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History of Pickup Trucks Alternative Fuel for Cars and Trucks
Air pollution is a problem today. One of the major causes of air pollution is the exhaust of cars and trucks that are powered by fossil fuels, and until just a few years ago, every car and truck on every highway in every country in the world was powered by fossil fuel. The scope of the problem is almost incomprehensible, but a serious search for alternative fuel has begun in earnest now and there some really interesting ideas floating around out there.
E85 Ethanol FlexFuel: E85 is the alternative fuel that is being promoted as the best thing since sliced bread, but you need to take a closer look. E85 is a combination of 85% ethanol (derived from corn) and 15% gasoline. The problem is the fuel mileage. Mileage on the highway drops from about 31 miles per gallon using regular unleaded gasoline to a sad 23 miles per gallon using E85, for the same vehicle. This one isn't
likely to be the answer to the emissions problem.
Grass as fuel: There have been a great many studies done and experiments conducted about producing large quantities of ethanol fuel for cars from grass. Ethanol is well known as having been produced from corn, but it has also been produced from switch grass. Fast-growing switch grass grows abundantly in the U.S., Canada, South America, and Africa, and the results of the studies and experiments are very positive.
Saltwater as fuel: This is a very interesting concept. There are a great many hurdles to overcome here, but it has been discovered that, under the right conditions, saltwater actually burns. This was proven by John Kanzius quite by accident. Kanzius is 63 years old and a former broadcast engineer. Like I said, there are a lot of problems between getting saltwater to burn and putting it in the fuel tanks of automobiles, but it is an idea that is being pursued.
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In Memorium (And, about time)
| Fuel Saving Tips Car and Truck Trade-in Values
I was just a kid. I didn't have much money, but I wanted a bicycle. There was no way that I could afford a new bike, so I started looking for a used bike. I found several offers, and I asked my dad to help me decide. He did. He looked each bike over carefully and then recommended one.
I asked him if he thought that the bike was worth what I was going to pay for it, and that's when he told me something that I have used as a measuring stick for buying, selling, and trading all my life. He said, "Everything is worth exactly what you can get for it." (He meant how much money you could sell it for is the real value of everything.)
That was true for bikes, and it's true for cars. There are some dealers that will go strictly by the Blue Book value to determine the trade-in value of your car when you are buying a new car or even another used car. Blue Book values are GUIDELINES! A great many factors go into determining the value of a car, and the Blue Book listing is only one.
All cars are not valued equally. A car that has been driven rough isn't worth as much as one that has only been driven by a little old lady to church on Sunday even if they are the same make, model, and color and have identical mileage.
Some cars are worth MORE than the Blue Book value, and then there are cars that are worth considerably less than the Blue Book value. There are those makes and models that have been plagued with problems from the first day they rolled off the assembly line, and the used ones can't be sold at any price. Nobody wants them.
So the value of the car or truck that you will use as a trade-in on a different vehicle is subjective. You might make a better deal by selling your old car yourself and getting a little more for it than you would as a trade-in. Remember, "Everything is worth exactly what you can get for it." |
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Avoiding Car and Truck Purchase Ripoffs DUI-The Crime and the Punishment
Each state has its own laws regarding punishment for the crime of driving under the influence, but thanks to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), there is now a federal law that says that the legal blood alcohol limit is BAC .08 (it was BAC .10).
MADD was originally against promoting a designated driver because the organization felt that it would encourage those who were not designated drivers to drink more, but they did change their position. A designated driver is a plan that does work.
When a group of people are out partying and having fun, nobody is likely to be considering what the law against driving from point A to point B is after several drinks have been consumed. So the idea of having a designated driver appointed before the party begins, when everybody is clear-headed and sober, really is a good idea.
There are many complaints and discussions about the punishment for the crime of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Most of those complaints center on the fact that judges are given a great deal of leeway in setting punishment. One judge might only levy community service for an instance of drunk driving, while another might set jail time, fines, and permanent loss of a driver's license for the same crime. Those who get the harsher sentences are the ones who complain.
There isn't much doubt that punishment guidelines need to be set for judges to adhere to for the crime of driving under the influence. I believe that those guidelines will be legislated in the near future -- not in all states, but in many.
However, no matter how harsh or light the punishment is for driving under the influence, it is still a crime. Accidents happen. People are killed or seriously injured. The best answer is simply not to drive under the influence.
Related Topics: Bad Credit Car and Truck Loans,
The Lemon Law, Fuel for Cars and Trucks
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