The Times They Are A-Changin'

apologies to Bob Dylan.



Come gather 'round people,
Wherever you roam
And admit the gas prices
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be stuck in your home
If your gas to you is worth savin'
So you better start walkin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come hybrids and civics
More fuel-efficient
And dump your big trucks
The trend won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
The cost of one now
Will be later paid off
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come buyers and drivers
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your SUV’s and mini-vans
Are beyond your command
Your gas-guzzlers are rapidly agin'.
Please get into a hybrid
So you can lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The gas it is steep
The trend it is past
The small-scale now
Will later be mass
As the gas-prices now
Will never be slashed
The order is rapidly fadin'.
And the green one now
Will help the earth last
For the times they are a-changin'.

Rising Fuel Costs, Declining Quality of Service: An Alarming Trend

Everywhere you look, from taxis to airlines to buses, passengers find themselves dealing with (read: being charged for) the rising cost of fuel.

US Airways just announced that in order to maintain profitability in the face of ever-rising fuel costs, they will now be charging for each checked bag ($15) and even for formerly complimentary drink service ($2 for a non-alcoholic drink!). All of that, of course, in addition to other measures already taken to reduce costs for the airlines (slowing down flights, cutting flights altogether, eliminating courtesy magazines…). See Treehugger's slightly more in-depth and less biased account of the news here.

At the end of May, DC cabs once again reinstated the “Emergency Gas Surcharge”, “Emergency” in this sense meaning “Permanent”(there was an initial surcharge over two years ago, and the current 'emergency surcharge' has been continuously extended since November 2007). What is frustrating about the gas surcharge is that it is the same regardless of distance, meaning someone who rides two blocks will pay the same as someone who rides 6 miles and uses significantly more gas. Since the rule is intended to offset fuel costs, this clearly is neither sensible nor fair. The DCist has more information here.

Even on the notoriously discounted Chinatown buses' customers have felt the sting of inflation due to rising fuel costs. What were once extremely affordable $10 one way fares have doubled in the last couple of years, with average fares now $20 one way.

Noticing a trend? No matter the industry, the rising cost of fuel doesn't mean companies make less money, only that consumers have to pay more. Customer service and convenience are being sacrificed at the altar of high fuel costs to the gods of profitability. With that said, I think now is an appropriate and tasteful opportunity to subtly and tactfully mention that the company I work for, because it uses only fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles, manages to keep costs to our customers down while still providing excellent service.

Office E-mail: The Good, The Bad, And The Completely Irrelevant

In an earlier post I mentioned how brainstorming on the computer (using word) can help save paper, creating a greener workplace. Similarly, whether out of simple laziness, a genuine desire to conserve paper, or both, most offices, ours included, use e-mail to exchange quick messages, ideas, reminders, or compile data. Of course this is great for the environment blah blah blah… but there are definitely drawbacks.

Communicating via e-mail has many implications. It can lead to an awkwardly silent work environment comprised of hermit-zombies hunched in front of computer screens with ever-dwindling social skills. This can lead to more serious complications if your company is looking to recruit or relies heavily on the skills of its sales department. Sometimes, however, the exact opposite happens, and office e-mails are used for social and distracting purposes. Whether we’re talking about annoying forwarded messages (or worse chain mail: ‘send this to 10 people before noon or your computer will crash’), or pathetic failing attempts at flirtation amongst employees, office e-mail can be, and frequently is, abused.

But overall, office e-mail is a welcome addition to the 21st century workplace. It makes things easier, more efficient, and greener. Instead of walking down two flights of stairs (or in the case of our office, ten feet) to deliver a simple message or exchange documents, we simply press send. E-mail is also a much more informal method of communication and makes it easy to communicate and get to know one another. Plus we’re not really turning into zombies…are we?

American Cities vs. European Cities

Treehugger recently posted an article about high gas prices in the UK and how demand has gone down sharply there. The article brought up a really interesting point; many/most US cities, unlike older (read: pre-automobile) European cities, were designed so that their citizens are almost dependent on cars to get anywhere/do anything.

Definitely got me thinking about differences between European and American cities as far as culture, public transport and layout are concerned. There’s definitely a lot to say on the subject and I would love to hear any thoughts or personal experiences (since I myself don’t have any experience living in a European city for more than a couple weeks). I personally think it’s a pretty good insight and does help explain American dependence on automobiles and oil on a deeper level than “Americans are lazy and don’t care about the environment”. As long as we don’t use it as an excuse not to try and lower our own dependency on cars and oil, it’s definitely something to think about whether you’re a city planner, developer, or everyday citizen.

An Unsent E-Mail in My Outbox

To: AggressiveDriver@giantblackhummer.com
Cc: GasGuzzler@RedEscalade.com, JustBCyourSUVisExpensiveDoesn’tChangeYourMPG@MercedesM5.com, URguilty2@Landrover.com.


