For American car buyers, though, the landmark agreement will mean an average $1,300 increase in the price of a new car by 2016. And to a car-buying public that hasn’t yet latched onto the idea of a hybrid vehicle, that price increase might be a tough one to swallow.

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I’m sure you’ve all read or heard people on TV saying that hybrid and electric cars won’t really catch on because oil prices are so low right now. Most of the time the comment goes unchallenged — which is really irritating for a number of reasons.

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This morning, after I finished my weekend ritual of wasting another perfectly good hour listening to Car Talk, I clicked on over to CarTalk.com to check on something brothers Tom and Ray Magliottzi (aka: Click and Clack, the Tappett Brothers) had mentioned during the show. While piddling around the site I found a link to an excellent audio rant from younger brother Ray who spoke passionately about why we should boost the U.S. gasoline tax fifty cents right now.

Several states are already mulling increases in gasoline taxes at the state level, but a Federal tax would create a different kind of revenue stream with a different kind of mission.

Both Ray and Tom argue that the revenue raised, somewhere between fifty and one hundred billion dollars annually, would be used to pay for infrastructure improvements and investments in a manufacturing shift in Detroit away from focusing on the automobile to focusing on the production of high-speed trains required by a revolution in American mass transit.

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As you might imagine, we had a lot to say about that gas thing… but didn’t take a vacation from covering a wide range of topics.

July 2008

• Chad Crawford, our minister in residence, reviewed The Green Bible.
• Raz Godelnik of Eco-Libris dug into another book: Paper Trails.
• Robin Shreeves reported on a small town that found an innovative solution to big traffic problems: bike sharing.
• Birgitte Rasine of LUCITA sent up a flare for paper shredders clogged with junk mail.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/12/27/the-twelve-days-of-sustainablog-bibles-high-gas-prices-and-tent-based-traumas/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/#comments Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:38:42 +0000 Justin Van Kleeck http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/ After what seems like an endless period of record-high gasoline prices, gas station signs are changing almost constantly as the cost for a gallon of gas tumbles. Although the numbers vary depending on where you are, the trend is the same: prices have hit the bottom of the (oil) barrel.

As I write, the lowest average price in America for a gallon of regular unleaded is $1.683 in Oklahoma, while the highest is $2.866 in Alaska.1 Whatever the exact figures, they are far more than half of what they were when prices were at their highest.

As I have watched prices plummet, I have felt my joy and relief rising in an inversely proportional ratio. I also know how many others feel the same, given the fact that commuting is a necessity for many folks…and that many folks drive a lot farther than I do and do not have a hybrid to help reduce consumption.

High gas prices have had serious effects on people’s lifestyles across the world, not to mention other things such as cost of food and other goods. People have been driving less and still paying more for just about everything, causing serious problems for people on fixed incomes or with large families, for instance. We have also witnessed the virtual death of the SUV…though you can still find a Hummer barreling down the highway now and again, gas prices be damned.

Ironically, Americans are lucky when it comes to gas prices. Consumers in many other countries pay a great deal more for their fuel, due to lack of subsidies, higher taxes, or other factors. According to NationMaster.com, the top five for gas prices are Uruguay, United Kingdom, Israel, Argentina, and Japan. America comes in at #102, fairly low on the list of 141 countries; the lucky last is Turkmenistan, of all places!2

Still, gas prices are dropping worldwide, whatever that means country by country and state by state. But with all the joy I am feeling, and just about every other human being is feeling, I also wonder if cheaper gas is not really a good thing.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/25/are-lower-gas-prices-a-good-thing/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/06/environmental-defense-fund-map-in-2008-people-flocked-to-public-transit/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/06/environmental-defense-fund-map-in-2008-people-flocked-to-public-transit/#comments Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:01:09 +0000 edfblog http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/06/environmental-defense-fund-map-in-2008-people-flocked-to-public-transit/ Americans are driving less, spurred by steep gas prices for much of this year. We are also turning to transit like never before — especially for essential trips like going to work. Demand for public transit is at an all-time high, soaring to rates not seen since 1957. Across the country, places as diverse as New York City, Southern California, North Carolina and Wyoming are witnessing sharp rises.

EDF produced an interactive map (using data from the National Transit Database) showing the many places where transit ridership jumped along with gas prices.

