Slow Down and Save...Gasoline

Use less gas and the price will rise...

For those who think using less fuel will lower prices, think again. The gas companies will simply raise the price to continue the profits at the current or higher level....it's called greed. We have seen this happen in the past with other commodities.

As to the comments by our cousin from the North, about Euro and Canadian high gas prices, the majority of that extra cost is from tax imposed by the various countries. That is your problem, and has nothing to do with the greed driven prices we are forced to pay. Great Britain is pushing $10.00 a gallon, and a lot of that is tax, added to the greed of the gas companies.

BP (for those who didn't know it's British Petroleum) reported record profits last quarter. Remember that as you fill that tank. oh, and if you still have AMOCO stations, they are owned by BP. Shell is a Dutch company. So, you can see where the money is going, out of the country. And, let's not forget CITGO, owned by Venezuela, and Hugo Chavez - the new Castro, but more militant. He is using his profits from your gas purchases to bolster his military.

And, lastly, for those of us who live in rural States, such as North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, etc., we have no choice. I don't need the government telling me how fast I can drive on the Interstate, while you waste gas driving back and forth to work, so you can be comfortable sitting in your SUV instead of riding the bus.

In lieu of lowering the speed limits on Interstates, how about we have the government enact laws that would force all of you big city folks to park your cars and ride the bus/trains to work. You burn millions of gallons of fuel parked in traffic, every hour of every day. One person in one vehicle. That is unaccepatble.

As for the Iraq war, and oil...we buy approximately 10% of our oil from the Middle East. The below information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) :

"Canada remained the largest exporter of total petroleum in November, exporting 2.360 million barrels per day to the United States, which is a decrease from last month (2.431 thousand barrels per day). The second largest exporter of total petroleum was Saudi Arabia with 1.686 million barrels per day.

Crude Oil Imports (Top 15 Countries)

(Thousand Barrels per Day)

Country Dec-07 Nov-07 YTD 2007 Dec-06 Jan - Dec 2006

CANADA 1,784 1,919 1,864 1,830 1,802

SAUDI ARABIA 1,675 1,530 1,453 1,471 1,423

VENEZUELA 1,246 1,227 1,150 1,045 1,142

MEXICO 1,234 1,484 1,410 1,245 1,577

NIGERIA 1,210 1,245 1,082 1,010 1,037

ANGOLA 439 408 496 610 513

IRAQ 378 508 485 419 553

ALGERIA 348 184 443 406 362

ECUADOR 195 154 198 240 272

BRAZIL 171 78 167 130 133

KUWAIT 158 154 176 163 179

AZERBAIJAN 134 77 57 68 27

LIBYA 116 66 84 46 66

COLOMBIA 113 197 137 74 141

UNITED KINGDOM 93 42 102 93 130

John of SD @ Mar 16, 2008 16:53:56 PM

it's not that complicated...

Anybody who rides a bike knows when the most energy is consumed: speeding up (especially jackrabbit starts), maintaining a very fast speed, heading into a wind, and riding uphill...when on a long bike tour or a century ride, saving energy is key...now just apply those same simple concepts to driving.

DB of MI @ Mar 16, 2008 15:43:35 PM

What I am doing

There are many ways to help, here is what I am doing:

1) I now work from home, courtsey of LiveOps.com. Less pay than before, but I have more money due to fuel savings and that doesn't count all the other benefits.

2) For the times I do have to drive, I plan my trips so that it is in a logical order and go to the stores closest to me.

3) I bike and walk whenever possible

4) I use cotton tote bags for groceries, as those plastic bags you get from every store needs crude oil in order to be made.

5) I no longer use plastic in my house. Glass jars replace tupperware, I cook less to avoid leftovers. That tupperware or those disposable storage containers also take crude oil in order to be made.

6) I take care in what I purchase, I look for items that are made locally (less transportation to get them to the store means less gas used). I also look for the items that use less packaging material.