I couldn’t help but notice, when you so rudely (not to mention dangerously) cut me off on the beltway the other day that you were driving a giant red (atrocious-looking) hummer. Instead of being bitter and angry that you almost cost me my life and a huge increase in my insurance premiums, I simply wanted to ask a few questions to get to know you better, and even be gracious and magnanimous enough to offer you a few pearls of wisdom.


My questions for you are pretty straightforward:

1. Have you noticed that your “vehicle” (I use the term loosely in the case of your abomination) averages around 9-15 mpg?
2. Did you know that a very serious and real global warming is occurring mostly due to pollution and carbon emissions from “cars” like yours?
3. Are you aware your “vehicle” is entirely too big, taking up unnecessary amounts of space, creating more traffic, and making it difficult for other cars to maneuver in parking lots, residential streets, and even highways?
4. Can you think of a single reason, besides conspicuous consumption, why you would possibly need to drive a hummer, unless you are on active duty in the military?
5. Did you ever consider using a turn signal while on the highway or put any thought into possibly looking to see if anyone else might have had their turn signal on already, and might have been already halfway in the lane that you so ungracefully tried to maneuver into?
6. And then, afterwards, did you ever think about acknowledging your mistake or even giving a simple wave? No. You didn’t. You sped by obnoxiously only to be pulled over by a cop minutes later.


My advice for you is simple:

1. Take the bus, it will save the environment and possibly the lives of many people who run the risk of being mauled by a military capacity vehicle simply my driving on the same road as you.
2. Better yet, try an earth-friendly driving service like ours which uses only hybrid vehicles!
3. Try being genuinely nice and apologetic when you nearly decapitate people, because as you learned, what goes around comes around.



Thanks and have a GREAT day!

Is More Better, or is Less More: Marketing 'Green'

Below are some ways that incorporating “green” (literally and figuratively) into your marketing plans can help, and some reasons why subtlety might be a better choice.


Pros
· Easy for potential customers to see that you’re eco-friendly
· Makes choosing color schemes and other aspects of designing a marketing campaign faster and easier
· Can be done very tastefully and professionally

Cons
· Limits design options and overall creativity in marketing endeavors
· Can come off less professional-looking
· May pressure or annoy potential customers by being too ‘in-your-face’
· Might take focus off of products and services



Our Verdict:
Our company has chosen the subtle method for some of the reasons listed above. Our logo and websites don’t use green as a main color or theme. In fact, our website doesn’t use green in any of it’s fonts or titles, but instead includes a lot of pictures that subtly convey the themes of nature and the environment by including lots of sky, landscapes, etc.

We do value the environment and recognize that being eco-friendly is a critical component of our business. With that said, however, we felt it was important to emphasize our services first, because we pride ourselves on what we offer and didn’t want it to get lost in the shuffle. Plus, our customers are intelligent (at the very least, they’ve made one good choice!) so we didn’t feel the need to beat them over the head with the message that we are green.

Why Hybrids?

Our company has chosen to use only hybrid cars, which got me thinking about the larger trend toward (and in some circles, obsession with) hybrids. Bloggers have certainly taken notice; The Blog “Stuff White People Like” dealt with the trend pretty humorously (here) and Treehugger declared “It’s Official: Green is Sexy.” According to the Treehugger article, "Close to nine in 10 women (88 percent) say they’d rather chat up someone with the latest fuel-efficient car versus the latest sports car,” and, “Eighty percent of American car buyers would find someone with the latest model fuel-efficient car more interesting to talk to at a party than someone with the latest model sports car." So there’s no doubt hybrids are trendy, the question is why.

A few thoughts on some possible reasons people love hybrids:

· Hype surrounding global warming/pollution: All over the media there are examples of global warming and pollution. Then you step outside and its over 90 degrees, code red air quality, and overall just stiflingly hot and humid. This makes it difficult not think about your own personal effect on the environment.

· Conspicuous consumption: Hybrid models still cost more (about $2500-3000) than their non-hybrid counterparts.

· Hard to get: In many places there is a waiting list or limited number of hybrids available for sale. The laws of supply and demand dictate that this scarcity makes hybrids even more desirable.

· Gas Prices: Gas near me reached as high as $4.24 at the end of last week! Who doesn’t want a car that needs gas half as often?

· New and Exciting: Hybrids have only been offered in the United States for about ten years, so there is still a buzz of excitement and mystery surrounding them.


But I think the bottom line is that hybrids allow their owners to feel as though they are doing something for the environment without actually having to make any huge sacrifices or alter any of their already-set routines. And I think that’s part of what we as a company are selling; we offer all the same services without skimping on any of them, but we are also environmentally conscious.