Making Your Own Motor Fuel – Fred Stetson – Garden Way Publishing (US) 1980 ISBN 0 88266 163 9 – This is a book about how to make alcohol fuel for your car using various size stills including a 200 litre drum monster that might get you shot here in Aus, I’m not sure of the legal ramifications but if memory serves a 5 litre is the biggest you can have. Also covered is how to make your car run on alcohol and how to ferment the stuff in the first place. Lots of detail, line drawings and black and white photos.
Methanol and Other Ways Around the Gas Pump – John Ware Lincoln – Garden Way Publishing (US) 1976 ISBN 088266 051 9 – This is not so much a “how to” as “what’s out there” and discusses methanol, producer gas, fuel cells, and hydrogen, with a focus on methanol. Some line drawings and black and white photos.
Pumped – 101 Ways to Beat Petrol Prices – Roz Hopkins – Hardie Grant Books (AUS) 2008 ISBN 978 1 74066 713 5 – A little local book with some obvious and less obvious ways to minimise your fuel costs. Chapters include filling up for less, preparing and maintaining your car for greatest fuel efficiency, driving tips, choosing the right car alternatives like car pooling, public transport and bike riding. There is also a 101 tips section. A couple of graphs, no illustrations.
Cutting your Car Use – Randall Ghent with Anna Semlyen – New Society Publishers (US) 2006 ISBN 0 86571 558 0 – Another little book to help you reduce your reliance on your car including why you should, what alternatives are out there, changing your travel habits, living without a car. There is a large “resources” section but most only pertain to North America.
From the Fryer to the Fuel Tank – Joshua Tickell – Tickell Energy Consulting (US) 2000 ISBN 1 74018 149 2 – A very technical book that helps you turn vegetable oil into biodiesel including how to press your own veggie oil, plant and processes for making biodiesel and how to run your car on straight vegetable oil. There is also a chapter on trouble shooting and success stories. Lots of line drawings and black and white photos. Also published in Aus by Fast Books.
A Few Books with Sections on Fuel Efficiency Etc.
547 Ways to be Fuel Smart – Roger Albright – Storey Books (US) 2000 ISBN 1 58017 369 1 – This book is about being fuel smart in the larger sense but chapter 10 (pp83 to 90) covers reducing your car’s fuel consumption. Basic stuff.
Time to Eat the Dog – Robert and Brenda Vale – Thames and Hudson Ltd (UK) 2009 ISBN 978 0 500 28790 3 – Chapter 2 (pp72 to 126) covers transport with a well researched and scholarly discussion of the options including bikes, walking, cars, railways, planes etc. And what you need to do to make the correct decision about how you get to where you want to go.
CSIRO Home Energy Saving Handbook – John Wright, Peter Osman, Peta Ashworth – Pan Macmillan Aust (AUS) 2009 ISBN 978 1405 039611 – Chapter 8 (PP163 to 187) explores minimising greenhouse gas emissions from various transport alternatives. Colourful graphs and full colour photos but not particularly information dense, covers the usual stuff.
Greeniology – Tanya Ha – Allen & Unwin P/L (AUS) 2003 ISBN 1 86508 929 X – The Green Garage (pp 131 -142) – Tanya Ha’s stuff is usually pretty good and this book is no exception. Her chapter called the Green Garage covers some easy and not-so-easy things to implement to improve the carbon footprint of your car usage. Simple and easy to read.
