It is not unreasonable to ask people to practice what they preach.
But if I do, are you going to follow my lead? Or are just just going to put me in a double bind a call me smug, a tactic which appears to be the last refuge of energy scoundrels (apologies to Samulel Johnson)?
Okay, I will answer your questions:
1. a sedan that is some 10 years old and gets 31mpg because I drive it nicely. It is has 4 cylinders. Notice how I did not buy an SUV although that was the sexy thing to do. I drive about 5000 miles/year and use about 5000/31=161 gals of gasoline each year.
Also notice that my next car WILL be one that gets 50mpg or more. *Manufacturing* a new car uses about 1500 gals worth of oil. If you bought a sensible car 10+ years ago, you can keep it unless you drive a lot. But if you get a new one, fer God’s sake get 50mpg if at all possible. That’s what I ask.
2. no comment, you cannot demand that everyone must be in green engineering. Let’s just say that I have worked on technologies that do save lots of resources when used properly.
3. once a year, and when I traveled I rented cars that got me 45-50 mpg.
4. I’ll give you a more complete and more meaningful answer: My electrical average footprint is about 225W power average over the year. As for commercial buildings I frequent, I cannot control their energy efficiency but I do try to influence it.
5. Watch TV occasionally. The 225W overall electrical footprint tells you everything you need to know.
6. I print duplex (double-sided), and try to stay paperless as best I can. If there are blank pages I reuse them for scratch paper.
So, am I allowed to evangelize energy efficiency, or am I just a smug liberal bastard? You can decide what you think, others may as well.
