Category: Transportation

Don’t top off your car’s gas tank. It can damage your car and the environment.

2/10/2023

That little bit of extra gasoline that you try to squeeze into your tank when you top it off is more likely escaping into the environment or causing damage to your car rather than giving you that extra bit of fuel. According to the EPA, when you top off the tank, “gasoline is probably being sucked back into the gas station’s vapor recovery system or evaporating into the air, causing air pollution.”* Although you may intend to further fill the tank, “if you continue clicking on the nozzle, that extra gasoline will either be sucked into the vapor recovery tube or overflow.”*

Topping off can also cause harm to the charcoal canister of the onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) system in your car. Consumer Reports points out that “adding more fuel after the gas pump clicks off can damage the charcoal canister by saturating it with fuel and cause the check engine light to illuminate. If the ORVR is damaged, it won’t adequately capture those harmful vapors.”**

*EPA, June 26, 2004, “Don’t Top off Your Gas Tank -- Save Money at the Gas Pump and Help Protect the Environment”,
https://www.epa.gov/archive/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/714cf2672631269e852570d60070fe91.htmlwww.epa.gov
**Devin Pratt, November 13, 2021, “Should You Top Off Your Car’s Gas Tank?,” Consumer Reports.org https://www.consumerreports.org/car-maintenance/should-you-top-off-your-cars-gas-tank-a1176503026/

Photo by Mike Mozart, Flickr Commons

Walking is climate action

1/13/2023

Increasing the number of local trips we take on foot can greatly contribute to better air quality, less noise pollution, and other long-term benefits for our communities.

Read more here:

--https://www.best.bc.ca/storiesandnews/the-environmental-benefits-of-walking-3-reasons-to-walk-more

Photo by Susan O'Donnell

You are more likely to find a bargain buying an older electric vehicle, made more attractive by the new EV tax credits

9/1/2022

Buying an electric vehicle is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint by decreasing burning of fossil fuels. Just as for gas-powered cars, there are some advantages to buying a used EV. David Kuchta describes these advantages on TreeHugger.com. You may be able to save money on the purchase of used EV because, "given the quick pace of advances in battery technology, EVs depreciate faster than gasoline cars, so you are more likely to find a bargain."* As more charging stations are installed, the need for a longer battery range is reduced. Kuchta points out that "while older electric vehicles have less range than newer models, advances in vehicle range have leveled off in recent years; manufacturers realize that few people need vehicles with ranges over 200 or more miles."* In general, the cost of running and maintaining an EV, new or used, is lower than that for gas-powered cars, and the overall price can be further reduced by taking advantage of federal tax breaks.

*https://www.treehugger.com/buying-a-used-electric-car-6499502?hid=5cca5cc09cf857f7c3ce2406e7447b3b9236437e&did=828004-20220822&utm_campaign=treehugger-daily_newsletter&utm_source=treehugger&utm_medium=email&utm_content=082222&cid=828004&mid=95184956872

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, Flickr

Keeping old cars longer can help the environment more than buying new electric cars

6/30/2022

If you own a fuel efficient gas-powered car, a study from the Journal of Industrial Ecology suggests that you should hold onto it longer rather than running out to buy an electric vehicle right away. It takes a lot of energy to make a new car, and these researchers determined that 24% of a car's lifetime carbon emissions is a result of the manufacturing process. Even building electric cars has a carbon footprint.

As reported by studyfinds.org, the study concludes "that if car owners keep their vehicles on the road 10 percent longer before sending them to the scrapyard, the overall carbon footprint of cars would decrease by 30.7 million tons. That’s the equivalent of a one-percent decrease in CO2 emissions. Researchers say the reason of this is manufacturing new vehicles actually produces more greenhouse gases than continuing to drive existing cars — even if they use gasoline. The environment would also see a benefit if owners of brand new cars kept their vehicles longer before trading them in. Study authors say there would be a one-percent drop in carbon footprint if new car owners hold on to their rides 10 percent longer."*

*https://www.studyfinds.org/keeping-old-cars-help-environment-more-than-new-electric-cars/

Photo by Robert Couse-Baker, Flickr

Properly inflate your tires to reduce carbon emissions

3/24/2022

According to Treehugger.com, improperly inflated tires can add approximately 1.5 tons of greenhouse gasses to the atmosphere per 12,000 miles driven. This occurs because underinflated tires require more energy to move, increasing the vehicle’s gas mileage. To avoid these additional emissions and save yourself some money from the cost of additional fuel, check your car’s tire pressure monthly and maintain it at the PSI recommended by the manufacturer. To get the most accurate reading, check the pressure before driving when the tires are cold.

Source: Larry West, https://www.treehugger.com/keep-tires-inflated-save-the-planet-1203959
Photos by Sean O'Donnell

Consider a travel company doing off-the-beaten track adventures.

4/15/2021

Travel and tourism companies are starting to incorporate ways of supporting the local communities at their travel destinations and reducing the carbon footprint of their traveling customers. Katherine Martinko lists several such tourism companies in this 2021 article on treehugger.com.

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

When planning your vacation, consider that cruise ships emit even more carbon than airplanes.

6/27/2019

The mode of transportation that you choose for your vacation has an impact on your carbon footprint. While airplanes are known to burn a large amount of fuel per trip, they are far outpaced by cruise ships in their effect on the environment. According to Credo Energy blog writer Indigo Wilmann, "the average cruise ship releases as much particulate matter into the air in one day as 1 million cars."* Indigo also points out that cruise ships dump large amounts of pollutants directly into the ocean: "The average cruise ship, with 3,000 passengers and crew, produces 21,000 gallons of raw sewage daily, along with over 450,000 gallons of gray water, 4,000 gallons of oily bilge water, and up 19 tons of solid waste."*

*Indigo Wilmann, July 31 2018, Tuesday Tip: How to make sure your ecotravel is actually green and ethical, Credo Energy blog, https://www.credoenergy.com/blog/2018/07/31/ecotravel-actually-green-and-ethical/?aid=&utm_source=energy_em&utm_medium=acq_email&utm_campaign=acqe_engage&utm_content=emeng_jun19_0nn

Photo by Robert Easton, Flickr

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