Earth Hour

[Gold Winger 9]

Sorry but I'm not that altruistic. $2 isn't worth three hours of my time or should I say, three hours of my time isn't worth two dollars.

 

We'd probably save much more oil if people carpooled or took mass transit but I'm not to be riding the bus anytime soon.

 

It takes me 15 minutes to get to work if I drive. If I take the bus, I have to transfer and the whole process takes more than an hour and costs more than driving. Where's my incentive?

 

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle 5]

I hope those who think this is a great thing have thought the ramifications out. Perhaps America can survive with higer gas prices, but at what cost? Somethings will be effected. Fast-Food comes to mind, travel of course and tourism, thats a lot of people who wont have jobs. Stores that carry a huge variety of items will prosper as one stop shopping makes a comeback, specialty stores disappear. The human cost will be huge.

[evmori 11]

Sorry but I'm not that altruistic. $2 isn't worth three hours of my time or should I say, three hours of my time isn't worth two dollars.

 

But ya save pennies on lighting?

[Gold Winger 9]

It doesn't take any longer to turn on a CFL than it does a regular bulb, does it? So other than the initial cost of a CFL, there's no impact on me and the CFL will pay for itself in about a year.

 

However, three more hours behind the wheel means at least one more cup of coffee, another pee stop and maybe an extra meal. So that $2 in gas savings might wind up costing me $5 or $6.

 

 

[GernBlansten 10]

Saw an article (sorry, forgot the reference) about these guys who make high mileage an obsession. They alter their driving style to really push the top limit of how far they can get on one gallon. Over inflating tires gives 10% better economy, rarely using your brakes adds some, extremely slow starts, stopping on top of hills instead of at the bottom. Shutting off the engine at stop lights or while costing down hills. All these things add up and create much road rage from other drivers. But these guys claim to be able to get upwards of twice the mileage vs. standard driving practices.

In the article, the guy took out a new Hybrid Chevy Tahoe and was able to get an average 35MPG vs the rated 20MPG.

 

 

[Gold Winger 9]

I wonder how you can plan on stopping at the top of a hill instead of at the bottom. I usually stop wherever there are stop signs or stop lights.

 

 

[GernBlansten 10]

Planning GW, Planning.

[Gold Winger 9]

I can see shutting the engine off while sitting at a red light but while coasting down a hill? Since most cars today have power steering and power brakes, controlling your car could become problematic, to say the least.

 

 

[GernBlansten 10]

I didn't say it was safe, just obsessive.

[evmori 11]

However, three more hours behind the wheel means at least one more cup of coffee, another pee stop and maybe an extra meal. So that $2 in gas savings might wind up costing me $5 or $6.

 

Take a thermos of coffee & a bag of chips with you!

[scoutingagain 20]

" The human cost will be huge."

 

This is absolutely true. There will be significant economic disruption that will result in costs, personal and financial to people. However, you also need to consider the costs to people if we continue down the road of seeking cheap oil. The gov't could subsidize the oil companies to keep gas relatively inexpensive to those on Main St. We can continue to drive high horsepower vehicles that get poor milage. We would continue to spit out exhaust gases that may or may not warm the planet, but they certainly increase incidence of lung cancer, asthma and other respiratory diseases. These costs need to be included in the availability of cheap fuel. This doesn't even include the trillions of dollars and thousands of American lives, and tens of thousands of Iraqi lives we've committed to securing a source of oil in the middle east.

 

I'm with Gern. I'd like to see gas at $4.00 - $5.00 a gallon. I love free market economics. At this price the great American inovation machine will figure out ways to derive energy from other sources. You won't need a grand government research program. The inovators will come up with fuel cell cars, high milage cars/trucks with horsepower, etc. that will still get us from point A to point B, at 70+ mph towing that troop trailer with all the unnecessary gear big troops take on large group outings. At that point we can tell the folks in the middle east to sell their oil to China at exhorbatant prices.

 

In the mean time we need to hope there is not a short term economic downturn of such signifigance that it lowers the demand for oil, driving the price down. This would discourage the inovators and delay development of new technologies.

 

SA

[OldGreyEagle 5]

I would like to see Anwar developed and to drill in an around our coastal waters. I would like to see some modern gas refineries built and a recognition this is a real problem that will not go away anytie soon

[GernBlansten 10]

OGE,

You do realize that ANWAR contains only enough oil reserves to satiate the American energy addiction for just 6 months. And that's after a 10 year development cycle. Its not a solution, its a band aid, and a rather small one when facing a massive lesion.

 

I'm not sure when it will become apparent to the majority of Americans that we need to develop new energy sources to retain our dominance in the world. Exploiting the remaining reserves we have won't do it. Overthrowing nations sitting on massive reserves won't do it. Becoming energy independant will. And ANWAR can't provide that.

[LongHaul 10]

GW I'm curious and since no one else has asked, just what type of vehicle do you drive that weighs 5000# and gets 25mpg at 80mph no less?

LongHaul

[GernBlansten 10]

My 99 Audi A4 at 3384 lbs curb weight, gets according to the onboard computer 26.1 MPG when traveling at 75MPH.

My 04 Dodge Ram at 5658 lbs curb weight, gets according to the onboard computer 13.6 MPG when traveling at 75 MPH.

My 02 Honda VFR800 Interceptor at 483 lbs curb weight, gets between 45 and 60 MPG depending on my riding style at 75MPH. Much less at 130MPH. But I get to the next gas station much faster, thus saving money before the gas prices rise again!