Green Sexy

How to Save on Gas---The New National Obsession.

What I will present here will be part hearsay, part speculation, part fact, and some possible hootinanny.   
It seems that everyone has heard of some sensible and some wacky ways to squeeze more mileage out of each gallon of gas they pour into their cars.  Well, here's some of the things I've heard of:

Hypermiling is changing one's behavior behind the wheel to increase gas mileage.  National Public Radio's Morning Edition interviewed some ardent hypermilers to gain some perspective into their approach to saving gas. One gentleman drives with his shoes off (me too!) because he can feel the pressure of the gas pedal better.  His other techniques are to "Slow down, ease up on the accelerator, coast in neutral down hills."  Thanks to this report, my wife and I are both coasting in neutral down hills whenever possible.  I'm sure the gas savings are negligible when doing this, but at least the engine's not sucking up gas during these coasting sessions. 

Anyway, another hypermiler suggested parking in a spot that allows you to pull straight out instead of a spot that you'll have to back out of before driving on your way.  His rationale is that you'll waste precious fuel backing out slowly.  Now, I can see the logic in that, but that does sound a bit anal, doesn't it?

Yet another "technique" employed by dedicated hypermilers is to "coast" at 7 miles per hour through a stop sign---making sure to look both ways, of course.  Now, I've received a ticket in the past for not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign, so I don't think I'll be trying this one anytime soon.  Anyway, last time I checked, stop signs aren't optional and people get creamed all the time at intersections, so do not attempt this foolish move (the quarter penny you'll save with this move isn't worth having semi-truck tires across your chest).

The folks at cleanmpg.com examine various hypermiling techniques, critiquing each for its practicallity.  First of all, use "easy starts"---that is, don't gun it when the light turns green---you'll get there, Mario Andretti.  And while you're at it, drive the speed limit...um, yeah.  Well, at least try to drive close to the speed limit.  Ron Cogan, publisher of Green Car Journal says that "The higher the speed above 60 (mph), the more fuel you're losing". 

Another thing hypermilers have taken to is to fill up the tires "to the maximum pressure listed on the tire sidewall, not as recommended on door stickers or in the vehicle's manual. Higher tire pressure can lower rolling resistance."  At least that's the rationale.  I can attest, however, that over-inflating one's tires past the recommended pressure will make it very difficult to effectively brake in slick conditions (ie- two separate rear-enders committed by me---one in the rain and one in the snow).

Combining trips/errands is a practical thing to do, since that means you'll most likely spend less hours on the road than if you ran each individual errand on its own day.  It's also advisable to park your car in an area where your various trips are all within walking distance.  You see, cars burn more gas when they're warming up, so reduce the amount of starts, save more gas.

How about "drafting" a truck in front of you to cut down on wind resistance?  You will get some benefit from this, but make sure to practice safe following distance--- "safety experts recommend a minimum margin at 55 mph of four seconds (about 323 feet)". 

Oh, the list goes on and on.  Just the other day a coworker told me to pump the gas slower because when you squeeze the trigger full throttle you get more gas fumes, thus less gas.  So, a few days ago I took over 5 minutes to slowly pump a half tank of gas.  I'll let you know if this actually nets me more gas or if this is just a bunch of hooey!

Got any gas-saving tips?  Well, lay 'em on me and I'll try them out!

 

Summer Sunscreen!

Now that Summer is officially here, we're going to be spending more time outside enjoying all that nature has to offer!  Ah, but there is an upside and a downside to everything---the glorious sun that makes our summer days warm and bright can also damage our skin and eyes with its UV rays.  There are actually two main kinds of rays to be concerned about:  UVA rays, which penetrate deep into the skin and cause long term skin damage, and UVB rays, which cause sunburns, are linked "to more than 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancer" and to the development of cataracts.  According to a USA Today article, a decade ago sunscreens were designed to primarily protect people from UVB rays.   Nowadays scientists have come to the conclusion that UVA rays are far more detrimental to the skin because they penetrate more deeply than UVB rays and are the most likely cause of melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer.   

What can you do to protect yourself?  First of all, wear sunglasses with UV protective lenses to protect your fragile eyes from the sun.  With the bug-eye goggles the girls are wearing these days, it seems that fashion has inadvertently provided an unintended health-benefit!

Another thing you can do is to cover up exposed skin with summer-appropriate clothing.  Yes---for some especially fair-skinned that may include long pants and long-sleeved shirts.  Some companies like  Coolibar, Solumbra , and Solartex manufacture SPF clothing that block up to 97% of UVA/UVB rays. If you don't want to purchase a new wardrobe, you can make your clothing into sun protective clothing by washing your garments in SunGuard, a laundry detergent that gives your clothes a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of 30, which effectively blocks 96% of the sun's ultraviolet rays.

Yet another thing to consider is that the sun's ultraviolet rays are the strongest from 11 a.m.-3 p.m., so it is advisable that you avoid being in the sun during these hours.  If you must be out during these hours, slather on the sunscreen, or seek the shade of a tree or some outdoor structure.

