Could This Be The Solution to the UK Fuel Crisis?

Okay, so we realise that the price of fuel is going up and up and up – with one garage today that I passed offering diesel for the astonishing price of 134.9 pence per litre.

But what can be done about it? There are constantly talks of strikes, walkouts, panic buying and garages running out of fuel.



Here’s one suggestion that I found interesting, but not sure if it would do anything. This came by email, and the intention is to send it ‘to everyone in your contacts list’. But that’s always the intention, isn’t it...



“This makes MUCH MORE SENSE than the "don't buy petrol on a certain day" campaign that was going around last April or May! The oil companies just laughed at that because they knew we wouldn't continue to hurt ourselves by refusing to buy fuel. It was more of an inconvenience to us than it was a problem for them.



BUT, whoever thought of this idea has come up with a plan that can really work. Please read it and join in! Now that the oil companies and the OPEC nations have conditioned us to think that the cost of a litre is CHEAP, we need to take aggressive action to teach them that BUYERS control the marketplace, not sellers. With the price of petrol going up more each day, we consumers need to take action.



The only way we are going to see the price of fuel come down is if we hit someone in the pocket by not purchasing their fuel! And we can do that WITHOUT hurting ourselves.

Here's the idea:

For the rest of this year, DON'T purchase ANY fuel from the two biggest oil companies (which now are one), ESSO and BP. If they are not selling any fuel, they will be inclined to reduce their prices. If they reduce their prices, the other companies will have to follow suit. But to have an impact, we need to reach literally millions of ESSO and BP fuel buyers. It's really simple to do!!

Now, don't wimp out on me at this point... keep reading and I'll explain how simple it is to reach millions of people!! I am sending this note to a lot of people. If each of you send it to at least ten more (30 x 10 = 300)... and those 300 send it to at least ten more (300 x 10 = 3,000)... and so on, by the time the message reaches the sixth generation of people, we will have reached over THREE MILLION consumers! If those three million get excited and pass this on to ten friends each, then 30 million people will have been contacted! If it goes one level further, you guessed it... THREE HUNDRED MILLION PEOPLE!!!


Again, all you have to do is send this to 10 people.That's all. (Oh, and not buy at ESSO/BP) How long would all that take? If each of us sends this email out to ten more people within one day of receipt, all 300 MILLION people could conceivably be contacted within the next 8 days!!! I'll bet you didn't think you and I had that much potential, did you! Acting together we can make a difference. If this makes sense to you, please pass this message on.


PLEASE HOLD OUT UNTIL THEY LOWER THEIR PRICES TO THE 69p A LITRE RANGE

It's easy to make this happen. Just copy and paste this in to an email then forward it to everyone you know, and buy your fuel at Shell, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrison's, Jet etc. i.e. boycott BP and ESSO.”

So. That is the idea that someone passed on to me. Will it work? I have no idea. What do you think?

If you liked this, please Digg It now:

Fuel: $8.43 per Gallon!

Before you start panic buying, let's just calm down a minute: That's the price that I paid here in the UK last week. So, relax.

But let's just analyse this.

My car's a Ford Fiesta, 1.4 TDCi. Yup, it's a diesel, and yup, it's really economical. But, I put in £20.00 on Saturday - that's the $39.64, which equates to 17.87 litres, or 4.7 gallons. Or $8.43 per Gallon. Which, might I add, is only half a tank.

Now, I spend approximately £20.00 per week on fuel - which means that during the month of April, I will be putting approximately £100.00 (roughly $200.00), and 89.35 litres of fuel, or 23.5 gallons, into the tank of my car. Which is a phenonmenal amount.

When I first started driving, fuel cost approximatly 69.9 pence per litre. Now it averages at around 105.9 pence per litre. That's a massive jump in seven years. My first car (1.1 Ford Fiesta with a petrol engine) would cost me around £32.00 to fill the tank. The last time I filled the tank, I paid £49.00.

So what's the moral of this tale?

Not sure really.

I guess it's that I pay far too much for my fuel.

I guess it's that those in the States that say that they have high fuel prices don't really know what high fuel prices are.

I guess I'm just having a rant.

Maybe I need a hybrid...

The Diet Begins... Again...

Okay, I was going to post this yesterday, but what with it being April Fool's and all that, I thought that you would all think I was joking. When in fact I am serious... deadly serious.

I've kinda let myself go again, and knew that I was eating much more than I should during February and March. Also, I was doing practically zero exercise.
Now, I'm restarting my 'diet', but I've not got any goal in mind - apart from to cut down on rubbish and increase exercise.

Here's how it's going to work:

During the month of April, I will be eating no chocolate, no cakes, no crisps, no rubbish. I will reduce my meal portions. I will only drink water. I will go for a 1.5 mile bike ride twice a week - actually outdoors, on a real bike, and may even use my exercise bike mid-week. That's right, I said I MAY use it - steady as she goes and all that.

So that is my goal.

