E-mail Sherry Listgarten About this blog: Climate change, despite its outsized impact on the planet, is still an abstract concept to many of us. That needs to change. My hope is that readers of this blog will develop a better understanding of how our climate is evolving a...  (More) About this blog: Climate change, despite its outsized impact on the planet, is still an abstract concept to many of us. That needs to change. My hope is that readers of this blog will develop a better understanding of how our climate is evolving and how they want to respond, and will feel comfortable asking questions and exchanging comments on the topic. It is important that we develop a shared understanding of the basic science and impacts of climate change, to make sense of our actions and policy options going forward. My background is not in climate science, and I'm not even particularly green; my hope is that helps to make this blog more relatable. I studied math and neurobiology on the east coast before moving out here in 1987 for grad school in computer science. After working in the tech industry for about 25 years, I retired a few years ago to better align my time with my priorities. I love spending time outdoors, and feel deeply our responsibility to this incredible planet that we call home.  (Hide)

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Your comments (many of them quite sensible) feel like a 1970s Redux. [Portion removed]

I am trying to drive less often. I boycotted driving on Wednesday (worked from home because I got gas Tuesday and it was 77 cents more per gallon than the last time I got gas, which was four days ago. I should've filled up but I was in a hurry. Lesson learned! I have taken the advice of a gentleman on another blog. He reminded us all to check the air in our tires, drive slower, don't use A/C unless necessary, etc. Drive something smaller or newer is good advice too if that's an option. I don't pay for gas with a credit card, but I've noticed that gas stations are charging 30-40 cents more per gallon for credit. What happened to 10 cents more? Greed!

Good grief...$6.49 a gallon for unleaded regular? We try to consolidate errands that involve driving & will be considering an EV when auto manufacturers improve the range/distance capacity. Does anyone remember 1979 when buying gas was restricted to odd-even license plate days? Or when freeway driving was restricted to 55 mph? Driving at the double-nickel in the far right lane does save on gas even though everyone else is passing you by! When I started driving in the late 1960s, gasoline was about 25-30¢ a gallon and the service station attendants washed your windshield and checked the oil. And there was a lot more joyriding and cruising going on as well.

The Driving slower on highways advice applies also to Hybrids or plug-in hybrids as gas always takes over a higher speeds.

"...considering an EV when auto manufacturers improve the range/distance capacity." I drive from San Jose to San Diego regularly and can complete the one-way, 8.5 hour journey on a tankful of gas. This would be impossible with an EV and periodic re-charging along the way would pose a real nuisance in terms of time lost and inconvenience. I get pretty good gas mileage on my 2021 Nissan Altima and have absolutely no intention of ever switching to an EV.

For real energy independence, use renewable energy. There's an endless supply. Similar to Sherry's sister, we've been saving by driving our more efficient vehicle whenever we need to drive. It's an electric vehicle (EV), so we're close to being independent of gasoline. EV's are very fun to drive, and more varieties are available all the time, including relatively inexpensive ones, and ones with a range over 300 miles. Even households that want a car for really long trips can consider making their 2nd vehicle an EV for all the short trips. Even if you're skeptical, It doesn't cost anything to test-drive an EV the next time you're thinking of buying a car.

"Different Horses for Different Courses": There is no "Silver Bullet" or single solution to any problem - especially the environment. According to Bill Gates & other experts, the greatest environmental damage is NOT from operating the auto, but by building it! Thus, the best approach is to operate your car until it is no longer reliable/appropriate and then replace it. When you replace it, do so with what works best for the individual. In Palo Alto where you can walk to services,(greatly subsidized) public transport is available and the residents are "rich" (at least compared to other parts of CA & the USA), an EV probably makes sense. However, in Kern County & other parts of CA an EV would be a totally unusable! The key is to educate the residents & let them & the free market solve the problem. Even the smartest Gov't Planners have failed & normally create more harm than good. For example there is NO free lunch with EV's. The raw materials are scarce, their mining is an environmental disaster and most are controlled by China. Perhaps worse, the recycling of Li batteries is almost non-existent and the environmental damage from improper disposal is enormous. Please don't feel so Virtuous by forcing people to switch to EV's & public transit. When I see our Gov't Planners & Pubic Officials on SamTrans & BART, I'll feel differently!

