Six Myths About Improving Gas Mileage

Especially with gas prices rising again, myths and rumors about how you can increase gas mileage are spreading like wildfire, from the ridiculous to the real thing. Snopes and Mythbusters have tackled some of them – like whether it’s better to run your AC or drive with the windows open or if acetone improves mileage – and now CBS MoneyWatch has busted six more.

Check ‘em out:

1. If your owner’s manual says “premium fuel recommended,” you’ll ruin your car by filling it up with regular.

Reality: Unless you’re driving in the Indy 500, using regular gas in a car that says premium fuel is merely “recommended” is perfectly fine. And doing so will save you 25 cents per gallon.

“Unless you have a job that requires regular sessions on a racetrack, there is no legitimate need to ever put premium fuel in your vehicle,” says Susan Winlaw, co-author of the book, Car Advice for Women (and Smart Men). Using regular gas could cost you a few horsepower when you’re driving at higher speeds, but chances are you won’t notice the difference, and it definitely won’t hurt your car. Your engine’s fuel-management system is perfectly prepared to handle lower-octane fuel, says Winlaw.

On the other hand, switching to regular in a car for which premium fuel is “required,” as it is for a few high-performance luxury rides, could cause noticeable knocking. And over time, that could lead to faster engine wear.

Those cases aside, just how much could switching to regular gas save you this weekend? According to the AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report, the national average price per gallon recently was $2.68 for regular gas, versus $2.94 for premium. A longish road trip could account for four fill-ups of about 20 gallons each, meaning you’d save almost $21 by using regular gas over premium.

2. In the summer, you should only buy gas at night or early in the morning when the gas is cold. Because cold gas is more dense, you’ll get more fuel for your money.

Reality: Buying cold gas is a lot harder than it sounds, and the potential savings are scarcely worth it.

Consumer Reports thoroughly tested this theory using their own underground tank, similar to those used by gas stations. They found that it’s surprisingly hard to accurately predict whether a given tankful of gas will be cold or warm. For starters, if gas was a given temperature when it was delivered from the tanker truck, it tended to stay that temperature for a while, even after it had been transferred. Not only that, but the first gas to be pumped in a given day could be warm because a certain amount of gas collects in the aboveground pump. So even if you manage to be the first customer of the day, you might still be buying warm gas.

After all that, even if you’re successful in buying cold gas, the difference in density is so slight — perhaps a maximum of 1 percent per fill-up, according to Consumer Reports —that the savings are marginal. “It’s an urban myth” that you should always buy gas at night or early in the day, says Gabriel Shenhar, senior auto test engineer for Consumer Reports.

Get the next four myths over at CBS MoneyWatch.

Link [CBS MoneyWatch] via [Pumps]

Photo: Flickr user kwc

What Would Happen if Oil Supplies in America Suddenly Dried Up?

Lines of cars stretch for miles waiting to fill up their tanks, some drivers inching along as the line slowly moves while others, long out of gas, have no choice but to push their vehicles down the street. People are testy, eyeing each other with suspicion, getting into physical scuffles when they think someone cut them in line. Some sleep in their cars overnight in the parking lot, waiting for the tanker to pull up so they’ll have enough gas to get to work in the morning. If this sounds like a flashback to the gas crisis of the 70s, you weren’t in the Southeast U.S. in late September and early October of 2008.

Atlanta, Asheville, Charlotte, Nashville, Raleigh, Columbia – these are just a few of the cities that were hit with a major gas shortage in the weeks after two back-to-back hurricanes shut down oil refineries in the Gulf Coast. It started off slowly; local news stories casually mentioned that due to some refineries closing down in Texas, some cities could end up with less gas than usual. Soon, more and more yellow ‘Sorry, Out of Service’ bags began appearing on pumps. People began to worry – if I can’t find gas, how am I going to get to work? That’s when the panic buying began.

Too many people started topping off their tanks, intent on making sure they were on ‘F’ at all times. Others started hoarding, filling up multiple gas cans and the tanks of cars they didn’t use on a regular basis. Of course, that just made things worse, and soon finding gas was all but impossible in cities all over the Southeast. People had to call dozens of stations ahead of time to see if they had gas, only to arrive and be told they were too late. At stations that did have gas, police were forced to control the crowds after some pulled out baseball bats, cut ahead in line and dared anyone who didn’t like it to speak up. Some people were arrested for siphoning gas from unattended vehicles.

