Listen up: I'm going to do my patriotic duty this weekend - who's with me?

[Redstone]

We're staying home, instead of going to Vermont as we had planned.

It's not that we can't afford it; even ten-dollar-a-gallon gas wouldn't be much of a concern for us. Plus, our family car (Mrs R's S-60) gets 30-plus MPG on the highway, so it's not like we'd use all that much anyway. (That's part of why the price is not a concern for us; we don't use a lot of it to go where we need to go.)

But if we took that trip just for the hell of it, with what's going on in the country right now....I'd feel, I don't know, I guess, kind of ashamed, using fuel that other people need a lot more than I do.

So, do we have a deal? Are we all going to put our pleasure where our mouth is (so to speak)? If you've planned a trip purely for pleasure, cancel it. If you have a boat, leave it at the dock. If you have an ATV, leave it in the garage. don't use any gasoline that you don't need to.

Please.

Can we do this one litle thing for our country?

Redstone

[Midlodemocrat]

1. Great idea, Redstone.

I am going to send the money that I would have spent this upcoming weekend to the Red Cross.

I agree with you, it feels a little unseemly to be enjoying oneself when so many are suffering.

I wish I could do more.

[madeline_con]

2. Absolutely.

:kick:

[GOPisEvil]

3. No can do, Senor.

I appreciate the sentiment, but I have non-refundable plane tickets and a friend I haven't seen in a few years.

But, I'll do what I can to save as much energy as I can, if only out of self-preservation.

[Redstone]

14. A non-refundable ticket is a valid excuse.

That takes your trip out of the "discretionary" category.

I'm not asking anyone to throw money away. Have a good time (seriously).

Redstone

[aztc]

44. Jet Air Travel

Jet air travel has become the standard way to move people and goods quickly from point A to point B, but it is also the most polluting and energy-intensive way. Consider these figures:

Average BTU* Consumed Per Passenger Mile
By Mode of Travel:

SUV: 4,591
Air: 4,123
Bus: 3,729
Car: 3,672
Train: 2,138

* BTU: British Thermal Unit, a measure of energy.

Note that the United States alone burns about 15 BILLION gallons of jet fuel each year (1.5 million barrels, each day). We dump 65 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air we breathe each year from jet air travel alone. (that’s 65 million metric tons X 2200 = 143,000,000,000 pounds. Into. The. Air. We. Breathe.) This does NOT include the N0x, VOCs, PM, Sulfur and Lead -- which are the really nasty toxins released for our "convenience" that are largely responsible for many illnesses and cancers found in our population today. Carbon dioxide is the invisible pollutant that is chiefly responsible for Climate Change (often called Global Warming).

Of course cars and trucks contribute even more pollution, with gasoline contributing five times that amount (501 million metric tons) and Diesel almost double that (108 million metric tons), but remember cars and trucks transport most of three hundred million people each day while jet air travel only serves about two million each day; besides, this rant is mostly about jet air travel, not cars and trucks (a whole other rant).

OK, so these numbers are a bit mind-boggling. The bottom line is that jet air travel uses the most energy to transport the fewest people and dumps millions of tons of pollution into the air in the process.

It is little wonder that jet air travel is so heavily subsidized by the US Government. Every year taxpayers’ elected representatives hand over $8 Billion dollars in subsidies to the airline industry! Since 9/11/01 we have padded its budgets with over $15 Billion dollars just so that one out of 150 Americans can fly each day. By the way, most of these high-fliers are corporate and government business travelers, not regular folks out sightseeing or on vacation.

Think about these facts. Someday, someone will have to pay for our excesses. Maybe it would be better to plan fewer trips and when we do travel to allow more time, and take the train instead of flying Your grandkids may have a chance to thank you.

Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics
http://199.79.179.77/publications/nts/index.html


The top five American cities with air unhealthy to breathe are ALL in California. Topping the list are Riverside/San Bernardino, Fresno and Bakersfield, with over 400 days out of 730 that the air was deemed "unhealthy" to breathe. Following at Number 4 is Los Angeles/Long Beach with 255 days, and Sacramento at Number 5, with 163. Friends in Oakland: Your city rings in at Number 48 on the list, tied with Indianapolis.

Source: STPP Report: Clearing the Air
http://www.transact.org/report.asp?id=227


By the way, it has been recently reported that 191 million Americans are driving 201 million vehicles. Hey, that's more vehicles than drivers! What owns who here? I can't resist mentioning that the poorest Americans spend the largest part of their income (40%) on private transportation, while the average American family spends 18.3% of their income on the care and feeding of their private transportation.

