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27 year old Vet Drives 55 |
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Wednesday, 01 October 2008 |
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I am a 27 year old male born and raised right here in Sacramento. The overwhelming social influence I was subjected to during my youth was that environmentalists were invariably card carrying socialists and anything that wasn't a V8 with a manual transmission was not only un-American but was solid grounds for questioning someone’s manhood. My father saved me from all of that by imbuing me with the foundations I needed to question the norm and develop my own understandings of the world. But it still took me a while to shed the socially imposed shackles and raise my head above the fog.
My first car was a 1984 Corvette that I had for only two months, the
second was a 1989 Camaro RS. I had an irrational need for speed and was
only under 55 when at the pump or in the driveway. I joined the
military at 19 and soon after that I purchased my third car, a 1994
Corvette ZR-1, this didn’t help my speed problem.
I also have a deep passion for understanding physics. That passion for physics coupled with life experiences, became the catalyst for change. The more I learned and the farther I traveled in the Military, the more open my eyes became as to the energy/population/growth/climate predicament this world faces. I began what we now call “Hypermiling" my corvette in 2003 and with increasing proficiency I was attaining 35+ mpg from a 405hp V8! My need for speed became a need for efficiency, always trying to see if I can beat my current record every time I get behind the wheel. It was much more safe, and affordable than my previous driving habits, and MUCH less stressfull! I have since sold my beloved Corvette and purchased a used Prius. I have also been educating my extended family and friends, they too are beginning to open their eyes as now. I rarely find myself over 55 now, and when I do, it is only because it is more efficient to do so! (Gravity, wind, avoiding braking, etc.) I get a solid 72mpg combined city highway in my 2006 Prius.
Beyond Hypermiling, I am well educated on the coming inevitable and difficult socioeconomic changes and am preparing myself and my family for it. I saw this site on channel 10 news and was so happy to see someone else with the same mindset living so close to me, I felt compelled to email you and let you know that you were not alone. With my less than popular driving habits, I have a hell of a time on the roads, not just the freeways, people shout obscenities and have even thrown a ceramic coffee cup full of coffee that put a huge dent in my door... If you wanted my advice, I would tell you to Google “peak oil” and just start reading, knowledge is power. Prepare yourself and your loved ones for life without cheap abundant energy.
Even with our bleak outlook, news of people like you gives me hope and I would like to offer myself as a resource to your cause. Please feel free to send me an email or give me a call if you think I could help out in any way!
Good Luck and God Spede!
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