Public Transit Not For Everyone

For those of us who live in Portland, buying a car isn’t necessarily a concern. Between the public transportation, zipcars and our own two legs, we can get pretty much anywhere we want to go without the added hassle of taking care of a car. But what if your lifestyle necessitates buying a car? Some people have to be at work before or after public transportation stops running, some people live outside of the convenient range of public transportation, and some people are just in the habit of driving. These people can’t very well go out and buy a Hummer and drive it around the streets of Portland without getting egged. So what kind of car should they buy?
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) releases an annual list of the most environmentally friendly cars on the market. The ACEEE has been around for thirty years and is put in place for “Advancing and deploying energy efficiency technologies, policies, programs, and behavior as a means of promoting economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection.” (http://www.aceee.org/). Their list of green cars is based on each car’s exhaust emissions and fuel economy. By visiting their website you can search through what makes a hybrid car more efficient and more eco-friendly than other vehicles.
To search for a car that has a smaller environmental impact, you can visit the ACEEE website, http://greenercars.org/ also known as the ACEEE Green Book. This website provides market trends and some ratings for different vehicles. It also has a section on green driving tips. This segment emphasizes the importance not only of buying and eco-friendly car, but maintaining your vehicle. Their list of driving tips even includes some guidelines for parking. For example, you should park in the shade in the summertime because parking in the heat can cause some of your fuel to evaporate. The final section on this page encourages people to pursue alternative transportation methods. They remind people that many companies will provide incentives for you not to drive to work. Some places will buy your walking shoes while some will give you permission to dress casually at work or enter your name in a drawing for prizes! So here we have come full circle. Don’t drive if you can and drive green if you must.