Earth Day is Here! How To Have a Positive Effect on the Environment
26. April 2010 by admin.
It’s Earth Day, so Ask Patty has rounded up some important suggestions that touch on Earth Day friendliness. At AskPatty.com, we recognize our responsibility to the world around us and strive to reduce our environmental impact. Here are some tips you can follow to be more ecofriendly in your car
Improve Your Vehicle’s Fuel Economy
Just a couple years ago, the price for premium fuel in the Los Angeles area was over $4. This month, it’s loitering around $3.25. This article at AskPatty.com suggests a variety of automotive tips which are useful whether you’re trying to make a difference by helping the environment, or you’re just aiming to save a few more dollars at the pump each month.
Recycle Old Car Batteries
Calling all dead car, truck, boat and motorcycle batteries. It’s time to get recycled. According to Road and Travel, “an automotive battery, also referred to as a lead-acid battery, contains about 21 pounds of lead, three pounds of plastic and one gallon of sulfuric acid. These items can be toxic if handled improperly, and there is a better solution.
Bring your old lead-acid batteries to the AAA Great Battery Roundup. Roundups are held annually in the United States and Canada to commemorate Earth Day. Ask your local AAA/CAA office for particulars.
“The lead-acid battery is crucial to modern automotive technology and is easily recycled if disposed of properly,” said Nancy DeRose, AAA’s manager of Battery Services, in a release. “Nearly 99 percent of a vehicle battery can be recycled and used again without removing new lead, or other natural resources from the environment.”
To handle used batteries, keep them upright and place them in a sturdy box or plastic container when transporting them for recycling. AAA says if the battery case is cracked or leaking, put it in a leak-proof container. Also do not smoke near or expose the batteries to an open flame, and make certain they will not shift and tip over in a moving vehicle.
To learn more about the Great Battery Roundup, call your Auto Club office or visit www.aaa.com.
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As we enter the second decade of the 21st century, women are on the verge of attaining economic parity with men–something our great-grandmothers and grandfathers would never have imagined. With this new economic fortitude, women have the opportunity to take previously untapped power into their hands to influence the direction of the marketplace, the workplace, the family, and worldwide leadership.
In this new book, “Influence: How Women’s Soaring Economic Power Will Change the World for the Better,” Maddy Dychtwald paints a captivating picture of women coming into power in America and worldwide. Filled with breakthrough research findings, marketplace insights and inspiring examples of trend-setting women from all walks of life, this compelling multi-media presentation can be customized for a variety of industries and audiences.
Some of the topics include:
- How women’s rise to power impacts money, markets and men: the past, present and future.
- The three stages of women’s financial awareness: 1) security, 2) independence and 3) influence.
- How women will pioneer the opportunities and challenges of the longevity revolution.
- The new female-driven “cyclic” work/life paradigm.
- How women are rewriting the rules of success.
- How the new - and evolving - female/male equation changes the rules and roles at home and at work.
- An examination of women’s multiplying marketplace clout and how successful companies are responding.
AskPatty.com President and CEO Jody DeVere is featured heavily in the chapter “Start Your Engines: Transforming the Automotive Industry.” In this chapter, Dychtwald says “It’s an industry that’s owned and operated by men. Some 95 percent of the country’s 20,000 auto dealers belonging to the National Automobile Dealers Association are male. And it shows.”
Jody agrees with her, saying “The auto industry today is in trouble, and automakers are struggling so hard.” According to Jody, automakers are “only doing lip service to women in terms of marketing and selling. When what they need to do is change, and create an environment where women don’t equate buying a car or getting it serviced with going to the dentist.”
Jody is joined in the chapter by other heavy-hitting women, including Marina Shoemaker, director of General Motor’s Women’s Retail Network; Cheri Fleming, owner and Dealer Principal of Female Friendly Dealer Valencia Acura; and Marti Barletta, president and CEO of The TrendSight Group.
Download the chapter here or buy the book here.
