Thursday, November 20, 2008

US Mindset Changes on Gas Guzzling



Maybe the plummeting price of gas doesn't ruin my chances of ruling the roads in my grease-powered car. This Financial Times article asserts that Americans are still looking for alternatives to fossil fuels. Here's the section of the article I find the most enlightening:
Greg Melville also exemplifies the changing American mindset. He wanted to prove alternative fuels, such as vegetable oil, were feasible and so drove cross-country in a "French-fry car'' - a 1985 Mercedes station wagon powered on oil collected from restaurant waste en route. He lived to write a book about his adventure in Greasy Rider, which motivates others to turn towards alternatives.
Even though petrol prices are down again, Mr Melville expects Americans will continue to find new ways around fossil fuels because many are motivated by fears of climate change, not just loss of income. It is why he hangs out washing to dry, composts vegetable waste and buys local foods, which do not require packaging and fuel to get to his market.
He expects others to follow the energy-saving route. People will not trade in their hybrids to go back to SUVs, he says. "There is a definite shift in mindset that goes beyond the price of gas.''