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As for the golf carts, all the roads leading to the school are privately owned so we can kind of do what we want (which sometimes isn't such a good thing).
I would agree. I try to conserve and be as energy efficient as possible. I don't drive my Suburban 80mph down the hwy, I drive a reasonable speed and combine trips as best as I can to try to make it as efficient as possible (I know it's an oxymoron). I try to clothes line dry as much laundry as possible reducing our use of the dryer. I've installed CFL's in our lights that get used the most.
My point was more in regards to people judging me when I'm filling my boat and or Suburban up. If one more person comes up to me and says "God, I'd hate to have to fill that up" I might go postal. I'm not kidding, that's a very common comment when I get our boat out. I usually respond that it doesn't bother me one bit and they usually go on their way. The quality time my family spends together is worth every penny and then some.
I'm not so certain about that...I think that there is too much coddling and cuddling going on in prison for my tastes...
I only use Mobil, because they do not add Ethanol. I know that Sunoco does, and I avoid it because you will get much worse fuel economy if you put gasoline into your engine that contains ANY Ethanol.
One gallon of gas with up to 10% Ethanol will give you about 70% the MPG you get with one gallon of real gasoline. That's what I recorded. You are helping farmers make billions in subsidies (your tax dollars) buying the Ethanol tainted gas, but I would just avoid it all together because it only makes operating your vehicle even MORE expensive.
Watch what you are putting into your tank, and don't be afraid to drive away if your see the little sticker "Up to 10% Ethanol Added"... unless of coarse money means nothing to you. :surprise:
I don't follow your numbers. The 30% mpg drop I've seen documented is with E85, not E10. With E10, the typical drop is 3-5%.
edit
Oops - texases beat me.
Regarding kid snatching - If there isn't any profit in it the police don't care - they are run by the courts. The courts are part of the government - the government is broke - if they can't fine you then it's not a priority. Always follow the money trail - thats where you will find the truth/answers. If your kid can't spot potential danger walking home - thats the parents job to teach that. My ex wife is a teacher - amazing how many parents wants others to do their job for them. Teachers teach - parents parent. My current wife works for CPS - we have way to many bad parents today. Teaching your kids to do the right thing and doing everything for them are 2 dif things. Whats the line? Teach a man to fish....
I don't think Maryland is a CARB state? Here in CA the cars have to match the emissions levels for the year of production.
Obviously, cars produced before CARB are exempt.
"1 hour of idling the car to pick up Johny from school might be an exageration, but even if it's more than a minute it's a waste of fuel. "
Is it a waste of fuel? The person is keeping comfortable. Aren't you being a bit obsessive about using a little gasoline. Should we stop using gasoline period? Where do you draw the line? Is taking a Sunday drive a problem? How about a long driving vacation? Or should we all live in caves doing absolutely nothing?
Seems like a pretty good gimmick to me.
For instance, let's say someone bought a vehicle that averages 17 mpg. If gas prices only rise to $4.25/gal over the next 3 years that represents a total savings of $2668. That's a lot better than the $1,500 rebate I received when I bought my Sebring last year.
It's worse than you think. Every morning at my school there are so many private vehicles clogging up the roadways that the buses have to wait 20-30 minutes before they can pull in and drop off their kids. Then there is another 20-30 minute wait to get off campus as mom revs up that big SUV and cuts off all the buses trying to blast back out. I seldom see more than one little darling in any of these cars. Just picture it, hundreds of cars and buses spewing all sorts of pollution, unable to move due to gridlock.
BTW, a big diesel school bus gets better per passenger milage than a Prius. I'll bet these parents send money to fight global warming and curse George Bush while they do it.
2019 Kia Soul+, 2015 Mustang GT, 2013 Ford F-150, 2000 Chrysler Sebring convertible
farmers can grow it, lobbiest can greese the skids for it, Congress can subsidize it (.51 cents per gallon) and service stations can offer it, but I won't be putting food in my gas tank.
just crazy
just say no to ethanol
Your point I address is your objection to the Hummer is that is the vehicle in which our soldiers are dying.( not it's being ostentatious, wastefull, look- at- me mall cruisers.)
