3-10-08, 9:42 am

This last week, the environmental group Sierra Club offered advice for car drivers concerned about the growing price of gasoline. The group offered 10 ways to save on gasoline costs.

The ten ways were all individual actions drivers can take, while the 'bonus' 11th step had to do with taking political action. And because we here at Political Affairs prefer collective political action to individual action, we offer it first:

So here are the top 10 ways Sierra Club advises us to save on gasoline consumption, starting with the 'bonus.'

Bonus: Write to your congressional representatives and tell them you want fuel economy standards raised to 40 miles per gallon.

Drive smart, drive defensively. Avoid quick accelerations or aggressive driving. Save gas by driving a constant speed. Keep your car tuned up and properly inflate your tires. Avoid rush hour traffic; avoid sitting in stopped traffic by changing your route. Look for ways to telecommute to work, if possible. Use public transportation. Combine errands that require use of a vehicle. Take more walks or bike rides whenever possible. Carpool. When traveling on vacation, pack light and pack everything inside your vehicle rather than on top. Buy hybrids. While Sierra Club only suggests the Toyota Prius, according to the United Autoworkers, their are several union-made hybrid cars or trucks assembled in the US available to the public now with more on the way including: Ford Escape, Mercury Mariner, Mazda Tribute, Chevrolet Malibu, Saturn Aura, Chevrolet Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Dodge Durango, Chrysler Aspen, Cadillac Escalade. Consider car-sharing programs like Flexcar or Zipcar, which allow you to reserve and use cars for short periods without purchasing them.

But remember, the struggle to defeat the Bush-McCain policies of war and instability in the drive to aid Big Oil to gain control over dwindling petroleum reserves is the biggest step to winning energy independence. A change in course from Bush-McCain policies is the best hope for a new and rational environmental policy.

For more info see Sierra Club.