Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Write to your elected officials
A few weeks ago I made my first posting to this blog which included an example of what one could send to their elected officials. I'm sorry to report I did not write to my elected officials until just a few minutes ago. It isn't that I don't care about this topic but simply did not write until just now. The ironic thing is it didn't take much time at all to drop a line to my elected officials. It took me just three minutes per official to search out their contact information using the links provided in the pervious post, copy the letter I posted in the previous post, make the necessary adjustments depending on who I was writing to, and hit the send button. I will post their respective responces once I recieve them. This may take sometime. In the mean time, I will post information about what is happening with Big Oil (the big oil companies will be releasing their quarterly earnings in the next few weeks) and what others are doing to move away from traditional sources of energy.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Alternative Energy
With the high cost of oil and the fuels obtain from refining oil there has been much discussed about alternative energy sources. Years ago my father purchased the pickup truck his father drove prior to his death. My grandfather had converted his pickup to run on propane with the idea that he could also run it on regular gas if the need arose. Although he never did get it to work on regular gas, the truck could go quite a way before needing a fill up thanks to a 100 gallon propane tank installed in the bed of the truck. My father once told me the oil that came out of the truck when he changed it appeared to be just as clean as it was when he put it in three months previous.
The technology for alternative sources of energy is there. We simply need to implement this technology on a much broader scale. I personally see a time in which every building will have solar panels installed. Imagine how cheap our electricity would be if this were done? CNN reported on a story about a company in Colorado that installs solar panels. This is an excellent example of what can be done to help reduce the costs of energy.
I would love to see the day when the majority of buildings in a city have solar panels installed. Just imagine how cheap electricity would be if everyone had a solar panel installed! Many cities, states, and even utility companies offer incentives to install solar panels. Logan, UT is an example of this had has recently extended the rebate offer. Click here or here for details.
At this time electric cars are not a practical solution for long distance travel. The reason why this is the case is for two reasons. The first is the distance electric cars can go on a single charge. At best this distance is about 200 to 250 miles. The second reason is the length of time it takes to charge an all electric car. At this time, it takes just as long to charge an electric car as it does to drive the maximum distance on a single charge. This is why we have hybrid cars on the market. However, hybrid vehicles are very expensive to purchase right now for most people and even then, some hybrids still get the same gas mileage as a very fuel efficient car using a regular internal combustion engine.
There is the option of converting a car to utilize a different fuel source in much the way my grandfather did with his truck. However, many of these conversion options take a lot of cash up front to manage. There is also the matter of finding a fuel station close by that carries the fuel your vehicle requires. Natural Gas stations are not easy to come by at this time. You might have better luck with Propane. Do the research before you jump so you are aware of what you are getting into.
There are many things that one can do right now to help conserve fuel. The following are just a few items that can be put into practice now.
1 - Tune up your car. For less than $100 (check with your local mechanics shop for actual prices) you can tune up your car and improve your fuel efficiency.
2 - Replace the air filter. A dirty clogged air filter is starving your engine of the oxygen it needs to mix into the fuel to burn properly.
3 - Check your tire pressure. If your tires are not properly inflated your car will work harder and in turn burn more fuel. Over inflated tires are also a danger. Not only will the tire ware out faster but will not have enough grip and the vehicle will be harder to control.
4 - Slow down! Yes, most law enforcement agencies will allow for five to 10 miles per hour over the limit but you use more fuel the faster you go. In the past month I have tried to travel at the speed limit and have noticed my fuel efficiency increase about 3 miles per gallon. Sure that isn't a lot but over time it will add up!
The technology for alternative sources of energy is there. We simply need to implement this technology on a much broader scale. I personally see a time in which every building will have solar panels installed. Imagine how cheap our electricity would be if this were done? CNN reported on a story about a company in Colorado that installs solar panels. This is an excellent example of what can be done to help reduce the costs of energy.
I would love to see the day when the majority of buildings in a city have solar panels installed. Just imagine how cheap electricity would be if everyone had a solar panel installed! Many cities, states, and even utility companies offer incentives to install solar panels. Logan, UT is an example of this had has recently extended the rebate offer. Click here or here for details.
At this time electric cars are not a practical solution for long distance travel. The reason why this is the case is for two reasons. The first is the distance electric cars can go on a single charge. At best this distance is about 200 to 250 miles. The second reason is the length of time it takes to charge an all electric car. At this time, it takes just as long to charge an electric car as it does to drive the maximum distance on a single charge. This is why we have hybrid cars on the market. However, hybrid vehicles are very expensive to purchase right now for most people and even then, some hybrids still get the same gas mileage as a very fuel efficient car using a regular internal combustion engine.
There is the option of converting a car to utilize a different fuel source in much the way my grandfather did with his truck. However, many of these conversion options take a lot of cash up front to manage. There is also the matter of finding a fuel station close by that carries the fuel your vehicle requires. Natural Gas stations are not easy to come by at this time. You might have better luck with Propane. Do the research before you jump so you are aware of what you are getting into.
There are many things that one can do right now to help conserve fuel. The following are just a few items that can be put into practice now.
1 - Tune up your car. For less than $100 (check with your local mechanics shop for actual prices) you can tune up your car and improve your fuel efficiency.
2 - Replace the air filter. A dirty clogged air filter is starving your engine of the oxygen it needs to mix into the fuel to burn properly.
