McDonald’s in not exactly known for the healthy choices it offers its customers or the eco-friendly impact it has on the environment.  Best known for the golden arches and the Big Mac and grease, McDonald’s is working hard to change its image.

The company is beginning to make its waste cooking oil into biodiesel fuel for powering up its trucking fleet in Europe.  It will take almost an entire year to get the whole fleet converted.

I admire the corporate world for looking to creative ways to help the environment, but I can’t help but wonder if there is more in it for them.  I have a friend that owns a car run on waste cooking oil.  It smells a lot like what’s been cooking.  Now imagine an entire fleet of trucks driving around the region smelling like fries.  It could be almost as bad as the sound of the ice cream truck.

Still, the conversion of the McDonald’s fleet (according to their own figures) will save almost 2,000 tons of carbon.  Since it will also help the company by cutting the cost of shipping (because of the reducing in fuel purchases), I can only dream that it will also reduce the cost of my next run through the drive through.

Small, gas mileage savvy vehicles are great for the environment.  They are also easy on the wallet - costing less in initial price and in long term gas expense.  Now the automotive industry is poised to push the compact to a whole new level.

Renault-Nissan is planning for the future of the automotive industry by designing a compact car for under $3000.   The truly amazing thing is that they won’t be the first.  Tata Motors, an Indian carmaker, plans to launch its own $2500 car as early as next year.

Our family owns a compact car.  On the city roads, it’s not so bad.  You may have to get out of the car at the drive thru window, because the car sits so low to the ground, but it feels safe enough.  You may have to get out and push it up super steep hills, but it’ll get you there (eventually).

Interstate driving is a whole different experience.  Staring at the wheels of an 18-wheeler and realizing you probably COULD fit right under it (and the trucker would never even know it) just isn’t all that comforting -especially at speeds around 70 mph.  I still get chills from my last long distance trip in that tiny car.

There is probably a place and a need for a car so compact that it can be sold for less than a go-cart, but I can promise you it won’t be in my garage.  I’m not so green that I’m ready to become fertilizer for the cause.