I
recently watched an interesting debate on TV regarding the
benefits of ethanol as a substitute for oil based gasoline.
The debate surrounded the
viability of
ethanol as replacement for imported oil.
Hypothetically, using ethanol as a fuel source addresses
three core
concerns. First,
national security - it
decreases
The
moderator of the interview focused the debate on
quantifying how big a benifit ethanol could be to the
It seems like every debate I hear or read on energy consumption never addresses the issue holistically. The debate could and should be viewed from many angles, highlighting advantages to the consumer. The advertising world is built by persuading the consumer that a certain product will benefit her in some way. This issue can and should be looked at the same way.
So,
to say the least, I was a little bummed that the most
obvious ideas to decrease
The ideas mentioned below involve consumer behavior changes. Although these ideas are never the most popular ones to discuss, they are the easiest to implement. Interestingly, these ideas benefit the consumer in similar ways to ethanol. They are less costly; they are better for the environment; they decrease imported oil consumption. Therefore, these ideas are pretty much a win for the consumer on almost all fronts. Using the advertising angle, these ideas are presented in a way that highlights their financial benefit to the consumer.
While this is a fairly straightforward topic, it is a very important one. The three ideas above are very easy to implement. Next time you or your family are in the market for a new automobile, have a fuel efficiency improvement goal. For example, if your current automobile gets 20 MPG, try to buy an automobile offering 25 MPG. This amounts to a 25% fuel efficiency improvement, which is the equivalent of taking $3.00/gal gasoline to $2.25/gal. There are also many hybrid options to choose from now, including hybrid SUVs. Hybrids can get 40 MPG or more. If you can’t afford a hybrid, that’s OK. You can still likely increase fuel efficiency vs. your current automobile.
If car pooling or mass transit is not a viable solution for you, maybe there are some other ways cut back. Maybe you can stop at the grocery store on the way home from work (vs making a separate trip). Maybe you can organize your weekends better, making fewer trips to and from the house.
Lastly,
getting your air pressure checked at every oil
change is easy. Try
getting it checked
every 1000 miles instead. Speed
bumps seem
to be popping up everywhere, and they wreak havoc on tire pressure. Properly inflated tires
are not only better
for fuel economy. Your
tires will last
longer if they are properly inflated, and I would bet that they are
safer as
well.
The
best part of all of these ideas is that they are wins on
more than one front. I
highlighted the
savings impact more than the environmental impact of these ideas
because dollars
and cents are very tangible to most people.
The least tangible impact of the fuel consumption debate
surrounds
American security. It
is hard to measure
how much our reliance on imported oil affects our safety, but it is a
connection most reasonable people can make.
For whatever reason you choose to reduce your fuel
consumption, you will
likely be helping yourself, the environment and
If you
have any other fuel saving ideas, please let me know.