Scroll over the map and see eye-popping jumps in people using public transit — not just in big cities but places like Terre Haute, Indiana, and Sherman, Texas, which saw huge leaps in ridership.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/11/06/environmental-defense-fund-map-in-2008-people-flocked-to-public-transit/feed/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/11/05/largest-wind-farm-in-world-halted-by-credit-crisis/ http://cleantechnica.com/2008/11/05/largest-wind-farm-in-world-halted-by-credit-crisis/#comments Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:58:08 +0000 Sarah Lozanova http://cleantechnica.com/2008/11/05/largest-wind-farm-in-world-halted-by-credit-crisis/

The credit crunch is not just hurting the banks and the real estate market. Even the billionaire and wind energy enthusiast, T. Boone Pickens is having trouble financing his high profile 4000 MW wind farm. The proposed Texas wind farm has a hefty $10 and $12 billion price tag.

Although we are used to hearing about climbing energy costs, the price of natural gas is actually down. Natural gas accounts for 20% of the nation’s electricity generation. The energy sector is also suspecting that the financial crisis may result in a global reduction in energy demand. Pickens’ plan calls for replacing natural gas with wind energy for electricity generation, while converting vehicles to run off natural gas. The natural gas currently used for electricity would be used for transportation and America could wean itself off foreign oil.

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]]> http://cleantechnica.com/2008/11/05/largest-wind-farm-in-world-halted-by-credit-crisis/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/10/29/live-online-debate-today-the-auto-industry-bailout/ http://gas2.org/2008/10/29/live-online-debate-today-the-auto-industry-bailout/#comments Wed, 29 Oct 2008 16:01:39 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2008/10/29/live-online-debate-today-the-auto-industry-bailout/

The US auto industry’s woes are well known — we’ve covered them here at Gas 2.0 many times — but are these companies deserving of taxpayer money for a government bailout, or should they be left to deal with a mess that they mostly created?

This is the question that will be debated live on NPR.org today at 3 PM EDT (19:00 Greenwich Mean Time).

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/10/29/live-online-debate-today-the-auto-industry-bailout/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/#comments Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:23:55 +0000 Adam Williams http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/ With cycling perhaps getting an uptick in popularity of late due to increasing gas prices and fuel economy concerns (and overall greater consciousness of the environment?), it seems worth noting the laws of the road — for safety and for clarification between motorists and cyclists.

Do cyclists belong on the road or the sidewalk? Should cyclists defer at all times to motorists? Who has right of way in any given situation? How can bikes and cars peacefully coexist?

Various municipal and state laws address these questions, among others. To identify what statutes apply to your home area, view the Mass Bike list, which links to various state’s laws online.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/22/missouri-state-law-for-motorists-interacting-with-bicyclists/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/19/drilling-for-oil-is-not-the-answer/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/19/drilling-for-oil-is-not-the-answer/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:55:26 +0000 Earth Policy Institute http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/19/drilling-for-oil-is-not-the-answer/ By Jonathan G. Dorn

Background

• The United States consumes nearly 21 million barrels of petroleum per day (7.5 billion barrels per year), one fourth the world total.
• Of the crude oil consumed in the U.S., 66 percent is imported.
• The U.S. is on pace to spend over $500 billion on petroleum imports in 2008.
• U.S. oil production currently occurs onshore in the lower 48 states (2.9 million barrels per day (mbd)), offshore (1.4 mbd, primarily in the Gulf of Mexico), and in Alaska (0.7 mbd).

More Drilling Cannot Make the U.S. Energy Independent

• The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 10.4 billion barrels of oil are technically recoverable in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)—less than one and a half years of consumption.
• The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that of the 59 billion barrels of technically recoverable oil in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the lower 48 states, only 18 billion are off limits under the federal moratorium.
• DOE projects that lifting the OCS moratorium would not increase production before 2017 and that by 2030 production would only amount to 0.2 million barrels per day—less than 1 percent of current consumption.
• Total U.S. proved oil reserves are estimated at 21 billion barrels—less than a 3 year supply at the current rate of consumption.
• Since peaking in 1970, U.S. crude oil production has declined 47 percent. World production could be peaking now.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/19/drilling-for-oil-is-not-the-answer/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/19/5-reasons-why-oil-will-not-be-the-wedge-issue-republicans-want-it-to-be/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/19/5-reasons-why-oil-will-not-be-the-wedge-issue-republicans-want-it-to-be/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:20:07 +0000 Timothy B. Hurst http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/19/5-reasons-why-oil-will-not-be-the-wedge-issue-republicans-want-it-to-be/ You don’t have to be an overpaid political tele-pundit or campaign strategist to notice that the Republican Party wants to make oil the critical issue in the 2008 election. From the onslaught of illogical television advertisements paid for by Republican presidential hopeful Senator John McCain that blame Barack Obama for high gas prices, to the GOP sit-in on the floor of the House, and the most recent calls to “Drill, Baby, Drill,” Republicans have made “energy” their raison d’etre in this prickly campaign season.

