Increase Gas Mileage
Tips & Tactics

Will Drilling in the ANWR Really Help?

In this world, there are a number of questions that have no easy answers. There are arguments both for and against these topics, but there remain no clear deciding factors. In these cases, the answer becomes a judgment call – and the judgment is very subjective. So it is with this question – “Will drilling in the ANWR really help?”

The ANWR stands for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is located in Alaska. The ANWR is an area of over 19 million acres of protected land along the Northern Slope of the state – an area that is larger than a number of other states combined. Recently, it has been proposed that we drill for oil in section 1002, an area of about 1.5 million acres.

The primary arguments for drilling are that the estimated oil reserves here could be between 5.7 and 16 billion barrels. This would mean a substantial increase in our domestic reserves and could help the American economy by lowering the foreign trade deficit between now and 2030, in an amount somewhere between $135 billion to $327 billion. Drilling in the ANWR has wide support among the people of Alaska, and proponents of drilling point out that the area that would be involved in the drilling would have a smaller environmental impact than the Los Angeles International Airport.

On the other side, the criticisms against drilling in the ANWR are aimed at the nature of the oil experts speculate will be found in the area. Unlike in Texas, where there are liquid oil reserves you can drill down into, the oil in the ANWR is in oil sand and oil shale. Recovering it would require drilling not straight down, but at several different angles underground. Environmentalists argue that this would impact the area above ground in a negative way. There’s also the matter of extracting the oil from the sand and shale, a process many argue is not as well developed as the oil companies would like us to believe.

Finally, there’s the matter of the native Alaskan peoples who oppose drilling in the ANWR, saying that it will cause cultural harm that can’t be repaired. They worry that drilling will impact the native food animals that make up 60 to 70 percent of their diets. In fact, representatives of more than 229 villages have officially opposed any development in the ANWR. Several native villages have found issues with the oil companies’ proposed ability to protect native species, leading the Kaktovik village to pass a resolution against Shell Oil declaring it necessary to take legal and other actions to defend the community.

With these kinds of arguments, it’s easy to see why the issue of drilling in the ANWR is in political limbo at the current time. However, arguments from both sides may become moot, as current president Obama has said that he will not support drilling in the ANWR. Only time will tell whether he sticks by his decision or whether the issue will simply be raised again once his time in office is over.

Driving Tips To Save On Gas Mileage

If you don’t want to buy a hybrid automobile and can’t wait two years for electric vehicles to hit the market, you’re probably looking for ways to improve the gas mileage on your current car. Luckily, there are some ways to improve your gas mileage simply by changing the way that you drive.

Cut down on how much you drive. Move closer to your job, carpool, use public transportation, ride your bicycle, or walk instead of driving.

Drive less aggressively. Jack rabbit starts and hard stops wreak havoc with your gas mileage. Gradually ease onto the gas and brake pedal instead.

Drive the speed limit. Most vehicles operate at optimum gas consumption at around 60 miles per hour. Every five miles per hour you drive over 60 mph reduces your gas economy.

Use your cruise control as much as possible. Maintaining a constant speed on the freeway increases your fuel economy.

Draft other cars on the highway. Travel in packs of cars on the expressway to reduce air resistance rather than driving solo. If NASCAR does it, you can too.

Travel in the slow lane on the freeway. You generally won’t have to change your speed or take your car off of cruise control.

Reduce idling. Don’t run your car’s engine while doing things like waiting to pick up the kids from school. An idling car gets 0 miles per gallon and ruins your average gas mileage.

Take the junk out of your trunk. A hundred extra pounds of weight can reduce your gas mileage by up to 2 percent.

Keep your car tuned up. One mechanical problem can seriously reduce your gas mileage, sometimes by up to 40 percent.

Minimize the use of your air conditioning. A/C decreases fuel efficiency. Often rolling down your windows will keep you cool enough.

Avoid driving during peak traffic hours such as rush hour. You’ll idle more in heavy traffic and kill your gas mileage.

Combine your errands. Turn three trips per week to the grocery store into one big trip.

Plan your driving routes. When running multiple errands, plan your trip so each stop is close to the next one to eliminate excessive driving.

Walk between driving stops. Instead of driving from store to store during errands, park your car in one central location and walk to all of the stores on your list.

Park in the first spot you find. Don’t waste gas driving around looking for the best space.

Time traffic lights. Don’t speed and then get stopped by every light. Usually lights are timed so vehicles driving the correct speed limit will hit the fewest red lights.

Using just a few of these tips will increase your gas mileage and save you money. All it involves is paying a little more attention to the way you drive. Getting better gas mileage isn’t just good for your wallet; it’s also good for the environment.