Why Americans Aren't Ready for Cheap Gas

I'm guilty. I admit it. I'm part of the problem. I do as much as I can to conserve gasoline, but I still miss the target on a few things. First, I drive too much. Sometimes I drive when I could easily walk or bicycle instead. Sometimes I miss opportunities to carpool because I haven't planned well enough. The car I drive isn't as fuel efficient as it should be.

The bad part is that I'm not the worst by any stretch of the imagination. Everyday I see other motorists speeding down local roads -- every one of them apparently late to a very important date. Then there's my friend who drives an SUV but still complains about the price of gas. That's right. He doesn't complain about his vehicle's horrible gas mileage or his decision to buy such a gas hog. He complains about the price of gas. My personal favorite is my coworker who lives across the street from our office (all of 200 yards) but on even the nicest days insists on driving to work.

Worst offenders aside, most people I know are actually interested in spending less at the pump, and there's a growing awareness of the environmental degradation, killing, torture, and oppression that take place as a result of our thirst for oil. The question then becomes how do we begin to free ourselves from this chain.

The beginning is simple:
Carpool. It sounds too good to be true but sharing rides with a friend effectively doubles your gas mileage. Imagine if you could share a ride with two or more people.

Minimize the use of your heater and air conditioner.

Combine errands and trips.

Walk, ride bicycle, or use public transportation.

Drive more conservatively. Fast acceleration and gunning the engine uses more gas. Braking wastes the energy used during acceleration. 5-33% savings*

Follow the speed limit. According to the Department of Energy “…you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon ...” 7-23%*

Use cruise control on the highway. In a road test by Edmunds.com, a Land Rover got about 14% better mileage and a Mustang got 4.5% better mileage using cruise control rather than driver controlled speeds which waste gas with unnecessary acceleration and braking.

Get the junk out of your trunk. The more weight in your car; the more gas that is required to speed up. You can also be creative and start to strip down your car like race car drivers do. Pretty soon my passenger seat and back seat are gonna go! 1-2% per 100 lbs*

Avoid idling. Idling equals zero miles per gallon. It is unnecessary to “warm up” a modern car by idling more than 30 seconds. Instead, driving your car gently when you first start out in the morning will do a better job of getting the engine to its optimal operating temperature. In the same test at Edmunds.com, they saved up to 19% in mileage by turning off the car when idling more than one minute.

Keep your car tuned up. This includes keeping air filters clean; the exhaust system in good repair; spark plugs, wires, and other electrical components in good condition; change the oil regularly with quality synthetic oil; keep tires properly inflated; and use fuel system cleaners from time to time.

When you buy a new car, buy one that gets better gas mileage.

Since I've already written about local foods: eat locally. Maybe you didn't drive that beef all the way from Montana or Chile to your supermarket but someone did.

If you are relocating, consider locales with good public transportation and thriving businesses within an easy walk or bicycle ride.

*US Dept of Energy and EPA site: http://www.fueleconomy.gov/
Edmunds site on fuel economy: http://www.edmunds.com/fueleconomy/index.html
Car Talk's Guide to Better Fuel economy: http://www.cartalk.com/content/features/fueleconomy/
I'd call this extreme fuel economy: Hypermiling. It's a number of driving techniques and strategies that can dramatically increase gas mileage. I'm trying a few of their techniques, but they are not for the faint of heart. http://www.hypermiling.com/ and http://www.cleanmpg.com/

I've also heard about putting magnets around your fuel line and adding a very small amount of acetone to your fuel to improve gas mileage but have not tried these myself nor verified their effectiveness or safety. Does anyone else have any experience with these or have any other tips or sites?


Coming soon... lawns, lawn mowers, and mainstream landscaping.

Local Cheese and Milk; Chambersburg/Shippensburg Pennsylvania

I did a little research, and I found a great resource from the PA Farmstead and Artisan Cheese Alliance http://www.pacheese.org/PDF/PAFACAdirectory.pdf. Please post a comment if you have any additions.

There's another farm that makes incredible fresh French goat cheeses: Pipe Dreams Fromage in Greencastle, PA We get it through the CSA. I think you can also get their cheese at the Farmer's Market in Chambersburg at the Southgate Mall in Chambersburg on Saturday mornings: http://www.wilson.edu/wilson/asp/content.asp?id=809
Map of S Water St & W Washington St Chambersburg, PA 17201, US

and while I was looking up Pipe Dreams, I found this great resource about artisan cheeses in Franklin County: http://www.visitpa.com/docs/FranklinCo_%20Artisan_Cheese_Trail.pdf

One other place worth mentioning is Trickling Springs Creamery in Chambersburg, PA. Their web site offers a lot of information: http://www.tricklingspringscreamery.com/, but you have to stop by their store to really appreciate the variety and quality of their products. They have local, organic milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, and ice cream. They also have local, natural beef, eggs, and other products. The store is on Rt 11 just south of Chambersburg. Map of 2330 Molly Pitcher Hwy Chambersburg, PA 17201-9299, US

Eating Locally

For about a year now my family has made locally grown foods a significant portion of our diet. Last year I grew most of the food we ate from early June through the end of October. We only eat meat once or twice a week, so most of what we bought at the grocery store was condiments and staples such as salt, sugar, rice, bread, and pasta.

In December, we moved into a new house, and I didn't have enough time to prepare the ground for a new garden of the size we had last year. We really only had a few options to continue eating locally grown foods: farmers' markets, roadside stands, and Community Supported Agriculture programs (aka CSA).

Farmers' Markets: I love them, but they're not practical for us to purchase all of our foods there. My wife and I both work. The market hours are limited, and we inevitably miss the market and end up buying our produce at the local grocery store.

Roadside Stands: Too unpredictable. You never know what they will have or when they will be open. They're nice for surprises, but not for a regular food supply.

CSA: This was our choice, and we love our local CSA: Fulton Farm on the campus of Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania http://www.wilson.edu/wilson/asp/content.asp?id=205. The basic idea: You pay at the beginning of the season for your vegetables and go pick them up at a designated place every week (or two). For us this works the best. We usually have more than enough produce (we often end up giving away some to family and friends). The quality and variety of food is outstanding. The pick up time and place is consistent, so it's easy to plan around, and we love being part of such a positive and progressive endeavour.

Why is eating locally grown food better than imported?

1. It's fresher, therefore it tastes much better.

2. Local is more nutritious. Related to freshness. Also small scale farmers usually do a better job of caring for their soil, plants, animals, and environment.

3. Buying local supports the farmers near you and not some gargantuan agricultural company in another state or even country.

4. Buying local reduces pollution, including greenhouse emissions. Bottom line - the food doesn't need to be shipped, flown, or trucked thousands of miles to your table.

5. You can even meet the people who grow your food.