Air Pollution and 'The Price at the Pump' - Are they Related?

While monitoring 'The Price at the Pump' during the first days of 2007, drivers can smile as they watch the numbers roll back where price is concerned. Some locations are already experiencing prices under $2.00 per gallon and if this warming trend during the Winter of 2007 continues… the price may continue to go down as demand for petroleum based products drop. Low demand for heating oil does help the price of gasoline! Yeah! (I think?)

So, where is the rub if demand is down and prices drop? The "rub" is in the WHY! So tell me the TRUTH about this real reason that the prices are going down. Why is there a drop in demand?

There's a drop in demand because it has been so mild in much of the country for so much of this Winter… There have been a couple of Ice Storms that have been really rough on folks in the Mid-west and now in the Southwest we see fruit frozen on the trees. So far, this Winter back here in the East has been really mild. Typically we have lots of cold days, often several inches and sometimes several feet of Snow, and people need the heat really turned up to stay warm. With so many days in the "above average column" temperature wise the demand for energy to heat with has dropped in a huge way.

We're headed to the real question here… Why is it so mild this Winter? What are the experts saying? Is the reason really "Greenhouse Gasses" or "Global Warming" which are a reported to be by-products of exhaust emissions? Is this what has changed the climate so much? And, if it is… do we want to continue on this path?

Personally, I enjoy the shorts & tee shirt mode of dress all year round but in fact, we here in the North need the freezing weather to complete several different cycles of nature. Things like killing off old generations of insects (so we're not attacked by multiple generations in the subsequent years) and local crops actually profit from the cycle of climate change. So, even if we like warm weather and lower fuel prices… we actually need to get some cold weather for life, as we knew it, to continue.

So, where do WE figure into the picture of this Global Warming trend? Each of us, who own and operate a vehicle that is powered by burning petroleum based fuels, is and has contributed to this trend. That's what the experts tell us! And, until we ALL begin to drive vehicles that do NOT pollute, we're all part of the problem!

Now, is there ANYTHING that we can do TODAY to help reduce the emissions that come from our vehicles? My answer is an Emphatic YES! There are Several Things that YOU and I can do… and here are just a few of them:

1. Get a Tune-Up! When your car is in "tip top shape" under the hood, you will 'typically' pollute less.

2. Inspect your vehicle's Air Filter regularly. Air Filters are SO inexpensive compared to the waste they create when they become clogged. I changed mine quarterly until I discovered that I could purchase one that would last for 100,000 miles if I cleaned it every 25,000 miles as directed. This does two things… Less waste to the landfill and cleaner air into MY engine. Learn about Amsoil Ea Air Filters HERE.

3. Change your engine's Oil and Filter regularly! How long has it been since your last Oil and Filter change? Do you know? If not, it must be time! What price do you pay for NOT changing your engine's oil regularly? Extra wear and tear to the INSIDE of the engine is the first thing that comes to my mind. Oil is made to get dirty and carry off the particles that show up inside the engine, either as products of wear and tear or from an "incomplete" combustion process. Either way, it's the job of your oil to carry away the dirt and then… the FILTER is there to collect the dirt and send the oil back for more "cleaning duty!" So, if you filter is FULL and your oil is dirty… think what is happening to your engine's internal parts! WEAR and TEAR will be on the rise! I am NOT an advocate of running off to a "Quick Change" lube center every few thousand miles. That, in my mind, is a waste. Instead, I Highly Recommend that you switch to Amsoil's Synthetic Lubricants in conjunction with an Amsoil Ea Oil Filter. This switch will provide several benefits: First is the reduced friction your engine will enjoy which can result in less energy required to do the same work! An Amsoil Ea Oil Filter will provide service for 25,000 miles or one year, whichever comes first (in normal driving) or 15,000 miles or One Year (in SEVERE driving). Other benefits? Do the math and you will see the cost savings are HUGE when you go this way. Plus, your engine is working more easily and WILL pollute less. Learn more about Amsoil products HERE.

4. Burn as much of your fuel as your engine CAN burn! When fuel goes into your engine and is not burned completely, the harmful by-products that come out your exhaust pipe rise. Ideally, NO pollution should come out of that exhaust pipe… but both you and I know that is not what's going on. Only Hydrogen powered vehicles do that today and there are very few of them and even fewer places to refuel them… so that is no answer, short term. (Hydrogen powered vehicles produce pure water out the exhaust pipe!) So, what then can we do to help reduce emissions? Personally, I add EnviroMax Plus to my tank every time I fill up. What is EnviroMax Plus you ask? It's a Patented Fuel Catalyst that will help to increase your mileage and reduce exhaust emissions up to 80%. I've been using it in my car for a couple of years and there have been visible benefits! Here are just a few: (1) When I checked the spark plugs recently, they looked as if they had just been installed (and they'd been in place for thousands of miles). (2) My mileage has actually gone up, enough that the price of the product is offset and I'm putting money "back into my pocket!" (3) My car's engine has over 250,000 miles on it and aside from normal tune-up's and maintenance, its' had nothing done to it and it runs as smoothly as the day it arrived. (4) When you're burning all of your fuel, you wind up with a smoother running and more powerful engine. I enjoy being able to press on the accelerator and feel my car accelerate! Does your car do that or is it sluggish? If it's sluggish, YOU need EnviroMax Plus in your fuel tank!

5. Additional ways to save the Environment… Is there a way that you can share a ride with someone who works with or near you? Many of us live in remote locations and that is just NOT possible, but for those who can, YOU can really make a difference by just sharing a ride one or two days a week! If you live where MASS Transit is available, use it when you can! You'll arrive at your destination more relaxed and rested and… you won't have to fight for a parking place!

You can also help save the environment by "Thinking About your Driving Habits" and then doing something about them… If you would just take a few minutes to "look at" how others drive, you will quickly see examples of how YOU should NOT be driving.

Wasteful Techniques include… (1) Driving with your foot ON THE BRAKE (2) Driving with a trunk full of JUNK (3) Gunning your engine repeatedly at a stop light… it sounds cool but wastes fuel. (4) Racing to the NEXT stop light, only to jam on your brakes and wait again. (5) Driving with too little air in your tires, which can be as dangerous as it is wasteful! (6) Driving 15 to 20 miles per hour (or more) over the speed limit! Not only is this illegal… it's dangerous and for a FACT, it consumes a LOT more gas! And, quite often, you don't get home (or to work) any sooner that if you just did close to the speed limit! And, you could avoid a VERY expensive citation from the friendly Highway Patrolman.