Growing Fuel Independence – Or Being Fuelish?
By Chuck Mai, AAA
Reducing our nation’s dependence on foreign oil is a significant, long-term goal. Petroleum supplies are limited and much is located in areas of political instability. To help drive alternative energy development, Congress passed legislation in 2007 that requires increasing use of renewable fuels, with a goal to produce 36 billion gallons of biofuel annually by 2022, about twice the amount being produced today. Ethanol, a form of alcohol made from corn and other plant materials, is the most common renewable fuel in use today.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first required that ethanol be added to gasoline in 1990 to help reduce exhaust emissions. Today, due to renewable fuels legislation, almost all gasoline sold nationwide contains 10 percent ethanol (E10) – some say as much as 95 percent of it. Modern vehicles can use this blend without adverse effects, although fuel economy is lower than with pure gasoline because ethanol contains less energy.
Ah, but here’s the rub. If the nation is going to meet its self-imposed renewable fuel goals, the only way to do it is to increase the percentage of ethanol in gasoline. As a result, this past June, the EPA approved a 15 percent ethanol blend (E15) for use in all flex-fuel vehicles plus 2001 and newer cars, light-duty trucks and medium-duty passenger vehicles (SUVs). Although E15 fuel is now trickling to market, availability will be extremely limited for a while. As of this writing (late Nov., 2012), five Oklahoma stations sell E15, all of them in Oklahoma City.
The higher ethanol content of E15 has created a great deal of controversy. Many engines simply cannot use the new fuel without suffering damage. In fact, the law forbids E15 use in model year 2000 and earlier vehicles, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles, off-road vehicles, marine applications, gas-powered tools/equipment, and aircraft.
Some studies suggest that even vehicles approved for E15 use may experience problems such as erroneous “check engine” lights, deterioration of fuel system rubber components, early fuel pump failures and increased wear of the engine valve train. Using E15 may also void your vehicle’s warranty, so it is important to know your automaker’s position before filling up with this fuel. Check your owner’s manual.
E15 pumps are marked with an orange “ATTENTION” label listing the applications that can and cannot use the fuel. However, many (including AAA) are suggesting that E15 should not be sold until additional labeling and consumer education efforts to help avoid unintended misfueling have been implemented and the long-term impacts on engines are determined. Given the many questions surrounding E15, AAA recommends that motorists not use this potentially problematic fuel unless and until your vehicle’s manufacturer says it is safe to do so.
Remembering old times
You don’t have to have the most recent, updated, technologically-advanced equipment to enjoy some of the best times of your life. You might not even need any that to enjoy it a second time. A good memory can do it.
During a few days of R&R (Realignment & Repairs) last week, I stumbled onto some items I had forgotten about long ago. A small box in my garage caught my attention. When I opened it so see what was inside, I found a mixture of items, from family and personal, to sports and recreation, to work and struggles.
Each one brought back a memory, often vivid, of another time and place. I remembered the circumstances, the people involved, and why I had kept each piece of my personal history “scrapbook” in the box.
There were papers relating to projects I had worked on in the office. There were documents on the purchase of an automobile, as well as insurance and items bought for it. And there were things my son and his daughter had made for me years earlier.
I found clips of stories relating to events I had been involved in (though, like most people in my business, we’re geared toward covering news than making it), booklets on items I wanted to take a second look at, and trinkets I had kept, for one reason or another.
Maybe they mean nothing to anyone else, but those items — all of them — have memories and meaning to me. They bring back those times when something happened that impressed me, or made me happy. I don’t recall finding one thing that was a bad memory.
I’ve read many times and been told that holding onto memories is healthy, so long as you don’t allow them to control your life. In other words, don’t live in the past, but don’t forget it as well.
There is a healthy middle ground. Check the resources on KNOWIT.NEWSOK.COM/MENTAL-HEALTH-OKLAHOMA for ways to do just that.
And by the way, the items in that box I found have been safely stored away.
Holiday conversation
One holiday down, two more to go; I personally visited a couple of different houses this Thanksgiving, and, yes, I ate at all of them.
I love to talk so I enjoyed the various conversations that I was able to partake in at each different residency. One conversation that stayed consistent was shopping!
So I, being the deep thinker that I am, put just a little extra thought into this whole shopping ordeal. So here’s the dilemma, everyone of course wants to save money, time and stress this holiday season so how can they do it is the question at hand.
My outlook is … I have NO idea. Shopping throughout the year is a stress reliever but during the holiday season it is soooo frustrating. Of course, I have ways and antics that might or might not help with the stress. It’s an alternative though and I know that at least one person can benefit.
I went to a total of about six houses but have three major concerns to address. One is traffic; the solution for that is, do NOT wait until the week before Christmas to go and get all of your gifts. Around NOW is probably the best time because there are tons of deals and most retailers are restocking from Black Friday.
The next is what to get; well research gift ideas if you are not the type to ask people what they want or, you could NEVER go wrong with gift cards and a lot of retailers have amazing deals on gift cards as of now.
The last thing is where to go; hmm go to whoever has the best commercials J you see the best commercials around this time.
In addition to that, consumers should really take advantage of us bloggers and writers, especially here in Oklahoma like we really take care of you.
There is a site that gives some cool information and tools on holiday shopping so take some time out, visit the site, say a prayer and HAPPY SHOPPING. http://okc.about.com/od/christmas/a/christmasinokc.htm
Surviving Life (and Driving)
By Chuck Mai, AAA
I have a sort of fascination with death. Well, not death so much, more with the many ways people find to accidentally die.
When we visited the Grand Canyon, I picked up a book that described all the ways people have lost their lives at and in the canyon. Hundreds of them. Oh sure, while taking pictures and venturing just a wee bit too close to the edge – but also while hiking and getting lost or running out of water.
