The quickest way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, according to the Alliance to Save Energy, is to reduce driving by 5%, drive more slowly, and keep tires properly inflated. This would reduce crude oil consumption by 1.3 million barrels per day.
I drive about 100 miles per week now that I work in Santa Monica. My wife drives about 200 miles. We would have to cut about 15 miles a week from our driving. This would mean mean me working from home once a week (16 miles), or cutting a trip to Grandma's once a month (about 60 miles).
Long-term solutions include raising fuel efficiency standards and incorporating more biofuels, which could result in savings of an additional 5 million barrels a day. Electric cars could boost that number dramatically.
The article suggests that 5 million barrels does not make a big dent in overall consumption by this country which consumes 20.7 million barrels a day, but I say a 20-25% reduction is phenomenal. This does not take into consideration the possibility that suburban living may decline as more people choose to live in cities to cut down on drive time and take public transportation. So the number could be much higher.
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