I’ve been somewhat anxious about what “we” are going to do about energy and oil with the price of the slippery stuff back down to a reasonable level. People with memories spanning more than 30 years know that this has happened before. In the seventies, the price of oil, and consequently gasoline, went through the roof prompting a push toward fuel efficiency. As the high price waned, so did America’s impetus toward saving fuel. The high-low price cycle has again occurred, with the price of oil peaking earlier this year above $140 per barrel and now being below $60 per barrel. Our nation is at a crossroads. Do we repeat the psychological/economic cycle and forget about our summer time desire to quit the addiction, or do we put the needle back in the arm — maybe a bigger syringe this time, Hummer H2000 anyone?
I’m starting to like President-Elect Obama more and more these days because he wants to take us to rehab. In Sunday night’s 60 minutes interview, he explained that we need to continue the political progress toward alternative energy and getting off oil. I’m really glad to hear that at least one politician is still focused on this looming problem.
The answers cannot just come from the political realm though. This will also have to be born out on Main Street (in the popular vernacular). We all must reject our oil consuming ways — ride your bike, take the bus, carpool, and if you have the resources, get a fuel efficient car. Now, I’m not suggesting that everyone go out and get a Prius (there are a lot of excellent reasons not to buy a new car when you consider your carbon costs), but there are a lot of nice used cars that get really good gas mileage relative to your Hummer H2.
With this in mind, I’ve made some transportation decisions in my life. For the past couple of years, I’ve been riding my motorcycle to campus every day. My bike is old and only gets about 35 per gallon, but the commute time via motorcycle is very favorable to any other way. Instead of riding my bike, I’m now riding the bus to campus. It takes a little longer, but I think the time’s worth it for the cause.
I’d like to hear what you’re doing to save fuel. Tell us in the comments.
We are a one car family and I commute about 11 miles via foot and train. I also have a cup that I take with me for coffee and I use it every single day. And I mostly bring my lunch to work (90% or the time). Sometimes it blows my mind how much trash could be saved if even just the people in my office stopped eating take out every single day, and used reusable cups for the sometimes multiple coffees each day from the place across the street. Could you imagine what we could do if nationally/culturally we could be less resource intense? It could be amazing. I sure hope Obama can motivate.
I plan to retire and just stay off the roads, sit home and make adorable things for Molly. (I will have to get in the car and take it to the post office though)
I started trying to take the bus to work once a week back in the spring. My commute is about 50 miles roundtrip, so I feel a bit guilty about the amount of gas I use everyday (at least the hubby makes up for my commute with his four-mile roundtrip commute). I kept this up for several months until circumstances arose that didn’t allow me to be gone from home for more than ten hours at a stretch (there was nobody to let the dog out). Unfortunately, public transportation is aimed at people going the opposite direction than the way I drive. The only thing available to me is the Santa Barbara City buses. Riding the bus increases my commute time from one hour to three hours roundtrip.
Once I got my road bike and I was able to work something out a couple of times a month with dog care, I would take my bike with me on the bus in the morning, and then ride my bike home after work. The time was almost equivalent to just riding the bus both ways, and now I was getting over two hours worth of exercise. This has died down since the time change. The last time I rode my bike home from work was the week before we changed back the clocks. Now it just gets dark too early. I am hoping to start back on the bus to work, bike home once there is a little more daylight.
So really, the only thing I am doing right now is storing a bike at work that I ride to lunch. I bring my lunch nearly everyday and take the bike to the beach or downtown. I have pretty much cut out all short trips with my car. I have improved my gas mileage by two-three miles per gallon since I have cut out in-town driving. Fat Back and I also started taking the bus downtown (twelve miles) occasionally. There is also the added bonus of both of us being able to drink when we do this.
I would definitely take public transportation to work if there was something even remotely more convenient. I love riding the bus because I can just relax and read a book or stare out the window.
Caltrain every day from San Francisco to Mountain View. My job’s in Cupertino, though, so I take a shared shuttle from the Mountain View Caltrain station to Cupertino. Caltrain rocks; on time, bikes allowed, booze allowed, naps allowed, no traffic.