In cities like Asheville, North Carolina, community college classes were canceled and government offices shut down. City buses were packed to the point of questionable safety. A lot of people were forced to stay home from work. The worst of the shortage lasted about two miserable weeks of yelling, pushing, waiting in absurdly long lines and paying painfully high prices to stations that capitalized on the opportunity to gouge consumers. Now that it’s nearly over, everyone is breathing a collective sigh of relief and going back to their normal everyday lives.

While many people chalk the shortage up to a temporary issue that was exacerbated by the ugly side of human nature, others see it as a taste of what could be to come. It was an eerie breakdown in normalcy, and it highlighted the extent to which our society is currently dependent on oil. Sure, better technology is on the way. But it’s not here yet. What if something major happened that disrupted oil availability for a longer period of time – a month, or even a year?

Imagine a similar gas shortage, on a nationwide or even worldwide scale. Any number of scenarios could cause this to happen. Some people cite the very real possibility that terrorists could target the oil market, but the truth is, even a much smaller, less dramatic event could cause a devastating, long-lasting shortage. We definitely seem to be marching toward ‘peak oil’, and we’re certainly not prepared for that – but we’re even less prepared for a sudden, unexpected, prolonged disruption in oil supplies.

Unfortunately, the natural reaction for most people in such a situation is to panic. Americans are already jittery because of the current state of the economy. Suddenly, life in the U.S. of A. doesn’t seem so stable anymore. This insecurity coupled with a major gas shortage would definitely be a recipe for disaster, particularly since Americans are accustomed to all of life’s necessities, conveniences and frivolities being easily accessible at all times.

You can imagine what the government would tell people at first: relax. It’s okay. Keep calm and carry on. These platitudes, however dire the situation would be in reality, would be seen by authorities as a necessary attempt to put off the inevitable chaos that would come when people realized that, well, actually, it’s not okay.

During the recent temporary 2-3 week shortage of gas in the Southeast, people were mostly reassured that there was an end in sight. Gas tankers were coming. Supply would go back up, so there was no need to bash the neighbor’s head in and take his gas can or begin looting grocery stores. But, a sudden, widespread, large-scale shortage would be different. No matter what we were told by the government, panic would set in almost immediately.

Some people reading this might think – okay, so we’ll walk. We’ll start using solar panels and electric cars. But, it’s not that easy. Those things won’t be magically available all over the country as soon as a real energy crisis hits. Sure, over an extended period of time, alternatives like these would be put into place and society would begin to go back to some semblance of ‘normal’, but in the meantime, chaos would reign. The idea that society as a whole would simply adapt and move on assumes that people would react in a rational, law-abiding way. And that’s simply not the way most humans function in a crisis.

In the short term, the government would likely ration oil-based fuel. Frightened by the fact that they couldn’t stock up on gas and heating oil, people would clear the shelves in grocery stores. Utility companies would likely initiate planned rolling blackouts to preserve supplies, adding to the sense of unrest. Without power, looting would begin. All of this would occur within days.

If public rioting became widespread, the President could declare a state of emergency and martial law would go into effect. School would be canceled. Most businesses would be forced to close. The economy would be crippled, because what little gas was available would probably be commandeered by the government for use by police, ambulances, fire trucks and the military. That means no supply trucks stocking store shelves. No USPS, UPS or Fed-Ex.

Production would stop on products made from petroleum, and that includes not just plastic and polyester but synthetic fertilizer and pesticide, too. Airports would shut down, stranding people wherever they were. Most power plants would run out of fuel. Emergency vehicles would be in conservation mode, perhaps unable to answer every request for help. People who rely on medical treatments to stay alive would start dying.

In essence, life would become suddenly, shockingly local. No longer tied together by cheap energy, society would break down into pockets. Some areas would be better off than others, especially those with mild climates, abundant and easily accessible fresh water and fertile land.

Since it’s not known what kind of plan the government has in place for such a scenario, it’s hard to predict how long food supplies would remain intact. It’s possible that emergency food supplies could be transported to some areas via coal-powered trains, but it’s difficult to say how widespread such help would be, and how long it would last – especially as a lack of cheap oil-based fertilizer cut back food production. In the meantime, people would be getting really hungry. And hunger is certainly a powerful incitement for riots.

The people who ran out of food first would start begging others for help. Getting desperate, they’d break into each other’s houses hoping to find emergency supplies. Anyone who seemed well prepared would be targeted. Urban areas would quickly become extremely unpleasant places to live, especially once the military and emergency services burned through their fuel reserves. Those with the most guns would rule the land. Gangs would grow larger and more powerful. Fires would burn unabated.

