ECO-TIPS: MISCELLANEOUS Every decision we make has an impact on our world. So in this sense we are all "activists." On this page we'll show some examples of what others are doing to help create a healthier world for all. Enjoy and wonder "what if?" In order to help reduce our dependence on (foreign) fossil fuels, here are some fuel saving tips for your car or truck: 1. Keep vehicle in tune! (How many times have we heard this?) 2. Keep your tires properly inflated. (Can you imagine how much harder it is to move your car with flat tires? Keeping your tires underinflated wastes gas and decreases the life of the tire. Overinflated tires also lessons tread life and can be dangerous.) 3. Remove all unnecessary items for inside the vehicle. (Are you carrying around weight you don't need? Remember the two bowling balls you left in the car last week? Or the 100 baseballs from last season? Any extra weight in the vehicle wastes gas.) 4. Do you have a luggage, bike, or ski rack you're not using? (Take off all racks you don't use. Only put them on when you need to carry bikes or skis. Without the luggage/bike/ski rack, your vehicle is much more aerodynamic and that saves gas.) 5. Avoid the "drag strip" mentality. There is no checkered flag when you get to the office so what is this "first off the line" at the red light for? Getting to your destination safely is the winning goal and gunning it only wastes more gas. 6. Unless you're an emergency vehicle, speeding will get you someplace three or four minutes sooner or much later if you're stopped for a ticket! So if you want to save gas, not to mention money from a speeding ticket and increased insurance rates, try driving AS IF you were driving barefooted and there were thumb tacks glued, point up, on your gas peddle. How hard would you push down that gas pedel before it hurt? This kind of driving alone gets me 2 to 4 miles per gallon more than driving everywhere like Mario Andretti at Monza. 7. Help us and other organizations trying to pass legislation that will give tax breaks to those who purchase Hybrid and low polluting vehicles. The U.S. transportation sector accounts for approximately 10,000 gallons of gasoline per SECOND! If we REALLY wanted to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil, the answer isn't in Alaska. The fastest way to cut our oil addiction is for ALL cars and light trucks to get over 40 mpg. Not only would that cut air pollution and our dependence on foreign oil, it would put money in your pocket at the pump! The technology is already here so you have to ask yourself why American auto companies are so against this idea. (I'll give you one hint: ....money) (Look for other fuel saving tips under the household hints section.....)     Solar panels on the roof of this Avon home. This house in New Hartford employs a passive solar design. The sunlight that enters the windows heats the floors and the floor radiates the heat back out at night. The floors also keep the house cool in summer because of the depth into the ground. The upper windows can also be used to vent heat during hot summer days. This North Canton home uses a different kind of heating and cooling design....berms. Part of the house is surrounded by earthen berms to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer. (Ever notice how your celler doesn't fluctuate in temperature as much as the rest of the house?) This barn was constructed next to a home in West Granby. The solar panels provide 60% of the power for the home and they didn't change their lifestyle at all. They have compact flourescent bulbs and all the appliances are standard and they can do their laundry any time they want, etc. Solar is possible in CT in many ways! The Salmon Brook Ecology Center is walking its talk with this 2.97 Kw solar system since June 2004! The grid-tied roof-mounted system is sized to satisfy the electric requirements of a self-sustaining aquaculture/hydro-ponics facility. This VW Rabbit runs on straight veggie oil! The main tank (original fossil fuel tank) is supplemented with an additional tank you see here with a filter system in the back. A switch on the dashboard lets you go from one tank to the other with a flick of the switch. This car currently gets over 50 miles per gallon of veggie oil!! The diesel engine doesn't know the difference. Eco-Tips for Pet Care: The full list of Eco-Tips categories as planned, with more categories being added as need dictates: Household Eco-Tips Yard and Garden Eco-Tips Miscellaneous Eco-Tips The Sierra Club is a non-profit member-supported, public interest organization that promotes conservation of the natural environment by influencing public policy decisions--legislative, administrative, legal, and electoral. Sierra Club, 85 Second St., Second Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-3441, USA. Telephone (415) 977-5500 (voice), (415) 977-5799 (FAX). Sierra Club® and One Earth, One Chance® are registered trademarks of the Sierra Club. This page created & maintained for the Connecticut Chapter of the Sierra Club by RootGrafix Web Design. E-mail the webmaster at birchbark@rootgrafix.com with any site-related questions, updates, or needs. Last Update: March 23, 2004.