Perhaps the most important thing you can do is to choose the right kind of sunscreen.  First of all, you must choose one with the proper SPF, which means "Sun Protection Factor...a measure of a sunscreen's ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. Here's how it works:  If it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer —  about five hours."  The Skin Cancer Foundation warns that sunscreens are ineffective after two hours and must be reapplied, and that most sunscreens don't protect you from UVA rays.  You'll find that most sunscreens contain octylmethoxycinnamate and/or cinoxate, which protect against UVA rays, and oxybenzone  and/or sulisobenzone, which protect against shortwave UVA rays.  To get even more effective protection, purchase a sunscreen that contains avobenzone (Parsol 1789), ecamsule (Mexoryl), titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide. 

My wife and I use sunscreens manufactured by Aveeno, L'oreal, and Neutrogena and have been pleased with their non-greasy feel and relative waterproof properties.  These three products were a bit pricier because they are non-comedogenic (won't clog pores) and because of their well-recognized namesakes.  The L'oreal sunscreen was especially pricey because it contains mexoryl SX, a product long used in Europe that blocks short wave UVA rays not blocked by other sunscreens.  On the low end we've tried Coppertone's Continuous Spray sunscreen, and while the price was reasonable and the coverage/protection effective, I felt like I was wearing a spray-on rubber suit and had a heck of a time trying to wash it off in the shower.   

In any case, you don't have to break the bank to protect your skin from the sun's rays this summer.  Sure, you may find the prospect of applying sunscreen unappealing and contrary to the free spirit of summer, but consider the alternatives---looking like George Hamilton (see above picture), or even worse, Magda---that ultra-tan freaky lady from There's Something About Mary!!!!!!!!!!

Our 10,000th Hit!

Wow.  In just February of 2007 we began this journey into the green blogosphere, sharing our passion for the environment with the world.  Just last month we wrote our 100th post!  Today we received our 10,000th hit---woot woot! 

My wife Karin and I would just like to extend our gratitude to all of those who have visited our blog in the past year and a half and encourage you to keep on coming back!

Sooo......at this time I'd like to put out my antennae and see if there are any readers out there in the darkness who'd like to come out into the light!  Got a tip, a concern, a suggestion, a curiosity, a story, an innovation, a rant, breaking news, etc.---then please, by all means, leave us a comment today!

School's Out---Recycling's In!!!

Teachers look forward to the last day of classes just as much (if not more) as the kids do!  Shortly after the euphoria of freedom begins to subside, one begins to notice hallways littered with all kinds of debris and garbage bins overflowing with papers and other school materials.

It seems that at the end of the school year teachers and students create an obscene amount of waste---that is, handouts, unopened packets of looseleaf paper,  textbooks and workbooks, unused writing and coloring utensils, fabric book covers, plastic locker shelves, still-usable notebooks and binders, etc.---all carelessly discarded into garbage bins. 

For many years, it was the efforts of a handful of individuals who helped to reduce a fraction of the waste in our school by collecting still usable school supplies from the kids or by rescuing such items from the garbage.  However, there has been a sea-change this year.  It all started halfway through the year when the elementary school principal achieved what me and a few other teachers were unable to accomplish for many years---procuring a contract with an independent paper recycling company!  Abitibi Paper Retriever has provided our district with two recycling "bins" the size of regular garbage dumpsters. This has been a great comfort to many environmentally-conscious teachers and I have taken quite a few mega-trips to the dumpster with a handcart full of paper from various teachers' rooms.

Another positive development is the fact that teachers in my building are beginning to provide students with the opportunity to donate still-usable school supplies and to recycle paper!   All it takes are some boxes and a few signs---not too hard, is it? 

So, after years of frustration, things are beginning to look up for our formerly wasteful school (though there is still much room for improvement)!  What's on the horizon?  Increasing the environmental consciousness of the teachers and the student body via an environmental club that I am hoping to present to the school board next year!  After all, it is our job as educators to teach our children about the things that really matter in life!

Discovery Channel: Planet Green!

On Wednesday, June 4th, 2008, Discovery Channel will be launching Planet Green, an all-new, all-green-focused channel!   In an April 7th, 2007 press release, Discovery Communications Chief Executive David Zaslav announced that Discovery Home Channel was going to be reborn as Planet Green (as if I didn't already love Discovery Channel enough already!).  Corporate is throwing $50 million dollars into original programming, so expect exciting new Earth-friendly shows, such as:

-Supper Club is a show hosted by Dancing With the Stars' Tom Bergeron.  Each week Tom will sit down with four famous people to discuss pertinent green issues over an expertly-prepared dinner by a world-renowned chef.

-In WA$TED!, host Annabelle Gurwitch audits environmentally-unfriendly homes and helps the owners institute changes in their lifestyles that will equate to tangible financial savings.  "Each household's 21 days of results are then tabulated into the estimated savings that going green for the entire year would bring, which is awarded as a cash prize."  Sign me up!  

-The G Word, hosted by MTV's SuChin Pak and CBS News correspondent Daniel Sieberg, is a daily hour-long show that highlights a plethora of green topics!

-Renovation Nation, hosted by Steve Thomas (of This Old House), will explore green-building practices, from the homeowners who are "greening" their houses to the factories that produce green building materials...AND MORE!!!

This is just a brief introduction to this new and exciting channel.  To find out more, tune into Planet Green tomorrow and experience it for yourself!