High Gas Prices? Thank Goodness!
A few days ago I spent $75 filling up my gas tank. It was only a little over 16 gallons, so you do the math.
The reason it was so much is that it was biodiesel, which is currently selling for a fair bit over regular diesel, which is in turn far above premium unleaded.
This begs the question, why? Why bother with such an expensive car to run? Beyond the fact that the mileage is so-so at best (~25 mpg tops), the fuel is 75 cents a gallon more than it could be for a gas-car! An 18% increase -- is it worth it?
Figured in cost per mile (not including maintenence and insurance) at todays prices our Honda costs about 11 cents per mile. The Mercedes, running on biodiesel, costs about 19. Getting close to twice as much.
Is it worth it?
In a word, yes.
Even if biodiesel isn't a perfect solution, the very fact that it's so expensive means I think very carefully every time I start my car up about whether I need to be using it. If I had a daily commute, the effect would be more along the lines of me putting a lot a thought and effort towards establishing some kind of carpool or taking public transit it possible. Fortunately for me, I have alternatives to my drive to school -- I can ride my bike or take the bus. These alternatives disappear when I work on occassion in Santa Cruz, but then the amount I make there makes up for the $10 or so it costs to make the trip.
Plus, assuming that biodiesel has the potential to be a truly renewable resource, then by buying it at least I'm putting my money towards something better that petrol, and for that, an additional 8 cents for every mile I drive is worth it to me.
But I think my first point is ultimately more important -- when you're forced to think of the fuel in your tank as a precious resource, it changes the way you approach your errands. And perhaps it would be a lesson well learned by all of us if, even while fuel prices are still in the four dollar range, we pretend that it's much more. Most, if not all of you reading this drive a gasoline car, which means that biodiesel is not an option but 87 octane is. But try this thought experiment: next time you fill up, add one dollar per gallon, in your imagination, to whatever cost per gallon -- for a ten gallon tank that's ten extra bucks. When you drive home at the end of the day, think about how long you'd like to go before having to spend so much again. When you've stretched that tank as far as you can, next time you fill up, add two dollars.
With any luck, you can change your driving habits enough that when gas costs actually do rise a dollar or two, you'll be spending no more per month than you are now.
(on a side note, if you want to spend less on gas but aren't sure how, there's a lot you can do without having to buy a fancy hybrid. Driving slower and keeping tires properly inflated are biggies, but there's more you can do, and every little bit helps.)
The reason it was so much is that it was biodiesel, which is currently selling for a fair bit over regular diesel, which is in turn far above premium unleaded.
This begs the question, why? Why bother with such an expensive car to run? Beyond the fact that the mileage is so-so at best (~25 mpg tops), the fuel is 75 cents a gallon more than it could be for a gas-car! An 18% increase -- is it worth it?
Figured in cost per mile (not including maintenence and insurance) at todays prices our Honda costs about 11 cents per mile. The Mercedes, running on biodiesel, costs about 19. Getting close to twice as much.
Is it worth it?
In a word, yes.
Even if biodiesel isn't a perfect solution, the very fact that it's so expensive means I think very carefully every time I start my car up about whether I need to be using it. If I had a daily commute, the effect would be more along the lines of me putting a lot a thought and effort towards establishing some kind of carpool or taking public transit it possible. Fortunately for me, I have alternatives to my drive to school -- I can ride my bike or take the bus. These alternatives disappear when I work on occassion in Santa Cruz, but then the amount I make there makes up for the $10 or so it costs to make the trip.
Plus, assuming that biodiesel has the potential to be a truly renewable resource, then by buying it at least I'm putting my money towards something better that petrol, and for that, an additional 8 cents for every mile I drive is worth it to me.
But I think my first point is ultimately more important -- when you're forced to think of the fuel in your tank as a precious resource, it changes the way you approach your errands. And perhaps it would be a lesson well learned by all of us if, even while fuel prices are still in the four dollar range, we pretend that it's much more. Most, if not all of you reading this drive a gasoline car, which means that biodiesel is not an option but 87 octane is. But try this thought experiment: next time you fill up, add one dollar per gallon, in your imagination, to whatever cost per gallon -- for a ten gallon tank that's ten extra bucks. When you drive home at the end of the day, think about how long you'd like to go before having to spend so much again. When you've stretched that tank as far as you can, next time you fill up, add two dollars.
With any luck, you can change your driving habits enough that when gas costs actually do rise a dollar or two, you'll be spending no more per month than you are now.
(on a side note, if you want to spend less on gas but aren't sure how, there's a lot you can do without having to buy a fancy hybrid. Driving slower and keeping tires properly inflated are biggies, but there's more you can do, and every little bit helps.)