So on Monday, I tried my bike ride. It's just a short one really, as I said, 1.5 miles. It took me 11 minutes and 29 seconds. My heart rate peaked at 193. I don't know if that's good or bad, but, you know, 193.

So I'll keep you posted on my progress.

After April, I may start allowing treats, but April is the month to kick start my diet.
So far, I've already turned down lots of chocolate, and stopped myself from having treats. I had a banana, an apple and a carrot yesterday, and have got the same today - and I'm determined to eat them today.

So, roll on diet... and roll off... weight...

The Dieting Man

A Morning in the Life of a Digger (Flowchart)

Alrighty There People!

Here is an interesting chart showing the decisions faced by every Digger out there!

Enjoy!

Strapped for Cash this Valentines?

Valentines Day.

Don't worry if you're strapped for cash - Tesco has made it easy for you:

Not sure your other half will appreciate it though...

School: 1960 vs 2007

Have things improved? Make up your own mind...

Scenario: Johnny and Mark get into a fistfight after school.
1960 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up mates.
2007 - Police are called, SWAT team arrives and arrests Johnny and Mark. Mobiles with video of fight confiscated as evidence. They are charged with assault, AVOs are taken out and both are suspended even though Johnny started it. Diversionary conferences and parent meetings conducted. Video shown on 6 internet sites.

Scenario: Jeffrey won't sit still in class, disrupts other students.
1960 - Jeffrey is sent to the principal's office and given a good paddling. Returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. Counselled to death. Becomes a zombie. Tested for ADD. School gets extra funding because Jeffrey has a disability. Drops out of school.

Scenario: Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1960 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college, and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. Psychologist tells Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mum has an affair with the psychologist. Psychologist gets a promotion.

Scenario: Mark, a college student, brings cigarettes to school.
1960 - Mark shares a smoke with the school principal out on the smoking area.
2007 - Police are called and Mark is expelled from School for drug possession. His car is searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario: Vinh fails high school English.
1960 - Vinh goes to Remedial English, passes and goes to college.
2007 - Vinh's cause is taken up by local human rights group. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that making English a requirement for graduation is racist. Civil Liberties Association files class action lawsuit against state school system and his English teacher. English is banned from core curriculum. Vinh is given his Y10 anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario: Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers, puts them in a model plane paint bottle and blows up an anthill.
1960 - Ants die.
2007 - Security and ASIO are called and Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. Teams investigate parents, siblings are removed from the home, computers are confiscated, and Johnny's dad goes on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario: Johnny falls during recess and scrapes his knee. His teacher, Mary, finds him crying, and gives him a hug to comfort him.
1960 - Johnny soon feels better and goes back to playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces three years in prison. Johnny undergoes five years of therapy. Becomes gay.

So. Have things improved? I thought you'd say that...
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37 Ways To Live A Greener Life

I’m by no means an Eco-Warrior, and this list is by no mean exhaustive, but here are 37 ways that you can live a greener life.

Some of these methods may overlap into other areas of life, some of these methods are expensive, some of them are cheap, and some of them are free.

9 Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in the Reprographics Room:

These tips are from this article – but I wrote it, so I’m allowed to copy it verbatim!

1. Use Recycled paper:
Don’t spend a fortune on HP or Xerox branded paper – buy recycled! The quality of recycled paper nowadays is excellent, and it obviously benefits the environment.

2. Do Copies ‘Back to Back’:
You know that ten page document that you are about to make ten copies of? Instead of using 100 sheets of paper, do it back to back, and you’ll only use 50. That’s HALF! Your paper stock will last much longer.

3. Make Sure Paperwork is Correct BEFORE Photocopying:
You rush to the photocopier with that urgent document, and punch in 50 copies. As you’re running back to your boss’ desk with it, you realise that the title is wrong. A few moments to check the document properly will prevent this type of waste – of time, money, and vital resources.

4. Any Paper that Gets Jammed – Dump It In The Recycle Box:
We all know that photocopiers jam from time to time – okay, okay, they’re jammed more often than when they’re working! But instead of furiously dumping the crumpled paper in the bin, furiously dump it in the RECYCLE bin. You know it makes sense.

5. Lighten the Contrast on the Photocopy:
Does the copy really need to be as dark as that? Lightening the copy by just a 25% will make your cartridges last longer – no, I don’t know how much longer, just longer. It’s obvious…

6. Recycle Your Toner Cartridges:
When you’re done with it, put it in a toner collection box. If you work in a big office, it will fill amazingly quickly. Then someone will come and collect it, and work magic with it so that it saves the environment…

7. Turn Off The Photocopier After Use:
What if you are the last person to use the photocopier today, and it’s only 2 o’clock? Are you going to leave it on for the next 3 or four hours, until the cleaners turn it off? Think of the energy that the machine is using up! Don’t be a muppet - Turn It Off!

8. Turn Off Lights When Leaving the Room:
If there’s no one else in the room, turn the lights off! Chances are there is enough light from the windows anyway, and if not, the next user will turn them back on… Let’s just hope that THEY remember to turn them off when they leave… Can you see the nice pattern developing here?

