Join Terrie Brady in helping spread the word on conservation. Each month at our monthly meeting we pick a current issue and write to the appropriate legislator or department head. We are always looking for volunteers to help this committee.

If you wish to help the Angeles Chapter Conservation Committee it meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Angeles Chapter HDQ. There are several subcommittees that need help. Contact the Angeles Chapter for more information (310) 387-4287.

Conservation Corner
Coping With High Gas Prices

By Michael Stevenson

The price of gas is way up with no relief in sight. Hopefully high fuel prices can spur all of us to become more energy efficient and use our transportation dollars more wisely. There are several important things you can do to minimize the damage to your budget and help conserve the environment.

Avoid unnecessary driving in the first place by walking, carpooling, biking, taking Public Transit and by combining errands. Several short trips, each one taken from a cold start, can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.

Stop excessive idling. Idling gets you 0 miles per gallon. Avoid aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) which wastes momentum (kinetic energy) thus lowering your gas mileage by up to a third. If you accelerate and brake many times, you constantly waste gas as opposed to when you drive smooth. Observe the speed limit. Gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph.

Remove excess weight from your car by avoiding storing unnecessary items in your vehicle. An extra 100 lb. in your car can reduce your MPG by up to 2%.

Use cruise control on the highway to help maintain a constant speed. Also drive in the highest gear, which lowers engine speed thus saving gas and reduces engine wear.

Use the recommended octane level of gasoline needed for your engine. For most cars, the octane level is 87. Keep your car properly tuned, replace oil and air filters at suggested intervals and use the recommended grade of motor oil, making sure that it says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol guaranteeing it contains friction-reducing additives. Always keep your tires properly inflated. When your car is properly maintained it becomes much more energy efficient.

Try and stagger your work hours to avoid peak rush hours thus spending less time sitting in traffic wasting fuel. Consider telecommuting (working from home) if your employer permits it.

Take advantage of carpools and ride-share programs that save gas and wear and tear on your car. Being in a car with multiple passengers’ means you can use the special High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.

If you own more than one vehicle, drive the one that gets the best gas mileage whenever possible.

When replacing tires buy low rolling resistant ones, which can increase mileage by as much as 2 miles per gallon. If all Americans had low–rolling resistance tires, we could save more than 5.5 billion gallons of gas per year, reducing annual oil imports by as much as 4%.

When replacing your car buy the most fuel efficient model that meets your needs. At current gas prices the difference between a car that gets 20 MPG and one that gets 30 MPG amounts to over a $1,000 per year assuming 15,000 miles of driving. If you buy a hybrid car you could qualify for a federal tax credit. Go to the fuel economy website for information on gas mileage.

It appears that the end of cheap oil has hit us much sooner than even the direst predictions by environmentalists. Let’s use this great opportunity to begin in earnest to develop viable long-term energy strategies to burning fossil fuels. But meanwhile there are personal conservation choices that we can all make to mitigate this problem. Each of us needs to make a pledge to personally do what is necessary to save gas whether it affects us financially or not. If you waste gas it raises the price of everything we consume with the biggest impact on those who can least afford it.

Hypermiling
Improves Your Gas Mileage

By Michael Stevenson

Want to help the environment by becoming more energy efficient but you can’t afford a newer more fuel efficient car? Don’t despair, become a Hyper-miler!

This technique maximizes your gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to your vehicle and driving skill. It can be practiced with any car, regardless of its current fuel economy. Use the following guidelines to start learning how to become a Hypermiler.

Better maintain your car: A properly maintained car is much more energy efficient. Keep your car properly tuned. Replace oil and air filters at suggested intervals. Use the recommended grade of motor oil making sure that it says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol guaranteeing it contains friction-reducing additives. Keep your tires properly inflated. When replacing tires buy low rolling resistant ones, which can increase mileage by as much as 2 miles per gallon.

Drive more cautiously: You can always get better fuel mileage out of your current vehicle by using a device you already have, your right foot. You get a big gain in fuel mileage when you significantly lay off the gas and brake pedals as you drive. Accelerating more slowly away from green lights and stopping more gradually for red lights significantly cuts fuel consumption. Stay under the speed limit. Start out by keeping a conscious eye on how you drive now and you may realize that you've been “hot-rodding” around town for years without ever noticing it. According to Edmunds.com if you currently get 22 miles per gallon a more laid-back driving style could increase your mileage by up to 30%.

Look ahead and anticipate: An ability to drive efficiently depends on being able to spot changes in your driving environment. The way to do this is by constantly scanning well ahead on your intended path. In city driving you should know what’s happening at least 10-15 seconds ahead. On freeways at least a 30 second lead-time is best.

Clean “junk” from your trunk: Don’t’ store unnecessary items in your vehicle. An extra 100 lb. in your car can reduce your MPG by up to 2%.

Avoid “warm up” idling: Don't idle your engine to warm it up even on a cold day. An idling engine gets zero miles per gallon. Instead start driving slowly as soon as the engine is running smoothly. It's a more efficient way to warm the engine as well as the entire drive train including your tires.

Cycle the A/C if you have to use it: Set the air flow to recirculate and then manually turn the A/C on and off as needed. For greater efficiency, switch it on under light engine loads, i.e. when decelerating and turn it off when under moderate to heavy loads, i.e. when you are accelerating or going up a hill.

In the summer park in the shade: This will keep the inside of your vehicle cooler, which can help you minimize use of your air conditioner.

Stagger your travel time: Try to avoid peak rush hours thus spending less time sitting in traffic wasting fuel.

Test yourself: Calculate your current wasteful gas mileage habits. Fill up your gas tank and reset your trip odometer. When its time to refuel, fill the tank completely, write down the number of gallons it took to fill the tank and your new odometer reading. Divide the number of miles driven by the number of gallons it took to fill the tank. This result is your car’s Miles Per Gallon (MPG) for that driving period. Compare this number to how well you do while Hypermiling. Chart your progress over time and see how much you can improve over your old wasteful ways. You owe it to yourself and the environment.