Grist | Topics | 10 Results

RESULTS		Results 1 – 10 of 10
Headline	Author	Published	Section
To Top It Off On diesel vs. standard gasoline cars	Umbra Fisk	02 Nov 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I've always heard bad things about diesel fuel. However, I know someone who has a diesel VW that gets 50 miles to the gallon. I'm wondering if you could do a cost-benefit analysis for me. I know I can't afford a hybrid anytime soon, and was wondering if it would be better to buy a used diesel car that gets excellent gas mileage or a regular used car that gets in the 30 to 40 mpg range. Anne Nelson, N.H. Dea ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, biofuels, cars, fuel efficiency, oil, placemaking (all these topics)

Civic's Lesson On used cars	Umbra Fisk	03 Oct 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, With rising -- OK, skyrocketing -- gas prices, I would like to invest in a car that gets good mileage and is reliable. However, I can't afford a new Toyota Prius. Do you have any suggestions for environmentally friendly used cars that those of us on a budget might be able to invest in? Living in Wyoming, I have to travel long distances on a frequent basis, and public transportation is a joke here, so any suggestions would be appre ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, placemaking (all these topics)

Su-Su-Pseudo On true hybrids	Umbra Fisk	15 Aug 2005	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I read the New York Times article that reported auto manufacturers are using hybrid technology to boost power rather than improve mileage. It specifically mentioned the Honda Accord, claiming that the mileage difference between the six-cylinder and the hybrid is minimal. What are the facts here? Is there a hybrid that really, actually, no-foolin'-around, gives really good mileage, represents a significant improvement over the reg ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, electric vehicles, fuel efficiency, hybrids, placemaking (all these topics)

The Corrections Reader responses on family cars, the internal combustion engine, and more	Umbra Fisk	11 Jun 2003	Ask Umbra
Dearest Readers, How I enjoy your letters! I'm sorry I'm unable to answer them all; lest you fear that they vanish into the void, I assure you they do not. I read each and every one of them down here in Stacklandia. I must in particular thank those of you who write in to correct, amend, or expand on issues I address in my columns. Almost without exception, those perspic ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Plane Text Advice on driving vs. flying	Umbra Fisk	28 May 2003	Ask Umbra
Hi Umbra, I'm wondering if you have any numbers comparing the fuel efficiency of flying versus driving the average car for the same distance. Also, how does carbon dioxide production compare for the same trip? Steve Loomis, Calif. Dearest Steve, Flight blight? Here's what I can find so far, courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Institute in beautiful Snowmass, Colo. Single-occupancy automobiles produce 0.91 pounds of carbon dioxide per ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, greenhouse-gas emissions, placemaking, travel (all these topics)

Gnarly Davidson On motorcycles	Umbra Fisk	28 May 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, I recently read a claim that "motorcycles produce far more pollution per mile than your typical car, truck, or SUV." Is that true? I've got a friend who's currently making her (bad-ass) way across country on a Harley -- 60 mpg, baby -- and we are both curious about the environmental impacts compared with a car. Billy Brooklyn, N.Y. Dearest Billy, Bad news for your friend and her bad behind. If she's getting 60 miles ...
Topics: advice, air pollution, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Vantastic On minivans	Umbra Fisk	28 May 2003	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, We have a six-year-old daughter, a three-year-old daughter, and -- surprise! (well, not completely) -- a new baby girl due in the next two months. Our fuel-efficient car cannot fit two car seats and a booster across the back seat, and according to Washington state law ("six-years-old and 60 pounds"), my petite six-year-old will remain in her booster for some time. I've been looking into minivans but am discouraged by their poo ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Autodidactic On picking the right car	Umbra Fisk	15 Aug 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, In 1981, I bought my first car, a Honda Civic. It was a great car, and despite what certain congressional leaders say about car size and safety, an excellent vehicle for handling winter snow and ice in mountain driving in Steamboat Springs, Colo. The problem is that now, living in Pennsylvania, my husband and I and our three children are looking for a car that will be able to carry the five of us for the next 10 years wi ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, green living, greenhouse-gas emissions, placemaking (all these topics)

Coolant On cooling your car	Umbra Fisk	15 Aug 2002	Ask Umbra
Dear Umbra, Is it more efficient to drive down the highway with my windows down or the air conditioner on? I know the air conditioner decreases gas mileage, but I bet having my windows down at 75 miles per hour produces pretty good drag. Thanks, Sara Dearest Sara, This is July's Question of the Month for Grist readers, apparently. I received a passel of virtually identical queries with minute variations. ("How much drag do you get from ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

Car Talk On hybrid cars	Umbra Fisk	04 Jun 2002	Ask Umbra
Umbra, hi, With Honda having just released its gas-electric hybrid Civic in the U.S., many enviros are scrambling to buy one. But one question that hasn't been answered to my knowledge is whether the total amount of energy, pollution, mining, etc. involved in making a new car -- even a hybrid -- constitutes a greater overall environmental impact than the added emissions and fossil-fuel consumption of a huge old second-hand clunker that would cost ...
Topics: advice, Ask Umbra, cars, energy, fuel efficiency, green living, placemaking (all these topics)

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