Source: STPP Report: Transportation Costs and the American Dream
http://www.transact.org/report.asp?id=224


Let's not forget that the US Government is spending $1 Billion dollars each week to secure "vital American interests" in the Middle East so that we can keep all this insanity going! Do we really have to keep racing those cars, trucks and SUVs around as fast as possible, one person per vehicle, an average of four trips each day, and flying those heavily-subsidized jet airplanes every time we "need" to go somewhere in a hurry? Are we Americans so "unique", and our "needs" and "work" so special, that we are willing to keep funding the petroleum warlords and to keep this brutal assault on humanity and on Earth going?

Hurry -- let's get it over with.

www.drive55.org

[MuseRider]

4. Hooray for you!

I think that is a good idea. I'll see what I can cut down. We already started sharing rides to the farm and waiting for each other to be done.

[despairing optimist]

5. I don't own a car (NYer, don't need one), but I doubled my Red Cross

donation. I remembered the old Give Till It Hurts and asked myself what point it started hurting. So I doubled it and will probably donate again. The people down South need help, and I'll never forget what they did for us here four years ago. I was surprised, thought everyone hated NYers. It's their turn now, and I'm giving back.

[LunaSea]

8. Thanks..

We don't hate you, we just think you talk funny.
Gave as much as I could today, bearing in mind this hurricane season is not over.

[notadmblnd]

6. I haven't left the house since Sunday

have to go out tomorrow for bread and milk and son has appt with orthodontist. But I won't be visiting or driving around fro the heck of it.

[ismnotwasm]

7. Good for you

I wasn't going anywhere, but I'll make sure I donate to the red cross
I hadn't thought of things in that light, because I wasn't going anywhere. Such a cool sentiment

[miss_kitty]

9. well I'll be dropping off some of the jewelry I've made to be auctioned

at a Democratic fund raiser. I guess that'll be me joining you.

[brack]

10. Staying home as well

Going to give the 20$ I was saving to have a few drinks tomorrow to the Red Cross.

[bridgit]

11. we are with you, Redstone...

were just mentioning hubby & i; let's fly us well below the radar for a time or two :thumbsup:

Peace ~

[Greenpeach]

12. Great idea

Count me in!

[Lady Effingbroke]

13. Excellent idea, Redstone.

nominated.

[Dave Reynolds]

15. Sorry, I'm moving.

And worse, using a 26 foot truck which will suck up gas. On the plus side, I will be 35 miles closer to work and the horse can finally live with us!

So, thanks for the gas you save, for I will be using it.

[Redstone]

16. That's what I meant. You're doing something you HAVE to do,

so you should have gasoline available for you to do it.

You're more than welcome to have what we'd have been consuming. Good luck with the move.

Redstone

[qnr]

20. Same here. OK back to ME, leaving in the morning, towing a trailer, eeks!

(especially since we normally use a 50cc scooter and spend $5.00 per month on gas.

[WCGreen]

17. And if you can't give money.... Give Blood.....

[In_The_Wind]

18. I'm with you ~ Redstone

I'm not going out wasting gas this weekend!

[progmom]

19. nominated

I'm with you. :hug:

[WCGreen]

21. nominated

[Floogeldy]

22. You talked me into it.

I won't go to work for the rest of the week.

;)

[Redstone]

30. I'd be just as happy if you'd keep your juvenile replies

out of my threads, if you'd be so mature as to do so.

You're not contributing anything. And you're not funny.

Redstone

[Floogeldy]

38. Well, your level of happiness is not my responsibility.

And, apparently, it is not your's, either, since you have delegated some of it to me.

Don't get me wrong. I am flattered.

;)

[JimmyJazz]

23. I think this is an excellent idea. We all can take a look at how we

use this valuable resource and do better. I know I need to be a little less casual in general about where I shop and even how I run my errands. There really is no longer an excuse for me to shop at one store, further away from my house, just because I find the closer one less appealing.

Thanks for making me aware of some of my wastefulness. And, I'm sure you'll still have a great holiday weekend with your family. :hi:

[Redstone]

24. Oh, yes. We can have lots of fun right here , or at least

within ten miles of the house.

Thanks for the good wishes. Say, can you walk to where there's a good cheesesteak hoagie? If not, that's an acceptable use of gasoline for a necessity...

Redstone

[coffeenap]

25. Yes, we can do this one little thing for our country!

Our Labor Day money for transportation is going to Second Harvest. And my kids will learn, again, that every one of us can do SOMETHING! Best to you, Redstone.

[Redstone]

26. Thank you, Madam coffeenap, you're a peach.

You know how to help save your fellow man, in aggregate AND one at a time.

