Progressive Wednesday

This Wednesday: Going Farther on a Gallon

Problem:

Gas. It costs $3.20 per gallon. A trip to the gas station seems more like a trip to the bank to take out a second mortgage. We're not talking about the five-cents-per-gallon that we used to get so upset about back when Ross Perot became a household name and the Buffalo Bills were regulars in the Super Bowl. No, we're talking about increases in the dollar-per-gallon range, a number that puts a strain on the budget of most Americans that’s a bit more than theoretical. All this while Exxon/Mobile posted $39.5 billion in profits, the largest profit for any company in history, and ponied up $400 million to its retiring CEO.

And gas is made from oil, which is pulled from the bowels of the earth in countries located in the most volatile region on the planet, countries that actively and openly support terrorism, making it possible for terrorists to fund their operations. While we spend our resources and personnel in Iraq, those who actually stand to harm our country are getting richer and stronger, and it's coming out of our own pockets.

Then there's this thing called the environment. Every time we burn fossil fuels we take a small step closer to becoming fossils ourselves. Automobile emissions are cause number one of global warming. Americans make up only 5% of the world's population, yet we blow 45% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions out our tailpipe, literally. We burn gas like it's our job (I know, for some of us, it is). We need the biggest, fastest, strongest, roomiest, sexiest four-wheel-drive vehicle on the market, and because of that the polar ice caps are melting, Texas is under water, and California is on fire.

So, to sum up, we're paying a ridiculous amount of our hard-earned cha-ching to fill the pockets of the big oil companies, fund extremist militia groups that aim to attack our country, and to– ¦ well– ¦ destroy our planet and everything that lives on it. Sound scary? Sure. But we can do something about it.

Make Progress:

The bottom line is that we need to reduce our dependency on oil, foreign or otherwise. We need to drive less and more efficiently. To try and tackle each and every way would fill a year of Wednesdays. So waddaya say we get started?

The debate about alternative fuels is as strong in this country as it has ever been. There is a great race to create a new “juice– that will get us from A to B. We're not going to participate in that debate–at least, not today. No, today we'll concentrate on things you can do to reduce the gas you use in the car you already have, the one sitting out in the driveway right now.

• Fill
• Avoid
• Replace
• Receive

Photo credit to this unlucky gas buyer

Fill:

Tires with low air pressure create more road resistance, or “drag,– making the engine work harder to go the same speed. According to research done by the United States Department of Energy:

Drivers can improve their gas mileage by about 3.3 percent by keeping tires inflated to the proper pressure. Under-inflated tires waste 4 million gallons of gasoline daily – “ or nearly 1.5 billion gallons annually.

I've never won a Field's Medal, but by my calculation that comes out to $4,800,000,000 extra that Americans pay every year because we don't want to pay 50 cents to use the air pump. And according to a study by the Rubber Manufacturers Association, only one out of seven Americans know how to check their air pressure. eHow.com has a great blow-by-blow description, complete with a video for visual learners. So keep those tires pumped up to the proper pressure.

But for the real “mileage hounds– (myself included), or anyone interested in saving the planet and a few bucks at the same time, try filling your tires with nitrogen instead of air. It's been in Europe for several years now and has recently grown in popularity in the U.S., and you can find a nearby nitrogen station anywhere in the U.S.

The benefit of nitrogen is simple: tires stay fully inflated 3-6 times longer than those filled with air. If you were to check your pressure every week, this might not be a huge advantage, but I don't think too many people check that often. The cost used to be considerable, but with more and more stations offering a nitrogen fill-up, the cost has come down to around $2-$3 per tire. Cars that use it tend to get about 3% better gas mileage. It's well worth it in the long run. You can learn where to get nitrogen for your tires here.

Picture clicked by this nitro-filler

Avoid:

This one might seem like a no-brainer, but turn off your car when not in use. When a car is idling, whether it's a Hummer or a Prius, it is getting zero miles per gallon. Even if it's just for 30 seconds, turning the car off will save gas and money.

