gas consumption

By raising the per gallon federal fuel tax from a paltry 18.4 cents to 50 cents, the government would raise an extra $60 billion annually to earmark for alternative fuel research and improving public transportation, not to mention the fact it'll help to push us towards maximizing fuel efficiency and minimizing fuel consumption. Seems like short-term pain for a very long-term gain.

Residents of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho are outpacing the national average decline in gas consumption, according to a new report by the Sightline Instutute.In the last 8 years, residents of these states have cut back by about a gallon per week, for a total gas consumption reduction of 11%. In the Pacific Northwest, gas usage has fallen to its lowest level since 1966, while CO2 emissions from gasoline have fallen by six-tenths of a ton per capita since 1999.