I didn’t know that about conversion kits. That really stinks! Seems like it’s only a good option if you live in the South or don’t drive in the winter.

We also looked into the scooter. Because we live in the foothills of the White Mountains it’s pretty hilly around here so the electric ones won’t get us around well enough, besides the fact there’s no where for Wolf to charge it at work. A gas one would be fine but they don’t go fast enough (ie: the speed limit) and would create an unsafe driving experience because there is no shoulder to drive on. We’d like to get motorcycles but just haven’t had the money to do so, even for a cheap bike.

Amy: I wholeheartedly agree. Last year (or maybe the year before) Wolf took the bus from work (he had to get a ride to the terminal from his boss) down to North Station then the subway to Wellington Station (I believe he had to change lines from the Green to the Orange but I could be wrong) then got picked up by a friend and dropped off to his mothers’ because the buses stop running after a certain time. The whole trip took almost four hours. It’s a two hour drive from here.

Now, if the trains still ran, he’d be able to get there in less than two hours but the tracks have all been pulled up. Our little town once had a train depot but not any longer. We lament all the time about the desire to take the train to Boston but are not able to.

The old tracks are still around I don’t see why we can’t just build them again. It would create jobs and boost the economy. No?

A way that I like to save gas is to coast as much as possible. It only works when you’ve got the road to yourself, but I like to coast when I approach a red light in the distance, or if I’m going around a curve or if I’m in a parking lot. The only problem is that I get unduly annoyed if I have to break.

Still, all good — and timely — tips.

My husband has a round trip bike commute of close to 20 miles, so that distance isn’t necessarily prohibitive, but we’re lucky to live near a great bike path — and like you said, in some places it isn’t as safe to bike. So I guess if you live in a rural environment, the best way to go is to tackle your fuel economy.

If you’re close enough to a town for a scooter to be an option, some of them get up to 117 miles per gallon. Otherwise, driving efficiently with the car you have and working to get a car that’s even more efficient is probably the best place focus. A veggie oil fuel conversion kit might be something to look into.

And it may be one of those things where you can’t do much about fuel use and have to make it up in other areas (which I know you do and then some).

I’m sure you know all of this though. You’re so proactive about your lifestyle, and it’s awesome.

While biking and walking may work for some, those of us living out in the country don’t always have the option to. For instance, it’s ten miles to the closest grocery store, pharmacy, hospital, clothing store, etc. Also, because the speed limits tend to be higher, biking and walking isn’t always safe. There are few sidewalks outside of downtown areas.

Staying home is always an option but can be very isolating.

Setting the limit seems to be the best option. But again it requires one to have services in walking distance if the car is leaving the house for reasons other than soccer practice.

All these ideas are great but they seem more geared to the sub/urban dweller. This is my one major critique of the environmental movement: it all seems geared to those living more densely than those of us in the country who spend as much on gas — if not more — because services are further away.