Savvy driving saves money

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One of the (relatively) unknown facts that Volvo has is a driving academy that gives a course on how to save gas with savvy driving.

The Volvo Cars Driving Academy (VCDA) is located in Göteborg, on the west of Sweden. About 12 students at a time enter the course. They first get to drive a set urban route with cars that are equipped with instruments to measure exact fuel consumption. Then after the class, the students then get to drive exactly the same route once more, applying their newly learned skills.

The results is that simple skills allow an average reduction of 8-10 percent in gas usage, although 15 percent can be achieved easily. The tips aren’t rocket science and are just applications of common sense. Similar courses are offered by RACC and the ADAC.

[Source: Volvo]

Ten simple tips for more economical driving:

  1. Start with as little throttle as possible
  2. Change up quickly
  3. Maintain a steady speed
  4. Avoid really high speeds
  5. Don’t let your car run at idling speed unless necessary (it’s worth your while to switch off the engine if you’re going to be at a standstill for more than 20 or 30 seconds)
  6. Use engine braking
  7. Don’t brake unnecessarily
  8. Always maintain the correct pressure in your tyres (this saves both tyres and fuel)
  9. Don’t drive around with a roof box unless you actually need it (some people really find fashionable to keep the ski racks in summer)
  10. Don’t carry around any unnecessary loads in the car

 

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Defending Whales: Commercial whaling ban reinforced at IWC in Anchorage

Posted by Dave (at the last day of the International Whaling Commission, in Anchorage, Alaska)

A round of applause just echoed around the chamber – a majority vote of 37-4 in favour of the CITES resolution has effectively overturned the St. Kitts Declaration from last year’s IWC. The St. Kitt’s resolution, which effectively declared that a ban on commercial whaling was no longer need, has now been overturned!

This reconfirms that the 1986 moratorium (i.e. ban) on commercial whaling is as valid today as it was two decades years ago. Nice to see the IWC working as it should work! Time for some celebration…

Draft resolution on CITES
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
Wikipedia: CITES

Greenpeace – Making Waves: Bush’s sham of a climate plan

From the AP story: “President Bush on Thursday urged 15 major nations to agree by the end of next year on a global emissions goal for reducing greenhouse gases.”

Sounds very proactive of him. But wait a sec. There are already globally agreed emission reduction targets. They were set in Kyoto, Japan… 10 years ago. Hmm. Maybe no one told President Bush about the Kyoto Protocol, or perhaps it has just slipped his mind.

If you run into him, please point out that the Kyoto Protocol entered into force (became legally binding) on 16 February 2005. It commits industrialised countries (like the USA) to cut their combined emissions to 5 percent below 1990 levels by 2008 – 2012.

Continue reading Bush’s sham of a climate plan…

May Biofuel News Roundup

This month I wrote about making biodiesel from algae, growing biodiesel crops in freeway medians, refinery issues surrounding high gas prices, and the demand for sustainable biofuels.

Here are some stories I missed:

Al Gore was in Argentina, where he spoke before the biofuel industry there (May 1)
Argentina is looking to jump on the biofuel bandwagon by offsetting 5% of its fuel usage with biodiesel or ethanol within the next 3 years. If not implemented carefully, the diversion of food or cropland to biofuels could drive up commodity prices for the 25% of Argentina's population who live in poverty, not to mention the already strained middle class. "Every potential solution must be handled carefully and the danger with biofuels is that extremely valuable forests will be destroyed unnecessarily," said Gore, "Another danger is that, if it is not pursued carefully, it will drive food prices up."

Just Say 'No' to Bad Biofuels (May 9)
Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, RSPB and WWF have launched an advertising campaign against 'the wrong kind of biofuels'. The 'wrong kind' being those produced in ecologically destructive or irresponsible ways, like rainforest-eating Malaysian Palm Oil. Campaign posters depict a gas pump handle being held to an orangutan's head along with the words "Tell the Government to choose the right biofuel or the orang-utan gets it." The groups are urging the government to avoid misguided biofuel mandates without implementing proper environmental safeguards.

Tip o’ the Day: Wear Sunscreen, Not Chemicals

Temperatures are on the rise (for those of us in the northern hemisphere) and the sun can really pack a punch especially during the heat of the day. Make sure your SPF is doing its job without those pesky chemicals.

