Al Gore calls on Americans to get fossil fuel free by 2020; there’s talk of a revived national speed limit; and how to read plastic bottle recycling codes.

Gore’s Goal: Former V.P. Lays Down a Green Gauntlet: Nobel Prize Laureate Al Gore laid out his vision for a green America on Thursday, challenging industry and government to take the nation fossil fuel-free by 2020. The Gore plan — as ambitious as it is improbable — calls for massive public investments in electrical transmission lines to carry wind and solar power to market. Comparing the race to sustainable energy to the moon program of the 1960s, Gore asked Americans to “take a giant leap for humankind” through a combination of nuclear power, clean coal, and solar and wind technology. (WSJ.com)

Senator Introduces Gasoline Conservation Bill; Study of 60 mph Limit: Virginia U.S. Senator John Warner took the plunge Thursday and introduced the “Immediate Steps to Conserve Gasoline Act.” At the heart of the legislation is a national speed limit of 60 mph. While lower speed limits clearly reduce gasoline consumption, they’ve also proven deeply unpopular in the past. The former 55 mph, passed in 1974 as a reaction to the Arab Oil Embargo, was widely ignored by motorists, finally being abolished in 1995. (Green Car Congress)

NYC taxi fleets may have trouble shifting to hybrids: A new Mew York City law mandating a transition for the city’s cabs to hybrid models has hit a snag: there just aren’t enough hybrids to go around. While several automakers are promising to produce up to 300 hybrid cabs per month to help with the switch, it will be at least 2012 before the majority of NYC’s fleet can be modernized. Consumers are having difficulty purchasing hybrid vehicles this summer, due in large part to the inability of battery companies to meet demand. (USA Today)

A Guide To Recycling Codes On Plastic Containers: With weekend shopping and errands ahead, we thought we’d pass along this handy and easy-to-understand guide to reading plastic bottle codes put together by The Go Green Blog. What we particularly like about this presentation is that it lists how the different varieties of bottles are usually recycled. While you’re at it, learn to read those cryptic codes you see on fruit sold at the grocery store. (The Go Green Blog)

NEC’s New Display Comes With Carbon Meter: Pick up a new NEC video monitor, and you may notice something new: a carbon meter. The new display approximates the savings in carbon dioxide emissions provided by the new monitors’ energy features. NEC’s carbon meter debuts in the company’s 26-inch EA261WM desktop LCD monitor. (The Environmental Leader)

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