Something tells me that General Motors is not willing to play second fiddle on next generation vehicles. Toyota pretty much slapped them upside the head with the Prius and other fuel-efficient vehicles and the Detroit automaker is taking the lesson to heart with hydrogen. GM announced earlier this week that it has moved 500 fuel-cell engineers and scientists from the laboratory side of the company into the chain of command that actually produces cars.

This move is more than symbolic as it shows an actual transition from the R&D and into the initial stages of commercialization of the vehicles. When pressed for a timeline on hydrogen vehicles showing up in dealerships, Larry Burns, vice president of research and development, offered that they could be available within five or six years. From the article,

Burns said he's not yet willing to say exactly when hydrogen vehicles will be mass-produced, but he said it should happen before 2020, the year many experts have predicted.

"I sure would be disappointed if we weren't there" before 2020, he said Wednesday at his office in GM's sprawling technical center campus in the Detroit suburb of Warren.

Of course, the promises of a hydrogen economy have been whispered in ears for decades without much to show beyond some "proof of life" concepts at trade shows and celebrity parties. There are still massive questions regarding high-price, fueling infrastructures, range, and storage capacity. To GM's credit however — and based on interviews I've had with their executives — there appears to be a genuine push to lead this market and take the crown of innovation before anyone else. Starting this Fall, more than 100 consumers will have the opportunity to test-drive their own personal fuel-cell vehicle for several weeks in New York, Washington and Los Angeles. That's a huge step towards realizing the future of alternative energy vehicles — even if we're still faced with a chicken/egg type scenario. Let's hope GM's big picture allows the other pieces of the puzzle to fall easily into place.

Hit the jump for more.

The plastic bag's stranglehold on American stores around the country just received its first blow. In what will be a first for the nation if fully passed, San Francisco's Board of Supervisors today voted 10-1 to prohibit petroleum-based checkout bags in large markets and pharmacies.

Such a move would usher in the use of eco-friendly alternatives; biodegradable plastic or recycled paper bags. The legislation (which still needs one more vote to pass) would take effect within six months for San Fran's 50 markets — and 12 months for big-chain drugstores like Rite-Aid.

This is a welcome move. Although only introduced to our shopping culture 25 years ago, the plastic bag has waged hell on our environment. Between 500 billion-1 trillion are used each year worldwide. The largest problem is that they are not biodegradable, only photodegradable. In other words, they break down into smaller and smaller pieces of the same material — but only if exposed to sunlight. Animals choke on them, sea life becomes entangled — in the ocean, it's been reported that there are two islands of plastic bags each the size of Texas. Yikes.

Each city bears the burden of not only the environmental impact, but also the disposal of plastic bags. San Francisco alone spends $8.5 million a year on disposal. So, the city (and the country) are ready for a change. The new alternatives, made from corn by-products, have markets in San Fran nervous over costs, durability, and quality. Like any shift, however, it's time to stop whining and move forward with the new rules. On the flip side, corn farmers have another potential windfall in their sights. San Francisco may only be the beginning of a massive national sweep. If more corn-based bags are needed, what will this do to the price of food? Agriculture experts are already concerned over ethanol's effect on production in the U.S.

If anything, the lesson here is try and bring your own reuseable bag to the grocery store when possible. While these latest shifts are encouraging, consuming less by reusing items should not be lost in our quest for a new grocery bag. For the sake of the environment, however, let's hope San Francisco's commitment inspires others to follow suit.