When it comes to buying cars, Americans are still using the price of the vehicle as the primary deciding factor. A well-priced, fuel-efficient vehicle is the car of choice for Americans and this is bad news for the flex fuel vehicle industry. In a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, only 5 percent of respondents said…
When it comes to buying cars, Americans are still using the price of the vehicle as the primary deciding factor. A well-priced, fuel-efficient vehicle is the car of choice for Americans and this is bad news for the flex fuel vehicle industry. In a survey conducted by Harris Interactive, only 5 percent of respondents said they would be extremely likely to purchase a flex fuel vehicle, even if it only added $250 to the base price of the vehicle.
David Duganne Sr., senior research director of Harris Interactive Automotive and Transportation Research, cites the increase in the availability of clean diesel engines as one factor leading to the decline of flex fuel vehicle sales.
“Consideration for clean diesel engines has been consistent over the past several years of the study, while that of flexible fuel engines has decreased. With the current push of clean diesel by European automakers, we anticipate this will start to increase while consideration for flexible fuel will continue to decrease, especially as other alternative fueled engines continue to come to market.” Source: Harris Interactive
Although this decline is bad news for automakers that have invested in flex fuel technology, the decline is not altogether unexpected. Flex fuel vehicles running on E85 are noticeably less fuel-efficient than the same vehicle running on traditional gasoline—about 15 percent less efficient. When you add the reduced fuel efficiency in with the fluctuating price of E85, consumers may end up paying several hundred dollars more per year for a vehicle that only has a nominal benefit to the environment.
On the other hand, interest in vehicles with an ECO drive assistant or a start stop system is on the rise. In the last year, interest in ECO drive assistant equipped vehicles has doubled—19 percent of respondents this year said they were very likely or extremely likely to consider purchasing an ECO drive assistant equipped vehicle with a $250 premium.
Consumers are even more interested in vehicles with a start stop system. Twenty percent are very or extremely likely to purchase a new vehicle with a start stop system even if that vehicle comes with a $500 premium charge. A vehicle equipped with either an ECO drive assistant or a start system can be up to 10 percent more fuel efficient than a similar vehicle without the added technology.
Overall, this survey shows that Americans are still focused on fuel efficiency at a good price. The more fuel efficient a vehicle is, the less money the consumer spends on gasoline. The less expensive the technology is, the more money the consumer saves up front. Although alternative-fuel vehicles have far more environmental benefits than more fuel-efficient gasoline engines, the financial bottom line is still on most consumers’ minds.
Melissa Hincha-Ownby blogs about the latest in green biz for the Mother Nature Network.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
