Hey, no problem! It's your bar of soap and washcloth, you can scrub as hard and fast as you'd like, I ain't stopping anybody or playing the ecoterrorist. My stepson has a 1997 4x4 Suburban, and we're always loaning him money to fill up both tanks on that beast. I try to get him to trade it in on something more economical, his KFC McJob and $100/fillup just aren't compatible. He says he "needs" to have the big beast for comfort and style, for hauling his friends around, and he hates being cramped in a Hyundai or Toyota. Kids these days.
I guess I should ask "Why aren't driving one of those solar cars you see on TV?"
Funny you should ask! I'm actually working on a zero-emissions vehicle, a trike w/welded aluminum tube frame, fiberglass body, etc. I've been experimenting with a surplus 24volt DC motor, pulse-width modulated rpm, etc. Think "chopped" DC. My commute is only 3 miles each day.
A good portion of the house I'm living in right now, including my evil lab in the back corner, is powered by a 2KVA inverter, a big bank of Dynasty Absorbent Glass Mat batteries, solar charge controller, and a 24 volt photovoltaic array set up on flagpole mounts in the back yard. During the aftermath of the hurricanes last fall, we ran the generator maybe 1-2 hours each night. The power grid in our neighborhood didn't come back online for between 5-10 days after both Hurricanes Jeanne and Frances. We did pretty well with our off-grid setup. I'll give you a hint, those twisted tube flourescent bulbs that replace incandescent versions are great!
When I retire from active duty in the next 10 months, I'm eyeballing this property very seriously. It's totally off-grid:
(see listing #5 of 7 below)
http://www.guffeylandcompany.com/homelistingsindex.htmI'm also watching the tax incentives on hybrids like the Toyota Prius with some interest. Right now, it's a $2000 deduction. We'll see what happens as the price of crude increases.