President Bush is urging the nation to cut their consumption of gasoline by 20 percent in the next ten years. The President is asking Congress to aggressively expand the use of alternative fuels and for Americans to go easy at the pump. But how can local consumers cut back?

The day after his address to the nation, President Bush is on the go - and going green.
The President began his energy tour today to promote his new energy initiative.

President Bush told the country Tuesday night, "To reach this goal, we must increase the supply of alternative fuels, by setting a mandatory fuels standard to require 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuels in 2017."

President Bush says the country's dependence on oil is a national security threat and he's calling on everyone - consumers, the country and car makers - to cut back.

"I'm a truck guy. I don't think they make hybrids as well," Bryan Adams, a local resident told KTEN Wednesday.

John Bojko, who's from Great Britain but works in the United States, says "It's not just America that has the dependence, it's every country."

Jaci Leeper, a Pottsboro resident, said her family was already in the process of shopping for a new car and had been looking at new hybrids on the market.

Gas-electric hybrid vehicles make up less than 2 percent of auto sales in the U.S. But industry experts and automakers say high prices at the pump, pollution concerns, and Americas reliance on foreign oil will make the car more competitive in the future.

Tom Harmon, a local car salesman said, "We don't know why people aren't buying more of these, we sell a few, but not nearly as many."

And then there's biodiesel fuel made from natural resources like corn. One plant in Durant Oklahoma produces Willie Nelson's brand and you can buy it - BioWillie - at a gas station in Calera.

Some ways to do your part at the pump:

  • Carpool with coworkers.
  • Drive slower and drive the speed limit.
  • If you have a diesel vehicle, try biodiesel.
  • And next time your shopping for a car, test drive a hybrid.
  • Americans who purchase hybrids get a tax break, anywhere between $200 and $2,600.

Car dealerships say anytime gas prices peak or there's major news regarding new advances in hybrid cars or fuel efficiency --- like the President's speech last night -- they do see an increase in hybrid sales.

Katy Blakey, KTEN News.