Vehicle Gas Saving Options

Our Transportation Options to Conserve Energy:


The connection between cars and hyper consumption
When we think about cars and the environment, the issue of fossil fuels and emissions usually spring to mind first. But our cars are also costing us and the environment a massive amount through other forms of hyper consumption.

Here's an example. After dinner the other night, we all felt like ice cream; so someone jumped in the car, scooted off to the store and grabbed some.

Had we been living out in the boonies, this would have never happened; we would have made do with what we had in the house, or gone without. I think that may have been the case even living in the city if we didn't have a car.

It's not as though eating ice-cream at that point was critical to our survival, even if it seemed so at the time. I'm ashamed to say we also had ice-cream in the house, just not a particular type we had a hankering for.

The effects of our decision:

- More gas consumed
- More emissions generated
- More resources that went into making the ice-cream were
used
- More wear and tear on the vehicle - short trips are a killer
for engines
- We spent money we otherwise wouldn't have
- It didn't help our waistlines any

That ice-cream tasted darned good and I didn't exactly sit there with tears of guilt streaming down my face, wailing and rending my garments as I bit into the choc-tipped cone; but looking at those points and what they entail, it really wasn't worth it and thankfully it's not a regular occurrence.

This incident mightn't seem like much, but remember that millions of people make these sorts of very un-green decisions each day - using their vehicles to go out and buy something on the spur of the moment they don't really need; leaving themselves and the planet poorer for the impulse.

You often hear the argument that without these impulse buying situations, all sorts of industries would suffer. After all, people need to spend money to keep other people in jobs.

We don't have to agree with that entirely.

If we weren't wasting our money on these transient luxuries, we would have more money to buy better quality, more environmentally friendly products. We would buy things that have a bit more life than the fleeting pleasure of oh so smooth and creamy ice cream covered in a rich dark chocolate coating and a center of gooey thick, sweet caramel...oh, getting off track a bit I guess :).

What I'm trying to say is the money would be spent, just differently. It could still support the same number of people. Commerce wouldn't topple over.

Make a list.

I like lists, lists are good. It's not because I'm obsessive sort of person these days, more due to the fact as I get a little older, my memory isn't quite what it once was. Lists also act as an affirmation, making a goal or strategy just a little more real.

Make yourself a list of what and when you can and can't use your car for dedicated trips. Put it on the back of the door or near where you keep your keys. If you have a family, a list posted up somewhere conspicuous may be the only way to keep track of the various scenarios and forewarn other family members of what you will and won't do with your vehicle. .

The car-use police

It's entirely up to you how strict your list is, there are no car use police - don't be too over the top as it needs to be workable within your lifestyle otherwise it will fail and some progress is better than none.

For example, if you're in the habit of nipping down to the store to pick up milk almost on a daily basis, make a commitment to only do it 2 or 3 days a week, keep some stocks of UHT milk as emergency backup, or commit to getting the milk on the way back from doing something else you do on a daily basis.

Drive to the store to get the paper on a daily basis? Perhaps have it home delivered instead - with any luck you'll be helping a young 'un keep a job. Better still, read your newspaper online.

Ask before you scoot

Before you head out the door to drive your 2 ton vehicle 2 miles to pick up a quart of milk, ask others in the household "Is there anything else we need? This is the only store run we're doing today." Heck, if you're on friendly terms with your neighbors, ask them too - in fact you could do this in your neighborhood on a rotating basis if you're all like-minded; perhaps even a car pool for the purpose.

Cold turkey - or no turkey at all

Sometimes the best lesson is going without something. By not giving into the perceived "need", you're toughening yourself against future impulses and conditioning yourself to plan better - for example, ensuring you have X, Y and Z when you do your regular shopping. Buying in bulk can save you cash as well.

Rewards

Think of how many unnecessary trips you make each year for non-critical items - how many miles and dollars could you save? Each mile you don't travel is around .59 pounds greenhouse gas emissions per passenger, per mile for a small car avoided; 1.1 pounds for a medium car and 1.57 pounds per mile for an SUV, plus other car exhaust chemicals.

Make a game of this perhaps - each time you resist the urge to jump in your car, record how many miles, how much money and the level of emissions you saved. When you reach a certain milestone, reward yourself with something nice - and green of course!

Remember, the best gas saving tip is not using your vehicle at all and if you really, really need that ice-cream, bike or walk to the store - it will also help burn off the calories :). Try to plan so you can have days where you can complete several errands all in one trip as well as
using like an Internet Map service or a GPS so as to come up with the shortest routes to save both fuel and time…

Thanks for taking the time to become better informed on ways to help save our environment and to become less dependent on the oil industry.


Compliments of:

http://www.going-green-ideas.com/

Tips on Saving Gas

Tips on Saving gas saves you
money and the Environment

Petrol/gas prices have dropped globally due to the oil "crisis" lessening and the global financial crisis is somewhat in our rear vision mirrors. Unfortunately, this has seen many people turn their attention back to buying gas guzzling vehicles again - to the further detriment of our oil reserves and environment.

How soon we forget:

Regardless of the world's geopolitical situation, we need to bear in mind that oil is not an infinite resource, in fact it appears we've already hit peak oil. Aside from the bloodshed that our love of black gold wreaks upon our species, our addiction to oil has also seen massive amounts of damage being inflicted on our environment. This includes greenhouse gas emissions from burning fuel, oil pollution in our seas and lands and all the other nasty chemicals produced and released as a result of vehicle manufacturing.