I do have older vehicles and the miles per gallon, or the miles per dollar is not what I want it to be. However, since I drive much less than what I did before, I am okay with keeping these until a good hybrid is made.

We all can do a small part, whether it be something as simple as slowing down, changing our place of work, demanding flexible schedules and work from home opportunities from our employers, using fewer plastic products, and most importantly...sharing what we do with others.

Amy of AZ @ Mar 16, 2008 14:44:12 PM

Clarification of improving gas mileage.

I appreciate my email above that was added to this dialogue. I am a retired chief engineer in Mission Success at a large Aerospace Corporation and have driven more than 1 million miles , purchasing 4 new cars, i.e., 57 Mercurry, 1965 Bonneville Pontiac, 1979 Caddy still driving with 336,000 miles and a 1995 SLS Cadillac with over 100,000 miles.

Each American car produced has a Dc (Drag coefficient) which is the resistance to movement of vehicle through the medium of Air as measured using a wind tunnel. While it is true per Jay of Pa above regarding gear rartios and engine performance that determines gas mileage, reducing speed from 75 MPH to 60 MPH and driving in the right slow lane should improve gas mileage in the majority of cars manufactured.

There are many factors too numerous to mention here. However another one not mentioned above is temperature compensating at the gas pump. I obtained from a Canadian sounce that they Canada temperature compensate the gas at most pumps to 15 degrees C which is 37 degrees fareinheit. With temperature compensating you get not only a gallon of gas each time, but the weight per gallon is the same at 50 degrees as with 100 degrees. I realize that the storage gas reservoirs are under ground, but the gas flow rate meters are above ground. All airlines measure the weight of gas in kilograms and not gallons. Again I am soliciting that the Federal, state and local governments temperature compensate to save Americans millions of dollars per year.

Until them where feasible always get gas early in AM or late PM to get more pounds per gallon.

John W. Epperson of CO @ Mar 16, 2008 14:16:51 PM

gas prices

drive at 55mph to and from work .

kkcool of CA @ Mar 16, 2008 14:03:20 PM

Improving gas mileage

I own a 1995 Cadillac SLS (Seville Luxery Sedan) with 160,000 miles. In summer 2007 in Denver Colorado, I filled the car at 6:00 AM when fuel weighs more than when hot. With a clean, waxed car, cruise control off, Air conditioning off, windows rolled up, and driving 60MPH, I got 30 MPG driving to Grand Junction Colorado, which is 180 Miles. I normally get 22 MPH.

To duplicate my results and assure the gas mileage is repetitive, in winter of 2007, I drove to Hayes Kansas using the above scenario which is about 200 miles. I was again able to get 30 MPG in lieu of 22. Drag coefficient (resistance or drag on a car through air) is velocity squared. As my speed increases, the drag on car increases proportionally,and gas mileage goes down. Likewise cruise control maintains a consrtant velocity whether going up hill or down hill. For increased gas mileage we need constant acceleration.

Incidentally this same scheme was used in the Mobil Economy run more than three decades ago using a Ford Pinto.

I have sent this info to both news papers here in Denver and hope it will be published.

I am attempting to get this authenticated with CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) also.

John W. Epperson of CO @ Mar 16, 2008 13:05:38 PM

Saving Gasoline and money

Here are some points to think about.

1. Since the cars are more efficient and not using so mutch gasoline anymore, why is then that the price keeps going up? Is it not more likely that the big money makers want to keep getting the same money when they are selling less gasoline?

2. There are many people that would buy a car that uses Diesel, but the diesel price is about 80 cents more expensive. Is diesel not a by-product of making gasoline?

A diesel car can run 20 miles or more than the same type of gasoline car, is this not saving? But why should we pay more money for this savings?

Dieter Ecker of SC @ Mar 16, 2008 10:35:30 AM

Saving Gas

I have never heard any mention anything about the millions of illegal

aliens that have crossed the border that we are now suppling gas for.I think that has a little to do with it.

HookNbull of TX @ Mar 16, 2008 10:21:28 AM