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Don’t idle – turn off your car to reduce waste and emissions

2/27/2020

Letting your car’s engine idle for 10 seconds uses more gasoline than turning the engine off and restarting it. That’s a powerful argument for turning the engine off when waiting to pick up passengers or stopping at the grocery store. A study by the US Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory examined the effects of idling, in terms of both fuel consumption and emission of pollutants. The study noted that cars warm up faster in cold weather by being driven than they do sitting idle.

Photo by Andreas Christen, Flickr

Replace short car journeys with walking

2/21/2020

The advocacy non-profit America Walks notes that one quarter of all trips taken in the US are 1 mile or less, suggesting that walking could help to reduce traffic congestion, pollution, and the need for road maintenance.
But walking has distinct benefits for the walker, too, ranging from improved cardiovascular and metabolic health to greater cognitive function, better mood, and even increased longevity. The benefits of walking and tips for optimizing them were summarized in a 2019 Consumer Reports article. Compared to other forms of exercise, walking doesn’t require investment in specialized equipment and can be done close to home.
Photo by Paul Shultz, Flickr Commons

Consider an electric vehicle for your next car

2/13/2020

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that sales of electric vehicles surged between 2011 and 2018, and the selection of electric vehicles available for purchase is now greater than ever. So why not consider an EV when purchasing a new car?
The Union of Concerned Scientists tracks greenhouse gas emissions associated with electric cars, based on how electricity is produced throughout the country and on the efficiency of the vehicles themselves. As electricity production has trended cleaner in recent years, electric vehicles are looking better than ever for the environment. An average electric car being charged and driven in Pennsylvania in 2009 would have “emitted” as much carbon dioxide as a gas-powered car getting 64 miles per gallon. By 2016, that figure had risen to 79 MPG. In New York State, where electricity generation is less dependent on coal, the comparable figure was 191 MPG.
You can use UCS’s online tool to determine the emissions equivalent for a specific EV model in a specific part of the country (by zip code).
Electric vehicles are significantly cheaper to operate and maintain than gas-powered cars, and purchase prices are falling as the market for e vehicles grows. In 2018, 80% of electric cars sold in the US had a base retail price under $50,000.

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, Flickr Commons

Don’t idle – turn off your car to reduce waste and emissions

Replace short car journeys with walking

Consider an electric vehicle for your next car

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