On May 7, 4:07 pm, dr_jeff <
u...@msu.edu> wrote:
> <stupid cross posting deleted>
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> On 5/7/11 3:18 PM, His Highness the TibetanMonkey, the Beach Cruiser
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> Philosopher wrote:
> > On May 5, 8:22 am, Bob LeChevalier<
loj...@lojban.org> wrote:
> >> "Jane_Galt"<J...@GaltsGulch.pqz> wrote:
> >>> When Obama took office, gas prices were averaging $1.80 a gallon.
> >>> ...
> >>> The average price of a gallon of gas has now doubled for middle income and
> >>> poor Americans.
>
> >>> How's that hopey changey thing working out for ya?
>
> >> 6 months before Obama took office, gas prices were over $4 a gallon.
> >> Then the economy collapsed. If that is what it takes to get
> >> $1.80/gallon gas, I think a lot of middle income and poor Americans
> >> will be happy paying $4/gallon
>
> >> Meanwhile, that hopey changey thing got bin Ladin, unlike Obama's
> >> hopeless predecessor, so we have HOPE from some CHANGE in our
> >> perpetual "war on terrorism".
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> >> Perhaps if the Republicans would stop fighting him on the other things
> >> he's trying to change, he might succeed in all the rest of the hopey
> >> changey stuff.
>
> >> lojbab
> >> ---
> >> Bob LeChevalier - artificial linguist; genealogist
> >>
loj...@lojban.org Lojban
languagewww.lojban.org>
> > Obviously not enough until supersized SUVs disappear from the road and
> > bicycles become commonplace around the community.
>
> While riding in NYC, I saw a SUV driver hit a bike rider. The SUV driver
> was making a left-hand turn and hit the bike rider in the bike lane. I
> was about 5 m behind him. That easily could have been me. Fortunately,
> there were only minor injuries.
>
> We need to teach motor vehicle drivers how to drive safely and enforce
> proper penalties for breaking the safety rules.
>
> > Has anyone thought bicycles can fight high gas prices?
>
> No, they can't. How can you get a order of groceries or a new
> wide-screen TV home safely on a bike? How are you going to take the
> family to church on a winter Sunday? How are you going to to get the
> kids to soccer practice? While using bikes instead of cars would help
> (it will also help keep people in shape), for most people, that's not
> practical.
>
> Better ways to reduce gas usage is to have more efficient vehicles,
> drive smartly (no jack-rabbit starts, brake slowly), generate
> electricity in an environmentally friendly way and then use electric
> vehicles (now, coal is used to power electric cars instead of oil),
> combine many trips into one so that fewer miles are driven and the car
> is driven when it is more efficient (that is, cars are more efficient
> when warmed up than when cold) and keep tire pressures at the
> appropriate pressure. Doing these things, and similar things around the
> house (cut off electricity to TVs, computers, cell phone chargers, shut
> off lights when not using them and during day light, keep the hot water
> at a low temp (120 F), keep the A/C off when you're not at home (a lot
> of people leave the A/C - particularly when they don't pay the electric
> bill), don't waste water (e.g., go by the if it's yellow, let it mellow,
> if it's brown flush it down rule when practical; take shorter showers,
> only wash dishes in the dishwasher and clothes in the washing machine
> with a full load), etc., we would decrease our energy consumption.
>
> These are things all of us can do (though not all of us can do them all).
>
> Of course, using public transportation would also save gas, but, for
> most people, that's not practical.
>
> Of course, replacing gas-guzzling vehicles with more efficient vehicles
> should happen, but, it won't happen over night. All of the energy saving
> measures can happen today.
>
> The real problem is not high gas price; it is using too much energy.
High gas prices are a STRONG motivator to save energy.
I won't claim that you can do 100% of LOCAL TRIPS on a bike, but a
good 90% of them --depending on your family size-- can be done on a
bike. You use TRAILERS to multiply your capacity, and one of mine
carries a big dog --which I don't have-- or close to 100lbs.
I rarely use it though as I look forward to do lighter, more frequents
trips.