I guess my fascination with death is born of an even stronger interest: living. I know we can’t cheat the grim reaper forever but there are lessons to be learned by finding out how people accidentally put an end to their own lives. Like the guy who was doing doughnuts out in a field in his pickup and hit a patch of soft sand and the truck flipped. Guy was in his 40s. A friend with him in the truck at the time wasn’t injured.
There are so many things out there just waiting to get us – things over which we have no control – such as genetic disorders, disease, random crime, war, the list goes on. But car crashes are things we can, in large measure, prevent.
Of course, when it comes to motor vehicle accidents, they’re not really accidents at all. My dictionary says an accident is “something that happens by chance,” like there was nothing anybody could do to stop it. Don’t buy into that philosophy. There is plenty we all can do to reduce our risk on the road:
1. Limit distractions. Throw the cell phone in the back seat and ignore it.
2. Drive refreshed and sober. Get plenty of rest before driving long distances.
3. Wear your seat belt and make sure all your passengers are buckled up. For children, this means child car seats or booster seats for youngsters up to 4 feet, 9 inches in height.
No Shave November: What is it and why?
I visited a couple of call centers in the metro and began to see an awkward pattern of hairy men. EWWW. I finally drew up the confidence to ask one of them if I was going crazy or not and he informed me that I wasn’t. THANK GOD
So, he told me that he was participating in No Shave November. He could not give me a clear explanation on the purpose of the tradition but all he could say was that it supported a good cause and he wanted to take part.
I decided to do my own research and come to find out this is HUGE. There are many suspected origins as to the original purpose but millions of people; even celebrities participate in No Shave November annually.
I am highly intrigued in the subject so I thought it would be cool to share what I have learned. First off there are ladies that also participate by not shaving their legs or armpits for the WHOLE month of November; personally I couldn’t imagine.
Some sites state that November happens to be the busiest month of the year, so the no shaving tradition came about pretty much giving them the okay to be lazy. Some sites state that it is a tradition in which men don’t shave in order to raise awareness for men’s prostate health.
This specific purpose is said to have started out as Movember which joins the two words mustache and November. One of the other purposes was said to have started from philosopher Plato, who believed that in order for a man to be educated properly, he must imitate those who are highly educated, which were bearded men at that time.
Either way, I find this to be amazing and even went and liked the page on fb. For more information, simply Google No Shave November. FYI there are actual charities attached to this tradition so participation is definitely encouraged because just like the man I spoke with, we all love to support good causes.
Soon you’ll have new routes to ride
A short time back, a gentleman I’ve spoken with many times called to ask what I knew about the painted lines he was seeing on some downtown Oklahoma City streets.
“It looks like they’re bicycle lanes,” he said, “and some pretty good sized lanes. In fact, the biggest lane on one of those streets was marked for bicycles. What’s the deal?”
I told him he most likely had driven into the Project 180 zone and his assumption that these markings were for bicycles were absolutely right on.
This individual is not a bicycle enthusiast, though he isn’t against anyone getting their exercise on a two-wheeler. But he was concerned about how much roadway was being given to riders at the expense of drivers.
Not to worry. To everything there is a purpose. It will all work out.
A few weeks after his call, Kristy Yager of the City of Oklahoma City, sent out this news release. There’s a lot of information here, so read carefully:
“City streets are becoming more bike friendly with expanded ‘sharrow lanes,’ ” her release began. “The first of more than 200 miles of bike routes, including shared lanes or ‘sharrow’ bike lanes, are being installed in Oklahoma City.
“The sharrows are pavement markings which, along with new signage marking the routes, remind motorists to share the road with bicyclists and convey that the street is a preferred bike route. They are different from bike lanes because they do not allocate space just for the cyclist.”
That was one my caller had described. Kristy also explained “sharrow.”
“Signs saying ‘bicycle may use full lane’ will be posted along routes. The word sharrow is a combination of the words ‘share’ and ‘arrow.’ The marking consists of a bicycle symbol with two arrows above.”
And here’s the word on how this all is coming about.
“The city’s bike routes are being implemented in phases. Major streets included in the first phase include Eastern Avenue, S Villa Avenue and the I-235 and I-35 service roads north of 63rd Street. Downtown streets are also in the first phase.”
Transportation planner Randall Entz said: “Sharrows are being installed on streets like Hefner Road and NW 19th Street that are popular with bicyclists, but are too narrow for conventional bike lanes. When they are installed downtown as a part of Project 180 renovations, they will also help to keep cyclist out of the door swing zones of parked cars.”
One other very important note:
“Although we are designating bike routes and sharrow lanes, cyclists can still ride on any Oklahoma City street,” Entz added.
Sharing the road will make it safer for all.
Learn more about what’s being done downtown, including with Project 180, by going to HTTP://WWW.OKC.GOV/.
Why Booster Seats are the Answer
By Chuck Mai, AAA
It’s been 35 years since Tennessee passed the first-in-the-nation child safety seat law. Now all states, including Oklahoma, have them, to one degree or another.
A recent AAA survey showed that a majority of parents look to state law for guidance on how to restrain their children in a motor vehicle – but frankly, Oklahoma’s law needs work.
It says kids under six must be in a child passenger restraint system. And it says children ages six through 12 must be in a child passenger restraint or a seat belt.
Ah, there’s the rub. That part that says “or a seat belt.”
Kids ages six and seven are too small for the vehicle’s seat belt. In the event of a crash, the belt tends to do more harm than good. Children those ages are just too short.
The answer is booster seats for that age group, or any child weighing from about 40 to 80 pounds or more. But the law doesn’t specifically mention booster seats, so many parents don’t think to use them.
Child car seats are complicated and there are lots of do’s and don’ts. For the latest information, visit http://exchange.AAA.com/safety/child-safety.