IOW you wouldn't buy a Wrangler because it contained soldiers dying in the 40's.
Or because the Hummer is ostentatious, wastefull, look at me mall cruiser. Which is your real reason? I suspect the latter.
obsesive? I think I'm being global minded. I'd say if you can't leave the car at home, park it and walk in. Be social, get some exercize, use less gas, save money. Leave your gaz consuming comfort zone for the better of the planet.
Comfort? I suppose most Americans don't want to feel uncomfortable, don't want to take preventative medicine. We'd rather have triple by-pass surgery than give up that cheese burger and fries. The planet is on the same path.
Not talking to strangers sometimes doesn't do any good. There was a predator kidnapping story last year that made national news. It happened close to where I live.
Some of you may have heard the story about Shawn Hornbeck and Ben Owensby near St. Louis. Shawn was riding his bike around his neighborhood one afternoon when a pickup truck brushed him. The driver jumped out and apologized and suddenly pulled a gun on Shawn and forced him into the truck. No one heard a thing about him for years and everyone thought the worst. He'd just vanished.
4 years later Ben Owensby was walking home from the school bus stop. This same sicko forced Ben into the truck with a handgun. This time, however, a neighbor kid a few years older than Ben was driving home from school and noticed this strange truck driving down his rural road.
One thing led to another and a few weeks later they traced the owner to an apartment where the police discovered not only Ben but also Shawn. The sicko had told Shawn that he was getting too old and he wanted another young kid. Shawn promised that he would not run away in exchange for the sicko letting him live.
Anyhow, simply not talking to strangers doesn't always work.
In keeping on topic, I wonder what the MPG of the old Nissan truck was that he used to kidnap Ben?
me: I'm not questioning whether it is good or not. Next month it could be better. But Chrysler is simply offering these $2.99/gal cards instead of rebates. One way or another they have to bring the total cost down to what the consumer will pay. So Chrysler would either have to give a $2,000 rebate today, or pay $2,668 out over 3 years. If the world goes into recession and demand drops for oil, the price of gas may go back to $3 and Chrysler pays very little.
Yes they do. They pretty much all do in NYS.
Well you have to remember that there will be something like 15,000,000 additional new cars on the road, and maybe a few hundred additional 21 year old cars from over seas (most would be collector cars that won't be driven much).
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
....who had no lawn just a big cement slab painted green. I kid you not.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
mmm, I don't think idling is necessary for these businesses to survive.
When I show up to a drive-through (named Mc Drive in France), I just stop the engine and hand-push the car until I reach the booth. I don't need to struggle to match the pretty slow pace over there, provided that the area is flat. Of course, I don't drive a 3-Ton SUV....
My suggestion would be for drive-through to have the feeding lane built as a slightly downward slope so that it is possible for cars to move forward even when the engine is shut down. If every drive through were built this way, I guess a few % of oil may be saved.
Anyway, when I see too many people waiting on a drive through lane, I just go the old way, park the car and indulge myself a walk.
I think that's awesome -
and the suggestion to have drive through's with a downward slope is great too.
thanks for making a difference
Tacking might be a problem.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
Thats what I do too. Most times I am in and out much faster,
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
You mentioned being global minded. If you read some of the global news articles you will see that oil demand is going up all over the world. The U.S. is no longer the main reason for the increase. The only thing that will control demand is an increase in price or a restriction in supply. Good intentions are not going to do it.
What does for the better of the planet or the planet is on the same path mean?
That whole save the planet thing is actually rather dumb. What are we saving? The earth will be here for a long time no matter what humans do .Some people act as if the earth has never changed or that humans are the first species to alter the water or atmosphere. I am sure the early anaerobic bacteria were pretty pissed at algae or cyanobacteria when they started producing oxygen. It forced all the strict anaerobes to seek shelter.
I wonder if the US is still consuming 25% of the world's total consumption of oil?
