Testimonials
Newsletter - Summer 2007
It's Not Easy Being Green
Gasoline prices continue to bounce around the $3 to $3.25 a gallon mark. Meanwhile, politicians talk about energy independence (yeah, sure), environmentalists talk about alternative fuels, and we keep driving.
Recently Edmunds did a test to compare the cost and environmental contributions of a trip using gasoline versus using E85 ethanol made up of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. (Note to the reader E85 ethanol still contains 15% gasoline - it's not just moonshine and you can't drink it!).
The test run went from San Diego to Las Vegas. They started in San Diego because it is the only city in California where E85 is open to the public (rather surprising given the enviornmentally savvy state of California). Vegas was chosen because it was the next closest location where E85 was available. Researchers used the 2007 Tahoe LT. flex-fuel vehicle capable of using both gasoline and E85 ethanol. They conducted the trial by driving to Vegas and back using only gasoline and repeating the journey the next day using only E85 ethanol.
And the results....
Gasoline: the round trip used 36.5 gallons, achieved an average fuel mileage of 18.3 mpg, and cost a total of $124.66.
E85 ethanol: the round trip used 50 gallons of fuel, achieved an average of 13.5 mpg, and cost a total of $154.29.
E85 loses in fuel economy and saving the driver money.
But what about the environmental implications? After all the protection of the environment is arguably the main reason for using E85. Well, a comparison of the CO2 emissions from each journey revealed that gasoline produced 706.5 pounds of carbon dioxide while E85 produced 703.1 pounds.
This .5% difference is unfortunately not the clear solution to reducing greenhouse gas emisssions. It seems that E85 ethanol, at current prices, may not be the answer.
To read about the full test go to: article
By All Means, Bring the Dog!
What's a family vacation without the family dog? Why board your dog when there are many dog-friendly hotels and vacation destinations? Plus, bringing the dog on your road trips can have the added benefit of keeping the kids occupied!
You can bring your dog with you by following these simple steps:
1) Get your dog familiar with and excited to ride in the car by taking trips that end in having a treat, running in the park, playing Frisbee, or other fun activities that help the dog associate riding in the car with positive outcomes.
2) If your dog gets car sick, ask your vet what anti-anxiety and anti-nausea herbs or medication they recommend.
3) Make sure to secure your dog so that in case of an accident they don't go flying. You can do this by pruchasing a harness to place around the dogs waist and clip into the seat buckle or by using a collapsible kennel that can hook to the inside of the car. Remember to get the dog used to traveling this way before your road trip. Both are available at pet stores.
4) Make sure your dog has its favorite chew toys along with plenty of water.
5) And remember; never leave the dog in the car during a sunny day as cars can heat up extremely quickly.
Some other quick tips to keep in mind are:
-Use doggles (dog goggles) if your pet likes to hold their head out the window for an extended period of time as the wind can be detrimental to their eyes.
-Use sunshades that stick onto the window to keep your dog cool, and
-Make sure that your cellular phone number or local number where someone can be reached is on the dog's collar.
Preparing your dog using these techniques can ensure that you will never again have to spend the money or the heartache of being away from your dog while on your road trip!
For more information on dog friendly accomodations see petswelcome.com.
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Addison Auto Repair & Body Shop
2005 South Holly Street • Denver, CO 80222 • 303-691-9484