Green Planet and Me

 
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Relevant Details on the Obama Administration’s Stimulus Package Tax Credit For Hybrid Vehicles

 
President Obama’s stimulus bill, which is also referred to as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, enables us to claim certain benefits for hybrid vehicles. More specifically, Hybrid vehicles are offered a tax credit as per the stimulus package. All vehicles purchased from the year 2006 are eligible for the hybrid vehicle tax credit. The following includes some of the details of of the stimulus package.

 
Note that the best person to guide you effectively in this aspect is your tax consultant. Choose a good consultant and check out all possible details before filing your returns. You can also go online and read reviews, analysis and reports on the stimulus tax credit for hybrid vehicles to find more details.

 
The credit amount depends on multiple factors:

 
First, you must be the owner of extended range electric vehicles or plug in hybrids. Your hybrid model has drive trains which are powered by both rechargeable batteries and internal combustion engine.

 
Second, your eligibility depends on the vehicle model and the state where it was purchased. This scheme is also known as the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit and all vehicles purchased after 1st January 2006 are eligible for this.

 
Third, if your hybrid vehicle was on road in the year 2008 and you are a taxpayer, then you can certainly claim credit. However, according to the stimulus package, credit will be given only to those who are the actual owners of the hybrid vehicles and not for those who have purchased the vehicle on a resale in the year 2008.

 
Fourth, the vehicle size and battery pack also plays a role in determining your eligibility for tax credit in the plug-in hybrid range. If you own a Chevy Volt, you should get a credit somewhere around $7,500 if you qualify. If you own a plug-in truck you may even be eligible for credit that can be as high as $15,000.

 
Finally, if your vehicle is extremely fuel efficient, you may even be eligible for credit worth $3,000.

 
In addition, there are other factors to consider:

• Credits will be given to new hybrid vehicles (those models which came out last year). The limit for a manufacturer is 60,000 vehicles. After this number of vehicles is sold, the available credit starts coming down until it is completely eliminated. Vehicle owners must wait for the manufacturer to reach the sales limit and file before the end of third month following the quarter.
• The manufacturing company is not an eligibility criterion and as of now around 500,000 vehicles are eligible for tax credits.
  It is also worth noting that there are other benefits offered in this package, including a $2 billion grant for manufacturing and development in the battery sector. A tax paying buyer who goes in for vehicle conversion will be eligible for up to 10% of the conversion price or a maximum of $4,000.

 
In conclusion, whether you own a hybrid vehicle, or if you are planning on buying a new hybrid car, you may be pleasantly surprised to find a deduction in your local sales tax and auto loans.

 
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Whether we want to admit or even think about it, air pollution is a real problem, one that continues to affect our environment and our lives each and every day. Although people who live in rural areas can easily forget that such a problem exists (as they do not see smog and factories on a daily basis) or remember its causes (fewer cars on the roads), air pollution is a very real issue that affects everybody. At times we simply can’t ignore air pollution. For example, when driving past a factory pumping smoke clouds high into the sky, or when standing in a traffic jam smelling the exhaust of the car in front of us, it is hard not to imagine what damage it is doing to our body.

What is air pollution?
Air pollution consists of various types of chemicals and gases being passed into our atmosphere. The main cause of this unwanted pollution is vehicles. Second to to that are industrial factories that release dirty and dangerous fumes into the atmosphere.

Why is air pollution dangerous?

1. Health reasons: air pollution has been linked to numerous types of illnesses such as strokes, heart issues and breathing problems.
2. Global warming: air pollution is responsible for global warming. This phenomena leads to the gradual but persistent increase of the temperature of our planet. It has already started affecting entire ecosystems, and unless it is stopped, it will melt the polar ice caps which will raise sea levels. This will cause flooding in coastal cities such as New York and London.
3. Ozone layer: air pollution causes the ozone layer to shrink, thus, reducing its ability to shield us from ultraviolet radiation. This not only causes skin cancer, but also damages wildlife and plants.
4. Acid rain: certain pollutants can cause rain to turn to acid rain. This has a great impact on animals, fish and plants that are soaked in it. Acid rain can also affect the ground, making the soil toxic to many animals and plants.

How can we fight air pollution?

1. One way would be to use Hybrid vehicles. These vehicles produce about a fourth of the pollution of the average vehicle. Just imagine the global effects if everyone started driving such vehicles.
2. Using green energy, such as wind power, solar power, hydro electricity, geothermal power and biomass energy, rather than using fossil fuels for energy, would also have a large impact on air pollution.

Since this problem seems to only get worse in time, and we may reach the point where we damage the environment irrevorcably, the only logical solution is that everybody embrace ways that reduce air pollution in the hope that it will eventually, some day, be eliminated. Perhaps the only way this can be achieved is through education: although most people are familiar with air pollution and how it occurs, and are generally aware of its effects, many would rather turn their heads the other way rather than deal with this ever growing problem. The only way to truly overcome this problem is to start with the young: if we, collectively, can get our descendants to permanently change their ways by learning from our mistakes, then perhaps there is still hope for our planet – and ourselves.