We love our wheels. They’re our freedom, our self-image, our babies—our black sheep. An estimated 830 million motor vehicles exist on earth today. About 250 million of them are in the U.S., where autos pollute the air and emit almost a quarter of the nation’s annual emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading global-warming gas. According to the Union of Concerned Scientists, the American transportation sector releases more CO2 than most countries emit from all sources combined.
So what’s the good news? There are dozens of ways to make your car more eco-friendly and your lifestyle more sustainable. Making the shift is easy. Just take a few of these steps.
Don’t idle. Contrary to popular myth, it does not hurt your car to turn off the engine and restart it to avoid idling—which you should definitely do. More than ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting. Every minute a car idles, it uses the same amount of gasoline it takes to travel half a mile, says the California Energy Commission (CEC).
Stay tuned and pumped. An out-of-tune engine can reduce fuel efficiency by 20 percent. So get rid of those coughs or splutters and follow the maintenance guide. Keep the air filter clean; change the oil and oxygen sensor when needed. And don’t forget to pump up the tires. If all U.S. passenger vehicles had properly inflated tires, it would save about 600 million gallons of fuel each year.
Be smooth. Steady driving without jerky stops and starts is one of the easiest ways to save gasoline and slash harmful emissions. Just one second of aggressive, pedal-to-the-metal driving can produce nearly the same volume of dangerous emissions as a half hour of normal driving. Obeying the speed limit also helps save gas and greenbacks: traveling at 65 mph instead of 75 mph can improve your fuel economy by 10 percent. For additional gas-saving, use cruise control on highways.
Go car-less or share. Leaving your car at home—or not owning one—is the ultimate option for sustainability. But what if you chuck the Chevy and still need wheels? A growing number of cities today offer car share companies like Zipcar or City CarShare, which let you choose from a fleet of cars (including hybrids) and rent by the hour or day.
Take the mode less traveled. Every car left at home helps the planet. So try mass transit. Ride your bike or walk. Join a carpool—it's a great way to make friends and enjoy those traffic-busting carpool lanes. If U.S. commuters simply added one more person to their vehicles, it could save 33 million gallons of gasoline daily.
Buy a green car. This is an expensive option, of course, but it pays off in big ways. Hybrids like the top-selling Toyota Prius or Honda Civic can get 50-to-60 miles per gallon. If those cars don't fit your needs, aim for the eco-friendliest auto possible. For help choosing, consult the Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Vehicle Guide or the U.S. Department of Energy green car find service.
For more information: Check out the news and inspiration from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and CarFree City USA.
Ken O. says:
I tried out the Zipcar Prius located under my apartment building for the first time last night. After figuring out how to turn it on (there's no key), driving it was a hoot! The dashboard panel shows you your current gas mileage and consumption based on how you drive (jackrabbit grandma or in between) and it also shows you when the car is regenerating battery energy. I love how it turns off the gas engine at stop lights. All cars should be built this way!
But most of the time, I ride the train, walk or bike. I'm lucky to live in a place with a high "walkscore" of 98 points out of 100 points.
http://walkscore.com/get-score.php?street=telegraph+and+19th,oakland&go=Go
Another way to green your car is to make it more aerodynamic. Check out http://www.aerocivic.com/ and http://max-mpg.com/ for How-Tos.
But in the end -- as much as we hate to admit it -- the greenest car is no car.
Cheers!