The only way...
One thing that I've noticed about the environmental 'debate' surrounding oil usage and foreign oil is that it seems to center around reducing oil consumption. Nobody talks about the exchange that oild companies have and that there is no way to boycott a single provider of oil. As it turns out, the only way to eliminate foreign oil is to eliminate oil.
I hear that if only we could get a 30mpg average nationwide we could give up foreign oil! That would be true if we simply stopped trading oil as soon as we were within the limits of our national production. The oil industry is private though, and will try to get the cheapest oil they can. Guess where that comes from? It's not local!
It used to be (meaning until VERY recently) that they only way you could stop using oil, at least for transportation, was by riding a bike or living in California. Alternatively, you could find a person to convert your car to electric or do it yourself.
In recent years though, electric car production has taken center stage. The Chevy Volt, Tesla Model S, Nissan Leaf, and Aptera coupe are all soon to be available. Nearly all of them are affordable too! (I'm talkin' to you Chevy) You have to take the cost of operation into account when you look at these vehicles as well. Equivalent fuel cost for an electric car is roughly ten cents per gallon so calculate that savings over gas per month. Also remove oil changes from your budget. for me that's an extra 100 dollars per month. So I could afford a payment of up to 100 dollars more per month, which raises the price of the vehicle I could buy.
That said, some of the vehicles, like the Nissan Leaf, will be priced more like a Honda Civic to begin with, so it's all savings.
It's not just fuel...
It's not just oil to burn that costs us. It's millions of plastic products like plastic bags that must be eliminated. Chico Bags, Flip & Tumble, and ecoBags all provide replacements for shopping bags, produce bags, and various other bags. Drinking straws are made from stainless steel, polycarbinate or glass and are dishwasher safe.
Bottled water likely doesn't use recycled plastic either. Use a stainless steel bottle with filtered water instead. In any case before you use a plastic product, look for ecoFriendly alternatives.
Remember, the only way to eliminate foreign oil and make America more secure, is to eliminate oil. At least the kind you have to drill for.
