Lindorff: Obama is Right: It's Easy to Reduce the Nation's (and Your Own) Fuel Bill Dramatically

[babylonsister]

Obama is Right: It's Easy to Reduce the Nation's (and Your Own) Fuel Bill Dramatically
by Dave Lindorff | August 6, 2008


I have a 2001 Honda Civic CX. Just like most Americans, I have for years been racing that car around ignoring speed limits, accelerating out of intersections, racing ahead at light changes as if I were coming out of starting blocks, ignoring things like checking my tire pressure, and so on.

Two weeks ago, though, I read about eco-driving, and thought I'd give it a try. I filled up the tank, took a lot of crap out of the trunk that I'd been lugging around for no good reason, set the air pressure at the manufacturer's specs, changed the air filter (it was pretty clogged), changed the oil to fully synthetic, and started driving conservatively. I stuck to the posted speed limits on local and highway, used my cruise control wherever possible to avoid needless accelerations, kept a good distance behind other vehicles to avoid unnecessary braking, avoided fast accelerations, turned off the engine altogether when stopped at a light or in traffic jams, and gave myself plenty of time to get to appointments.

The result: My mileage leapt from 27 mpg to 38.5 mpg! For the math challenged, that's a 42% improvement in gas mileage!

I know from earlier experience when I owned a Chevy Nova, and I let the muffler go too long, that I could do even better if I poked a little hole in the muffler. Reduce the back pressure on the engine, and while it might run a little noisier, you'll boost your mileage another 5-10% on a small-engined vehicle.

Think about this a minute. If American drivers, who are nearly all congenital speeders, were to suddenly start driving according to the posted signs, and better yet, if the nation were intelligent enough to go back to a 55 mpg national speed limit, we would gain far more than all the offshore drilling and North Slope drilling that could possibly be done. And we'd be helping to slow global warming at the same time, instead of just spewing more carbon into the already smoggy atmosphere.

A side benefit--but by no means a minor one--of my change in driving habits, is that I'm more relaxed. Driving slower, and giving other cars more room, makes for a much less tense ride, and by allowing myself a few extra minutes to make my appointments, I am relaxed about getting places on time.

more...

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/16324