SLAMBOARD

Banning car racing may seem like a crazy, unspeakable idea to a lot of Americans. They might be surprised to know that there was just such a ban in several countries back in 1955. The ban followed a horrific accident that killed 80 fans. Switzerland didn’t reverse their ban for 52 years.

These days, you have to wonder whether worshiping guys that drive around in circles burning up a fair bit of fossil fuels makes much sense. Thoughts?

A 2006 study said that 2% of the American workforce telecommutes full time while 9% do it at least part time. It went on to say that 25% of jobs could potentially be carried out at home and that the savings related to less commuting would be a whooping $3.9 BILLION. Since fuel prices have skyrocketed, it is safe to assume that the potential savings are much higher today.

George Bush asserted that reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil was an essential part of it’s plan for a more peaceful world. I think his angle was to press for more drilling in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico so his buddies could get richer. I don’t pretend to be an expert on US energy or environmental policies I just think he’s a weasel.

Governments could easily put legislation in place that would incentivize companies and employees to embrace telecommuting. They could probably glean the best strategies from companies like IBM.

With fuel costs breaking new records everyday, lots of people are considering curtailing their driving. For some people, this may involve putting a car into storage for months or longer. I was considering it and I realized that there are probably a few things that I should do to the car if I want it to stay in the condition that it is in. Here are a few links with helpful information:

Mothballing your car

AAA has advice that seems to cater to people with really nice cars.

After moving in 2005, we went carless for a whole year. It can be done. I consider my 1990 Skoda to be a time saving device. It is not a necessity and it is not a part of my identity.