Five Percent: Conserve Energy

Well folks, no more hiding behind illusions. The EPA has updated the MPG estimates that all vehicles sold in the US are required to display on their sticker. The good news is that these estimates are more realistic, because they account for things like lower fuel economy in cold weather. They also account for things like air conditioner usage, higher speeds on roads (check it out: the site shows an image of an 80 MPH speed limit sign) and faster acceleration — things that have changed since the standards were introduced in, probably 1980 or so? (more…)

The “Clear Skies” Initiative and the “Healthy Forests” Act are some of the more glaring euphemisms of the Bush administration. They also worked their magic with “cut and run” and “climate change” (sometimes known as global warming). One message of the 2006 elections was that we see through some of these words (yes, just as we saw through Clinton’s lie about “that woman”).

We should stand up and call something what it is. We need not come up with over-statements, or under-statements, or mis-statements to describe something: we seem to have said that, as a nation, we are able to discern what a thing is, on its face.

Let’s call an SUV an SUV. (more…)

We went to the shopping mall today. Apparently, I need an SUV, since it’s quite clear that everyone else in Newton has one. As we drove through the parking garage, we started counting as we drove past parked vehicles. SUV, SUV, car, SUV, car, car, SUV, SUV, minivan, SUV. There were more non-cars than cars. Yes, more than half. What I want to know is (more…)

This summer, my family and I went to California for our summer vacation to see some natural beauty along the Pacific Coast Highway north of LA. We were there during the week of the natural disaster of hurricane Katerina. But we left California feeling as though we had seen a glimpse of the future. What we saw was not pretty.

First let me say that this is not a California-bashing polemic. The state has many great qualities and has taken a leadership role by using its size to force auto-makers and other industries to reduce emissions. But there’s a reason for that. (more…)

This US Government Fuel Economy site offers some interesting information about fuel economy, as well as overall emissions, which are not the same thing. While less fuel means less emissions, different engines burn more or less cleanly. Check it out.