Make Your Own Homemade Hybrid
A hybrid car runs partly on gas, partly on electricity. A homemade hybrid runs partly on gas, partly on the driver's attention. A hybrid car automatically turns off the engine whenever the car is not moving. To turn any car into a homemade hybrid, just turn the engine off when you're not using it to go!
You say WHAT?!? That's ridiculous! Everyone knows it takes 5 minutes worth of gas to start an engine! (Or 30 seconds. Or 3 minutes. Or something.) Everyone knows it will ruin your engine if you turn it off and on a lot!
Forty years ago, when cars were built with carburetors and there was no such thing as global warming, those concerns were valid. But today, the ice caps are melting (see for yourself!) and cars are all made with fuel injection engines, which start up with little effort. Today, there is NO REASON to run your engine unless it's making your car move.
Do you know how much gas it really takes to start a car? TEN SECONDS' worth. Which means, if you're going to be idling for more than ten seconds, you'll save gas by turning off the ignition.
You won't find anyone in the U.S. advocating such rash behavior. Even the U.S. Department of Energy or the U.S. Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, in their fuel econony tips goes no further than to make this obvious statement: "Avoid Excessive Idling. Idling gets 0 miles per gallon."
But in many foreign cities (in Japan, Switzerland, Canada), even idling at traffic lights is against the law. Read "Idling: Myths Versus Reality" by the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency, and you, too, will want to drive a Homemade Hybrid!
I kicked the idling habit and saved a gallon of gas per tank, which for my car is just over 10%. If everyone suddenly cut their emissions by 10%, we could slow this problem down before 2050. It's a small step anyone can take, to feel like they're part of the solution.
Visit the Canadian Office of Energy Efficiency to download great printouts and freebies to start an anti-idling campaign in your community. Download a "Homemade Hybrid" window poster right here to display right on your car.
5 comments:
I think that with all your good intentions, thuis is a load of hogwash to for monetary gain. The world was always able to regulate itself on a number of problems. If you all would encourage companies and countries to stop deforresting that alone would solve whatever problem these is now. This global warming was proven by learned professors and scientists that it is not man made.
Stop scaring the uneducated people of this country and the world. Tell it like it really is and do not fall in line.
D.McNab
What about the wear on the starter motor??
Transportation Departments should stop installing traffic lights that are triggered by cars on side streets. Many times I have observed traffic lights that stop 10's of cars to allow a single car to turn left from a side street. In fact, I have read that UPS saves time and fuel by planning routes with a minimum number of left turns. Left turns are the problem! Roads without left turns don't have cars sitting Idle. Replace intersections with round-a-bouts and U-Turn lanes. One should note that three rights make a left. Think about that and plan a route before going out on the roads. Lastly, lobby for traffic lights to be synchronized in order to reduce idling pollution, reduce road rage and save time.
Yeah! Left turns and traffic lights are a huge problem. How many traffic lights are there? How many power plants does it take to operate the traffic lights? How many zillion tons of CO2 could be reduced by getting rid of traffic lights?
I've often wondered how much gas we would save in the US if we did away with drive-thru windows. Have there been any studies on this? We could probably all use the exercise we get by parking our car and actually walking into those banks, restaurants & drug stores.
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