Going Greener - Tips to save fuel
By Lindalinda
@Lindalinda (4111)
Canada
January 29, 2008 10:39am CST
Two environmental scientists at Ryerson University suggest the following tips to save fuel, in particular since fuel costs are now so high.
$ walk wherever you can
$ take public transportation
$ organize your errands so instead of many trips make one trip to town, to the mall, the post office, the bank or whatever
$ since a car needs to be warm to run efficiently multiple short trips are more fuel intensive.
$For those in cold climates - invest in a block heater and set it on a timer for two hours before you want to use the car
$ keep up with oil changes, tune ups and properly inflated tires.
$Roof racks and ski racks add drag and should be removed when not needed.
$Drive smoothly and use cruise control whenever possible
$ avoid idling - A big culprit is the remote starter, which means you can start your car when still in your pyjamas to get it nice and warm. Idling gets us zero kilometres or miles per litre or gallon of fuel.
So there you have it. Do you think those are valuable tips?.
2 people like this
3 responses
@onesiobhan (1327)
• Canada
5 Feb 08
I would add, "Lobby your politicians to fund cheap, accessable and convenient public transportation so you don't have to own a car in the first place."
Tips on increasing fuel efficiency are just band-aids when the real problem is too many cars on the road.
1 person likes this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
9 Feb 08
Yes you are right. Fares go up all the time and yet we are encouraged to use Public Transportation. In fact I do. I bought a condo close to bus and street car stops and got rid of my car. Sometimes I miss it if I need to get stuff like paint and other heavy items. But then one can always rent one.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
31 Jan 08
They work. We do not take public transportation as they keep raising the bus fares. We use a garage and have a block timer. We do not have a roof or ski racks. They are valuable and here in Canada because we already have the high gas prices that Americans are catching up to, we have already used much of these ideas. However our car can only hold so much, so we have to make trips to Home Depot more frequent than we would like.
1 person likes this
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
13 Feb 08
I am sure you are a pro at this since you also live in a cold climate. I used to follow many of those tips when I had a car. Now I live in the city and have very good public transportation and got rid of the car. I do miss it though when I have to get stuff at the Home Depot. It is difficult to transport heavy stuff on the bus. But on those occasions I either take a cab or ask my son to come with his car.