9. Do You REALLY Need to Photocopy???
You’ve already sent the email to everybody – they’ll bring a copy to the meeting – don’t photocopy it. You’re just not helping the environment…

12 Ways to Help the Environment At Work

1. Turn Your Monitor Off:
Okay, not during the day, dummy! When you finish work, do you remember to turn off your monitor before you leave? Or is it on standby during the night, using electricity?

2. Turn Off Desktop Printers:
How many times a day do you print? Or, more to the point, is it necessary to have your printer on all day long? In some cases, yes it most certainly is, so fair enough. But if you only print a few documents a day, why not turn off your printer between prints?

3. Turn Down Your Monitor’s Brightness:
Changing the contrast on your monitor can reduce energy consumption by 25%.

4. Send Your Monitor to Sleep:
Change your computer settings to make your monitor sleep during periods that you may be away from your desk.

5. Turn Your PC Off:
Even more effective than the previous point, why not shut down your machine entirely when going to lunch and having meetings. Using no power is better than using reduced power!

Tips for the Summer:

6. Don’t Shut the Blinds!
Well, not completely anyway. Instead, angle them to use those bright sun rays to light your office, eliminating the need for electric lights.

7. Have An Open Door Policy:
By keeping your office door open, air can circulate throughout the building, minimising the work (and power consumption) of air conditioning units.

8. Leave Windows Open Overnight:
Heat is stored during the day in the building. If it’s safe and allowable to do so, open the windows when you leave. This will cool the office for the next day, again reducing the burden on the air con system.

Tips for the Winter:

9. Don’t Obstruct the Heat:
Make sure that your heating systems can heat the building properly – so don’t block heating vents with filing cabinets, and make sure that radiator’s aren’t obstructed.

10. Don’t Use Electric Fan Heaters:
These are expensive to run, they interfere with the building’s climate control, and can cause fires.

11. Don’t Open the Window!
If you feel it’s getting too hot, don’t open the window – turn the heating down. If you’re not in control of that, get someone who is to do so.

12. Dress Properly!
It’s Winter. Not a good time for short sleeved shirts! Jumpers, tights, vests, thermals. You know the score.

6 Ways to Save The Environment Through Transport

1. Drive Economically:
Changing gear at lower revs reduces emissions. It also reduces how much you spend on fuel, which can’t be bad! You need to aim to change gear between 2,000 and 2,500 rpms, depending on your engine size. More info here.

2. Convert to LPG:
Cars that run on Liquid Petroleum Gas produce less emissions. More details here.

3. Buy a Hybrid Car:
Hybrid Cards run on battery power, and therefore are more environmentally friendly than ‘normal cars. The most famous hybrid car is the Toyota Prius. Details on hybrid cars can be found here.

4. Blow Up Your Tyres:
Make sure that your car is running efficiently. Low tyre pressure means more drag on the road, the engine then needs to work harder to pull the car, increasing fuel consumption and emissions.

5. Car Share:
Four people. One car. Much better than 4 people, 4 cars. It makes sense.

6. Get the Bus!
Rather than using a car, use public transport, if you have a good enough system. It’s cheaper than running a car, and environmentally friendlier, too.

10 Ways to Save Help The Planet At Home

1. Turn Off the Lights:
You ever drive by someone’s house, and all the lights are on? Why? If a room isn’t occupied, turn the lights off. Otherwise, it’s like Blackpool Illuminations…

2. Turn Off the Taps:
Brushing your teeth? Washing your hair? Doing the dishes? Is it necessary to have the water running all the time? If not, turn off those taps.

3. Have a Shower…:
… Not a bath. Having a shower uses less hot water than a bath. Of course, sometimes nothing beats a nice long soak… but at other times, a quick shower will suffice.

4. Use Energy Saving Light Bulbs:
The save energy, they last for absolutely ages – saving you money, whilst you save the planet.

5. Recycle:
So much can be recycled – tin, paper, plastic, garden waste – so start doing your bit.

6. Power Down Your Appliances:
Is it really necessary to have your TV, VCR, DVD player, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 AND Nintendo Wii all on Standby? Not really. Get them turned off at the plug.

7. Don’t Recharge Your Phone Overnight:
A mobile only takes a couple of hours to charge. Don’t waste energy by leaving it plugged in overnight.

8. Solar Panels:
Install solar panels to power your house, using natural resources.

9. Block Drafts:
Hot air escapes through gaps in doors and windows. Blocking these up keeps the heat in, saving power consumption of your heating system.

10. Keep the Heating On:
Does your heating kick in in the morning, then kick in again on the evening? You’ve probably got your thermostat quite high then, to warm the house. Instead, try keeping the heating on all day, but at a lower temperature. Your house will be warm all day, but using less power.

Got any more tips? Leave them in the comments.

Like the article? The please Digg it.




Thanks.