Here are the final mpg figures for my trip back to Fort Mill. My Prius got 45 miles per gallon with my first refill on the trip back. The terrain was not as hilly so I did have higher expectations. On my second refill, the speed was the same but the hills were back. Traveling on I-81 and then I-77 through Virginia is like that. The MPG for this leg of the trip, hills and all, was 50.4. Go figure.

Was it the different fuels I used? I will do an extended blog on the different gas companies and how their products do affect fuel mileage. Stay tuned.

I have been writing my blog for a while now and thought it would be a good time to share my favorite Web sites that give me some great information that I share with you. Each one gives a good bit of information that is easy to use and easy to understand. Some are news-related and will keep you informed on what’s new on the environmental front and others give you great information to answer any questions you may have.

Two of my favorite news sites are Treehugger.com and Grist.org. Both of these sites are news-related and keep you up to date on what is happening in America and around the world. The writing is concise and will give you information in a small dose or if you choose, hit the “read more” button and the whole article will come up. Below the article is an area where you can respond to the piece and share your thoughts with others.

My favorite source for national policy information is the Sierra Club site, which is Sierraclub.org. Here you can sign up to become an activist and send letters to your senators or representatives about certain legislation that is coming up for a vote. It is easy to register your contact information in their data bank so when there is legislation that is coming up for a vote in your area, you will get an e-mail notifying you about it.

There will be a link and when you click it, it will take you to the action site and all your information will be filled in and your Senators and Representatives will be listed. You then have the choice to send the letter as is or personalize it with your own words. Either way, it’s an easy way to voice your opinion to your folks in Washington.

You may have seen Anna Crowley’s story on Ideal Bite. This is a Web site that you sign up for and everyday you get a bite size tip on how to be green. I have to admit I was skeptical about the site because of some of the early tips, but as time went by, I found they became very informative. So give it a try at Idealbite.com.

A great site for environmental information is Earth911.org. This site is an information clearinghouse for information on how to dispose of your items is a safe and environmental way. You enter your state and what you want to recycle or dispose of. Up will pop the information telling you how to get rid of your unwanted items.

Some of the items I wanted to know how to dispose of were fluorescent bulbs, unwanted CDs and DVDs, and old computers. It will tell you where to dispose of toxic chemicals, paints, batteries and other things that we need to dispose of correctly. It also has a great deal of information on how to be environmentally responsible.

Charlotte has a great Web site for recycling. Try it for yourself. Here you will find useful information on yard waste, types of items recycled in Charlotte and how to reduce your waste. Even if you live outside of Charlotte, this is a good source of information.

As anyone who has spent time on the Web will know, there are so many great sites out there giving valuable information about the environment. So go to the Web and have fun searching for other sites. If you find any that you think are good, e-mail the site to me and I will have a follow up blog on favorite sites. You can contact me at tesposito@wcnc.com.

This coming weekend, I will be going on a Sustainable Energy House Tour and I will be writing about it in my next blog.