I have heard a lot of people suggest that warming a car for a few minutes is better for the car or that it uses less fuel to idle for a minute than to restart the car. Unless you're driving a Model T, to be blunt, that's crap. According to the EPA, running newer engines at a low RPM (idling) causes significantly more wear on internal parts compared to driving at regular speeds. It was best described by the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency. Here it is:

An idling engine isn’t operating at its peak temperature, which means that fuel doesn’t undergo complete combustion. This leaves fuel residues that can condense on cylinder walls, where they can contaminate oil and damage parts of the engine. For example, fuel residues are often deposited on spark plugs. As you spend more time idling, the average temperature of the spark plug drops. This makes the plug get dirty more quickly, which can increase fuel consumption by 4 to 5 percent.

They give a few more reasons why idling is bad; you can check out the whole article here. The bottom line? Idle as little as possible. Turn your engine on only when you're ready to drive away and turn it off as soon as you are in park. It may not seem like much, but when that small savings is multiplied by the 250,000,000 registered cars in the United States, well, you get the idea.

So dump that remote starter, stop going thru the drive-thru (or fast food restaurants at all), greet people at the terminal instead of the arrival lane at the airport, and park the car and take your time at the grocery store instead of running in while the car idles. Save just one gallon a week. That's over 10 billion gallons a year if we all do it. Not bad. It's a start.

This picture taker saw the long and the short of it

Replace:

Maintaining your engine is obviously a great way to improve your vehicle's mileage; changing spark plugs and oil helps your car save gas and extends the life of the car. But, unless you're auto-mechanically inclined, which most of us are not, those things should be done in the shop.

But there is one thing that most of us can do that doesn't take much time, money, or an in-depth knowledge of the internal combustion engine that can save a lot of gas and cash: replace your car's air filter. According to FuelEconomy.gov, replacing a dirty air filter can improve your gas mileage by as much as ten percent.

So stop into an auto parts dealer and tell them what kind of car you have. They'll get you the right filter. Six bucks later, all you have to do is pop the hood, open the air filter container (you can find out where it is in your manual), take out the old and put in the new. Just make sure that gasket is on tightly, and put the cover back on. All that's left is to figure out what you'll do with all the money you'll save.

Picture taken by this mechanical engineer

Receive:

There are as many rumors going around about the practicality and efficiency of hybrid cars as there are about the seventh Harry Potter book. Some are true; some are not. But as the owner of a Toyota Prius, I can tell you from first-hand experience, there aren't very many downsides. In fact, I don't know that there is anything I would change about mine. It gets 53 mpg, has more than enough pickup, plenty of room (and I'm 6'7''), and, with tax rebates, the price of gas, and my wife's lengthy commute, the sucker has more than made up for the premium we paid after just the first year of ownership.

But I understand that it's not very reasonable to ask everyone to go out and trade in their two-year-old car for a new one. All I ask is this: sign up for the HybridCars.com newsletter.

Purchasing any car is a major decision; switching to a different technology can be even more nerve-racking. But learning about the latest real-life experiences of those who own hybrid cars makes that decision a bit easier. This once-a-month newsletter might just shatter the ideas that you had about hybrids. If you still don't want one, fine. But the worst thing you could you would be to avoid a hybrid because you don't have the most recent and accurate information.

You get a hybrid! You get a hybrid! Everybody gets a hybrid!

I'm a Prius owner and a proud one at that. With the amount of driving that my wife does on a daily basis (40 miles each way to work) we've figured out that we have saved over $3,000 in the two years that we've owned the little gas sipper. That, of course was not the sole purpose for buying the car; we've also kept over seven tons of carbon out the air compared to the gas-gormandizing truck we traded in for it.

We were a bit ahead of the masses, but according to Toyota's May 2007 hybrid sales, the rest of the country seems to be following suit in droves.

