McMurphy Couldn’t Sell Hydrogen Cars
More words for this later today, but two words for now: “Total Confirmation”
Archive for Environmental
Pinballing Wizardry - One Flip
Pinballing Wizardry is a not so brilliant way of saying, quick collection of links. Every now and then, perhaps about twice a month I’ll be throwing together links that are not only interesting to me but might seem useful or interesting to others, as well.
Fun. Useful. Strange. Educational. They store up sometimes and they need a release - AKA - Pinball!
I CAN GUARANTEE YOU WILL FIND AT LEAST ONE INTERESTING THING IN THE LIST, NO MATTER HOW SHORT.
Less USA Gas Use This Year Makes Me Extremely Happy
This article about Americans curtailing their gas use in light of higher prices has been the biggest highlight in my life in recent weeks.
Thinking big picture, price really does get people’s attention. This is not news, but the fact that gas consumption has remained the same - or higher - in the face of huge hits in the wallet, seemed to ignore the conventional wisdom.
The Department of Transportation said figures from March show the steepest decrease in driving ever recorded.
Compared with March a year earlier, Americans drove an estimated 4.3 percent less — that’s 11 billion fewer miles, the DOT’s Federal Highway Administration said Monday, calling it “the sharpest yearly drop for any month in FHWA history.” Records have been kept since 1942.
According to AAA, for the first time since 2002, Americans said they were planning to drive less over the Memorial Day weekend than they did the year before.
The reasons for consumption and prices are complex and varied. Auto manufacturers should get a lot of the blame for not mass-producing electric and hybrid cars. The technology existed 25 years ago and they could have shaped people’s buying habits for the good. And, in doing so they could have helped keep land and sky cleaner.
And oil companies are raking in greater profits than every before. CLEARLY, this means their own expenses are not increasing proportionally or much at all. They’ve NOW slowed research and development because they know what maximizes profits.
But that consumers are limiting their travel is a big plus. That was my silver lining for the high prices, which does also hurt me personally, being currently unemployed as i am. So when I need to travel to an interview across town it’s a financial investment every single time.
I finally realized that if people’s driving habits could be changed this was the only way. Painful yes, but it’s actually part of the sacrifice for the greater good that the country and its citizens used to be so good at. And it’s not taking wartime - not strictly - to get it done.
Feel good about driving less. Bike and carpool when possible. Walk to the store if only picking up a couple of things and buy a couple of canvas bags. If carrying more, well, yeah, use the car.
