Recent editorials in the WDN spoke of "peak oil." My
brother, who has been involved with the transportation industry for over 30
years, has maintained for nearly 10 years now that we will reach Peak Oil
before 2010. There is an organization, The Association for the Study of Peak
Oil & Gas (http://www.peakoil.net/)
that discusses Peak Oil in great detail.
I believe the majority of Americans are in denial about that
inevitable day when the wells run dry. With gasoline prices nearing $3.00 a
gallon a while ago, I continued to see 30% to 60% of cars at my favorite
Kwik Trip (on a nice morning, mind you) idling while the occupants were inside
collecting coffee and donuts. I think people are doing a lot of talking about
what the government and everyone else should do about this crisis but most are
not internalizing this reality and changing their own behaviors.
I am beginning to see initiatives to save on gasoline use in
particular that depend upon us making substantial changes in our daily
schedules (much of which is beyond our individual control). Neighborhood
carpooling, for instance will not succeed as a start because it asks us all to
make major changes in how we schedule our transportation needs at a time when
we are not even ready to let the cabin of the car cool off or heat up while we
get our coffee! We need to work to motivate small changes first. That is a way
to help people truly acknowledge that the problem exists and to realize
that they can do something about it.
I'm not sure even small changes will be widely accepted
until gasoline prices exceed $5.00 per gallon. At any rate, I would suggest
that we begin with things like:
1. Shut the engines off when they are not being used (If no
one is in the car or if the driver is sitting off the road reading a map,
chatting on a cellphone, etc.). This is so obvious I am amazed that
everyone does not do it right now. Arguments about it taking more gasoline to
start the car than to let it run were questionable in the old days. With new
engine technologies, such arguments don't even pass the smell test.The engine
on my wife's car shuts down at stop signs - and she gets great mileage!
Drivers of diesel powered vehicles, too, can realize
significant fuel savings by simply shutting off the engine. For instance, once
a school bus engine has warmed up (Here it needs only the trip from the
Minnesota City School Bus Company garage to the school to warm up.) it can be
shut down while waiting for school to end. Unless it is very cold outside (The
buses are not air conditioned, so this does not apply when it's warm.) the
engines don't have to be running until the buses are loaded and they are ready
to pull out. I am not advocating shutting down such engines at each stop, but
I have observed school buses sitting at the WSHS transfer point for nearly 30
minutes every afternoon - with their engines running to "keep them warm" when
it was 80 degrees outside! What will it take to encourage the Minnesota
City School Bus Company to stress conservation of fuel with their
drivers? Such moves have been a struggle for trucking companies but they are
slowly beginning to make progress - and to realize the savings.
2. Discuss the impact on fuel mileage of quick acceleration
starts. Encourage drivers not to engage in intersection races. I cannot count
the number of times that I have made a left hand turn into the inner lane of a
four lane road (the way I was taught) only to find the car behind me beginning
to rapidly accelerate past me on my right even before the driver
has completely negotiated the turn. That wastes gasoline! Such aggressive
driving habits are not limited to young hot-shot male drivers,
either.
3. Encourage people to plan trips in order to accommodate as
many needs in a single trip as is possible. Get groceries on the way home.
Stress the use of other high technology devices like cellphones to save on
trip time and miles by allowing tasks to be added "on the fly" (I'm not
advocating talking while driving. Pull over to the side, shut off the engine,
and add to that grocery list.)
If we can sell such simple changes to people then we
can perhaps move to changes that impact lifestyles and major transportation
habits:
1. Begin carpooling by identifying groups that have similar
schedules, work at the same place, and who live on a common route. It's
not necessary to all live in the same area, If I worked at TRW, for instance,
I could pick up TRW employees all along my route to work as long as we all
worked the same shift. They don't all have to live up by me on the
hill.
2. Encourage people to begin to buy smaller cars. Frankly
(and this is just my personal opinion), I don't believe anyone ever really
"needed" an SUV. Minivans are cheaper, get slightly better mileage and hold
more people and cargo than an SUV. Seems if a driver doesn't "need" a minivan
then that driver surely doesn't "need" an SUV.
3. Encourage people to make EPA mileage ratings a priority
when buying a car and let the dealer know that mileage is important. Then
too, let the losing dealers know that a poor mileage rating was the reason
their car was not the car of choice. If we are going to let the marketplace
determine some of our energy policies (and it's likely that we will), then
it's important to inform that marketplace at all levels, not just at the
consumer level.
I don't make posts often. It's probably just as well. I
can't seem to make a short one.
-Leslie Hittner
