Drive 55 Conservation Project
July 6, 2008
Started by Tim Castleman of Sacramento, the video says a lot that sounds good, unless you examine the facts. He wants everyone to drive 55 to save gas do we can cut our dependence on foreign oil… HOW? We will not be getting our oil from the Middle East (actually we get most of it from Canada anyway, but let’s continue for the sake of argument) whether we drive 55 or 75 or 85? YES. So it’s simply not true that it will change where we get our oil no matter what the speed limit is.
Apparently Tim has never heard the saying, “time is money”. If we all have to drive 55, there will be less time to do things we enjoy because it will take longer to get where we are going. And it adds up over time. Think of the road rage it will cause for people (like us) who are stuck behind these morons because they refuse to buy into this nonsense.
Driving 55 is patriotic? HOW? I see no correlation. I guess they are harkening back to the days of WWII where rationing was considered patriotic. But then we were short on resources. Today we are not… except that we refuse to allow oil companies to go get the oil. But we’re going to make sure that changes.
One of his first comments on the YouTube video is, “That’s the spirit of America you hear out there…” What, the 5 or so car horns of people who probably are honking at the American Flag and the Uncle Sam outfit?… They probably can’t read the message! He should have beefed up the sounds of support!
“Uncle Sam” claims driving 55 will improve the environment… Again, HOW? Are we not still burning fossil fuels? And isn’t the output still carbon dioxide from our catalytic converters? HOW does that improve the environment one iota? And don’t plants need carbon dioxide? So how is that a pollutant anyway?
Finally he wraps up by saying it will help the troops… How did they get in there? We are all for conserving energy when it makes sense, but we do not need a federal speed limit to take us back to the 70′s any more than we need disco to make a comeback.
Visit the Drive 55 website and give them an earfull!
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One Response to “Drive 55 Conservation Project”
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1] Reducing gasoline demand reduces demand for crude oil and refined gasoline, period. Driving 55 in cars designed to cruise at 55 mph lowers gasoline consumption which reduces demand. Lower priced, foreign sweet crude will be imported in lesser amounts reducing dependency on vulnerable tankers subject to piracy and foreign policy intervention such as the OPEC 1970′s embargo and Somalia piracy.
2] Lower speeds are associated with fewer traffic accidents. Fewer accidents mean better traffic flow. Higher traffic speeds = more accidents which impede traffic flow up to and including shutting down traffic arteries. Higher speeds don’t equal saved time. Does the phrase “The Hurry-ier I go, the behind-er I get.” sound familiar?
3] Less burned fossil fuels equal less CO2 and CO dumped into the atmosphere. More efficient use of cars such as driving 55 reduces the number of tons of carbon dumped into the atmosphere per mile driven. It’s a direct correlation between fuel efficiency and carbon pollution. It also means less smog.
3] Fewer tankers needed to supply our energy requirements means freeing up troops from protecting tankers from piracy or foreign attack. It also means we don’t have to protect as many foreign producers of oil to fill gas hog tanks.
Under CAPITALISM, reduced demand should lead to lower pricing, so driving 55 is a win-win for consumers. So, how much did an oil company pay you to post this editorial?