And don't think I'm going to forget that, ever.

Second Harvest is an outstanding organization; I have done as much of my pro bono work as I could for our local Food Bank, which is part of the Second Harvest network.

If you know any of the higher-ups at that fine organization, and think they could benefit from my skills, don't hesitate to send them my way.

Redstone

[leftofthedial]

27. you mean you're planning to wait around for the bushturd to catch fire

and then refuse to piss on him?

[southlandshari]

28. Excellent and agreed.

I will be staying home, too, though I had a trip planned this weekend.

To New Orleans.

Sigh. I'm not trying to be funny. I'm obviously not taking that trip now. But I really have the feeling that any trip I had planned, unless absolutely unavoidable, would be put on hold at this point. I feel like you do, Redstone. Taking a pleasure trip at this point, driving long distances or having a fun and carefree weekend no longer seems very appealing or comfortable to me. I sense it would feel rather obscene.

I know not everyone agrees. But I appreciate your post, because it tapped into some things I've been reflecting on the past two days.

:hug:

(P.S. Recommendation #4 here, only one more needed - hint, hint, friends!)

[Redstone]

29. Thank you so much for your thoughtful reply.

For some reason, I knew I'd be able to count on you.

Redstone

[southlandshari]

35. Awwwww..

You know the feeling is absolutely and unquestionably mutual.

:loveya:

[drfresh]

31. And take some of the money you saved

and donate to the Red Cross..

[Autonomy]

32. My next road trip is September 24

to Washington DC. Gonna go support a lady named Cindy.

Til then, I stay home.

[Initech]

33. I'm seriously thinking of selling my car and buying a Moped.

That will save on a lot of unnecessary gas! 71 miles to the gallon.

[buddysmellgood]

34. That's a fine plan, but you must send a letter to your representative

as well. We need a real energy policy, otherwise what you're proposing will become a requirement rather than a choice.

[AuntiBush]

36. You Are A True American!

I'm with you. Besides, I haven't been able to afford to go very far this summer anyway. Nor any of my neighbors, friends, and associates.

Great idea. Excellent post.

[nashville_brook]

37. i can go weeks without leaving the house -- i'm totally in!

stay home
cook something from scratch
listen to the radio
take a long walk with the dogs
sounds perfect to me
patriotic duty rocks

[Maraya1969]

39. I heard on my local news cast tonight that we can help by conserving

electricity. Apparently the less we put on the system the easier it will be to get it into places where there is none. I don't know how this works but I'm doing it.

Also around here there are plenty of drop off places to donate things. Take a trip to your local dollar store and get a bunch of necessities like shampoo and soap. The more frugal you are when buying the more stuff you can send.

They need baby diapers bad. And sanitary things for the women. I remember this when Charley came to town last year.

[roguevalley]

40. we're not going to Anchorage for the doctor. I can't stand to think

about what is happening.

[aztc]

41. How to save 20% to 50% now!

If you drive a car, disconnect the A/C compressor to save 20% during summer driving and 5-10% during winter. The refrigeration system used to cool the interior of the car could easily cool a 2000 square foot home! Scroll to the following EPA report to see several other ways you can reduce fuel consumption right now!

Effect             Conditions        Average Fuel        Maximum Fuel

                                     Economy             Economy

                                     Reduction           Reduction



Temperature*       20F vs 77F          5.3%                13%



Head Wind            20 mph            2.3%                 6%



Hills/Mountains    7% road grade       1.9%                25%



Poor road         Gravel, curves,      4.3%                50%

conditions*       slush, snow, etc.





Traffic           20 vs 27 mph        10.6%                15%

Congestion        average speed



Highway speed     70 vs 55 mph        N/A                  25%



Acceleration      "Hard" vs "Easy"    11.8%                20%

Rate



Wheel                 1/2 inch        <1%                  10%

Alignment



Tire Type           non-radial        <1%                   4%

                    vs radial



Tire Pressure*       15 psi vs         3.3%                 6%

                     26 psi



Air Conditioning    Extreme Heat      21%                  N/A



Defroster*          Extreme Use       Analogous to A/C on some vehicle



Idling/Warmup*       Winter vs        Variable             20%

                      Summer          with Driver



Windows            Open vs Closed     Unknown but likely small

Source:
The Office of Mobile Sources is the national center for research and policy on air pollution from highway and off-highway motor vehicles and equipment. You can write to them at the EPA National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions Laboratory, 2565 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48105. Phone number is [phone].

Webpage: http://www.epa.gov/orcdizux/rfgecon.htm

Learn much more at http://drive55.org - The Drive 55 Conservation Project

[aztc]

42. The Hope of the Drive 55 Conservation Project

What is the Hope of the Drive 55 Conservation Project?

