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http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/../photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg The basics of eco-driving have been taught in Germany since 1999. (minyanville.com/articles/index/a/22250)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/IMG_1335.JPGScott Reeves - Minyanville (minyanville.com) - April 17, 2009

A "follow the leader to the WSJ article" (Efficient Drivers Cut Emissions, but Stir Up Hot Air (cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21275)) and to put it mildly not exactly positive... commentable. --Ed.

Is it possible to drive a gas-guzzling truck in an environmentally conscious manner, boosting mileage while producing buckets of warm fuzzies for the true believer behind the wheel?

The Wall Street Journal has a terrific story about “eco-driving” that contains some tips, but has little real-world application, thanks to the hordes of drivers with horns and in a hurry.

The key: The rigorous application of common-sense driving tips combined with a bit of nuttiness -- coasting, for example -- can significantly boost gas mileage.

“First, watch the tachometer, not just the speedometer, and shift gears before the car’s engine speed reaches 2,000 revolutions per minute to minimize how hard the engine has to work,” the Journal says. “Second, don’t tailgate because tailgating requires a lot of unnecessary braking and accelerating.”

But this is nutty:... http://www.minyanville.com/articles/index/a/22250

From the article:

For most, eco-driving will be filed next to plans to lose weight, learn French and fix that dripping faucet that sounds like a hammer in the middle of the night.

This, for the majority of the population, is true, especially the losing weight part. That's why obesity rates have been going up for that past 30 years. If people don't care enough to live healthier lives, why would they care about saving a few gallons of gasoline?

The writer seems new to this topic as he stated eco-driving started in Germany in 1999. The name may be new, but the concepts are decades old.

It's amazing how hostile people become at the suggestion that lightening up the right foot can help a lot...a few don't speak to me as if I killed their 1st born. :rolleyes:

"The flip side is that for many, driving is a time to slip into a semi-vegetative state and avoid the pressures of the day."

This doesn't sound all that safe to me. I need drivers that are paying attention out there.