Once food supplies in urban areas were gone, people would start spreading out into the suburbs, and then into rural areas in search of food. Thousands would travel by whatever means possible to get away from densely populated areas where mayhem and lawlessness rule. They’d be taking the chance that whatever supplies they carried with them would be taken by force by modern-day highwaymen, but they’d be desperate enough to risk it, because staying behind would be even more dangerous.

After six months, thousands or even millions of people would have died from hunger and violence. Since the global economy would have been brought to a standstill, money would no longer mean anything. After all, the banking system is completely dependent upon cheap oil. Once the dust settled and the initial shock wore off, society would essentially become a strange mix of simple technology and the remaining tools and technology that still work without oil – at least temporarily. Innovation and technology would pick up again, but it would take a while for any new technology to gain commercial viability, especially with the economy in total shambles.

This scenario would also be very bad news for the environment and the fight against global warming, because it would cause a huge temporary increase in reliance on coal. Such a large increase, in fact, that emissions from coal-burning power plants would likely reverse any progress made up to that point. That makes our reliance on oil even more dangerous.

Once we hit the one-year point, life in America would be profoundly different than it was before gas ran out. Little pockets of hope would begin to appear, with many people beginning to grow food in their yards and raising animals like chickens, goats and cattle. People would barter goods and services, trading eggs and milk for herbal medicine or building supplies. Eco villages would sprout up. Life would go on, but it sure as hell would be a painful transition.

In the midst of this pre-Industrial Revolution environment would be people working on advanced alternative fuel technology, working towards getting us back on our feet. Still others would cling to oil as the center of the modern world, doing everything possible to restore supplies.

Hopefully, this sort of sudden gas shortage won’t happen. However, we’ve had plenty of warning signs that we need to make the transition to other energy sources, and we’re not moving fast enough. The end of the age of oil is coming, and we’re definitely not ready for it.

Images via USA Today, Citizen-Times, TIME, MSNBC, Risen: The Movie

Walking, Riding Bikes – Too Wacky For Republicans

Are Republicans afraid to step out of their SUVs to take a walk or *gasp* ride a bike? It sounds like a silly stereotype but the National Republican Congressional Committee recently released a video against Democratic nominee Kathy Dahlkemper with just that message.

Dahlkemper, who is challenging U.S. Rep. Phil English to represent Pennsylvania’s 3rd District, is quoted in the video as saying Americans should “walk places” and “ride their bikes”. Apparently, that’s supposed to be a bad thing. Of course those activities seem pretty normal to us but that probably makes us “wacky” too.

How More Efficient Parking Can Save You Gas

You’re headed downtown for a concert, and hoping you won’t have to circle the city for an hour before you find a spot that’s not too far away from the venue.  Once you get there, you discover that, of course, finding a parking spot is going to be a huge headache.  You finally find a conveniently located garage, only to learn that it’s closed today.  By the time you finally find a spot, you’ve wasted untold amounts of gas.  Sound familiar?

Many people don’t even realize how much gas they’re really wasting because they either legitimately can’t find a good place to park, or they’re too lazy to walk.  If you’re guilty of circling parking lots waiting for a close spot to open up so you don’t have to make the 50-foot trek across the lot, stop.  Just stop.  Not only do you annoy and creep people out by hovering behind them as they walk to their vehicles, you’re wasting precious resources for no good reason.  Personally, my way of dealing with people like you is to intentionally walk as slowly as possible, walk up to a car that isn’t mine to fake you out and then give you the finger.  You only have an excuse if you’re pregnant, lugging something large and heavy or somehow disabled.

It’s also easy to miss the fact that backing out of a parking spot wastes gas.  Pull through spaces whenever possible, or back in.  It may sound illogical, but backing in can actually save you gas as opposed to backing out.  Here’s why: cold engines use more fuel.  If you have to back out after your car’s been parked for a while, it’ll suck up more gas than if you just backed in while the engine is still warm.  Another easy tip: park in the shade.  It’ll decrease the amount of fuel lost to evaporation and require less a/c when you get back in the car.

Of course, there are those instances when you’re unfamiliar with the parking situation in the immediate area of your destination.   Those are the times when, no matter how good your intentions, it can take a while of driving around to find a spot.  Well, if you live in the Chicago area, you’re in luck.  A site called ChicagoParkingMap.com will save you a lot of time, headaches, cursing and waving your fist, and of course gas.