Maddy Dychtwald is a nationally recognized author, public speaker, marketing executive and entrepreneur. She has spent nearly 25 years deeply involved in exploring and forecasting demographic, lifestyle and consumer marketing trends. In 1986, she co-founded Age Wave, with her husband, Ken. She has helped grow the company from the ground up to a multi-million dollar enterprise with a time-honored reputation as the best in its field. As the nation’s foremost thought-leader on population aging and its profound business, lifestyle, and cultural implications, the company provides breakthrough research (including the landmark study Women, Money and Power), compelling presentations, award-winning communications, and results-driven marketing and consulting initiatives to over half the Fortune 500,
Maddy is the author of three books: her newest book hits bookshelves next month. She has also written “Cycles: How We Will Live, Work, and Buy” (2004), which was the winner of the 2004 Book of the Year Award from the National Community Colleges Association as well as co-authored an illustrated children’s book entitled “Gideon’s Dream: A Tale of New Beginning”s (March 2008).
Eco-Driving Tips From Ford
26. April 2010 by admin.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that the United States uses about 150 billion gallons of gasoline annually. Eco-driving techniques tested by Ford showed that motorists coached in eco-driving can significantly improve the fuel economy performance of their vehicles. Here are simple tips that any driver can use:
Slow down and watch speed - Drive 55 mph instead of 65 to save fuel. EPA estimates a 10 to 15 percent improvement in fuel economy by following this tip. Also, aim for a constant speed. Pumping the accelerator sends more fuel into the engine. Using cruise control whenever possible on the highway helps maintain speed and conserve fuel.
Accelerate and brake smoothly - Accelerating smoothly from a stop and braking softly conserves fuel. Fast starts, weaving in and out of traffic and hard braking wastes fuel and wears out some of the vehicle components, such as brakes and tires, more quickly. Maintain a safe distance between vehicles and anticipate traffic conditions to allow for more time to brake and accelerate gradually.
No idling - Today’s engines don’t need a warm-up. Start the car immediately and gently drive away. Don’t leave your car idling. Prolonged idling increases emissions and wastes fuel. Turn the engine off in non-traffic situations, such as at bank and fast food drive-up windows, when idling more than 30 seconds.
Check your tires - Keep tires properly inflated to the recommended tire pressure. This alone can reduce the average amount of fuel use by 3 to 4 percent. Under-inflated tires increase rolling resistance and reduce fuel economy. They also wear more rapidly. Check the vehicle’s door-post sticker for minimum cold tire inflation pressure.
Be kind to your vehicle - Maintain proper engine tune-up to keep vehicles running efficiently. Keep the wheels aligned. Wheels that are fighting each other wastes fuel. Replace air filters as recommended. Use a fuel with good detergent additives to keep the vehicle engine clean and performing efficiently. Always consult the owner’s manual for proper maintenance.
Travel light - Avoid piling a lot of luggage on the roof rack. The added frontal area reduces aerodynamics and will hurt fuel economy, reducing it by as much as 5 percent. Remove excess weight from the vehicle. Unnecessary weight, such as unneeded items in the trunk, makes the engine work harder and consumes more fuel.
Close windows at high speeds - Don’t drive with the windows open unless you keep your speed under 50 mph. Driving with the windows open at highway speeds increases aerodynamic drag on the vehicle and lowers fuel economy.
Choose the right oil - Use good-quality oils with the viscosity grade recommended in the owner’s guide. Ford recommends SAE 5W-20 oil for most cars and trucks to provide the best fuel economy. Only oils “certified for gasoline engines” by the American Petroleum Institute with the starburst symbol should be used.
Minimize use of heater and air conditioning - Use heating and air conditioning selectively to reduce the load on the engine. Decreasing your usage of the air conditioner when temperatures are above 80 degrees can help you save 10 to 15 percent of fuel. Use the vent setting as much as possible. Park in the shade to keep the vehicle cool and reduce the need for air conditioning.
Consolidate trips - Plan ahead to consolidate your trips. This will enable you to bypass congested routes and lead to less idling.
If every driver practiced these eco-driving techniques — which can result in an EPA-estimated 15 percent benefit in fuel economy — more than 22 billion gallons of gas could be saved each year!