Instead of waiting for the next oil shock, consider learning to wean yourself off oil dependency somewhat now; it will benefit your pocket and the planet. Every gallon of petrol/gasoline you use results in approximately 20 pounds of carbon dioxide plus OTHERS being produced.

Huh? Those figures don't add up? How can one gallon create 20 pounds? That's because most of the weight of the CO2 doesn't come from the gasoline itself, but the oxygen in the air that is burned as part of the combustion process. The chemical reaction between elements of gasoline and oxygen create carbon dioxide, amongst other things..
The following are some gas saving tips that can help lessen your fuel consumption and impact on the environment, not to mention save you some serious money!

Driving habits:

Erratic and irresponsible driving chews through gas at a phenomenal rate. Poor driving practices can lower your mileage by up to a third. Aggressive practices include speeding, heavy braking, rapid acceleration and "jackrabbiting".

Excess Weight:

Our cars tend to become storage lockers over time :). Every pound your vehicle carries goes against your fuel economy. It's not unusual for people to carry excess baggage and equipment that adds up to the weight of a passenger. Make it a habit to clear out non essential items from your vehicle weekly - every bit counts.

Avoid extended idling:

In some countries, when you hit a red traffic light, you must stop your engine - and there's good logic behind this requirement. Millions of gallons of gas is burned annually waiting for traffic lights. If you have a reliable vehicle, don't let your car idle for more than 30 seconds - switch it off. Around town this can save you a substantial amount of fuel over the year and not to mention a huge amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
By the same token, starting and stopping your engine excessively can also chew through a lot of fuel and cause extra wear on ignition systems and your engine, so be discerning.

Proper engine tuning:

Like a piano, a car's engine becomes out of tune over a period of time and this seriously impacts on fuel economy. Tuning is a separate process to basic servicing and usually consists of adjustment to idling speed, fuel/air mixture, carburetor balance or injector maintenance, spark plug and distributor gap setting and ignition timing. While having your car tuned can cost a little, you can recoup those costs and then some by having an more efficient running engine.

Air filters:

A clean air filter can save you up to 15% in gas usage. Old or worn filters allow dirt into the engine which not only impacts on the amount of fuel you use, but can also cause other engine faults that are expensive to repair.
Keep Tires Properly Inflated
Poorly inflated tires cause drag that negatively impacts on fuel economy, safety and also wear of on the tire itself. I've seen all sorts of varying figures as to how much you can save through proper inflation, but the point is that tires should be inflated to at *least* the manufacturers specifications. Often, over-inflating tires can provide even better economy, but check with your mechanic or tire dealer before doing so as this can present some safety and tire wear issues if too much air is added.

Quality motor oil:

Oil in an engine is all about reducing friction - less friction also means less gas being used. Using the wrong grade of motor oil in your engine can cause overheating and wear problems, plus knock a couple of percent off your fuel economy.

Avoid excessive short trips:

Try to plan out your day so that you'll need to use the car as little as possible. Making lists before you head out on shopping expeditions can save you added trips throughout the week. Engines use more fuel when they are cold and most short trips you make will be run purely in "cold" mode. Fuel tends not to be burned efficiently which also results in more toxic/greenhouse emissions that are harmful to our environment. Short trips also create more wear and tear on your engine.

Fuel octane levels:

The octane rating of gasoline is the measure of how much fuel can be compressed before it ignites, rather than it being ignited by spark. Using the incorrect octane level fuel in your vehicle can negatively affect fuel economy and the engine itself. Check with your car manufacturer or mechanic as to what is the best octane level for your car.

Warming up engines:

We were always taught that older vehicles must be warmed up for a couple of minutes before driving off; but it appears this is a myth. 30 - 45 seconds maximum warm up time is the figure I've seen recommended. Again, check with your mechanic.

Use the right gear:

Staying in the upper rev range in each gear for extended periods can consume massive amounts of gasoline.

Open windows and external items:

When traveling on the highway, open windows can cause a substantial amount of drag. The car has to work harder to sustain the same speed. The same applies in situations where you are pulling a trailer or have items on a roof rack.

Hills & Rough Roads:

If you're coming to a hill, it's best to accelerate before it, rather than while on it. Gravel and unsealed roads play havoc with fuel economy and are also far less safe than tarred roads. Avoid them where you can.

Accessories:

If it's powered by electricity, it will impact on your gas usage - this includes air conditioners, heaters, stereos, headlights, power seats etc.

Hypermiling:

Hypermiling includes some of the more "extreme" ways to squeeze more miles per gallon. A hypermiling method we learned from from a fellow named Hans in rural Australia. He was originally from Germany and during the war years, petrol (gasoline) was scarce; so they had to make each drop count.

This is not a strategy we suggest for city driving or one for unreliable cars, but basically what Hans used to do was to take advantage of every downhill run. He would knock the car out of gear and simply roll; when the speed dropped to a certain level after the hill, he would engage the gear again. We can't remember exactly how much gas he saved in this way, but we compared fuel economy of our two similar vehicles for the same trip and I used twice the fuel he did!

Remember: Speed increases your Fuel usage as does stop and go driving. Drive Safely! Better to get there than not to get there at all...

All these tips are well and good while there's still oil in the ground; but one day it will certainly run out or become so horribly expensive that only the rich will be able to afford it. Don't count on government providing the answers in time; get used to the fact that it's a dwindling resource and one that is killing our natural environment.

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