Now that Obama has evidently won the tire gauge battle it is time to press that advantage.  The Obama campaign or another group should produce commercials that go farther.  Even a few interested people could make such ads and get them placed on TV through an organization like SaysMeTV, the group that the Get FISA Right group is now working with to place their ads.

Here's the draft for one such spot I'd like to see:

Even John McCain admits that keeping your tires properly inflated will save you gas and save you money.  Immediately.  
You can save more gas and more money through proper maintenance of your vehicle:  
change your oil regularly,
replace your air and oil filters,
get regular tune-ups,
and keep your wheels aligned.  
We know these measures work.  
Today.  
Sometimes the change we can believe in is the change that is simply common sense.

A few days back I put a call out for help raising money for a charity, but I made a couple of mistakes (a) I posted it at a bad time of day (notorious for bad timing) and (b) I put two different ones together.

Yesterday I posted one specifically for MA, RI and NH and today I'm asking people no matter where you are for your help!

Republicans are lying to support drilling and too many in the right-wing sound machine are all too willing to act as an off-key chorus singing the praises of this Drillusion.  Sadly, this outright deception is being met by confusion and, sadly, polling suggests that the Democratic Party's seeming confusion is not convincing the public that the Republican drilling lies will not solve problems for anyone other than oil executives and Republican Party contribution coffers.  

It is time for an answer, a serious answer, to be embraced by the Democratic Party as an entirety and the nation.

It is time to move from Drillusion to real solutions.

Before you buy ask these questions:

1. Do I really need it?

2. Do I already have one, and can I fix, upgrade or modify it to fit my needs?

3. Do I know someone who has one they aren't using?

4. If I don't need to use it every day, could I share one with other people?

5. Can I find it in the trash somewhere?

6. Can I buy a used or refurbished product?

7. If I must buy a new one, can I buy a product that is made of recycled materials, made locally with minimal packaging? Is the new product designed to last and so it can be repaired?

Pre-Update:  I apologize for not having photos showing details explained in this diary.  This is because of the restrictions on hosting photos and I do not currently have an account at Photobucket or Flikr or any of the approved sites.  This will soon change, and when it does I will update this diary.  Thanks for the understanding in advance!

UPDATE: Enough users have asked me to write a diary with detailed explinations, drawings, photos, etc. of this project.  OK-- you got it!  Although I have a lot of it done already, I want to take a few more pics and do some more detailed explaining on how I did what I did and debunk some of the myths about how changing over to a supplimental solar system can yield a reasonable monthly savings on the electric bill.  Some commenters have asked me how I managed to save up to $100 a month doing this -- well it is a joint effort combining the supplimental solar (which does NOT replace conventional grid power), eliminating a component of grid useage, more efficient appliances and a realization of waste and elimination of that waste, which means a slight lifestyle change.

..............

Howdy all!

I've reduced my car driving to about a fifth of what it used to be.  I'm commuting by bicycle about 12 miles per day, all told.  I've noticed some things as I've done this, and surprise surprise!  This has changed some of my policy views.

We need more bike lanes.  We need more bike lanes.  We need more bike lanes.

And we may need to change how we educate budding new drivers.  Seriously!  This ain't easy.

Read on?

This article, in the Roanoke Times, should be a heads up to everyone in the country.

Roanoke, Virginia is in a very temperate region, with winter temperatures falling from slightly below 20 degrees and rising to a high of over 100 degrees, with an annual average of between 60 degrees and 80 degrees.

With the startling statement:

No matter how you heat, be prepared for costs to rise significantly this winter.

our local newspaper is delivering a dire warning and begging for people to begin to prepare for the coming Fall/Winter season.

Who doesn't love a nice hot shower in the morning?

But have you considered how much energy your hot shower uses?

As the cost of energy keeps going up and up, I got curious as to how much heat is required for that wonderful morning (or evening) ritual.

The answer surprised me--and it will probably surprise you, too.

Since diving into the deep end when it comes to energy issues, almost every day sees new fascinating concepts, approaches, and technologies.  Fascinating ... exciting ... even hope inspiring at times.  And, as well, as the passion builds, so many of these are truly Energy COOL.

This is a somewhat different path of discover and discussion when it comes to Energy COOL thinking. This isn't some emergent technology about to blow your mind away nor news of some momentous change in policy, but a window on a movement to communicate better paths forward through our public gardens.

So, join me in my stroll through a garden and, I hope, plan to take your own stroll.

We are changing.  

For the better.  

Maybe we can save our butts yet...?

I go back and forth over whether it is too late to get us all out of the Hummer before we head off the cliff.  Every new "faster than predicted" or "worse than expected" data point that shows more melting, more dead species, or more climate instability drags me down.  Jim Hansen recently had me losing sleep over the data.  