The Chicago Parking Map website is loaded with features that make finding spots adjacent to your destination as easy as possible.  Choose the general area you’re headed to – say, downtown, O’Hare airport or the Museum of Science and Industry – and it displays a map full of little ‘P’ icons that indicate parking areas.  Click on the ‘P’ closest to your destination to get details on the lot including cost, payment methods accepted, hours of operation and where the street entrances and exits are.  Some even tell you how many spots are in the lot, so you can gauge how likely it is to be full when you arrive. Does it get any simpler?

This is the kind of smart planning we’d love to see more of.  Many cities have parking maps online, but none are anywhere near as robust and easy to use as Chicago Parking Map.  If every city had such a website, we could all save a lot of hassle and fossil fuels.

Sure, the gas money you save using these parking methods won’t send you on a vacation to Europe or anything, but it will definitely add up enough to be worth it, especially when you consider the impact on the environment and our resources!

California Uses More Gasoline than Any Country in the World

California has a reputation for being one of the greenest states in America, environmentally speaking. We hear so much about their progressive laws and programs, and how people there are on the frontlines of the fight against global warming. And yet, somehow, they manage to be huge resource hoggers. California alone uses more gasoline than any country in the world (aside from the US as a whole).  Even China.

From Wired:

That’s according to the California Energy Commission’s State Alternative Fuels Plan, which was posted online last Christmas Eve (pdf). The whole report makes for some fascinating reading because it’s a blueprint for a low-carbon and renewable transportation fuel future. The dominant takeaway: it ain’t going to be easy.

One more choice statistic: gasoline usage in California has increased 50 percent, that’s 10 6.7 billion gallons, since 1988. Has there been anything close to a commensurate increase in quality of life here to accompany that rise in energy use?

Of course, China will quickly catch up and their consumption rate will far exceed California’s – and it won’t be too long before that happens. Still, though – that’s a lot of gas, even for a large populous state.

If you’re a Californian, what’s your take on this? Poor public transportation, too many people on the road, and lots or sprawl?

Link [Wired]
Photo credit: Flickr user respres

Fsck Your Hummer, And His Hummer, and Her Hummer, and That Hummer Over by the Tree

10 Miles Per Gallon…
2 Soldiers a Day.

It’d be funny if it wasn’t so tragic. FUCKYOURHUMMER.com doesn’t mince word:

Welcome to FUCKYOURHUMMER.COM. This site is being set up as on omage to vandalized hummers. Whether it is a hard to peel off bumper sticker, slashed tires, keying, spray painted… we want to have your pictures of it! WHY you might ask? This grotesque monster of an SUV is a symbol that says “I could give a shit about the enviroment, wars over oil, global warming, energy independance, or any number of other issues.” You are the epitomy of stupid americans, and make the rest of us look like assholes. Some of us in this country actually do give a shit. Now I hope others will force you to give a shit.

While we don’t condone scratching up your neighbor’s Hummer, it’s hard for us to muster up any sympathy for the “victims” of such an act. Hummers are teh suck.

Link [FUCKYOURHUMMER]

Get Out Your Bicycles! Gas is Heading to $7 a Gallon

Jeff Rubin, a leading economist at CIBC World Markets, has a message for us all: start thinking about alternate transportation. In 4 years, gas prices will likely hit $7-$10 per gallon, making it too expensive for many people.

Treehugger has it:

“Stripping out natural gas liquids, oil production has not grown for over two years, which certainly goes a long way to explaining why oil prices have doubled over that period,” Rubin said. “It is increasingly clear that the outlook for oil supply signals a period of unprecedented scarcity.”

Rubin predicts hybrids will go “from marketing and PR fluff to the core of car production.” People will move closer to where they work. “I think there will be fewer people on the road in North America in five years than there is right now.”

Seems to me as if now is the time for cities all over America to start planning better public transit systems, since not all of us have the luxury of living close enough to walk or ride a bike to our places of work, grocery stores and other essential destinations – and the poor probably won’t be able to make that move. Let’s hope that the powers that be take this seriously.

The good news is, prices like this will definitely get more people to trade in their ridiculous look-at-me gas guzzlers in for something a little more reasonable. I’d venture to guess that we’ll be seeing less Hummers on the road, and I for one am happy about that, because my egg-throwing arm is getting tired.

Link [Treehugger]

Photo credit: Flickr user Brianfit