Republicans are hoping to use oil to create a so-called “wedge issue” and divide Democrats, bringing some extra votes to their side on November 4. Despite where your politics lie, you’ve got to tip your cap to GOP cohesiveness on the oil issue - Republican leadership has all of their underlings following in lock-step - but the misdirected focus will be a fatal flaw for the Republicans if they stick to the “oil or nothing” strategy. Here’s why:

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]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/19/5-reasons-why-oil-will-not-be-the-wedge-issue-republicans-want-it-to-be/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/17/whats-your-dream-for-american-transit/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/17/whats-your-dream-for-american-transit/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 16:11:56 +0000 Kelli Best-Oliver http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/17/whats-your-dream-for-american-transit/ Gas costs have skyrocketed, and with them, the cost of flying.  This greenie isn’t 100% upset: with the cost of fuel increasing exponentially in the past few years, people are examining their transportation patterns and needs and trying to find cost- and fuel-effective methods of getting from Point A to Point B.  Smaller, more fuel-efficient cars are selling well, and ridership on public transit is up.  But for many Americans, particularly those in smaller cities and towns, public transit is non-existent.  For those living anywhere but the East Coast, Amtrak is slow, unreliable, or non-existent.   We’re a country for whom the cost of cheap fuel has promoted individual car use to the detriment of other forms of transportation.

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/17/whats-your-dream-for-american-transit/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/17/mercedes-goes-green-with-blueefficiency-engine/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/17/mercedes-goes-green-with-blueefficiency-engine/#comments Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:46:43 +0000 Anthony Cefali http://gas2.org/2008/09/17/mercedes-goes-green-with-blueefficiency-engine/ We’ve heard a lot about luxury motor vehicles trying to change their worn out images. Personally I feel like I’ve been writing more than I would like about luxury cars saving gas, and while the gas saving gesture is nice, we should be able to expect more from a company with the resources to do more for the world.



Editor’s Note: This post is a guest contribution by Anthony Cefali.

Idealism aside, the BlueEFFICIENCY technology at least green in nature. The four-cylinder 200 horsepower diesel engine keeps the performance integrity of a Mercedes vehicle with a 45 mile-per-gallon economy. I do not drive a Mercedes, probably never will, but I do feel that 0-60 in 7 seconds is respectable for a car that is meant to save gas (most Prius driver’s brag that their car will hit 60 in under ten seconds). The cars eco-rating is awfully high. It complies with the European Union’s current emissions standards and is expected to meet the next revision of standards as well. The engine is presently being equipped to its latest C250 model.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/09/17/mercedes-goes-green-with-blueefficiency-engine/feed/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/15/gas-mileage-oil-dependence-1970-to-now-what-happened/ http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/15/gas-mileage-oil-dependence-1970-to-now-what-happened/#comments Mon, 15 Sep 2008 10:48:41 +0000 Adam Williams http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/15/gas-mileage-oil-dependence-1970-to-now-what-happened/ A print advertisement in the March 1976 National Geographic Magazine shows two 1976 Honda Civics, hatchbacks of somewhat putrid brown and goldish tones.

The headline of the ad says, “Highest mileage or lowest price. The 1976 Honda Civics.”

A chart in the ad says that the average sedan or hatchback with a manual 4- or 5-speed transmission (costing only $2,729) reached EPA estimates of 43 miles per gallon on the highway, 32 in the city and 36 mpg combined.

And where are we today? What has happened in 32 years of American “progress,” “advancements in technology” and “economic growth” (well, until these last several years)?

