Trading in the gas-hog SUV: It's not just about the money!

Or it shouldn't be. Just as Congress and some candidates are scrambling to outdo each other with plans to lower oil and gasoline prices, so too are newspapers reporting on their readers' strategies -- all while forgetting this spring's (healthy) obsession with the evident effects of global warming. So The New York Times, no doubt with the aid of Edmunds.com's PR firm or staff, has challenged the "Ditch the Gas-Guzzler" stampede from SUVs to more efficient cars, complete with a reference to Edmunds.com's online fuel cost calculator.

While the gullible majority of the U.S. public apparently believes that opening up more off-shore drilling will lower gas prices soon, Obama, among others, has gingerly tried to point out that we need to get ourselves off oil pronto, so drilling is not the solution.

So what about that gas-guzzler? If your small business does need a vehicle of that size, look into the following strategies to lower your costs: switching to biodiesel, if you have a diesel engine. Use mapping software to plan your trips and routes more efficiently. UPS reportedly has been eliminating left turns because so many of them involve idling for minutes, waiting for a traffic signal or break in traffic. Keep tires properly inflated. Keep those hotrod drivers of yours from trying to beat sports cars away from the stop sign. And if it is time for a new vehicle, look for biodiesel or flexfuel, hybrid or all-electric delivery vehicles. Yes, watch your expenses, but also consider the value to the fight against global warming. And hey, maybe a new administration will give all current owners a tax break of some kind. You sure shouldn't be punished or deprived for having been a leader in your community or industry.