Tools for making it through four difficult years.
With the slashing of the Federal Parks budget, our parks will need all the help we can give. Donate time or money to help them out. Hopefully, in four years, we’ll be able to rebuild the National Parks Service.
At this point, we’d advise donating to organizations that support the parks, not directly to the parks (who knows the ways the Trump administration may find to divert that money).
The Trump administration is slashing environmental protections across the board. One way you can fight back is by slowing down when you drive. Research shows1 2 that driving 55 instead of 65 (or even faster) saves significant gasoline. Yes, we’re not going to get the current administration (nor, maybe, any administration) to lower the speed limit, but that doesn’t mean you can’t slow down on your own.
I tend to drive 55 MPH on highways. I put on cruise control and get in the ‘slow’ lane. On many highways (in California, at least), the speed vehicles with three or more axles is 55 MPH, so technically all these vehicles shouldn’t be passing me (although many do). It takes a bit of time to get used to it, but I’ve never been rear ended, rarely have anyone tailgating me, and only occasionally does anyone flash their highbeams at me.
If I’m driving on a 70 MPH freeway, I’ll usually speed up to 60, keeping my speed ten MPH below the posted speed limit.
If you’re wondering, the only “minimum speed” signs I’ve ever seen on highways seem to be 40 or 45 MPH, so I’m way above those.
“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change,” wrote Gandhi. “As a [person] changes [their] own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards [them].” [source]
Gasoline vehicles have gears, and as such a car can running with the engine at the same RPMs (revolutions per minute) is less efficient at lower speeds when wind resistance isn’t that strong. In gas cars, therefore, it’s when your engine is in it’s highest gear that it maximizes it’s engine efficiency…but when you get to speeds around 50+ the wind resistance kicks in and starts decreasing the efficiency.
Electric cars, on the other hand, tend to be ‘direct drive’ with no gears (you can go from ‘0 to 60’ without feeling any gear shifts). The electric motors are still going to have a most efficient rotational speed (RPMs), but while they may be ‘tuned’ to be most efficient at speeds similar to highway speeds[I haven’t been able to find stats on the most efficient speed for the motor to run at], once they get up to highway speed the rules of physics apply just like to gasoline cars: Higher speeds have significantly higher wind resistance and thus decrease ‘fuel’ efficiency.
Bottom line: 55 MPH will save energy and increase your cars range.
I think a common statement is ‘the cops will never give you a speeding ticket unless you are driving 5-10 MPH over the speed limit.’ This may be true, but it doesn’t mean you need to speed up. Lower speeds around town also allow you to notice problems in the road and react with more time to turn or slow down.