Trust is that special relationship that produces a sense of Security and Safety. Our Hope is found in the knowledge that these Principles of Resource Conservation will result in true National Security and Safety for every Citizen.

Principle #1 – E=MC2

“It takes Energy to move Mass. It takes More Energy to move More Mass, and it takes More Energy to move Mass at a higher rate of Speed.”

On the 100th anniversary of this famous formula, our hope is that cultural awareness of this important principle will be more inclusive of the conservation element and will recognize the true cost of energy. To prove this principle for yourself, mount a bicycle and pedal as fast as you can, then maintain the high rate of speed, even uphill, for a while. It will not take long to clearly relate Speed with Energy Consumption.

Principle #2 – Funding Petroleum Warlords

Recognizing our addiction and the damage it is causing, we take responsibility for funding the war machine.

It is not a local social program you are supporting when you ‘Fill ‘er up”. Over half of the petroleum consumed in the US is imported. This means that more than half of the money you spend at the pump is going directly to foreign interests. The other half is going to huge oil companies while the vendor is left to eek out a living selling coffee, donuts and newspapers. Even these small operators are being driven out of business by the huge conglomerates, and it is not high paying union jobs they are providing to our economy. Meanwhile, under the guise of the ‘Drug War’, US military forces are present in nearly every country worldwide to enforce security around pipelines, oil terminals and facilities, and to protect the political regimes friendly to US oil and cheap labor interests.

So the next time you board a jet aircraft, remember that this form of heavily subsidized transportation consumes 5 times as much petroleum per passenger mile as train travel, and supports the defense industry through even heavier subsidies for crossover technologies that begin in military applications and eventually are commercialized for profit. This list is endless but includes things like the Hummer, the M15 assault rifle, Night Vision Goggles, Body Armor and other things useful only to warriors and for killing human beings such as the Apache helicopter program. Also keep in mind the corresponding pollution is 5 times that of train travel. For those that choose to travel by private jet, the consumption is so far off the scale that it should be a criminal offense.

Principle #3 – The Illness of Addiction

The first step in recovery from any addiction is to overcome the denial and acknowledge powerlessness over the addiction.

Dependency on petroleum is not easy to break, and in fact impossible for most not living in third world countries within agrarian cultures. The hydrocarbon economy requires vast consumption of a diminishing resource. Withdrawal symptoms will be physical, mental and emotional. Initially, a great physical price is paid as we walk or ride a bike instead of driving. Our friends and neighbors challenge our mental and emotional health when we choose a lifestyle formerly reserved to the poor by using Amtrak, the bus, or other forms of public transportation and refuse to board the obscene energy hog ‘jet aircraft’. Our hope is found in our experience, the examples of reduced dependency being lived by local community leaders, and within the promises in Principle #4.

Principle #4 – Conservation, a Strategy for a life of Comfort, Joy and Ease

The solution to addiction involves reducing dependency on the object of our addiction, in this case petroleum.

Our hope is bolstered by the proof obtained by practicing conservation in our everyday lives. By using less of everything, we reduce our dependency on a constant stream of consumer goods. We actually gain a new sense of security as we take on more responsibility for the things we can. We preserve more of our capital wealth, and increase it by trusting in the wealth of Land well cared for. We find our greatest treasure of life, happiness and security is found in direct relation to our management of natural resource consumption. The Earth is abundant and generous, but suffers under the predictably gluttonous behavior of fossil fuel addicts. Fossil fuels are not evil; but a natural resource that has been abused.

Principle #5 – ‘Alternative’ Energy is not a solution by itself

It is not a solution to substitute alternative forms of energy for fossil fuels to continue the addictive, gluttonous behavior.

The truth is that hydrocarbons stored in liquid (petroleum), solid (coal) and gaseous (natural gas) forms are a nearly prefect source of energy collected from the sun and naturally stored for our long-term use. The real problem is gluttony. A drunk that substitutes wine for beer is still a drunk. Replacing fossil fuels with other forms of energy is not a sustainable long-term solution without equal emphasis on conservation. In fact, our greatest source of new energy will be found in Conservation, not Alaska! Our hope is that we know there will be plenty of energy within our own land as more recover from the addiction and reduce consumption.

Visit http://Drive55.org

[Left_Winger]

43. I was going to take a 200 mile trip

to my family's beach home, but I'm staying put and not using the gas. My car gets about 30-33 mpg, but still, I'm cutting back when and where I can.

[MADem]

45. I've been doing that for years! n/t

[progmom]

46. kick

[quisp]

47. I'm in!

The kids and I will ride our bikes to the pool this weekend!

