Ways To Save The Earth

The Greens Just Love Us to Death

The vote to end the $6 billion in subsidies to ethanol producers reminded me how much Greens love us all. Surely only love could inspire taking corn and turning it into moonshine, and then mixing it with gasoline. The result caused food riots in far off nations while raising the cost of a gallon of gas every time we fill up at the pump. The ethanol mandates actually reduced the mileage a gallon will provide. You may recall they got off to a strong start when the Environmental Protection Agency was established in 1970. Its first act was to ban DDT and the result of that has been the needless death of millions who could and should have been protected against malaria. The nation these days is experiencing a bed bug population explosion that could be stopped in six months if the EPA would only authorize a pesticide to kill the critters. They won't. Nor have Greens given up on the Endangered Species Act which has not truly saved any species in the course of spending billions to protect, for example, a spotted owl that needed no protection whatever or gray wolves that were doing quite well in Canada and Mexico when not wandering across our borders. What the ESA did accomplish, however, was to thwart all manner of development, whether it was a new hospital or the irrigation of farms rumored to grow crops people wanted to eat. The latest proposed use of the ESA is to shut down one of the most productive oil reserves in the U.S. to protect a lizard! These are the same saintly folk who have managed to get a law passed banning the sale of 100 watt incandescent light bulbs in favor of those twisty ones that come with a complete hazmat instruction manual because they contain mercury. The EPA fears mercury so much it is implementing regulations that have already led a utility to announce it is going to close several coal-fired plants rather than spend millions to rid emissions of mercury so small as to constitute no hazard whatever. When not interfering with the free marketplace, agriculture, timber and other industries, one Green obsession has been energy and, in particular, oil and coal, which they deem "dirty." Coal is dirty. I used to shovel a bucket or two into the basement furnace until my folks turned to natural gas. The U.S. has billions of cubic feet of natural gas, but you get more mileage from a teaspoon of oil and more electricity from a tablespoon of coal than from any other source of energy.

Six Quick Ways To Save The Earth Through Auto Maintenance ...

Recently Earth-friendly alternative-fuel and hybrid vehicles have gained major attention and an increasing market share.

But you don’t need to have old batteries lying around or buy a different vehicle to protect the environment. You can make a meaningful contribution by adopting two easy-to-implement strategies: regular vehicle maintenance and better driving habits.

So without further ado, here are six tips – all of them very easy and hassle free – that could help you care for your vehicle while being Earth-conscious.

Your engine must be kept in optimum shape so that you can save on gas. Perform regular vehicle maintenance at the intervals recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer. Seek timely service if the “check engine” warning light remains illuminated on the dash.

If you need help finding a repair shop that you can trust, ask your friends or do a quick Internet search for the nearest auto repair shop.

Check the air pressure in your car’s tires regularly. If your tires don’t have the recommended amount of air in them, your engine will consume more fuel as it works harder in the process.

Don’t have your car’s air conditioning serviced by just any Joe Blow in the neighborhood – the technicians must be properly certified to handle automotive AC systems. Older vehicles have harmful air conditioning systems that contain deadly chemicals that could damage the earth’s ozone layer.

An older automobile could also have light-activating switches containing mercury – a deadly substance as well. However, you can have this substance eliminated from your vehicle, as many shops have “mercury switch out” programs that allow you to change these switches for those that are made out of more environmentally friendly substances.

Avoid “jack rabbit” starts, sudden acceleration and speeds above the posted limits; all of these habits guzzle gas.

You will eventually need to change batteries and fluids – do so in the right way. Make a quick call to your local waste management agency if you need some help. Do not, and I repeat do not spill engine fluids on to the ground, because they may eventually find themselves mingling with otherwise fresh water in a nearby lake – not very Earth-friendly at all.

These tips are all very easy to follow, and if you do so to the letter, your car will perform better (though not necessarily faster – who needs that anyway these days?) and not be a hazard to our environment. Now if only everyone else NOT reading this article can do the same, then Mother Nature would be as happy and proud as a mother could be.

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