Letter to the editor of the Knox-News Sentinel. The letter was published on June 24, 2007 in this shortened form:Stop complaining about the high gas prices. Noticing how much our driving and all other activities cost the environment, it should be even more expensive.
When I see full-size, four-wheel-drive pickups passing me on the road seldom having a load on the bed and barely more than one person in the car, I cannot understand your complaints.
Instead, look around in other countries at how they can still deal with gas prices as high as $7 a gallon — actual price in Germany — and a lower average income per capita.
How do they do it? There is no need for the car manufacturers to build more fuel-efficient cars; there is a need for the consumer to downsize the car and buy the fuel-efficient ones.
Be honest. Do you need your full-size pickup, really? You can switch to a car running on regular unleaded and getting almost 48 miles per gallon.
Five years ago, when I lived in Europe, I had one of those. If that is still too much, get a diesel mini-van, carrying seven passengers with 63 miles per gallon cutting down your gas costs to a fourth compared to some pickups.
That cuts your costs from 20 cents to 4.7 cents per mile with a $3 gas price, not mentioning carpooling or other options.
I understand that some of these fuel-efficient cars are not available in the states yet. But isn’t that the case because we don’t demand them?
CLAUS DANIEL
Knoxville
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