Hybrid sales totaled 119,154 units, an increase of 75 percent over the same period last year. In May, Toyota Motor Services posted sales of 36,101 hybrid vehicles, up 102 percent over last May. Toyota Division posted sales of 34,174 hybrids, up 121 percent over the same period last year.

So that's good news for those who want our planet to be somewhat livable, who don't want to fund global terrorism, or who don't own their own money-printing machine in order to pay for gas. Here's the good news for those who work in America, or at least those who want to buy an American-made vehicle; GM will introduce four new hybrid models this year.

A company spokesman said the four new hybrids, all previously announced, are the two-mode gas-electric systems in the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon large sport utility vehicles, and hybrid systems for the Saturn Aura and new Chevrolet Malibu sedans.

These aren't going to compete with the Prius or Honda Civic hybrid in gas mileage, but it's nice to see that GM is taking a step toward the 21st century.

They have also announced that they are speeding the production of the Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid that can travel up to 40 miles before burning a single molecule of gas. Hopefully this will help save American jobs and the planet, though not necessarily in that order.

Picture snapped by this eco-driver

30 miles per gallon is not fuel efficient

I'm not insensitive to the economic impact that high gas prices have on the lower and middle-income Americans. In the last several years, the amount that we must pay to get from point A to point B has not just increased, but tripled, putting a big hurt on the average family. But I would be dishonest if I didn't say that I believe that $4 per gallon gasoline would be the best thing that could happen to America.

Like so many other issues in this country, we go back and forth with empty rhetoric rather than having an intelligent discussion. Seeing the upside to high gas prices doesn't mean I want Americans to suffer any more than being pro-choice means that I like abortions. I'm more interested in solving the problem with intelligent policy than simply saying what I'm for or against and then doing nothing about it.

There are a lot of ways to deaden the impact of high gas prices. One of the quickest ways would be for the United States government to raise CAFE standards (Corporate Average Fuel Economy).

According to the Almanac of Policy Issues, the current fuel efficiency standards are 27.5 mpg for passenger automobiles and 20.7 mpg for light trucks and SUVs. Despite several attempts to raise it, it has been that way since 1975. There is now a movement to raise it to 35 mpg. The average American family will spend $3,200 this year on gas. The increase in CAFE standards would save the Smiths, Leones, and Gorzynskis over 500 smackers.

Care 2 Action has started a petition to the auto industry to raise those standards. It will save Americans money, help stop funding terrorists in the Middle East, and reduce greenhouse gasses. It’s time we climbed out of the basement when it comes to fuel efficiency around the world.

They've already had nearly 11,000 economically, politically, and environmentally friendly signatures on it; let's add a bunch from the Progressive Wednesday community.

The Big Apple starts to look like a Granny Smith.

13,000 taxis plow along on New York Cities streets. That factoid alone amazes me since that’s 10 times the number of people who live in my hometown. But here comes the green hitch:

Every yellow cab in this city will be a fuel-efficient hybrid by 2012, and stricter emissions and gas mileage standards for taxis will be phased in starting next year, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said [on May 22].

There are now 375 hybrid vehicles among the 13,000 taxis rolling on New York City streets. Under Bloomberg’s plan, that number will increase to 1,000 by October 2008 and will grow by about 20 percent each year until 2012.

Let me be one of the first to lift of a glass to the Mayor of the greatest second greatest city in the world for being bold as gold (Buffalo, which is in my neck of the woods, will always be numero uno in my heart). Sure, this will cost the cab companies some cabbage at first, but in the long run they’ll save Benjamins by spending less on fuel. I think it’s interesting to note that this is the exact reason the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers is in favor of the move.

But what’s the real impact of this move?

According to Terra Pass, a Ford Crown Victoria, which is the standard cab used in la Grande Pomme, unloads approximately 1 pound of CO2 for every single mile driven. That’s an ugly one-to-one ratio if you ask me, my friends. Or, as the AP puts it: “The Ford Crown Victoria, gets 14 miles per gallon. In contrast, the Ford Escape taxis get 36 miles per gallon.”

