Absolutely Out of My Mind
Phil's Mental Musings
Cry Me a River . . . of Gasoline
02/05/08 10:18 Filed in: Ecology
The sound of people carping about
high gas prices almost drowns out the croaking of frogs awakening
from the long winter. Granted, those on fixed or low incomes have
every reason to express their dismay, for they are paying a price
for the stupidity of others, not their own. But folks who have
purchased a gas guzzler when they could have chosen a more
efficient vehicle, and those who burn rubber from the stop light or
careen down the highway well above the posted limit can just cry me
a river. You have choices about how much gas you use and, having
made bad ones, I don't want to hear your whining, thank you.
Our culture is big on blaming and psychological lynchings, so I'll spare you my detailed views on how we got here, the absence of political leadership and courage on this issue, and the pervasive greed that has driven our nation's energy policy, if one can call it a policy at all. What I won't spare you, if you're kind enough to read on, is my opinion of people who have made choices that require them to shell out $60 to $80 bucks a pop at the pump.
Our "addiction to oil," as what's-his-name in the White House calls it, is just that . . . an addiction. And now, being forced to fork over mucho mullah to the big oil drug pushers, many of us are crying foul. But, hey, when you sell your soul to the corporate devil, what do you expect? Our financial misery is their prosperity. They have no incentive to change. But we do.
Here are a few things most of us can do to fix our little addiction:
1. Elect public officials who pledge to make America energy independent, and not with fossil fuels. Think innovative green energy.
2. Use public transportation, if you can. Or car pool, if you can. Or walk or ride a bike, if you can.
3. Purchase a fuel efficient vehicle — either a hybrid or a smaller auto with high gas mileage.
4. Go the speed limit. Speeding, rapid acceleration and late braking can decrease fuel economy by a whopping 33%.
5. Keep those tires properly inflated.
6. Avoid long idling and warm-ups.
7. Be efficient when you drive. Combine multiple errands into one foray, not several different ones.
8. Quit whining. It doesn't save fuel, but it helps clean up the collective emotional environment.
Our culture is big on blaming and psychological lynchings, so I'll spare you my detailed views on how we got here, the absence of political leadership and courage on this issue, and the pervasive greed that has driven our nation's energy policy, if one can call it a policy at all. What I won't spare you, if you're kind enough to read on, is my opinion of people who have made choices that require them to shell out $60 to $80 bucks a pop at the pump.
Our "addiction to oil," as what's-his-name in the White House calls it, is just that . . . an addiction. And now, being forced to fork over mucho mullah to the big oil drug pushers, many of us are crying foul. But, hey, when you sell your soul to the corporate devil, what do you expect? Our financial misery is their prosperity. They have no incentive to change. But we do.
Here are a few things most of us can do to fix our little addiction:
1. Elect public officials who pledge to make America energy independent, and not with fossil fuels. Think innovative green energy.
2. Use public transportation, if you can. Or car pool, if you can. Or walk or ride a bike, if you can.
3. Purchase a fuel efficient vehicle — either a hybrid or a smaller auto with high gas mileage.
4. Go the speed limit. Speeding, rapid acceleration and late braking can decrease fuel economy by a whopping 33%.
5. Keep those tires properly inflated.
6. Avoid long idling and warm-ups.
7. Be efficient when you drive. Combine multiple errands into one foray, not several different ones.
8. Quit whining. It doesn't save fuel, but it helps clean up the collective emotional environment.