I remember 1970 when gas was seventeen cents gallon in the upper Midwest US. Determining the cost of gas before we pump it into our cars is so convoluted it is next to impossible to figure it out, let alone understand it. Example: Gas is $4-gallon, Oil is $100 barrel, February 28, 2022. March 4, 2022, Russia invades Ukraine. A barrel of oil shoots up to $200 barrel. Mind you, that oil is not refined into gas yet. However, the price of refined gas immediately shoots up to $4.75 gallon. that is refined gas in the storage tanks in the ground where we are pimping it that is now $4.75 gallon. Immediately gas stations are making a ton of money on their refined gas that cost them $100 barrel. Why don't they wait until the $200-barrel oil is refined before they raise their price?

Two things. We drive up and down the State in our EV. It is pretty easy to charge without problems and usually at much nicer venues than gas stations for potty breaks. For a drive to say San Diego, we can choose where to charge at a nice place, walk around outlet stores or similar, have lunch, all while the car is charging. We need to stretch our legs for a while anyway. Two years ago the highways were empty. There was no commute rush hour. None of us had anywhere to go. Life was spent at home except for those who had to work for essential industries or to go out for essentials. Life was dull with no place to go, particularly as parking lots were closed at hiking spots to keep us all home. I keep reminding myself how much nicer it is now that we can visit friends/family, eat out, go to places of interest, sports, theaters, etc. I think we all appreciate the return to normal driving habits. Now, if only public transportation could take up the slack by being improved for those regular commutes, daytime outings, and trips to airports.

So much disinformation in the comments. Painful to read. Here's a fresh personal experience to contrast with the nonsense: The family and I went to Sonora this weekend in our EV. On the way there, we used a supercharger in Manteca to top up the battery. Charging was complete before the nearby In-n-out finished making our burgers. The total charge was $6.70. Today we went to Bear Valley and on the way back home stopped in Copperopolis to charge the EV battery, which was nearly empty. We decided to eat dinner while the car charged, but before our food was served, I got a text on my cell telling me that charging was done and that I should move my car. Total cost: $21. If you enjoy driving on distilled liquid dinosaur sold by authoritarians from around the globe, have fun. While you're polluting the air and paying for the privilege, those of us that switched to EVs will be wondering why you still don't get it.

Your reader got lucky. I got a quote for installation of heat pump water heater of $6000! Since the water heater alone costs about $1800 at Home Depot, getting it installed for $1275 seems miraculous.

I'd just like to request that those of us who are driving slower than the prevailing speed on traffic on 101, 280 and our other highways remember to drive in the right or adjacent lane. Keeping slower traffic away from faster traffic substantially increases safety by minimizing unsafe lane changes, tailgating and of course road rage.

If everyone drove an EV we would have a much cleaner environment but the EV charging stations will need to be as widespread as conventional gas stations. Shopping center charging stations are inadequate and too limited in number to accommodate a large number of EVs if everybody drove one.

Is it a bad idea to purchase a previously-owned EV? Reason for asking...buying a used car with a decaying lithium ion battery and then having to replace it could get costly. The same applies to buying a used smartphone. Fewer security updates aside, only Apple factory designated refurbished iPhones guarantee a new battery and exterior cosmetics.

I've been riding my pedal bike and taking the bus for years, with a small electric vehicle for the times where those don't work. I know that doesn't work for everyone or every situation, but I think it deserves mention. I haven't thought about direct gas prices in years.

This is exactly what climate change advocates want to see - fossil fuels becoming much more expensive, so people use them less. Unfortunately California has neglected to provide us with a better alternative. Electricity is already ruinously expensive here and getting worse every year.

No, absolutely not. Until National and regional agencies take action to rein in the HUGE global greenhouse gas emitters I am not going to drive less or use less natural gas. You can pay Elon for a gamified car who's features he can shut off or charge more for at his whim of you like. Certainly huge sacrifices will have to be made if we are going to restore a livable planet, but wealthy Palo Altans installing heat pumps are not going to be a significant players in the crisis to come. It is a distraction preventing real change. Greta Thunburg has the right idea. But no one is listening.

