Yep a while ago there was passed something that said in a few years cars had to average 35mpg...and what, not even a month later we have cars being sold with 35mpg...I remember being told the best gas mileage was at about 55mph but my car only gets 35mpg at 50-60...on the freeway about 33 with the American drivers who block traffic by driving in the left lane because they cause a traffic jam...and when people are not blocking the left lane I get about 38mpg and while on the Autobahn about 25mpg traveling very aggressively from 80-130mph. This is a 2003 vehicle. My '65 Oldsmobile F85 with one of those V8 engines got about 29mpg on the highway but when I replaced the motor with another V8 I got about 30mpg.
Now the bad parts. When I travel to California they have gas that states that it causes cancer in pregnant women and drops the gas mileage from the upper 30's to the mid 20's. Americans seem to drive in the left hand lane blocking traffic causing the 'slinky' effect killing gas mileage. There are people that will cause problems with people driving SUVs complaining about the environmental effects but I don't hear much about them fighting when the auto manufactures overturn the stricter standards. I saw this show of people tagging vehicles...way to go...teach those SUV drivers by being no different than a vandal in their eyes...hey, and guess what, the 'taggers' are driving what was called a type of SUV, yep a station wagon, um... a 6+ passenger vehicle to transport 2 people, it doesn't matter if you get 40mpg because if you had a smaller lighter vehicle you would get better mileage. Lead by example and drive an economy car possibly an electric car, then work with the political parties to enforce standards.
How about emission standards that don't favor big vehicle, put the same emission standards for all personal vehicles and not based on vehicle size, just pollution volume not primarily ppm or ppb, if you don't know what I'm talking about then it is time for you to become more familiar with what really comes out of a tail pipe. Most people cannot control the quality of the vehicle, they are looking for something that may keep them safe or looks good. What's happening is the manufacturer is making a substandard product and the customers are purchasing it but you are persecuting the customers. In their eyes, you are effectively trying to tell an SUV owner to trade in their vehicle for a tin can driving down the freeway. You’re trying to cure the symptom and not the problem. Better yet try to encourage federal spending to develop manufactures of high efficiency and electric vehicle. Hey, I noticed that it looks like subsidization on wind energy has been cut or dropped (did you know that?). At work I have the lowest electric bill. It's been that way for the past several years.
I want to see your Electric bill (price and kWh used for the year), Gas bill (price and volume), vehicle gas mileage and average consumption per year. And then how many of the miles you travel a week is by vehicle, bicycle, or foot. Do you use all energy conserving light bulbs (LED and florescent) you better not have a CRT (tube) TV, is you vehicle leak free and is it regularly checked on by a qualified mechanic, do you not use or not throw plastic grocery bags in the trash...do you recycle, have you started a recycling process in your town. Do you car pool, do you wear natural fibers or synthetics (many synthetics are petroleum based)
If you want to be an environmentalist:
1. Lead by example; be forward thinking
2. Volunteer and work in and with the system, government, and community; not as an infiltrator but as servant first and then a leader when you have learned the jobs.
3. Incorporate practices that are transparent to peoples’ lives; that don’t get complaints or are very easy for everyone; and enforce the legal aspects.
4. Encourage practices that help the town and environment that people can see tangible results.
5. When you have an understanding of how the environment and people around you work then you can work on the intangibles or things that will effect the next generations. It’s part of that pyramid of needs and other ideologies that if satisfied people will be ‘Happy’ to help because their other needs have been taken care of by their ‘environment.’
I would have been a lot more elaborate but I’ve got to teach students in the morning… Oh, did I mention I have a Universal EPA license J and I have been known to teach about environmental effects of pollution for college credit.
