Thursday, March 6, 2008

A Carbon Fast for Lent: Day 27

Day 27 - Pressure a car owner to check their tire pressures. Low tire pressure means high fuel consumption.

Hmmm. Well, I have a car. You need to have one in New Jersey, unless you live very near the PATH trains and work and play in New York City. So I am aware of ongoing maintenance of tires and engine and all that - remember the $1600 I paid last month? And once I move out to Vernon (March 15 is the target date) I will definitely need to keep up with all of that.

My car doesn't get that great mileage - I think it's about 25 MPG on average. Oddly, once I move to Vernon it will get better mileage, since there's a lot more highway mileage out there. Here in Bayonne, there's a lot of stop-n-go driving, and this little 4-cylinder car just doesn't cut it very well - very inefficient. But out in Sussex County it should be better.

Even so - I'm aware that there are hydrogen cars that can get incredible mileage. It seems we should press for those, no? That's important, no doubt, for the future. But the Carbon Fast is really about what we can do in these 40 days. So, with that in mind: Do you own a car? If som go check the pressure on all tires. Is it correct? If not, go fix it.

O God, you have given us the Good News of your abounding love in your Son Jesus Christ: So fill our hearts with thankfulness that we may rejoice to proclaim the good tidings we have received; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

RFSJ

4 comments:

Doorman-Priest said...

When are you moving to Vermont? Why? Did I miss something? It looked Good in W"hite Christmas"

RFSJ said...

DP -

It's Vernon, NJ actually - rather different from Vermont! My parish is now St. Thomas's Episcopal Church in Vernon, where I'm vicar. I move out in a week.

Cheers!

Bob

Troglodyteus said...

Get a bicycle but deflate the tires.
Burns calories not gas. Don't worry,
in Vernon you'll be coasting half the time.

Godspeed!

Doorman-Priest said...

Sorry. Lazy reading.