Interesting chart from last June:
Oil > Consumption (most recent) by country (NationMaster)
I understand that rebuilding/creating a slope from existing driveways is pretty much unrealistic, but in case the restaurant goes through a major refurbishment or if a new restaurant is being built, a local regulation requiring such a slope may not be an excessive burden. I think a 5% slope should be enough.
Of course the slope must be long enough to accomodate long queues, otherwise it becomes counter productive for queues that extend up to before the tip. (sorry for my cramped English, not sure how to say it)
We could ask the same for gas station, although I am not sure if there are queue-ups that would justify the move.
We also use 30% less coal than China. Not that it is something to brag about. We do use a lot of energy of every sort.
It takes a lot of energy to get those tar sands to market I guess. :P
In other news, "Based on recent highway traffic volume trends, throttling back to 60 mph from 70 mph would likely reduce gasoline usage between 2 percent and 3 percent, which is about what happened when the 55-mph limit was imposed in the 1970s"
Drivers Conserving Gas As Prices Continue To Rise (wcbstv)
Oh how times change.
Of course it depends on many factors such as the car, its engine and the traffic pattern, but the slower the traffic, the higher the difference, which is self-understanding.
I better wish to single out behaviours where one decide to wait, but keep one's engine still running out of comfort concerns. The engine should be used as much as possible for putting the vehicle in motion and as little as possible for anything else, otherwise FE is greatly impaired.
Frankly I think having people breaking a sweat over walking longer or not switching on the A/C may not be so bad for health and definitely good if we want to waste less fuel.
Hopefully my work doesn't require me to wear a suit/necktie, so I can dress in a light fashion and lower my A/C use during hot time.
regarding the difficulties for a growing population to walk any distance, I think it is a chicken and egg situation of a vicious circle. Isn't the relevant population facing increasing difficulties because of lack of physical exercise ? I am convinced someone who is not fit enough to walk may pose a higher safety risk for other motorists when behind a wheel, unless it is a specific handicap.
Anyway, when the US Gallon shoots past the 7 USD milestone (my 3-year own prediction) I am pretty sure people won't need to be explained in length the virtues of switching off
Limiting oneself to 60 is not the magic solution, and only marginally trim one's fuel consumption. Of course it depends on the road/traffic/route pattern.
In the Paris area, because of growing traffic congestion, everyone is doing what you are advocating : leaving earlier or arriving later. This is not doing much in improving motorists' mood it seems.
The other problem is that going 55 is not going to make that large V8 truck any more fuel efficient than a Civic going 80 or even much more.
However, as far as a go55mph-adept keeps in the right lane, I am very happy that he/she has such choice thanks to US still being a democracy.
Actually, we are a bit more than 100 years. From Wiki
An automobile powered by an Otto gasoline engine was built in Mannheim, Germany by Karl Benz in 1885 and granted a patent in January of the following year under the auspices of his major company, Benz & Cie. which was founded in 1883.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile
"and in that time have used half the earths petro supply"
No. I think the Oil & Gas magazine demonstrated that the oil supply is over 3 trillion barrels. That would mean we have used less than 1/3 of the oil.
" - projecting how fast it will go with the rest of the world now driving, you won't have the option to drive if your way of thinking continues."
People will adjust. My next car will be smaller and have better mpg. It really is not an issue for me. I just did a highway trip where my car did 30.5 mpg. Life is good.
"Gas will go to the highest bidder and those who need it most - housewives picking up kids won't be on the priority list - trust me."
Gas/oil is goes to the highest bidder now. What is going to be different?
I would seriously suggest that you and a few other folks check out the theoildrum.com. Spend a few weeks reading their drumbeat section. It contains news reports from around the world. Greencarcongress.com is another good info source. Among all the doom and gloom you will find that people are adjusting.
Recent news included how Indonesia is looking at raising their domestic fuel prices 30% to avoid a budget blowout. Reliance Industries in India just shut down 1,432 petrol station in India because they cannot compete with the other public sector stations that sell fuel for a loss. Eventually India will need to come to grips with high oil prices in order to avoid a budget blowout.