Many brands of sunblock contain chemicals with estrogenic properties – meaning they can be endocrine disruptors, which confuse the body's natural hormonal balance. Look for sunscreens that use titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. These are inert compounds that will reflect the sun and keep you protected from both UVB (the rays that can cause sunburn) and UVA (the rays that can cause long-term skin damage).

Have some fun in the sun with solar powered toys

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Do you remember the hydrogen fuel cell powered toy cars that we have shown you in the past? If you do, you might also remember the fact that they are extremely expensive, which is the problem with hydrogen powered products of any kind. If you like the idea of alternative power for you kids, but can’t quite afford the hydrogen version, consider going solar instead. Neat Solar Stuff offers a few vehicles and robots which are powered by solar energy. Some of their products will accept a small battery as well, which also brings up the idea of solar powered battery charging. Sometimes the best way to get your kids interested in cool new technologies like this is to make them fun!

As a side note, I find it interesting that these little vehicles are so much cheaper than hydrogen powered toys. The situation stays the same as the sizes increase, of course. This is why electric vehicles currently make a good deal more sense than hydrogen-powered vehicles, which are also electric.

[Source: Neat Solar Stuff via Hugg]

 

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Auto Industry is sick and tired of State CO2 regulations

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They’re launching a counterattack, according to Automotive News (subs req’d). The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (consisting of the Big 2.5, Toyota and five others) submits that California regulators and those of the tagalong states have been misleading the public about the benefits of such regulations.

While under oath in a federal trial in Vermont, regulators contradicted themselves by saying that the rules they have been touting will have no effect on global climate change, and compliance with them will be almost impossible for the automakers. Even if the entire country adopted the regulations the State of California is attempting to implement under a waiver of the Clean Air Act, it would have no measurable impact on climate change.

The other grounds in favor of the Alliance is the fact that regulation of fuel economy – which all this legislation is supposedly about – is a responsibility entrusted exclusively to the federal government, not that of the state.

Aside from the statement that there would be no measurable improvement in the environment, it seems as if the Rebel Alliance has a pretty solid case, and I hope it goes well for them. It does seem that they are indeed putting forth a sincere, if belated, effort to build more efficient cars. It seems slow because gas prices are high now, not later. What the impatient and uneducated individual does not recognize is the fact that it takes years of development before a new car rolls off the line, and emissions regulations cannot change that. The automotive industry is a business, not a public service, and still runs on profit. Actions of the automakers must be well planned and thought out, and still elicit a return on the investment, despite our impatience. If you’ve paid your $155 for this year, read the Automotive News article here.

[Source: Automotive News – subscription required]

 

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BOLD MOVES: THE FUTURE OF FORD Step behind the curtain at Ford Motor. Experience the documentary first-hand.

A New VUE on Driving: Week Two

BusinessWeek.comSaturn VUE Hybrid: Image source: BusinessWeek.com

Last week, I gave you some of my initial impressions of the Saturn VUE hybrid that GM loaned me to test out for a few weeks. On Tuesday, I turned the keys back over to the company that handles press cars for GM. I enjoyed my time giving the vehicle a spin, and look forward to the release of the 2008 model, which will incorporate the "dual mode" hybrid system that GM created in partnership with DaimlerChrysler and BMW.

I mention the release of the new version because it occured to me this past week that the 2007 VUE Hybrid, while an impressive vehicle, is a "mild hybrid": the electric engine helps power the gasoline motor so it doesn't burn as much fuel, and keeps systems operating when the gas engine shuts down at a full stop. This is helpful in terms of achieving higher fuel efficiency than the standard model (and the VUE Hybrid does get the best highway gas mileage of any SUV); the dual mode system (which will also be available in the Chevy Tahoe and the GMC Yukon) will be much more similar to a full hybrid like the Toyota Prius. The dual mode system will include:

  • Engine off at idle
  • Low speed electric-only propulsion
  • Electric boosting during brisk acceleration, climbing steep grades or towing
  • Cutting off fuel to the engine during vehicle deceleration
  • Regenerative braking
  • Engine speed and load control

I bring all of this up to say that I think the '08 model will be worth waiting for. According to GM, these features will increase fuel efficiency by 45%, making the VUE competitive on gas mileage with many smaller cars. And, of course, GM has also promised a plug-in model in the near future (though the company has not specified a date for it).