Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Going Green Update


After 5 tankfuls with the new scooter, Michelle told me her average MPG -- 114. Not too shabby. She averages about 70 miles a week driving to work. A comparison between the Hyundai which she used to drive and the scooter:

70 miles / 30mpg (best case scenario with the Hyundai) = 2.333 gallons per week

70 miles / 114mpg = 0.614 gallons per week

At our current cost per gallon for unleaded, $3.799, that's saving $6.50 a week and producing a whole lot less pollution.

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For the house, we just bought Gila window films (kinda like tinting for your windows). They are supposed to block 70% of the heat coming in. We're putting them on our West facing windows and and on South facing windows in our bedroom. Hope to have them up in the next few days. I'll let you know how tough they are to put up and if we notice a difference in our cooling costs.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Kudos to you for being proactive in going green! I think going green is something that everyone can agree is a step in the right direction toward building a better community, and laying down the foundations for which future generations can successfully thrive in a healthier environment. Plus, I think many businesses will benefit from going green, not only building a more acceptable public persona, but in the long run it really helps companies save money and be a positive contributor to the world we live in.

Another thing I want to talk about is bioheat, it’s just one small measure that people can take in order to start living a greener lifestyle.

Has anyone ever heard of it, or has switched to it? I want to start taking initiative in turning my home into a greener household, one way I have started is by switching out all my lightbulbs in my home to energy efficient lightbulbs. And I am also seriously considering switching over to bioheat as an alternative to regular oilheat. The thing that I love the most about it is that it’s completely clean burning, and is comprised of a b5 blend of oils which are derived from natural plant and vegetable sustainable resources such as corn, hemp, and avocados just to name a few. If you all want more information on how bioheat works, just go on to http://oilheatamerica.com/index.mv?screen=bioheat I work with NORA to bring this info to you all!

shrimplate said...

That is so cool.

wstachour said...

The scooter is awesome! I'd be a bit scared of my non-techie wife in city traffic on one, tho.

I've been riding the bicycle a bit, which is fun but *a lot* more work (laughs)!

dbackdad said...

Believe me ... I'm a bit scared of her riding it too. We thought it out quite a bit and planned the least busy route. She's on almost all 35 mph streets and goes to and comes from work off rush hour.