But then some days look brighter.  This week was one of those times.  People really are acting--in several important and tangible ways--to change the status quo.

Energy has become an ever-more central part of my life: personal, intellectual, and professional. This ranges from working with the Energize America team, to serving on the Board of The Energy Consensus (a non-profit working to change the discussion of energy in DC), being trained by The Climate Project, blogging, giving lectures, writing letters to the editor and OPEDs on energy/environmental issues, advising organizations as to energy options, to efforts to foster local initiatives re renewables and energy efficiency patterned on San Francisco's Vote Solar to advising friends/neighbors re home energy efficiency, to spending a few minutes at the end of the day (especially before weekends) turning off lights and computers in many offices at the end of the work day, to working to change the energy patterns in my own home ...

RE the home: a question from a Congressional staffer helped me realize something about the implications of these efforts.

In response to this diary.

In the interest of getting to 350, I am making enormous sacrifices.

Disclaimer: This diary isn't for experienced gearheads, racers or veteran bicycle commuters (but your advice and experiences are appreciated!)  Inspired by this excellent post on Firedoglake.

This is for those who are just now considering making the bicycle a primary mode of transportation. Times are changing. Our way of life is changing, as it must. A buddy of mine takes Cal-train to work every day and he tells me that the commuter train was practically empty a few months ago. Now it's full, with many, many bicyclists taking their bikes on the train with them. I expect this trend will continue. It looks like we're moving toward a more European way of  getting around. I'm all for it.

I was a bike messenger in San Francisco for 4 years (and lived!) I continue to use a bicycle as my primary mode of transportation. Below are a few basic survival tips.

It is ever so tempting to scream "GAS PRICES" and call for lowered gas prices if you are a candidate challenging for Congress or elsewhere. Ever so tempting to pander to (quite real) concerns about skyrocketing prices with counterproductive calls for cutting gasoline prices. These, however, fly in the face of the realities of Peak Oil and ever increasing demands for oil. Promising lower gasoline prices (or hinting at them) might (MIGHT) be good short-term political moves but is counter-productive in the long term and represents an abandoment of the type of leadership required in the face of Peak Oil and Global Warming.  A real opportunity exists, however, to combine Energy Smart and Politically Smart action.

   Right now most people are focusing on gasoline prices - and why not? Every time you have to fill up your car's tank, you get immediate feedback on the price of oil. Shopping for food is another hit, too. But wait! - there's more!  
   It's summer after all. When heating season starts up again in the fall, then the big trifecta is going to hit. Think filling up your car is a problem? Wait till you get that first fill up of home heating oil. You'll have to choose between driving, eating, or not freezing. Better start budgeting now if you haven't already, because it's not going to be pretty. People are already having to get locking gas caps for their cars. You may want to get one for your heating oil filler pipe too. Oh, and if you have a fireplace? These are probably going to be in short supply, and you may want to hook up with a firewood supply now.
      Several generations of Americans have gotten used to the idea of cheap oil, and our buildings reflect that. It wasn't always that way though. There are lessons from the past, and one place to get them is from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. (more)

We are entering a period of instability and scarcity affecting our food and energy supplies. Our oil comes from a half dozen countries, and any disruption of the oil supply could lead severe food shortages. Cuba suffered near famine when the Soviets cut their oil supply in 1990, but averted disaster by converting every available space to gardens. Of course, having a fully tropical climate probably helped.

You may be considering a garden next year. You don't have much time, because lots of people will get the gardening bug next year. Even if oil doesn't go over $150, supplies will get more scarce.  Less construction means less topsoil for sale. More expensive animal feed means less manure. I already heard a NPR story last month about steep increases in the price of manure.

My advice is get digging. Dig up that future garden, test the soil, add lime as needed, and work in a bunch of manure and compost. Get it now - it's less than $2 a bag. Don't be shy about ordering more than you think you will ever need. You'll use it.  

Cross posted at Sustainable   Walworth

On this Earth Day, it's time to take another look at how our landscape choices are impacting the planet. Last year I posted a diary here  taking our default landscape choice, the lawn, to task over its extreme dependency on petroleum, and accompanying waste of this dwindling resource.  It is not only oil, however, that our landscapes waste. They waste productive human labor, money (over 45 billion dollars per year in the United States), fertilizers that could be better directed to crop production, but most of all, they waste and abuse water. Water is the basic resource upon which life depends, but our current landscape choices behave as if it were limitless.  The current turf-dominated landscape both attempts to get rid of water, and to introduce it at the same time, thus contributing even further to squandering of water resources.   Below the fold, we talk about how landscaping affects our water resources and explore sustainable, water conserving alternatives to the wasteful dominant landscape paradigm.