Step #2 - Commute efficiently

Every year we are adding more than 55 million gasoline based cars to the world. About 25% of today’s greenhouse gases are produced by cars and trucks. Addressing a more efficient commute might be one of the most impactful ways to change the course of the world’s environmental crisis.

I’ve found many facts on how cars have polluted (and are polluting) the planet, so I have picked a few of the most shocking ones for this post:

• The world uses nearly 800 million gallons of gasoline every day  
• Idling in traffic uses over 16 million gallons of gasoline per day
• In a 3500 lb car with a 150 lb driver, about 96% of the gas is used to move only the car
• Today there are +750 million cars in the world
• Car washes make our cars shine, but put pollutants into streams, waterways, and eventually drinking water.                                                                                               
• Air Particulate Matter pollution kills an average of 40,000 per year in the U.S. and up to some 200,000 in Europe.
• 1996 EPA report: cars, trucks, and buses produce over 3,000 cases of cancer.
• Car exhaust has also been linked to asthma, bronchitis, and other health hazards.
• If you think bad air affects only other people, think again. New information shows that air pollution from traffic increases the chance of heart attack for everybody breathing that air. The results are in the Journal Lancet.
• Intensive Car and truck pollution is shown to increase the risk of premature birth by 30%. The Univ. of Ca. Reports from traffic related air quality data in In Los Angeles.

Here are some advices on how to commute more efficiently:

 

• Drive as little as you can – or don’t drive. Work from home, ride a bike, walk. Live close to work. Try not driving once a week. This will save you time (no traffic or commute) and money
• Get a more efficient car – if you can’t afford it, make your car as efficient as it could be (tune it up, check tires, synchronize)
• Carpool – if you need to drive a lot, find someone else that can make your ride more efficient
• Ride public transportation – there are buses and trains going around anyway, why not riding them and saving some gas (and money)
• Drive a hybrid – hybrids are getting very efficient. Some have up to 50 MPG
• Drive an electric car – ideally, this would be the best bet for no emissions, no gas. More now that sustainable energy plants are being broadly developed

What are you doing to save the planet today?

According to fueleconomy.gov here are the least fuel efficient cars:

Vehicle Description /Fuel Economy Combined MPG
Chevrolet Colorado / 16 MPG
GMC Canyon/ 16 MPG
Nissan Frontier / 16 MPG
Suzuki Equator / 16 MPG
Ford F150 Pickup/ 13 MPG
Chevrolet Suburban 2500 / 12 MPG
GMC Yukon XL 2500 / 12 MPG
Toyota Sienna AWD/ 19 MPG
Chevrolet Express 3500 / 11† MPG
GMC Savana 3500 / 11† MPG
Ford E350 Wagon/ 11 MPG

Sources:

http://www.evsroll.com/Car_pollution_facts.html

http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/best-worst.shtml
http://www.worldometers.info/cars/