There is a lot of talk about solo trips here, assuming my car, maybe my family car, my bike... And then the occasional "well, more people should ride transit, or the train, too." But who does? Who want to? Who can imagine their commute or any local trip on transit? Maybe it is time for a column about land use choices our community has made, and continues to make, and how that makes bus and rail impractical for most Palo Altans, and, counting the other end of the commute in this county, pretty impractical at both ends. How long a walk is it from the nearest bus stop to your work desk? For me it is 0.4 mile from street to my desk, and another 0.3 mi to the nearest bus stop. For me, a bicycle + transit or train makes a car-free commute possible, but without the bike it would be too many miles of walking, and waiting for transfers. At least the city has been steadfast in support of neighborhood shopping centers like Alma and Edgewood. I love having the newer grocery store near me, and from addresses in Midtown, there is a good chance of a food store within a 3/4 mile walk.

EVs are a terrific idea but they are cost prohibitive, especially for younger people just getting out of college. If California really wants to encourage EV usage, dealers should offer a buy-back/trade-in program for gas-powered vehicles and the state can reimburse them for the rebate. In the meantime, I will be relegated to driving my 2010 gas-powered Honda Accord.

Josie Gaillard wrote an interesting oped in the Almanac that is worth reading: Web Link Nobody said it will be easy or cheap to move away from fossil fuels; but it is time to start. Here's an idea: go buy an EV and help create demand for more charging stations. And the Bay Area Air Quality Management District does have a buy back program for really old cars.

Hey everyone. Great comments, thanks. A couple of random thoughts below… Re the cost of the HPWH installation I mentioned, via SunWork, it is after the rebate(s), which SunWork deals with. The main limitation with SunWork is that they constrain, at least for now, which types of HPWH installations they will do. For example, it must be in the garage. There is lots of information here, along with typical costs in different cities. Note that Palo Alto is an outlier -- it is much more expensive for SunWork to install a HPWH in Palo Alto. A number of you say that EVs are expensive. That is absolutely true. But so are gas cars. Study after study in the last few years has shown that EVs, over their lifetime, are less expensive than gas cars. Interesting fact: In 2021, 12.4% of all new vehicles sold in California were zero-emission, up from 7.8% in 2020. But any kind of new car is still a big upfront expense. I do think used EVs are often a great deal. If you are lucky enough to have Peninsula Clean Energy as your power provider, they are even offering a rebate (up to $4000 for income-qualified households). The battery health on used EVs can vary, so you might take a look at Recurrent reports. One reader says that environmentalists are psyched about the high gas prices. I don’t know if I qualify, but I am not. If we were going to have high gas prices, I’d want that to be because we have a small surcharge to help with electrification, to make heat pumps and electric vehicles even cheaper for people. Instead all this money is going to -- where? Fossil fuel companies? Not my jam. One reader says we need a ton of charging stations. We do. But keep in mind that many people will charge at home or (hopefully) at work. Even with so-called “level 1” charging (a regular outlet), you can charge about 40 miles from 8pm to 6am. I’ve seen EVs parked in multi-family car ports with an extension cord. I agree that land use and EV battery recycling are good follow-on topics. Finally, I think it’s interesting how a question like “Gas is really expensive. Are you trying to use less?” brings out some commenters who are so devoted to their use of gas that they will never use less despite the cost. It's a principle, I guess, the "Never Use Less Gas" principle. Strange times we live in, with so much of our identity wrapped up in how we heat our water. I really regret that this has gotten so politicized. Anyway, great to see so many of you thinking about this, thanks for the comments.

A Reminder to Readers: I will remove comments that are off-topic (e.g., aggressively promoting an anti-nuclear agenda on a post unrelated to nuclear energy) or that are designed to provoke (e.g., asserting questionable statements as fact and politicizing topics). I will particularly tend to do this if the commenter also seems to be misrepresenting their residency. I hope this makes the comments more useful and easier to read. Please email me if your comment has been removed by mistake. There is an email link at the top of every post. Finally, as a reminder for new readers, please ignore the "likes" count. The likes are easy to spam and a few people do spam them in order to make their opinions appear popular.

