Every year the largest glacier in North America, the 120-mile long Bering Glacier, sheds seven times the water volume of Lake St. Clair near Detroit. It’s melting at a rate of 30 cubic kilometers per year, according to the Michigan Tech Research Institute. Many scientists believe that accelerated glacier melting is only one part of an alarming global-warming trend, part of which can be traced to the 140 million automobiles we drive 1.7 trillion miles yearly.
There are simple techniques every motorist can apply to reduce a vehicle’s negative impact on the environment and save money on fuel. Here we highlight 10 things any driver can start doing immediately with virtually no inconvenience to daily routine. They include actions as simple as clearing out the trunk to reduce weight, making sure tires are properly inflated and turning off the engine when the car is parked.
Automobiles are serious polluters. Each gallon of gasoline consumed generates about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2), according to the EPA (click here to find out how they calculated this). The typical passenger car delivers six tons of CO2 to the atmosphere per year.
The CO2 that motor vehicles emit through their tailpipes gets trapped in the atmosphere for periods ranging from decades to centuries. Once in the atmosphere, the CO2 absorbs heat from the sun and radiates it back to Earth. Over years, this has caused the temperature of the oceans and the air to rise and has contributed to the phenomenon called global warming, scientists say. Gases in the atmosphere, like CO2, that contribute to global warming are called greenhouse gases. Others include water vapor, methane and ozone — some of which can be naturally occurring.
Many of the tips in this article help mitigate CO2 emissions by reducing fuel consumption; others address proper disposal of hazardous materials associated with vehicles.1. The Right Tool for the Task
2. Route and Speed
3. Tires
4. Junk in the Trunk
5. Aerodynamics
6. Idling
7. Fuel
8. Air-Conditioning
9. Oil Changes
10. Disposing of Waste
