Hurricane Ike threatens to slow recovery after last week’s Gulf storm; Harley says screw fuel economy; and who are using the most Green products these days?

Hurricane Ike threat stalls Gulf oil recovery: Another week, another major Gulf hurricane. Last Monday, it was Hurricane Gustav making landfall along the Louisiana coast. The storm caused some damage and a total shutdown of the region’s oil production and transit facilities. Now, seven days later, recovery efforts are being postponed as Hurricane Ike lumbers across Cuba and again brings a storm threat to the northern Gulf. World oil prices rebounded sharply in Monday trading on the Asian markets on news of the recovery delay, gaining $2 a barrel on Friday’s close. (Reuters)

Daimler to Electrify Autobahn With “e-mobility Berlin”: With German carmaker Daimler on record as planning to shift its entire line of vehicles to electric drivetrains, it’s nor surprise to see them actively promoting creation of the infrastructure to support a plug-in fleet. The company is partnering with German utility RWE to seed 500 electric charging stations at points around Berlin — probably the largest such commitment yet announced. The charging stations will service about 100 test vehicles beginning early next year. The “smart stations” will communicate with vehicles as they are charged, automatically billing the owner. (Earth2Tech)

Harley-Davidson says “screw fuel mileage”: Talk about mixed messages. Harley Davidson — while cleverly mentioning that their motorcycles get about 50 miles per gallon — has mounted an iconoclastic advertising campaign dismissing concerns over fuel economy: “Let’s ride to parties like rock stars. Let’s fill the tank that gives back more than we put in. So screw it, let’s ride.” The campaign was created by Minneapolis ad firm Carmichael Lynch. (Autoblog Green)

Older Demographics Biggest Users of Green Products: Who is using the greatest number of Green products? A new survey by ommunication company ICOM says it’s not younger consumers — it’s adults over the age of 55. Leading the way: 55 to 59 year old women, followed by 65-69 year old men. When those who don’t choose Green products were asked why, 50 percent responded that cost was the main reason. Another 17 percent said they doubted Green products are actually better for the environment. (Environmental Leader)

Solar Lights Just Keep Getting Neater : Sanyo is entering the solar-powered flashlight market. Their new Enerloop solar light actually doubles as both a traditional beam flashlight and a three-setting panel light. It uses LEDs to maximize efficiency, and features a side-mounted USB port for cellphone charging. It’s a slow charge: 15 to 30 hours for full capacity. But for your patience, you get up to 50 hours of light, depending on which light mode you choose. (EcoGeek)