Disgusted

[lordkovacs]

in case you are interested... I am a member of Greenpeace and can tell you Esso is by far the worst of the oil companies. Boycott them. Reason being, despite them turning the highest profits, they don't even acknowledge that cars burning gas is not good for the environment! They have the weakest environmental implementations of any major oil company. BOYCOTT ESSO!
cheers,
MIKE

[lordkovacs]

buy a hybrid car. that's my next car for sure. honda and toyota make decent ones, though a little pricey. just think of hte gas you will save though!

[Bryce Masuk]

When you figure it out a hybrid isnt much cheaper at the current gas prices and the cost of hybrids and regular cars in the comparable brackets they dont even get much better gas mileage

[ciliatus902]

I think we take our vehicles for granted too much. In places like Europe the price for fuel is much higher, and so cars are used much less. I would be willing to bet that there are millions of litres of fuel and millions of dollars of peoples' money wasted every year because people are too lazy to walk to the store or bike to work. I think that if more money was invested into public transportation and bicycle pathways, the results would be evident in both our bills, our air quality, and our overall quality of life.

Thanks for listening,
Mike

[OttawaChris]

The thing with Europe is that you can drive across entire countries in a matter of a couple of hours... we are far too spread out here to do that.

Do you want to walk 5km in -40 degree winter weather with 40lbs of groceries? Thats not lazy its just not do-able.

I agree that better public transit is a great first step... but thats only the tip of the iceburg.

I like what Gauts is saying because he is right... I am sick and tired of everyone just turning the other cheek. It has gotten to the point that we can't vote for the politics we like... we have to vote for the ones we hate the least!!!!

[Alicewave]

A manual transmission Insight gets 70 miles to the gallon. Find me regular car that gets that good of gas mileage. For someone that does a lot of commuting, it pays for itself and helps the environment. I do wish they would lower the price on them. They probably will when they become more pupular.

[Bryce Masuk]

A volkswagon golf gets 49 mpg with a manual transmision. and the price is quite a bit lower. the car is also much simpler and nearly any mechanic can fix it. now if you want to get your hybrid fixed you will need to go to a factory certed mechanic for the model you choose. then you have the expense of replacing Nimh batterys in the next few years. They dont hold memory but they get worse and worse after every run in your car. not to mention the more complicated computer system that will more then likely bite the dust since hybrids have not been on the market long. they have quite a few bugs that need to be worked out over time. the price is still lower on a regular car when its all added up as of now. the system is a fairly good idea it has been proven in many other applications as in trains and mining dump trucks give it time and it will do well but right now its not worth it if you want to be easyier on the inviroment and save gas car pool when ever you can I realize it doesnt work for some people but for those who it does its the best option

[marisa]

Ottawa Chris is right. Its just not o.k. for some of us to go without a car. Period. especially here in Canada when you work an hour and ten minutes away, and live in a town with limited bus stops/hours/ etc.

And guess what? The gas comapanies KNOW this. They need MORE taxes? My BF gets over 30% of his money taken off each year and THEN has to pay yearly taxes and THEN pay taxes on food, gas and everything else. It's not right the way the world is today folks! LOL

Marisa

[RaVeNo888o]

gas cars may be 'better' as some ppl have mentioned, and that its not really much cheaper if you have an electric car. i dont think that the cost of running the car is the main concern here, rather, the price the environment has to pay.

[Ed_r]

Bryce is right My Jetta TDi gets 49 and sometimes if i really baby it a little better. Its stick, and virtually maintenace free. No spark plugs, no wires, no basic tune up parts your conventional car has. So its a touch louder than a gas car. The amount of money I save in fuel and maintenance pretty much paid for the car. Hybrids are cool but as stated you can't go just anywhere to get them fixed. Also helps I do all my own work anyway. I easily get 500 miles out of 12 gallons of fuel, sometime if its pure highway i gan get almost 600 on a tank, I rarely push it that far though.

Plus as I said before , with it being diesel they WON'T raise the fuel costs, other wise the truckers will strike. Thake the bull by the horns and stop putting money in their pockets. If it really bothers you, do something to hurt the gas companies. Yes they still produce the diesel, but the profit margin isn't as large as gas.

[gauts28]

Ed_r
I see your point about having a car and a stick trans. but diesel is cheap and there's a reason for that. It is not really good for the environment. A lot of pollution comes from diesel cars and truck. And here in Canada, the diesel fuel is still 4 times higher for a gallon then in the U.S. Also As I said earlier for the trucker stuff it’s not the same (CDN vs. USA) because here there is to many trucking companies that eats right out of the government hands. If you try to complain they always going to say that it’s not that bad (of course they say that they receive money under the table)

[Ed_r]

but diesel is cheap and there's a reason for that. It is not really good for the environment.

Gauts28
I think you need to recheck your information. Diesel Is Way cleaner than any fuel that it in mass use. Other than alchohol. That is why there are no emmision tests for diesel cars, cuz there isn't any harmful emmisions from it.

If you loked yourself in a garages with a gas car with the engine running , you would probably be dead within an hour. If you did the same with a diesel car, it would parobably take 3 weeks.

Diesel is many times safer than gas. You also get lower insurance rates too. You could take a lit match and throw in into a bucket of diesel fuel and it will NOT ignite. Trust me I teach diesel mauntenace classes and do this for my students in each class. Try that with gas. Just let me get a few miles away before you do this.

In emmision concious states , in the US gas lawncare equipment in highly regulated. Diesel is non regulated.

The reason people don't buy a diesel, is they are not race car fast, they are a little noiseyer, fuel is not as convenient, and of course the biggest one is the General Motors diesel disaster for Oldsmobile. gave everyone the idea that diesels were unreliable.

Diesels are the cleanest burning internal combustion engines on the market. Not sure how clean the natural gas cars are.

The pollutants i thing your talking about, is the black smoke you see from the big trucks and equipment.... Well Guess what, that black smoke is all CARBON, which is a natural substance, and also the base substance of all humans. We are rfered to as Carbon based life forms.

So if you can tell me how diesel fuel is bad for the environment, Id really like to see it.

[ChaosCat]

Any of you who run diesel, you can use biodiesel And make it in your own backyard.. plus your exhaust smells like french fries!

Pssst don't tell anyone I told you that-the gov't would have my head!

j/k

No, really, you can make your own biodiesel and it can be cheaper to run any diesel car on. Unfortunately all the methods for alternative fuels for other cars were thrown out the window cause car manufacturers (not to mention our government) all have a big deal going with the oil companies.

*sigh* and there is no shortage. Its all bull.

-cat

[Ed_r]

Any of you who run diesel, you can use biodiesel

Biodiesel is an alternative but it does not have the lubricating properties and regular diesel fuel has. It will lead to premature fuel injection system failures, due to it's low lubricating properties. Right now Diesel manufacturers are only recomending a 5% blend of Bio additave to true diesel.

Actually there some companies in Canada that are producing Hempoil Fuel. Yes you read it right Hemp Oil. That what most of the push is for legalizing weed, not for regular use, And yes the government is funding the Hemp Oil projects.

So Instead of smelling like french fries Everyone behind you will be getting a contact high.

[Lisa]

I'm hoping to find my self a diesel blazer or jimmy... one came along but didn't have the $$$.