You already know how lousy it is. There you are, trapped in your car, stalled in traffic, watching life get reduced to a back spasm. Obviously—as you can see through the windshield—you’re not alone. It’s estimated that American commuters spend 4.2 billion hours a year stuck in traffic, wasting 2.9 billion gallons of fuel and spewing CO2 into the air. It might seem preposterous to suggest that any commute can be green, under the circumstances. But there are easy things you can do to drive sustainability home. The first tips below will help even the car-dependent get greener. The last steps are auto-free. Try them, and you’ll travel a healthier world.
Be smooth and slow. Driving 65 mph instead of 75 mph can improve your fuel economy by about 10 percent. For further savings, avoid the lurch-and-screech style of driving. Instead, accelerate and brake gently. And use cruise control to smooth your speeds on the highway.
Go semi-cool. Avoiding the air conditioner will also improve gas mileage. But don’t open windows on highways—it increases drag.
De-junk the trunk. An extra 50 or 100 pounds of weight in the trunk (or on the roof) reduces fuel economy by 1 percent or more. So take a load off.
Don’t be idle: If you’re going to be idling for more than about a minute, shut the engine off. Contrary to the myth, turning your car off and on doesn’t hurt the engine. More than ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting; idling in general wastes gas that gets you nowhere.
Don’t get deflated or de-tuned. Fully inflated tires and a well-tuned rig will help you improve gas mileage.
Get company. Yes, we all love to drive solo, the chosen mode for about 75 percent of Americans. But consider: each motorist emits an average of about 5.4 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Why not slash that CO2 rate into fractions by carpooling? It’s estimated that the U.S. could save 33 million gallons of gasoline daily if commuters added one more person to their vehicles. Ride sharing not only helps the earth, but also nets you some relaxation (schmooze! snooze!) while someone else drives. Plus, car-pooling helps you save thousands of dollars a year in gas and car maintenance costs. And you’ll save much-needed time cruising down those clog-free car-pool lanes.
Can’t find a ride buddy? Big cities have online resources like EZCommuters or Carpool Connect.
Be flexible! Traffic kills more than just your back. Creeping and crawling at 15 mph makes your vehicle spew three times more hydrocarbons than driving at 50 mph. If you can, convince your boss to let you use flex time so you can arrive at work and leave at different times than the masses, thus avoiding rush hour.
Drive a greenie. If you can afford it, buy a hybrid like the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic, or other vehicles with super fuel economy.
Pedal or hoof it. Riding your bike or walking to work even one day a week can take a huge bite out of global warming. If you need help finding safe bike routes, get guidance from local bicycle advocacy groups.
Hop on the bus or train. If your workplace is too far away for walking or bicycling, use mass transit. Light rail and buses are the most eco-friendly alternatives, with heavy rail in third place—but all three are vastly superior to single-passenger vehicles.
Telecommute. Working from home produces good things for the planet and the bottom line, in case your boss wants to know. Telecommuters tend to be happy, productive folks, and working from home can save 2 billion gallons of gasoline each year. Working from home even one day a week can slash your carbon footprint by 20 percent.
Bill S. says:
Here's another tip to green your commute: combine a few errands along the way. It may take a little planning, possibly even leaving earlier than you'd like but combining errands will save you gas, time, and reduce your carbon footprint all at the same time. Make a quick list of the things you hate to do and put off because they're a pain. Then, route those nasty errands and see what you can knock off on the way to work or on the way home. Personally, I hate going to the dry cleaner. But making a special trip just to pick up the clothes is a waste of time and money. Texting yourself a list of "things to do" is a great way to remember errands. Having your mate/friend/parent add to your list may be a pain, but it's effective if you're looking to save money, gas, and help reduce everyone's carbon footprint.