3 - Check your tire pressure. If your tires are not properly inflated your car will work harder and in turn burn more fuel. Over inflated tires are also a danger. Not only will the tire ware out faster but will not have enough grip and the vehicle will be harder to control.
4 - Slow down! Yes, most law enforcement agencies will allow for five to 10 miles per hour over the limit but you use more fuel the faster you go. In the past month I have tried to travel at the speed limit and have noticed my fuel efficiency increase about 3 miles per gallon. Sure that isn't a lot but over time it will add up!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Enough is Enough
As you are aware, the United States is experiencing an Energy crisis. How severe this energy crises remains to be seen. I was very young at the time of the last energy crisis and do not remember going to a gas station only to find the pumps to be dry. This blog is dedicated to the efforts each and every citizen of the United States can make to compel our elected officials to make better efforts to solve this energy crisis.
Each day the news is filled with reports on how high oil prices are going and how fuel prices are hitting record levels. Each quarter for the past 18 months, it has been reported the big oil companies are making record profits. The leadership of the big oil companies have been brought before Congress at least once a year for the past five years to give testimony as to why oil prices are so high and why their companies are making record profits while Americans stretch their budget to pay for their transportation costs. Each time, Congress has done little after they put on this show for the American public.
What can the average American Citizen do to help change the situation? We can do much. We can write to our representatives and tell them how we feel and let them know what we wish them as our elected officials to do. The following is a sample of what a letter to your elected official may contain.
Dear (Title and Last Name),
As a constituent who helped elect you to office, I am not happy with your job performance. I feel it is necessary to remind you great things can be done when people work together to make changes for the good of the country and put aside political differences.
As you will recall, there was great argument over how officials would be elected to the Congress of the United States of America. Some states wanted to have a certain amount of representation per state and others wanted representation based on population. After much debate, a proposal was made to have the Senate with two elected officials from each state and the House of Representatives would have officials from each state based on population.
(Title and Last Name), it is time once again for a compromise. This is especially true on the energy and economic fronts. Please work with your fellow elected officials and come to an agreement that both sides of the isle will pass into law. To help you in this matter, I have the following suggestions to make.
1. Finish the investigation on the high oil prices as quickly as possible.
2. Regulate how the oil futures are traded on the market or get rid of futures altogether.
3. Encourage the development of the shale oil in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah and any other domestic source available.
4. Encourage the development of alternative energy sources such as hydrogen, solar, wind, and nuclear power.
Once these energy projects are implemented, the United States will become less dependent on foreign energy sources and our economy will grow. If progress is not made on this front, other changes will become necessary. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
By now you should be asking yourself “who are my elected officials”? By clicking here a new website will open in a different window. You can also search on the websites for the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate for your elected official’s “official website”. Most if not all of these “official websites” have a place to communicate electronically with your elected official.
You may also want to take the time to write to all of the elected officials that represent you in your State Goverment.
Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns to your elected officials. Each of these officials reapplies for their job every two, four, or six years. I am not aware of any other job which requires such a process. We, as a people, have the ability to replace our elected officials with someone different if we so choose to do so. Your vote does count.
Each day the news is filled with reports on how high oil prices are going and how fuel prices are hitting record levels. Each quarter for the past 18 months, it has been reported the big oil companies are making record profits. The leadership of the big oil companies have been brought before Congress at least once a year for the past five years to give testimony as to why oil prices are so high and why their companies are making record profits while Americans stretch their budget to pay for their transportation costs. Each time, Congress has done little after they put on this show for the American public.
What can the average American Citizen do to help change the situation? We can do much. We can write to our representatives and tell them how we feel and let them know what we wish them as our elected officials to do. The following is a sample of what a letter to your elected official may contain.
Dear (Title and Last Name),
As a constituent who helped elect you to office, I am not happy with your job performance. I feel it is necessary to remind you great things can be done when people work together to make changes for the good of the country and put aside political differences.
As you will recall, there was great argument over how officials would be elected to the Congress of the United States of America. Some states wanted to have a certain amount of representation per state and others wanted representation based on population. After much debate, a proposal was made to have the Senate with two elected officials from each state and the House of Representatives would have officials from each state based on population.
(Title and Last Name), it is time once again for a compromise. This is especially true on the energy and economic fronts. Please work with your fellow elected officials and come to an agreement that both sides of the isle will pass into law. To help you in this matter, I have the following suggestions to make.
1. Finish the investigation on the high oil prices as quickly as possible.
2. Regulate how the oil futures are traded on the market or get rid of futures altogether.
3. Encourage the development of the shale oil in Western Colorado and Eastern Utah and any other domestic source available.
4. Encourage the development of alternative energy sources such as hydrogen, solar, wind, and nuclear power.
Once these energy projects are implemented, the United States will become less dependent on foreign energy sources and our economy will grow. If progress is not made on this front, other changes will become necessary. Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
(Your Name)
By now you should be asking yourself “who are my elected officials”? By clicking here a new website will open in a different window. You can also search on the websites for the House of Representatives or the U.S. Senate for your elected official’s “official website”. Most if not all of these “official websites” have a place to communicate electronically with your elected official.
You may also want to take the time to write to all of the elected officials that represent you in your State Goverment.
Thank you for taking the time to express your concerns to your elected officials. Each of these officials reapplies for their job every two, four, or six years. I am not aware of any other job which requires such a process. We, as a people, have the ability to replace our elected officials with someone different if we so choose to do so. Your vote does count.
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