The Road to Green - Reduce Emissions from Your Vehicle

By Shane Hampton

As more importance is placed on environmental issues around the world, Americans are starting to pay close attention to how they can become a little greener. Automobile usage is a key area that is a weakness for many people, but here are some tips to reduce the pollution and emissions that you create by driving your car every day.

Set a Radius
The first and most important rule of reducing pollution from your vehicle is to avoid using your car whenever possible. Set a radius around your home, as small as one or two miles, or as large as five or six. For destinations within this distance, pledge to ride a bike instead of driving. This is a great way to stay healthy and fit, as well as feel good about your contribution to reducing carbon emissions.

Cut Back on Gas
Second, when you do have to drive your car, there are ways to improve your gas mileage and efficiency. Make sure to plan your trips carefully to run all errands in one trip rather than going back and forth from your home. Any tip that can save gas will also reduce the total pollution that your car emits over time. Keep your car properly maintained; cut back on air conditioner usage; avoid areas and times of traffic congestion; accelerate slowly, and keep your speed consistent. Better gas mileage means fewer emissions.

Errand Carpooling
Carpooling to the office or school has been a standard way to reduce gasoline consumption for many years. Try expanding the concept of carpooling to your errands and daily trips, too. For instance, pair with a neighbor to take trips to the grocery store in one vehicle every week or two weeks. Reducing emissions is largely a personal decision, but it is also very important to work together as a community toward these goals.

New Cars
Many people are choosing to purchase cars built with new technology that reduces the environmental impact of driving. Some hybrid vehicles achieve fifty miles per gallon or more. Owning one of these vehicles certainly reduces your carbon footprint, but they can be expensive. Generally, smaller vehicles and manual transmission vehicles have higher gas mileage ratings, so look for these qualities when you are shopping. Also look for the official Environmental Protection Agency labels LEV, ULEV, and SULEV for low, ultra-low, and super-ultra low emissions vehicles, as well as PZEV and ZEV for partial-zero and zero emissions vehicles.

The price of gasoline is rapidly increasing, and with that price increase will come an increased sensitivity toward gas consumption. If you commit to one or two of the ideas presented here, you will save yourself some money and have the satisfaction of reducing your personal carbon emission rate. It can be done!

06/05/08