Commit here - use 1/2 the gas you usually use this week

[adigal]

Coming her and complaining makes us feel better, or at least it makes me feel better. But I want this oil consumption insanity of our's to stop - so:

I commit to using 1/2 less gas in my car this week.

Ways I can do this:

Consolidate grocery trips

Go to my local farmer's market for vegetables, rather than the grocery store 1/2 hour away (my closest big store)

Walk when I can, use public transportation if available, which is not really, but I can use it when I visit NYC

Other ideas?? Please add them.

[hobbit709]

1. I use about one tankful a month as it is.

[adigal]

10. Good for you!! I use a lot, because I live in a very

rural area. But I will plan my trips more carefully from now on.

[joeybee12]

2. Agree...consolidate trips...just a little planning ahead will cut down

on the trips you need.

[tabbycat31]

3. cut down on trips

carpool when possible

[SocialistLez]

4. I'll try

I try to combine a lot of my trips in one day anyway.
I've been doing that ever since I started driving.

Carpool if you can. No need to take separate cars to the same place.

[Luminous Animal]

5. Team up with your neighbor or neighbors

My sister lives out in the boonies and when she or some of her neighbors need to go to the store, they phone each other first. Sometimes they run errands together. Sometimes they pick up a few things for each other.

[Speck Tater]

6. I don't need to shop again till the end of June

and there's really no place I have to go that I can't walk or ride my bike, so I'm not likely to use any gas at all for the rest of the month. But that's normal for me.

On Edit: I will have to use about a gallon in my garden tractor to mow my 4 acres of weeds, but that's already been purchased as is in the tractor tank.

[Andy823]

7. I already have

Since last fall I have cut down on my fuel consumption. The very mild winter helped since I did not have to plow snow very much, only 2 real good storms that required getting the plow truck going. I also have tried to plan out shopping trips for groceries with shopping trips for other thing I need at the hardware stores. I use the Ford Focus for most trips, and it gets over 30 mpg on average so that also helps.

In all I think Americans are doing better since we have a huge surplus of oil, gasoline and diesel, even though by the prices in my area, which went up starting in March and still have not gone down! Sadly no matter what we do the prices at the pump are manipulated by speculators for their own gain. When price went up earlier this year, about 5 or 6 dollars a barrel, the price at the pump in my area jumped around 35 cents per gallon, and that was in about a months time period when it went up "EVERY" week. Now oil has dropped close to around 18 dollars a barrel in the last few weeks, and the price around here is still the same! I think they are trying to keep the price up till after memorial day so they can make as big a profit as they can with those who travel. Myself, I won't be traveling during that time so they won't be getting any of my money for fuel. Right now I can wait till after the first of June to refill my fuel tanks, and I hope by then the prices will have gone down.

[Catherina]

8. WALK. BIKE. IN VISIBLE MASS. Committed n/t

[FirstLight]

9. well...

I work from home, and canceled going to my client's house this week... that's one trip.

Me & the kids have the sniffles so I am not driving them to school today.... that's two.

My teenager is riding his bike to the gym and orthodontist.... that's three.

I know we could do it every week though... good point!

thanks for posting, something's gotta give.

[adigal]

11. We can do this - sorry you are not feeling

well, but good for you!!

[adigal]

12. I have been toying with the idea of a march from NY to DC

once school lets out. Maybe we can organize it?

[kestrel91316]

13. I'm car-free in Los Angeles. While not do-able for everyone,

it works well most of the time for me.

This weekend I am clearing out a storage unit, and a friend is going to help me out with her truck.

So I can't really cut back. My gas use has been about zero for the past several months.

[adigal]

15. When I lived in NYC, I hardly ever drove

Now, I have to. :(

[Iggo]

19. Me, too.

Bus, bike, the occasional lift from family or friends, and of course my feets.

Been doing it this way for over a dozen years.

[NoGOPZone]

14. when expressway driving, keep it under sixty five and maintain a constant speed when possible

Nearly all vehicles get better mileage driving at that speed, no matter what the "My car gets its best mileage at 80mph because of its gearing I know because my trip computer says so" crowd thinks.

[AndyA]

16. Unload your vehicle!

If you don't need it, take it out! All that junk in the trunk, floorboard, or back end adds weight and uses more fuel. Take it out if you aren't going to need it on the next trip.

Check your tire pressures, make sure they're inflated properly.

Have your front end aligned, poor alignment wastes gas.

Keep the windows up to reduce drag, use the vent setting instead of A/C whenever possible to save gas.

Keep your vehicle tuned, and especially the emissions controls need to be properly adjusted.

Combine trips whenever possible. Call neighbors if you're going to the store to see if you can pick up anything they need and save them from starting their car altogether!

Drive responsibly. Accelerate slowly, take your foot off the gas and anticipate stops. Imagine a raw egg between your foot and the accelerator pedal and brake. Drive so you wouldn't break the egg.

[HillbillyBob]

20. We combine trips , fortunately the Versa gets 33 -37 mph

depending on head wind ans speed(sometimes you have no choice with monster tractor trailers and other traffic going 80 they will run over you at 65, and it does not have cruise..it likes to go fast the CVT transmission is pretty amazing.

