In our rush to find alternatives to fossil fuels and our lust for energy saving devices we often find ourselves creating worse problems than the ones we started with. For instance, we ban Thomas Edison’s light bulb in favor of the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) and later find out we are creating a new environmental threat in the process.

“Honey, we need a new light bulb in the den.”

“Well dear get the Hazmat suit on and go replace it.”

Not to mention the strange hue of light these new fangled bulbs emit. CFL’s: Making even the most expensive house look like a cheap motel.

And now this story from Barkhamsted Connecticut where a Chevy Volt is being blamed for burning down a families garage as the electric hybrid vehicle was being charged overnight in the couples garage. Lets face it the massive amount of electricity that must be used to recharge these vehicles is probably hell on old houses with old-fashioned wiring. In this case only a well placed firewall saved the family from losing their home as well as the garage. This will likely not be the only time something like this happens as more and more folks move to buy electric vehicles in an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint. Continue reading Chevy Volt: great on gas, terrible on garages. →