The cost of a new or previously-owned EV is still very cost prohibitive, especially among poorer people of color. Meeting the asking prices are far easier for wealthier individuals who reside in the more affluent neighborhoods like Palo Alto. Everyone is trying to do their part but providing for the basics of life like food, shelter, clothing, and proper medical care takes precedence over buying an EV at present or for the future. Perhaps the State of California could provide larger EV rebates to encourage those earning below a certain income level to purchase an EV. 30-40% off manufacturer's sticker price would be a positive incentive.

To these commenters who suggested that the best way of using less gas is to buy an Electric Vehicle: Tesla just announced its second price hike this week (30% over the past 12 months). Web Link

Another inexpensive contribution many of us can make: Dry clothes with solar power. Yes, a clothes line. Roughly speaking, 10 minutes each to hang and remove the clothes (listen to music or a podcast), 2-3 hours to dry on the kind of sunny day we've had so far this year. Less in summer.

EV = electricity. How's your electric bill. What type of resources is your provider using? Factor that and the finite of lithium and hazardous waste to dispose, EV doesn't mean toxic free or environmentally friendly. I used 1 tank of gas to get to San Diego. We may have stopped at rest stops but that was it. We would need a long stop in EV. I wouldn't be safe going across country. I do walk a mile to the post office (or did until crutches ) and trips are planned for quickest route. That means planning which shops, work, etc. and the most efficient route with no sudden starts and stops.

• Are you trying to use less gas? At the current gas prices it has now become a matter of fiscal necessities. Given the American corporate way, when EVs become prevalent, the price of electricity will also increase.

I find the comments with skepticism of EV's very disappointing. I understand the concerns about range and charging stations, but they are less and less of a concern as time goes on. AAA magazine just had an article about the feasibility of doing long trips with a Nissan Leaf, which has a relatively short range. You just have to do a little more planning. The way to go for a multi car household is to have an EV of any range and a hybrid, and have household members share the vehicles depending on the trip. My husband and I have been doing this throughout COVID with a Leaf and a Toyota Prius. In fact the Prius is generally "stored" for thirty days at a time so we can save 50% on our auto insurance bill. We spent less than $120 on gasoline last year. If you think about all the short trips done for shopping and errands the Leaf is perfect for this because short trips are worst for gas mileage in regular gas cars. I bought a used Leaf and am incredibly happy with it. With all the fires and the drought and scary warm temperatures we are experiencing this winter - don't people get it? Very disappointing.

Thanks Sherry. I liked the tip about the gas mileage graphs which apparently show the penalty at the pump to be approximately linear. Now, if only cars had the ability to sample their own highway speeds and reflect the resulting nonlinear safety hazards as vehicle registration penalties, then we'd be getting somewhere!

Given the price of homes in this area you can note that an EV car is a high-priced item. You also have to upgrade your home with a charging station that is using electricity to charge the battery. If all the homes are now adding charging stations and using more electricity then that is a hit to the city's utility system. All of the electricity is coming from the cities utility system. How old is the city system? What do we need to do to upgrade the source of all of this electricity?

Dear Resident 1: Owning an EV does not mean a home charging station is mandatory. EV's come with a cable that plugs into a 220V outlet, which most garages have. I've owned a Leaf for six years and have never felt the need for a home charging station.

To make the conversion to EVs more attainable, the state should offer a buy-back program for older gas vehicles. A similar program was initiated in the early 2000s where the state would pay people $1000 for cars that no longer met CA smog requirements. Given the $31B that was wrongfully paid in countless fraudulent unemployment claims during the 2020 pandemic, the state could afford to do something along these lines. Maybe around $5000 per gas car with a limit of one rebate per household.

Please know that cars heat up and blows heat while you drive coz fuels has warm temperature in it. And hot temperature is rising. Speaking of expensive fuels, this is the time to minimize driving coz by minimizing we're Lessing the heat and prevents drying our environment and hopefully the rain will come regularly. I noticed that in winter the rain usually comes. Minimize driving, I don't think this is hard to do.

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