Earlier this week, Amanda shared a checklist on Fueleconomy.gov that helps you keep your car well maintained. Keeping your car well maintained is one way to make sure that it's not using more gas than it needs to.

Do you have any other ideas for saving gas this summer?

You have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments. [More]

Last week I went home for a family reunion. Visiting my family was great, and one of my favorite things was hanging out with my dad in the garage while he works on the car. When my siblings and I began to drive and own cars, my dad continually reminded us of the need to keep our cars on a regular maintenance schedule. With warmer spring weather here, and summer just around the corner, it’s a great time to get these things done. To make things easy, we have a checklist for you so it’s easy to remember what needs to be done. [More]

On Monday, Chris discussed the steps he takes to ensure he is saving energy and money while he's on vacation and away from home.

How do you save energy at home while on vacation?

Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments. [More]

Earth Day, Daylight Saving Time, and the upcoming Memorial Day holiday have me already looking forward to my annual summer "big trip." Before leaving town for extended periods of time, I always take some basic, small steps to save money and energy at home, including: [More]

On Tuesday, Shannon told you about some innovations from airports, car rental companies, and taxi companies that reduce fuel use and provide some greener transportation options when you travel.

How do you make greener transportation choices?

Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments. [More]

A recent flight to a conference inspired me to think about the impact of airports on our environment and society. Although modern planes have made it safe and fun to travel around the world, they use a vast amount of fuel. The petroleum used by the array of behind-the-scenes equipment, from shuttle buses to luggage carriers, adds up as well. Although Clean Cities doesn't address planes, our 87 local coalitions have helped airports limit their petroleum use in other ways, reducing their smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions.

A number of airports have adopted the use of alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles, ranging from gaseous fuels to hybrid cars. Denver International Airport has a special underground baggage handling tunnel that only vehicles running on either compressed natural gas (CNG) or electricity can use. Even their security force relies on electric, three-wheeled police vehicles instead of petroleum to get around. Flyers themselves experience advanced technology at the Charlotte Douglas Airport, which runs plug-in hybrid electric shuttles. Biofuels are the choice of other airports like the Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, which runs almost all of their 400 vehicles on B20, a blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% diesel. All of these technologies decrease our reliance on petroleum, increasing our country's energy independence and reducing the airports' environmental footprint. [More]