File under "learned nothing/forgotten nothing." The New York Times has a great new idea for saving energy:
President Bush made it clear last week that he sees no quick fixes to the nation's energy woes. The problem has been long in coming, the argument goes, and so will the solutions. But if history is any guide, there is one thing he could do immediately: bring back the 55 miles-per-hour speed limit. It has been done before.
Well, yes it has.
The 55 miles-per-hour speed limit came as a result of the 1973 Arab oil embargo. . . . But as gas lines faded from people's memories and energy prices went down, the federal speed limit was relaxed in 1987, allowing states to set higher caps of 65 miles an hour. Once more, gasoline consumption surged.
Smaller efforts today could make a difference. For example, driving at 10 miles an hour above the 65 miles-per-hour limit increases fuel consumption by 15 percent; inflating tires properly cuts gasoline use by 2 percent; keeping engines idle while in line wastes millions of gallons. The trouble is that few drivers bother with these suggestions, Mr. Hwang said. "People are basically too lazy to pump their tires up."
And that of course is why we need the Nanny State: people are too stupid and lazy to do what the activists tell them to do.
Recent Comments