I have always combined trips, went easy on the gas, keep up the maint, tire pressure/balance/rotate etc, as I learned to drive on a stick in 74 when there had been lines for gas the year before.

We are making our home as near to fossil fuel free as we can..it is taking time since we have a limited budget, our electric is mostly coal fire generated. In about 3 1/2 yrs we have cut our electric from 3300 (using the heat pump) kilo watt hrs to 800-1200 and working to get that down more.
Using a variety of things, gaskets in the light switch and outlet covers especially the outlets and switches on the outside walls. Great stuff foam around the penetrations under sinks that let in cold air, under/behind showers and tubs too if you can get at them. LEDs as the CFLs die, efficient appliances do not have to break you, ROI on a good front loader is about 2 1/2 yrs and you save water, power, soap, and wear on clothes and they come out nearly dry and well rinsed. I put up a stainless steel cable clothes line..cost about 35$ and will last for years. I put a fiberglass insulation jacket on the electric water heater then a layer of Reflectix(tm) over that and turned it down to 125 I also slid styro panels between that insulation and the closet walls. This is an electric water heater, I don't know about a gas one. The solar water heater should be installed in the next year. The energy start dishwasher and front loader have on board water heaters so don't need 130 140 temp water. Dish washer is more efficient with water and power than running hot water and washing by hand.
We plan graywater reuse and rain catch systems to take load off of the well pump to water the food gardens and orchard.

[Lyric]

17. I don't directly use any gas because we don't drive.

However, I can try to buy more local produce this week, which has the effect of reducing gas needed for shipping. How's that?

[sui generis]

18. not possible

I have a daily 70 mile round trip commute that starts with me out the door at 5:30 a.m. and ends returning around 6:30 p.m. - no buses, no ride shares. I already buy groceries only once a week, and usually plan my errands on a segmented circle for time efficiency.

It's not because I'm a gas activist so much as I FUCKING HATE DRIVING AND SITTING IN TRAFFIC.

I'm guessing many people on DU are already pretty circumspect about wasting resources and recycling, so cutting consumption in half is not realistic, at least for many here.

No, if you want to "show them", don't get coffee, donuts, or breath mints at Exxon. Buy your chips, cigs, nicotine gum, soda and lotto tickets anywhere but at a gas convenience store, and if you can purchase gas at a grocery store (you can in many places in Texas and Colorado), then avoid the big name gas stations altogether.

[tammywammy]

22. I buy any "convenience" items at the little station around the corner from my house

It's just two guys that run it. :)

[tammywammy]

21. I could only do that if I stopped going to work/school

I drive to work, from work to school, from school to home. Grocery trips are already combined with coming home from work, and it's not out of my way. Any "extra" errands are combined with other trips. Last week I did drive quite a bit more than usual, as on Saturday I picked my mom up and we went to my brother's graduation in a city north of us.

No public transportation available.

[mimitabby]

23. it's bike to work month!

I am riding my bike as much as I can despite crappy weather. Most people stay in their cars though.

[demigoddess]

24. this week! I have 3 doctors visits! could do it next week. See why these demonstrations

don't always work.

[Maat]

25. I'm proud to say that I've already cut my gas consumption to a 1/10

of what it used to be, as has my husband. We both work out of the house, and use a small market nearby. We homeschool the kid, and coordinate our trips; BUT I'm always trying to find a way to cut it more.

I'm fully supportive of your effort here, and I commit to continue cutting.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

26. No problem. No job=no go, no where

[adigal]

31. I'm sorry - I hope things look up for you. n/t

[guitar man]

27. The weather has turned really nice here

So the number of 4 wheel trips I take is going way down and two wheel trips going way up. I'll cut my gas consumption by way more than 1/2, and have a great time doing it :evilgrin:

[adigal]

30. Nice bike - but be careful!!! Yes, I am a Mom n/t

[guitar man]

32. Yes mom :)

I'll be careful, and I always wear a helmet :)

[spinbaby]

28. I could not go to work

While that does sound attractive, I'm afraid it won't work for me.

[Maat]

29. O.K., who is working for th oil & gas companies?

It looks as if this thread has been unrec'd. Shame upon whomever did so.

The time to end our extreme dependence upon petroleum and petroleum-related products is now. We need to reduce our consumption - to the extent that each one of us can.

[nadinbrzezinski]

33. We fill my tank once every two weeks, or more

I already do a lot of that.

[NoPasaran]

34. Good, more gas for me

[RB TexLa]

35. Cancel vacations. You save gas/jet fuel and the money you would have spent on the vacation.

[Hempathy]

36. no can do.

The lawn needs mowing, and I'm involved in several projects at home and about that will require MORE driving than usual over the next couple weeks.
sorry.

[havocmom]

37. Not gonna use ANY gas for the next week

And the week after, 1/2 of what I used this week.

[lunatica]

38. I truly wish I could

I have to drive on a freeway to get to work (in the SF Bay Area). It takes me just as long to get to the nearest BART station as it does to get to work. I used to take a bus until they stopped running that line. My supermarket is close by but I have to drive a distance to COSTCO to buy groceries in bulk, which I do once a month, so it isn't so bad. We have a couple of corner stores close by which helps.