary tube continues into and through what is called the "downwind" evaporator, where it vaporizes and produces low-temperature air. Simultaneously at the ejector, a tapered nozzle speeds up the refrigerant "drive flow," creating a low-pressure area around it, which draws in the refrigerant ("suction flow") exiting the downwind evaporator—the jet pump effect.

The drive and suction flows pass into a straight pipe section of the ejector, where they mix. The mixed flow continues into a widening pipe section called the "diffuser." Because the diffuser is wider, the mixed refrigerant flow slows down, so the pressure rises in this section of the ejector—that pressure rise translates to compressor work recovery. The higher-pressure refrigerant continues into and through what is called the "upwind" evaporator, and back to the compressor inlet, where it reduces the work that the compressor must perform.

Although the pressure rise represents work recovery from the compressor outlet, it does raise the vaporization temperature of the refrigerant passing through the upwind evaporator vs. the downwind. So, one compact upwind evaporator would not provide performance equal to the combination component, called a “two-temperature evaporator.”

In the Prius, the two refrigerant flows are engineered to provide complementary A/C cooling from the two evaporators: air cooled in the upwind evaporator is further cooled by the downwind evaporator. Also, Denso has sized the fixed designs of the ejector and capillary tube, and tailored expansion valve operation to optimize efficiency over the ambient temperature range.

Warranty Protection

Used Cars: Warranty Protection

When shopping for a used car, look for a Buyer's Guide sticker posted on the car's side window. This sticker is required by the FTC on all used cars sold by dealers. It tells whether a service contract is available. It also indicates whether the vehicle is being sold with a warranty, with implied warranties only, or "as is."

• Warranty. If the manufacturer's warranty is still in effect on the used car, you may have to pay a fee to obtain coverage, making it a service contract. However, if the dealer absorbs the cost of the manufacturer's fee, the coverage is considered a warranty.
  
• Implied Warranties Only. There are two common types of implied warranties. Both are unspoken and unwritten and based on the principle that the seller stands behind the product. Under a "warranty of merchantability," the seller promises the product will do what it is supposed to do. For example, a toaster will toast, a car will run. If the car doesn't run, implied-warranties law says that the dealer must fix it (unless it was sold "as is") so that the buyer gets a working car. A "warranty of fitness for a particular purpose" applies when you buy a vehicle on a dealer's advice that it is suitable for a certain use, like hauling a trailer. Used cars usually are covered by implied warranties under state law.
  
• As Is - No Warranty. If you buy a car "as is," you must pay for all repairs, even if the car breaks down on the way home from the dealership. However, if you buy a dealer-service contract within 90 days of buying the used car, state law "implied warranties" may give you additional rights.
  Some states prohibit "as is" sales on most or all used cars. Other states require the use of specific words to disclaim implied warranties. In addition, some states have used car "lemon laws" under which a consumer can receive a refund or replacement if the vehicle is seriously defective. To find out about your state laws, check with your local or state consumer protection office or attorney general.

International Driving Permits

Although many countries do not recognize U.S. driver's licenses, most countries accept an International Driving Permit (IDP). IDPs are honored in more than 150 countries outside the United States. (See AAA’s application form for the list of countries). An IDP functions as an official translation of a U.S. driver's license into ten foreign languages. These licenses are not intended to replace valid U.S. state licenses and should only be used as a supplement to a valid U.S. license. IDPs are not valid in an individual’s country of residence. Before departure, you can obtain an IDP from an automobile association authorized by the U.S. Department of State to issue IDPs. Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic (1949) authorizes the U.S. Department of State to empower certain organizations to issue IDPs to those who hold valid U.S. driver’s licenses. The Department designated the American Automobile Association (AAA) and the American Automobile Touring Alliance as the only authorized distributors of IDPs.

Many foreign countries require the deposit of a customs duty or an equivalent bond for each tourist automobile entering their territory, and the motoring associations are equipped with the necessary facilities to expeditiously provide a standard bond document (Article 3 of the Convention). The Convention is not applicable to United States motorists using their cars in the United States.

Why the Nutrition Facts label is important

• Check servings and calories. Look at the serving size and how many servings the package contains. If you consume one serving, the label clearly outlines the nutrients you get. If you double the servings you eat, you double the calories and nutrients, including the Percent Daily Value (% DV).
• Make your calories count. Look at the calories on the label and note where the calories are coming from (fat, protein, or carbohydrate). Compare them with the other nutrients, like vitamins and minerals, to decide whether the food is worth eating.
• Don't sugar-coat it. Since sugars contribute calories with few, if any, nutrients, look for foods and beverages low in added sugars. Read the ingredient list and make sure that added sugars are not one of the first few ingredients. Some names for added sugars (caloric sweeteners) include sucrose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, maple syrup, and fructose.
• Know your fats. Look for foods low in saturated fats, trans fats, and cholesterol to help reduce the risk of heart disease (5% DV or less is low, 20% DV or more is high). Most of the fats you eat should be polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Keep total fat intake between 20% to 35% of calories.
• Reduce sodium (salt), increase potassium. Research shows that eating less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium (about 1 teaspoon of salt) per day might reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Most of the sodium people eat comes from processed foods, not from the salt shaker. Also, look for foods high in potassium (tomatoes, bananas, potatoes, and orange juice) which counteracts some of sodium's effects on blood pressure.

New Exhibit At White Hall State Historic Site Opens Aug. 20

White Hall State Historic Site will be unveiling a new exhibit that will highlight Abraham Lincoln memorabilia as well as the important role that enslaved African Americans played at the historic home.

White Hall served as the home of Cassius Marcellus Clay, an emancipationist who was a friend of Lincoln’s and served as his ambassador to Russia. The home near Richmond was built in 1798-99 and was renovated in the mid-1860s.

The new exhibit is funded from a grant from the Kentucky Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. A ceremony opening the exhibit will be Aug. 20 at 10 a.m. at the site’s welcome center.

Among the items featured will be the document Lincoln signed appointing Clay ambassador, a page from Harpers Weekly about Lincoln as a candidate for president and a dress worn by Clay’s wife, Mary Jane Clay, which she wore when she was presented to the Czar of Russia. These items will be featured at the welcome center and the mansion.

The portion of the exhibit on the slaves, called “…Lest you forget my name,” will include excerpts from Clay’s father, Green Clay, on what was to be done with 105 slaves.

The exhibit features a tree with an outline of Africa at the base. Hanging from the tree's branches are torn pieces of paper with the Green Clay slaves listed on them--symbolizing the fact that these people were torn from their families.

The exhibit will also provide details of the life of one slave named Mary who lived at the estate and reportedly worked with Cassius Clay in the garden. The discovery of the foundation of a two-room outbuilding in 2006 spurred interest in the life of slaves at the home. White Hall is located in Richmond, off I-75 at exit 95.