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]]> http://sustainablog.org/2008/09/15/gas-mileage-oil-dependence-1970-to-now-what-happened/feed/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/12/ike-closing-refineries-gas-stations-rationing-panic/ http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/12/ike-closing-refineries-gas-stations-rationing-panic/#comments Sat, 13 Sep 2008 05:30:41 +0000 Heidi Suydam http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/12/ike-closing-refineries-gas-stations-rationing-panic/

As Ike closes in, drilling platforms in the gulf have been evacuated, refineries closed and now the Port of Houston is closed. MSNBC reports:

Exxon Mobil, Valero Energy, ConocoPhillips and Marathon Oil are among the companies halting operations as the storm closed in. Refineries on the upper Texas coast account for one-fifth of U.S. refining capacity.

In the week prior to landfall the energy and economic impact of Ike began to occur as drilling platforms, oil refineries and chemical plants all ceased operating in preparation for the storm. The Port of Houston is the 2nd largest port in the U.S. and is scheduled to remain closed until Monday. Also halting operation is the Dow Chemical Freeport Complex, which holds 75 chemical plants and produces approximately 27 billion pounds of chemical/chemical products annually. Dow Chemical is closing their 139 acre plant in La Porte as well.

Meanwhile on the east coast a large gas station chain with 1,600 stores spread over 11 states has asked customers to limit their gas purchases to 10 gallons each with signs posted at their stations. Based in Sanford, NC The Pantry includes Kangaroo and Petro Express stations. According to the Chicago Tribune, The Pantry has stores in Kentucky, Virginia, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, the Carolinas and Indiana.

The Charlotte Observer reports about The Pantry and their gas rationing signs:

CEO Pete Sodini said the move was precautionary and caused by a large spike in the price of wholesale gasoline and the shutdown of several refineries in the Gulf of Mexico. There was no shortage of gasoline Thursday.

Mr. Sodini went on to say the ration signs were meant to avoid panic buying which could deplete the gas supply unnecessarily in the area. Explaining that if everyone rushes to gas staions and fills up every vehicle in their prospective household, gas supply will run out temporarily.

Sodini said he’s aware that some people might accuse him of creating a panic, but added, “they’ve got to tell me how I win by doing this. … We sacrificed a lot of volume today.”

The Post and Courier Charleston states the signs “did not help” and only succeeded in promoting mild panic as people called, sent text messages and sparked rumors of gas prices and supply. The Post and Courier artcile tells of stations and ration signs in the Carolina’s. This was also happening in Tennessee as I personally received a phone call from a friend in Franklin, Tennessee about a sign posted at a gas station limiting gas purchases to 10 gallons per person.

Energy and Economic impact will take a back seat to the people who will undoubtedly experience the repercussions of Ike’s brutal force. As the hours and days move forward and the aftermath assessed, the long term impact across the country will be discussed again and again. Revisiting offshore drilling, energy independence, our current dependence on foreign oil, alternative energy options and the important election that can influence all of these issues long term.

Related Posts:

• Hurricane Gustav Spurs EPA to Temporarily Waive Clean Air Act Gasoline Requirements for Part of Texas
• Gas Hole the Movie: History of Oil Prices and Alternative Energy
• US Will Export $440 Billion for Oil in 2008

Photo Credit: Troy Burwell via Flickr Creative Commons License

]]> http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/12/ike-closing-refineries-gas-stations-rationing-panic/feed/ http://ecoscraps.com/2008/09/12/drill-baby-drill-as-in-this-time-it-was-just-a-drill/ http://ecoscraps.com/2008/09/12/drill-baby-drill-as-in-this-time-it-was-just-a-drill/#comments Fri, 12 Sep 2008 17:27:32 +0000 Shirley Siluk Gregory http://ecoscraps.com/2008/09/12/drill-baby-drill-as-in-this-time-it-was-just-a-drill/ Don’t go breathing too big a sigh of relief that gas prices have come down so much from their historic peaks this summer: it doesn’t mean another peak (as in Peak Oil) isn’t still on its way. Richard Heinberg, senior fellow at the Post Carbon Institute, explains why brilliantly in a commentary titled, “The Dress Rehearsal is Over.”

In other words, this time was just a drill, but next time might not be.

Image credit: Screenshot from “Duck and Cover,” a U.S. government-produced Cold War cautionary film for children, via Wikimedia Commons.

]]> http://ecoscraps.com/2008/09/12/drill-baby-drill-as-in-this-time-it-was-just-a-drill/feed/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/11/santa-barbara-requests-lift-of-offshore-drilling-ban/ http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/11/santa-barbara-requests-lift-of-offshore-drilling-ban/#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 06:00:24 +0000 Cassie Walker http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/11/santa-barbara-requests-lift-of-offshore-drilling-ban/ I heard the news today, oh boy.

