With all of the great "Green" campaigns out there, it appears that the best is yet to come. It is called the Automotive X-Prize Competition and will appeal to both environmentalists and consumers alike.

Whether you're a male model thinking that there is more to life than being really, really ridiculously good looking or, probably more practical, a team of designers and engineers, this is your chance to make a difference. Between now and 2009, anyone in the world has the opportunity to attempt to build a car with 100 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) for this non-government sponsored contest.

Registration is happening now (you are going to need to hurry if you want to be involved) and so begins the competition that will lead to two actual road races in 2009. The hope is to have production begin sometime in 2010 on the cars approved by judges that perform up to the following environmental standards:

• Fuel economy of at least 100 mpge
• Total greenhouse gas emissions of less than 200 grams per mile,
• Criteria emissions in line with current US Standards,
• Greenhouse gas emissions from production similar to vehicles currently in production

However, the competition's judges are not looking for some kind of fantasy car either. Entries for the "Mainstream" class of cars must be relatively affordable and address most of the needs of consumers (i.e. 4 seats with an enclosed cabin, seat belts, mirrors, etc). Essentially, people need to be able to buy the car, and they need to want to buy it for their everyday driving needs.

Those with an eye on the future can enter the "Alternative" class competition. Think of this as the concept X-Prize car, but judges will be very critical in determining if they are designed with a realistic view on the future of transportation.

Those who will not be participating in the contest? How about the major auto makers. Sure, they are all working on their own hybrid systems, but I doubt that many have 100 mpge is on their 2009/2010 radar. There is a cash prize going to the winners, but it probably won't cover the losses on the Buick Terraza (Buick Terraza? Yea, exactly).

As for the rest of us, all we can do now is sit back and, as Dallas Cowboy's Wide Receiver Terrell Owens says, "Getcha Popcorn Ready."