Scott
It may save you a few pennies in gas but for a trucker who drives for a living putting in up to or even more than 100K a year those pennies add up to real money.
I'm forever having to stop dead behind one of these greenie-weenies
Sounds like thats you failing to look and plan ahead.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
True but going 55 will make a Civic more fuel efficent than a Civic going 80.
2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2014 BMW 428i convertible, 2015 Honda CTX700D
I hope this isn't trying to say that if someone is driving an higher mileage car like a Civic, Malibu, For2, Elantra, etc., that it's okay for them to drive faster and use more fuel than they would use at 55, e.g.!
We obviously need to lower the speed limit back to 55 nationally and get out some strict enforcement. Imagine how much fuel can be saved.
Someone in the past in maybe this discussion kept saying the price of fuel needed to go up just so it would make more people drive less--I guess those undeserving folk who can't afford $6.00 per gallon fuel will learn to conserve now?
It was nice to see semis actually starting to observe the 55 speed limit instead of going 70 and more. I only saw one moving along much above 55 on the way to Cincy yesterday.
I wonder if some people have any grasp of the economic impact higher prices for fuel will have on the whole economic system. Imagine what foods will cost a year from now with the price of delivery fuels doubled, or tripled? The subsidy to folks from the government is going to mandate taxes to rise. And government is going to have higher costs for fuels and they're going to want more money to operate.
I've been doing my part to conserve by driving more gently and getting good gas mileage. I've been condensing trips. Economically I don't need to do so, but it saves fuel and if everyone in the country does that it will save some fuel and let the oil sheiks have their fortunes too and let the oil companies make a little money for my 401K, 457, and all those numbered accounts.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Heck, even on that night I got forced into hypermiling my '79 New Yorker on my trip to PA and back, because of the bad weather and my thinning tire tread, the saving were pretty noticeable. Averaging 75-80, I would've been lucky to see 15 mpg with that beast. But being forced down to 45-55, with occasional bursts to 60, it came out to around 18 mpg. So over the course of 111 miles, I burned about 6.16 gallons, versus 7.4. At $4.00 per gallon, that would be a savings of $5.04 right there. And I paid close to that...$3.89 per gallon.
Back in October I made that same trip to Carlisle in my '85 Silverado, and took it a little easier, but probably averaging 55-65. And again, it came in at 18 mpg. Now I know that sounds horrible compared to a Corolla or Civic or whatever. But at 80 mpg, I'm sure that 4200 lb truck, with its brick-like aerodynamics and non-overdrive three-speed automatic, it would take a divine intervention for it to see 15 mpg!
However, I'll admit that loafing along the highway at those speeds is pretty boring. Not so much when I made that trip in the NYer, since the weather was really bad and everybody was going slow. But when I did it in the pickup, it was pretty boring.
In the case of something that really guzzles, like a tractor trailer, if you can change your driving habits enough to boost your fuel economy from, say, 6 mpg to just 6.5, you'll save about 1.3 gallons every 100 miles. If Diesel costs $4.35 per gallon, that's saving $5.65 every 100 miles. On one cross-country trip, you'd save an easy $170 or more.
It's not a question of whether or not it will be HERE, the question is whether or not it will be LIVABLE. Same as wit a house...yeah, that 200 year old shack with the caved in roof and smoke damage is still there, sure. Not that you can live in it.
And I'm sure when the strict anaerobes discovered their environment was being threatened, they did what they could to preserve it. And they weren't the ones threatening it themselves. :shades:
If it makes you feel any better, my smooth running I6 probably gets better mpg at 100 mph than a Tahoe gets at 60 mph.
Agreed but if I'm the driver of a Civic going 80 mph and someone driving a full sized truck or SUV suggests I slow down to save fuel I really can't take him too seriously. I'm making a voluntary choice to use more fuel by my driving style preference. The other guy made a choice to burn considerably more fuel through his vehicle preference. Why is one choice worse than the other. Now there are a few people that actually need the utility of a large, low mpg vehicle but as we all know that describes relatively few of these vehicle owners.