Conservation 101: the Compete to Conserve Blog

photo credit: stevelyon

CEOs of some of the world’s most prominent companies are floating the idea that the U.S. “consider raising taxes on gasoline,” according to Real Time Economics on The Wall Street Journal Online.

Idea “Tucked Away”

The idea, which according to Journal editors was “tucked away” in a proposal on long-term tax policy, came about during a two-day session this week in which nearly 100 CEOs of global companies gathered to define the priorities they believe President-elect Barack Obama and the new Congress need to tackle when they take office in January. (Finance and the U.S. economy; energy and the environment; health care; and America’s role in the global economy were the four key issues the CEO Council discussed, underscoring that there will be no dearth of work Obama’s administration will face.)

Proponents of raising the gas tax say that it will lower gasoline consumption, encourage both the production and market for fuel efficient vehicles, lower imports, and decrease polluting emissions.

Critics argue that increased taxes unfairly burden consumers, especially the poor, and that reduced consumption hurts industry. (I haven’t found anyone yet that says pollution is good, but I’m sure there’s someone out there!)

Support Gaining Steam?

Raising the gas tax, of course, is nothing new. But until now its support has been limited. Because most Americans are dependent on cars to get to work, school, and every else, opponents have been able to build a broad coalition that makes politicians think that championing the cause would be certain political death.

But now something different is happening. There is an increasing awareness of the interconnectedness of energy use, economy, the environment, and public health. And when CEOs of companies that collectively employ 5.9 million people and $2.2 trillion in annual revenues say officials should consider raising the gasoline tax, my bet is that this idea won’t go away quietly this time.

The Wall Street Journal will report results of the CEO Council Monday, November 24, 2008.

More resources:

The Wall Street Journal CEO Council:
https://ceocouncil.wsj.com/index.html

photo credit: WTL photos

The crunch of fuel prices has driven airlines to charge extra fees for everything from baggage to blankets. Tired of rising fuel costs, Virgin Atlantic head honcho Richard Branson announced plans to start building cellulosic ethanol plants to make biofuel. The hope was to offset the 700 million gallons of fuel Virgin uses annually to power its fleet by replacing some or all of it with ethanol.

In theory, biofuel can be produced from any biological carbon source. Although many different plants or plant-derived materials are currently used in biofuel processing, the most common option tends to be photosynthetic plants that capture solar energy. While Branson aimed to accomplish this feat in 5-6 years, nearly three years after his announcement plans are still in the works.

Meanwhile, others have joined the fray, including Solazyme of South San Francisco, CA. This renewable oil production company claims to have created the “world’s first microbial-derived jet fuel” by genetically modifying algae to consume a wide range of feedstocks, including wood chips and sawdust. When the algae have, in a sense, overeaten, they produce oil as a storage mechanism. The result: non-toxic, renewable oil that can be “leveraged across a wide variety of industries and applications.”

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It is not a new phenomenon. Gas prices climb. The demand for saving increases. Hints, tips, and tricks appear.

In fact, during the gas embargo in the 70s, all sorts of hints came across the wires for saving gas, including riding your bike to work or driving exactly 55 mph (although this may have been more to curb the natural tendencies of Boston drivers.)

Recent news broadcasts have noted similar hints and tips, including making sure the air pressure in your car tires are even at the appropriate level and carpooling.

Either way, the practice of using driving techniques to save gas isn’t a new concept. As gas prices continue upward, many people are noticing that they don’t exactly get the mileage per gallon the dealership sticker promised when they purchased their car.

Enter HyperMiling—a series of techniques to help reduce the gas used in the average day. While most of the tips center around understanding how much mileage your vehicle currently gets, as well as how you tend to drive, some border on the extreme.

Both CBS and CNN have run segments warning that HyperMiling can be dangerous. Techniques like “drafting” (aka—tailgating by most law enforcement agencies) encourage pulling up close behind larger vehicles to cut wind resistance. One scenario showed a passenger car drafting a Semi—a definite Driver’s Ed “Don’t.”

Another technique, nicknamed “pulse and glide,” suggests speeding up to about 50mph, turning off the engine and gliding. The questionable stupidity of this may be obvious, even to those who haven’t seen The World According to Garp. In many vehicle models, turning off the car can eliminate hydraulics connected to important features like power steering or brakes. Not to mention that the steering wheel could lock, or that the technique relies on reaction time to include restarting the ignition…quickly.

But not all HyperMiling sources encourage these practices. The HyperMiling.com website offers a six step how-to for saving gas safely. Check it out for more info, as well as links to articles covering the good and bad of HyperMiling, here:

http://www.hypermiling.com/car-mpg.html