[Vision2020] Conserve precious Oil

[Dick Schmidt]

Fellow Americans,

Our country has never had any kind of "Energy Policy" that has had any meaning. We are looking at oil at over $50.00 a barrel and the end is not in sight. The only way anything is going to happen is if we the citizens of this country make it happen. WE are the ones who need to drastically change the way we use this precious resource. Here are a few tips I gleaned from the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning.
  a.. Avoid rapid acceleration; most horsepower (consumes a lot of gas) is built into cars for acceleration; relatively little power (and thus fuel) is required to maintain speed. 
  b.. Avoid hard braking and sudden stops. Stay alert and anticipate traffic lights, stop signs and merges. Use turn signals. Traffic will move more smoothly, which saves fuel for everyone. 
  c.. When starting out, shift up to the next gear (manual transmission) as soon as possible without straining the engine. 
  d.. Drive more slowly. One study reported that for all vehicles tested there was at least 20% loss in fuel economy as cruising speed was increased from 55 to 75 mph. So, 20 mpg at 55 mph becomes 16 mpg or less at 75 mph. 
  e.. If your car has an instantaneous mpg indicator, use it to improve your driving efficiency. 
  f.. Remove extra weight from the car; 100 extra pounds may cost 1 mpg. Pack lightly for trips. 
  g.. Try to avoid using roof racks and remove when they are not in use. 
  h.. Use cruise control on highway trips. 
  i.. For any stop you expect to last more than a minute, shut of your engine rather than letting it idle. 
  j.. Do not warm engine up before driving; it is not necessary, even in cold weather. 
  k.. Replace air and fuel filters regularly as instructed by your vehicle's maintenance manual; change air filter more often if driving in dusty conditions. 
  l.. Keep tires properly inflated and wheels aligned.
  m.. Carpool if possible for traveling to work or for errands.  
  n.. Combine errands to reduce the number of trips. 
  o.. For shorter errands, consider walking or bicycling. 
  p.. Try to take one less car trip per week. 
  q.. Try to work or study at home at least part of the time. 
  r.. Turn off lights when not in the room.
  s.. Dial down thermostat for heat and dial up for air conditioning.
Please pass this on to everyone on your email list and lets try to reduce our dependence on oil. 
Note* When you pass this on delete the headings with others email addresses because spammers pay for email addresses. Put the addresses in the Bcc: line on your email to prevent this. Consider the "Copy" & "Paste" method to pass this on to eliminate unsightly >>>>>.
This message originated in Moscow, Idaho. 
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