First let me say that I know gas prices are high. I know that not everyone can easily absorb the high prices. But, I thought that we were adjusting…weren’t we adjusting? People are actually driving less, and are turning in their SUVs for more fuel-efficient cars. These were positive steps.

And then, someone (he whose name we do not speak aloud) suggested opening up our coastal waters to drilling and all heck has broken loose. Never mind that the amount of oil available offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a drop in the bucket  compared to demand. Never mind that at best, drilling there will lower gas prices by a few cents, many years from now. Never mind that protections for our unspoiled spaces are always so hard fought for, but so easily given away.

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]]> http://ecolocalizer.com/2008/09/11/santa-barbara-requests-lift-of-offshore-drilling-ban/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/09/new-fiesta-gets-73-mpg-but-ford-says-its-not-for-the-us/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/09/new-fiesta-gets-73-mpg-but-ford-says-its-not-for-the-us/#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:45:50 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2008/09/09/new-fiesta-gets-73-mpg-but-ford-says-its-not-for-the-us/ Back in July, Ford released the details of a new Fiesta it plans to begin selling this November. The new car is based on Ford’s ECOnetic platform and can get 63 mpg in the city and 73 mpg on the highway. So why is it only available in Europe? It’s a diesel, and Ford doesn’t think Americans will ever adopt diesel cars.



According to Businessweek, Ford lists a littany of excuses why they could never market this car in the US. Chief among these excuses is that they don’t think they could ever sell enough of them to make a profit. Ford says that in order to produce them for the US market they’d have to build a new plant and then make at least 350,000 of them a year.

If there’s no way to make a profit on these cars and Americans won’t buy them, why are so many European and Asian car makers bringing these new “clean diesels” to the U.S. starting next year? When I see news that Mercedes, Nissan, Volkswagen and even Honda are all building clean diesel cars with excellent fuel economy for the US market, Ford’s excuses start to seem pretty hollow.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/09/09/new-fiesta-gets-73-mpg-but-ford-says-its-not-for-the-us/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/08/producible-chrysler-plug-in-hybrid-0-60-in-4-seconds/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/08/producible-chrysler-plug-in-hybrid-0-60-in-4-seconds/#comments Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:08:24 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2008/09/08/producible-chrysler-plug-in-hybrid-0-60-in-4-seconds/ Apparently, Chrysler has been demonstrating plug-in hybrids to select dealers around the US that have “at least” a 300 mile range and can go from 0-60 in “less than” 4 seconds. According to the LA Times, Chrysler Vice Chairman and President Jim Press claims these prototypes are in a “producible” state.



Following in lock step, Chrysler has screwed the pooch like every other American car company over the last 5 years by completely ignoring the market for fuel efficient vehicles.

While both GM and Ford have finally reacted to this plight by beginning drastic company-wide overhauls from the ground up, I’ve been left wondering: does Chrysler still know that they’re losing money?

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/09/08/producible-chrysler-plug-in-hybrid-0-60-in-4-seconds/feed/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/04/petroleum-gets-a-free-pass-while-biofuels-are-torn-apart-opinion/ http://gas2.org/2008/09/04/petroleum-gets-a-free-pass-while-biofuels-are-torn-apart-opinion/#comments Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:45:56 +0000 Nick Chambers http://gas2.org/2008/09/04/petroleum-gets-a-free-pass-while-biofuels-are-torn-apart-opinion/ In what he describes as misplaced behavior, Nikola Davidson, program director for the Northwest Biofuels Association, has raised a good point in a Seattle Weekly article — why is it that biofuels are becoming the ire of green activists while petroleum appears to be getting a free pass?



The issue stems from activist and Green Party candidate for Washington governor Duff Badgley’s attempts to drive customers away from a new biofuel station in northwest Seattle. Allegedly Badgley and his group, One Earth, have been harassing customers by taking pictures of their license plates and passing out leaflets that proclaim biofuels as a “scourge on humankind.”

Biofuels certainly have a hard row to hoe in terms of reaching sustainability, and the activists have some valid concerns, but a “scourge on humanity”? Really? It’s almost laughable.

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]]> http://gas2.org/2008/09/04/petroleum-gets-a-free-pass-while-biofuels-are-torn-apart-opinion/feed/