I'm doing my best to conserve by buying less gasoline and driving less but?

Question

what pisses me off is there are soo many giant SUV's on the road and the people that own these SUV's are NOT doing their part in conserving and they are the reason why the cost of gas is too high, ITS NOT FAIR that I have to pay $3 a gallon when i drive a Honda Civic and I conserve and drive less!

Answer 1

Tom, what you say is all too true.

I've globbed onto  the "stabilization wedge" strategy to combat global warming, a concept put forth by the Princeton team of Stephen Palaca and Robert Socolow.  Under the "Efficiency and Conservation" heading, they say that improving the fuel economy of the two billion cars expected to be on the road by 2057 to 60 mph from 30 mph, and reducing miles traveled annually per car from 10,000 to 5,000, are part of the carbon-cutting wedges that would become at least a stop-gap solution.  Since my husband and I tend to put more miles on our cars than we like, due to work, quasi-local vacations, and the fact many of our friends have moved to locations at least 500 miles away, we're going to have to work hard so that we can achieve the reduction goal.

Anyway, I'm still processing the information on the stabilization wedge idea, it's material I just found today. Finding stuff like this (Oct. National Geographic) gives me hope.

A few years ago I was able to trade in the family car, a Crown Vic, for a Mini Cooper.  I'd meant to go for the Prius, but fell in love with the Mini hook line and sinker.  It gets good gas milage, and I felt like I needed to make a statement to all the SUV's on the road here in Southern California.  So I have a car that's fun to drive, gets good milage, can park anywhere (even between 2 SUV's hugging the parking spot lines).  So I try not to think about the disparity you mention, because I KNOW it's going to change, by necessity.  

Great SUV/Mini story:  A friend with a Mini is having her car repaired, after leaving it on the street at a friends house while they carpooled to a meeting.  A neighbor backed up , felt resistance and gunned it, doing a pretty good job of smashing the driver side of the Mini.  In his note, he suggested checking the other side, too, as he'd pushed pretty hard to get his SUV to move when it wouldn't.

That kind of mindset can't last forever, can it?

Answer 2

the price of gasoline is never going to come down. lets support electric or solar cars, mass transportation.........

thanks for caring.  you have been doing agood job. keep up the good work.

Answer 3

The gas prices are high because politicians have stock in oil, has nothing to do with what a person drives.  

Most of the so called "environmentalists" drive the biggest SUV or truck they can buy, and at the same time they are complaining about everyone that drives an SUV or a truck.  I think we need to find out where they live, and tow away their SUV, make them walk, and also kick them out of the house they live in that is made out of wood.  Make them sleep on the ground.

I own a 2006 Chevy Cobalt (biggest piece of c**p I've ever owned its in the shop more than I drive it)  Go figure its a chevy.

I also own a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4x4.  Its pushing the 200,000 mile marker and its still running great and giving me 22-26mpg.  None of the new SUV's are coming close to that economy.

Answer 4

Whoa there Bo Jack!  You're blaming the wrong people here for the price of gasoline in the USA!  It's not the consumer, whether they are driving a civic or an escalade!  Take a look at some facts.  Do some research.  It's the greedy oil corporations that are to blame for the price of gas!  In the last two years they ALL  have posted horrendously off the chart profits!  Totally due to price setting and gouging, and the fukking government has allowed it!

Answer 5

Not all SUV's are gas guzzling. There are diesel variants who use less fuel than some family sedans. Are there whole families in an SUV versus a sole person in a compact? If so, the average fuel use per person in an SUV would be less than your buzzbox. The real gas guzzlers are planes. when the 9/11 attacks grounded flights nationwide, the US had its best air quality day for dozens of years. Do we ban planes now?

Answer 6

The price of gas in the states is internationally known for being so cheap, your conservation is still saving you money. I used to slow down a liitle in front of gas guzzlers to bring them down to an economical speed (around 45mph) but it's been a while since I drove.

What bugs me about the huge SUVs is thier blatant statement of disregard for the environment, although over here (UK) they are more of a luxury, prestige car for the terminally ignorant.

I came up with the idea of a flower under the wiper as a suitable form of protest, but it will have to wait till spring..

Answer 7

Poor baby. I really dislike people who whine "ITS NOT FAIR!!" Well boo hoo. You sound like a spoiled brat when you say that.

Its really rough when you live in a FREE country where people are allowed to actually make their own choices. Stop thinking that everyone is just like you.

I think you should stop driving completely and bicycle or walk everywhere. Then the SUV drivers will have more gasoline for their use.

Answer 8

Oh not true at all that's not why gas goes up at all . Its not just the SUV owners Its you its me its every ones face that you see when your cruising the highway . Who's planet does this belong to ? The oil company's . Well we treat it that way like we buy tickets for a ride at an amusement park. If we all got together we could fire the oil company's . We could fire all those people in Washington we could do allot if we all stuck together .

Did you ever watch the movie "ANTS " We all keep pointing the finger hear there every where . The funny thing is the only ones we don't point that finger at is the one with all our money. If we all stuck together like the ants did in the movie we could have anything we want . We wouldn't have to keep feeding the rich oil barrens or the rich congressman . Fire them all its our earth lets clean it up.

Who ever figured out this plan on how to keep every one confused and blame each other had to be a genius

Answer 9

3$ per gallon is cheap, it is a clear indication that your  government does nothing to reduce use of fossil fuels.

in The EU, price of oil is 7$ per gallon, and new cars are taxed, which makes a car an expensive item to buy and to maintain, so Europeans use smaller cars and more fuel saving cars.

Answer 10

Yeah life sucks, nobody appreciates I ride 50MPG motorcycle around not even here, it's too polutin.

So s***w it I'm gonna git a four door diesel truck for Christmas and drive it all over even though I cant stand cages

Least with a truck I can run to the store and pick up some bottle water or a six pack of cokes throw it in back and go back home without screwin around with tie downs.

Answer 11

The large V8's in these SUVs not only guzzle gas, they add a lot of weight to the vehicle - meaning in an impact your little civic won't stand a chance and your more likely to be killed by an SUV driver than any other kind of car - just one more way SUV drivers give everyone else the bird without raising a hand.