Reduce Emission's and Find Savings

Reduce Emission’s and Find Savings.

By Travis Galbraith

Each year, the average car sends 7 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, about three and a half times the vehicles weight.  Every gallon of gas burned emits nearly 25 pounds of carbon dioxide and other global-warming gases into the atmosphere.

Passenger cars and lightweight trucks make up 60 percent of the U.S. transportation emissions and collectively produce more than one-fifth of the nation’s total global warming pollution. The remainder of emissions comes from medium and heavy-duty vehicles, plus aircrafts, shipping, rail, military, and other uses.

                                                       ucsusa.org

Let’s face it, not everyone fits on bike and not everyone can afford to wait for public transportation.  We all live very different lives and in today’s society appointments and schedules are hard to match effectively within bus stops and Max stations. So how do we improve the environment with what we’ve got? Answer, drive smarter!

Think Differently

We all can lessen our greenhouse gas emissions by taking it easy on the breaks and gas pedal.  Try to avoid hard accelerations and reduce the time your vehicle spends idling  (no more than 30 seconds) Remove the roof racks when you don’t need it, and take out items in your trunk to reduce the weight . Use cruise control if you have it and if your vehicle has selectable four-wheel drive consider switching it to two-wheel drive when conditions allow it.

Make Maintenance a Priority

Check your manufacturer’s maintenance schedule found in your owner’s manual and  get regular tune ups! The vehicle’s performance is greatly improves when its maintenance schedule is maintained. The car or truck will be more fuel-efficient and produces fewer greenhouse gasses and is safer and more reliable. It will also save you money in the long run!

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Having the correct tire pressure in your vehicles tires as well rotating them routinely will improve your fuel-economy and lessen the greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants coming from your vehicle.  Check your tire pressure regularly and rotate as often as your owner’s manual suggest with not only help the environment but will also prolong the life of your tires.

Glossary:

Automotive fuel economy: Fuel economy in cars is important because carbon dioxide emissions are directly related to the amount of fuel burned. "Miles per gallon," or mpg, is the way most Americans measure fuel economy. At your next fill-up, divide the miles traveled by the amount of fuel needed to refill the tank. For the 2008 model year, the EPA has updated its fuel economy test to reflect today's higher speeds, increased use of air conditioning, and other factors. In many cases, the published "window sticker" mpg values will be lower.

Sources
http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_vehicles/why-clean-cars/global-warming/
http://www.greenyour.com/transportation/car/car-driving/tips/avoid-car-idling
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/wycd/road.html

Interested in learning  more about how you can help the environment go to   www.bestuseoftime.weebly.com