[Left Is Write]

48. Certainly.

I've been in conservation mode as it is (I have driven only 139 miles since the 14th).

We were going to go up to Cascade this weekend (friends have a cabin there; it would be a Labor Day/belated anniversary trip), but we have decided to stay home.

[Ryano42]

49. My main mode of transportation for the weekend:

Feels absolutlely great to have the truck get dusty in the driveway...will have to use it for hockey; it's hard work :P to lug 60 lbs. of goalie equipment with it!

[Redstone]

50. What, you can't carry 60 pounds of stuff, riding a bike? What a weenie!

Just joking. Welcome to DU, Ryano.

I've recuperated enough to be able to start riding again recently (I used to ride my bike until my brains fell out, but was physically unable to for a long time). Boy, is it fun!

Redstone

[coffeenap]

52. Hey--that is GREAT news!! Woo-hoo!

:toast: :bounce: :bounce: :toast:

[Redstone]

53. Thank you, thank you. You're a peach. As you know, I had a bit of

assistance during the time when I was waiting to get into the Pain Management program.

Which I still appreciate.

Redstone

[Rising Phoenix]

51. I have a wedding

but its only a couple towns over

[huskerlaw]

54. I'm doing the same thing.

Was supposed to spend Labor Day with my repug family 100 miles away. I can afford to go, but I'm not going to.

And I'll be sure to tell the family exactly why I'm not going.

[Mabus]

55. We've pulled the bikes out of the garage

and our friend of ours is getting a moped. We're looking the long haul and have admitted to ourselves how spoiled we are in our driving habits and dependent on foreign oil we have gotten.

Thank you Redstone. This is a great idea. Why hasn't the pResident asked the public to do the same thing? Isn't this in the nation's best interest?

[Inland]

56. Decided to cancel my eight hours of driving.

But then again, I hate driving.

[Scout1071]

57. Little devil's advocate here. I think that will hurt our economy more.

It already will....people are cancelling trips right and left. And our economy is really going to start suffering. I'm in sales and I can tell you for certain that we've been at the beginning of a depression for at least 6 months now. This is very reminiscent of the summer of 2001.

[Redstone]

59. I think the welfare of the "leisure industry" is not of prime

importance right now.

I know that everything is interwined in the economy, but we do need to have priorities.

Sorry, but I'm not going to buy the "hey, everybody go shopping" arguement now, anymore than I bought it when bushyboy said it after 9-11.

Redstone

[Scout1071]

60. I'm not saying that....I usually head to "the lake" on weekends like this

and most of the places I stop, shop and eat in are locally owned. One person's leisure is another person's job.

I'm not saying that everyone should run out to The Gap, but I think what you are proposing will really hurt a lot of the little guys.

Since the last post I ran down the street to fill up my tank and it was $0.15 more than this afternoon and while I was standing there it the manager came out to change the sign - went up another $0.10 to $3.06. Many people will be cancelling plans because they have to - not because they want to. The clerk behind the counter told me $3.75 by Friday. And our economy will suffer - more than it is already suffering.

[joneschick]

58. I'm taking public transportation to donate platelets

and taking my eldest daughter with me. If you are healthy please consider donating. Whole blood of all types and if you're big enough they can even take a double unit. Platelets can be donated more often. It's time commitment that feels great. What did you do today? I saved a life. (that's on a t-shirt the blood center gave my daughter for her first donation)

[pitohui]

61. my gut reaction

actually now you mention it i WON'T be traveling to vermont to see the leaves turn

i'll be scrounging up gas containers to see if i have enough gas to drive to see if i have a house still standing

today a woman who stopped me to ask if i was an evacuee told me she felt funny abt going to work on this beautiful day while the greatest natural disaster in american history was going on

i told her that i needed clothes to wear & she was doing her part by selling me clothes & not to feel bad abt it

look, ok, it's cliche, but live your life

it's one to a customer

it does not help me put one tiny shingle on my roof that you gave up your vacation


go go go

this might be the last labor day an ordinary person could afford to go driving, who knows

enjoy being w. someone you love, make sure that person knows you care

that's what is important

you have a good heart, you deserve a vacation too

[OKNancy]

63. glad you are safe. I wondered if you made it

You weren't going to leave. What happened?

[BamaGirl]

62. Me too

Was supposed to go to Macon, Ga for a family thing, but I don't think that's gonna happen. :P I'd love to go and see my uncle, who has lung cancer and is not doing well and even got me to quit smoking. But, heck,is there gonna be an gas this weekend!? :shrug: Nope, think I'll have to stay home.