Signs of an abusive relationship….with oil - 224

 Have you noticed the long lines at gas stations? Have you seen the signs at the stations saying, “Pumps Closed”? Did you hear, to promote energy efficiency, the government has taken the very effective conservation measure of reducing the maximum speed limit to 55?

No, but these were common experiences in the 70s when OPEC cut us off. That was a real gas shortage.

If we are not short of oil, why have USA gas prices gone up so much? The International Energy Agency, (IEA) claims the USA was the top oil producer in 2020. Our Energy Information Administration tells us the United States was an energy net exporter in 2020 and 2021.

 If you search “historical oil price fluctuations” you will find many sites detailing the huge price variations of oil. If you consider the effect this has on the world economy, oil price fluctuations are the scariest roller coaster ride ever. Since our efforts to pursue clean energy have been, at best, weak one must ask, “Do we simply love this abuse?” 

Couple this to the fact burning more oil will toast our kids’ futures, the answer is we must love it. The IEA has said there can be no new oil or gas fields, or coal mines, if the world is to reach net zero planet-heating emissions by 2050. Nearly two-thirds of all identified oil and gas reserves will have to stay in the ground to avoid the planet breaching a 1.5C temperature rise above pre-industrial times, a threshold beyond which will cause compounding disasters, according to scientists. Is anyone listening?

As the free world has mobilized to meet the Russian threat, the oil companies have mobilized too. They raised prices in massive profit taking.  Senator Sheldon Whitehouse put it best, “Never content to let a crisis go to waste, oil executives are taking advantage of the international situation by using their windfall profits to juice their own pay and pursue share buybacks. We should be clawing back big oil’s excessive profits and sending them to the Americans who paid exorbitant prices at the gas pump.”

If we stay in the current relationship with oil, we can only expect more abuse. We have over fifty years of grim data of abuse. There is only one sane choice, and it is to end the relationship. It will take time, courage, and a long-term commitment but the alternative is a continuous roller coaster ride through a hotter and more expensive hell.

Of course, it is impossible for all of society to go cold turkey at the pumps, but we can push the price down, save money, and protect the planet by using less gas.

Since owning a vehicle is historically the second largest expense a person will experience and is the most dangerous activity we will do on a routine basis, it is only smart we plan what to buy, learn how to maintain, and train how to operate vehicles safely and efficiently. It is time we start using our most powerful asset, our brains. Our health, our personal finances and our kid’s future depend on how well we use our gray matter and energy today.

While nearly all automobile companies are retooling their plants to make electric vehicles, the fact is most of us in the short term will be at the mercy of the oil industry. But this does not mean we cannot act wisely within the situation we find ourselves in.

One way to cut down on wasted gas and money lost is to leave the car in the garage and walk. This has a dramatic effect on personal health. If a person walks or bikes, they tend to be slim and healthy.

But sometimes people cannot walk or bike. The goal then is to be efficient and plan to accomplish as many tasks as possible in a round robin trip instead of going back and forth in multiple trips. It was not that long ago people planned “the trip to town” and made lists of things they needed. They did not just jump in the car, truck, or wagon and go and then go again, and again.

Making ourselves efficient means using foresight, reacquiring planning skills, and employing personal discipline.

If we think ahead, we can operate our vehicles like our bank account (And Lives) depends on how we drive. Here are a few tips:

If you Idle, you get 0mph. Do not warm your car up by idling. Buy a block heater. If you use synthetic oil the engine will have plenty of lubrication after starting if you go easy on the accelerator. When caught in a traffic jam turn the engine off.

New gas-powered vehicles are often engineered to turn off the engine when stopping and then automatically restart when the brake is released. Hybrids and full electric vehicles never idle.

Accelerate any vehicle smoothly and slowly. Observe and anticipate when you must decelerate. Slow by coasting rather than using the brakes.

One of the dandy attributes of electric and hybrid vehicles is the electric motors turn into generators when braking. They capture the vehicle’s kinetic energy sending energy back to the battery.

Drive the speed limit to be efficient. Or, if the highway has four lanes move to the right lane and drive 55. The most efficient speeds are between 40 and 55. If you drive 70 vs 55 you are paying a 20% mileage gas pump penalty which comes right out of your wallet.

And the gas pump is not the only monetary penalty. Hard accelerations and decelerations wear out your brakes and tires quickly. Brake jobs and tires are budget busters.

It is a safer far less expensive life if you anticipate, plan, and act wisely rather than mindlessly react.

On trips my buds and I compete to see who can get the best mph. If you do this, you will find there are ways to really boost your mpg. It requires more concentration so our attention to the road means we are driving safer too.

It will be many years until we can break free from the oil addiction but in the meantime, we can end the abuse and exert a little bit of good old American Independence.

For the best program for $mart driving search: “Canadian $mart Program” Auto$mart driver training (nrcan.gc.ca)