To find the aforementioned stats, I searched around a bit for the best carbon calculators on the web, and I think the EPA has got it right. Theirs figures in recycling (or a lack thereof), and offers a way to see how small changes individuals or families make can dramatically reduce their overall emissions. Give it a look-see, yo.

Cab snapped by this fine photographer.

Could you buy a hybrid?

Here at Progressive Wednesday our goal is to provide information to make it easier for you to do the little things that make the world a better place, to point out how a small social contribution can make a big difference in someone's life. We concentrate on things that require a reasonable sacrifice so as to encourage the masses to take action. Most are willing to do those things. Many are willing to do bigger.

This past Wednesday you learned about some ways that you could fight global warming by reducing your home energy use. It's easy and convenient to replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescents and a huge progressive step to switch to renewable energy. But what if you're in the market for a new vehicle? Many people think that a hybrid car is out of their price range or not available in the style that they want. We would hate for someone to not consider a hybrid due to common misconceptions. We're here to help correct that.

One of these misconceptions is the initial cost of the car. According to edmunds.com:

Hybrid cars cost an average of $2,500 to $3,000 more than comparably equipped gasoline vehicles.

But the 2005 Energy Policy Act seriously upped the ante for hybrid car tax incentives from previous tax law. The new law:

(bumps) the tax incentives for buyers of hybrids from a $2,000 deduction up to a potential maximum credit of $3,400.

You don't have to win a Fields Medal to figure out that this incentive at least seriously cuts into the cost, and in many cases will actually save you money come April 15. Factor in the fuel savings and, well, you do the math.

Another common misconception is that there are only a small number of vehicles and styles available. While that was a legitimate concern 5 years ago, the variety and number has increased dramatically in the past few years. According to soultek.com Toyota plans to double their production of the ultra-efficient Prius to over 100,000 cars in the US this year. With other companies are following suit, the wait for one of these cars is short, and in some cases gone.

The variety of hybrid vehicles has increased just as quickly. With just three models available in 2004, the field has now grown to twelve, with several more models ready to hit the market this year. With Ford, GM, Nissan, Chevy, and Saturn adding their hybrid SUV's and pickup trucks into the mix of compact cars by Honda and Toyota, there is a hybrid for every man, woman and chi– ¦ well, every man and woman in the country. So next time you visit your local dealer ask about a hybrid. You may find it's more within your grasp than you thought.

Thanks to this environmentally responsible picture taker

Who Revived the Electric Car?

General Motors has long been criticized for being slow-footed in creating alternative fuel vehicles, falling well behind Toyota and even Ford in new sales because of it and taking a huge hit in their stock price, from $55/share in January 2004 to $33/share today. Late last year a new documentary, “Who Killed the Electric Car?– dissected the way that GM, the oils companies, consumers, and the federal government helped to derail the EV1 (GMs first electric vehicle).

But there has been progress. Recently, Chevy announced that it has created the Concept Chevy Volt, a plug-in hybrid car that runs for 40 miles without using a drop of gas. And when it does, the engine is capable of running on E85, a mix of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. This new technology would allow most workers to get to work and back every day without spending a nickel on gas and without putting a single CO₂ molecule into the atmosphere. According to autobloggreen.com:

For a customer driving about 40 miles a day or about 15,000 miles a year, compared to a 30 mpg car, the Volt would save about 500 gallons of gasoline per year. If the car is charged every night, the driver should be able to achieve that mileage using virtually no gasoline. That same example would also save 4.4 metric tonnes of CO₂ every year from each car. Another example of a driver commuting 60 miles a day would achieve an equivalent mileage of 150 mpg based on the engine running for the last 20 miles in a charge sustaining mode.

So great! That's it. Nothing left for the consumers to do but wait for it to become available and affordable, right? Well, I suggest that we all fill out this survey to let them know much we want it, and how quickly. They are a Corporation after all, and they'll do what's best for the bottom line. So let's put a little pressure on them. And in the meantime, we can all do a few things to increase our gas mileage. And that's progress.

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