Does triple-digit gas mileage sound like a dream to you? Does the ubiquity of gas-guzzling Hummers and SUVs look like anything less than a nightmare? Well, wake up and smell the carbon monoxide.

I’m just kidding, of course. Carbon monoxide is strictly odorless. But our failure to develop more fuel-efficient vehicles over the last three decades — while flooding the market with less efficient cars (and flooding our seas with oil spills) — truly stinks.

In 1984 Craig Henderson and Bill Green built a car that got over 100 miles per gallon. And this year Henderson drove his new car from Canada to Mexico on a single tank of gas. He averaged almost 120 mpg.

Read the whole story here!

Federal law now requires automakers to average 35 mpg by 2016. Should we be impressed? By now we should be thinking about new cars that will break the 200 mpg barrier. There’s a idea worth dreaming about.

In the meantime, you can petition the EPA to make 60 mpg vehicles the new standard 2025!

Enjoy our song of the day from this once popular quartet from Liverpool.

“I want to ride my bicycle!!!” (my bamboo bicycle)

Is there a greener form of transportation on this earth than riding your bicycle? The average U.S gas mileage in 2005 was 21 mpg, so theoretically, for every 21 miles you put on your foot buggy, you save a gallon of gas. You put no toxic waste in to the air, and jeez, if you ride 21 m/day, you’re bound to get in decent shape. But can you make it greener? YES YOU CAN! CAN YOU MAKE IT GREENER?!?!?!?! YES YOU CAN!!!! CAN YOU MAKE IT GREEEEEEEENER?!?!?!?!? YES YOU CAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!! (whew. got a little too excited.) How? Bamboo bicycles, of course. Cool huh?

As I’m sure you know already, bamboo is a sustainable resource. It grows naturally in great abundance, and requires no pesticides or fertilizers. It provides more oxygen than trees, and prevents soil erosion, amongst other things. This means you’re saving the planet when you choose bamboo made products over plastic, aluminum, steel and wood. Additionally bamboo is stronger and lighter than steel, more flexible so as to absorb shocks from riding, sturdy and long lasting, (it isn’t going to rust) and can be worked and formed without even using electricity or other such intensive resources, while simultaneously providing job opportunities such as harvesting, building and shipping.

So where can you get one of these newfangled contraptions? Well there’s a pretty neat company out there called Bamboosero. The company was conceived in 1995 when the CEO, Craig Calfee, made his first bamboo bike. Since then, it has been a fifteen year journey to get the place they are now. The fine folks there provide job opportunities in several different locations including New Zealand, Zambia, Ghana, Uganda and the Philippines- all places where bamboo is native. This, along with keeping mother earth alive, is the goal of their company. You can opt to buy a frame or a complete shiny new bicycle (with some parts made from other materials) and get to know builders through their online profiles.

Once you get your bike, come on in and see us to get some to-go wear and some locally made sunscreen to take on your cross country trip. Go forth, and put the bamboo fun between your legs.

Song of the day: Pink Floyd’s “Bike”

Bambu Batu, The House of Bamboo, currently at 1127 Broad will be moving to 1023 Broad St. on September 1, without the aid of fossil fuels or the emission of greenhouse gasses. We are moving into the building shared by Old World Rugs and the Antique Boutique, across from Creekside Brewing and the SLO Museum of Art. Bambu Batu has been in business for five years, three years in its current location.

We are very excited about moving one block closer to the Mission, into a larger space with plentiful windows, streams of natural light, sweeping creekside vistas, and enhanced Zen access. The move has nothing to do with earthquake retrofitting, it’s simply a great opportunity to land a bigger, better location in a space that hasn’t come up for rent in over 30 years. We will be holding a storewide moving sale throughout the month of August with everything reduced at least 20%. We’ll also hold a grand opening party at the new location, sometime in September. (Details forthcoming.)

In keeping with our philosophy of sustainability and global consciousness, we intend to make this a FOSSIL FUEL FREE move. All of our inventory, fixtures and equipment will be carried, rolled or wheeled up Broad Street by use of organic and socially responsible man- and woman-power. We don’t expect to save the planet by moving the entire business without the use of fossil fuels and combustible engines, but we do hope to raise some awareness about the benefits of car-free locomotion.

It happens to millions of Americans every day: they get in their cars just to go 2 or 3 blocks away, and often spend more time parking than it would have taken them to walk the short distance. These short and unnecessary drives typify the conspicuous dependency on oil and automobiles that contributes daily to frivolous fuel consumption, excessive greenhouse emissions, rising rates of obesity, and a general disconnect with the environment.

We expect to carry out this move in just a couple of days with the help of a small team of volunteers, dollies and bamboo wagons. In addition to the warm sense of community and camaraderie, volunteers will also be treated to an assortment of refreshments. For move info about our moving sale, grand opening party, or to volunteer, contact Bambu Batu at 788-0806.