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Act: Car |
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Automobile Emissions and Global Climate Change
In 2004, U.S. transportation activities accounted for 33% of fossil fuel related CO2 emissions; 60%of these emissions are attributable to personal cars! The remaining emissions came from other transportation activities, including the combustion of diesel fuel in heavy-duty vehicles and jet fuel in commercial aircraft. |
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How can we operate our cars more efficiently to minimuze CO2 emissions?
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Keep your tires inflated - you can improve the gas mileage of your vehicle by up to 3.3 percent. That's a savings of up to $.10 per gallon, not to mention the environmental savings! |
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Maintain a steady speed and drive only as fast as you need to - gas mileage usually decreases rapidly at speeds above 60 mph. As a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas. (Note: aerodynamic drag increases exponentially with speed, and aerodynamic drag is the primary source of drag once you get to cruising speed). If you're not in a hurry, slow down. |
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CARPOOL! If you're not driving, you're not creating greenhouse gases. |
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Don't step on the gas if you don't need to. If you see a red light or slower cars ahead, don't accelerate. When you speed up only to have to hit the brakes, you're just wasting energy and money. |
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Use cruise control on the highway when it's safe. |
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Remove extra weight from vehicle - heavy items could reduce MPG by up to 2%. |
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Drive your most efficient car whenever possible. |
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Use public transportion or ride a bike whenever possible. |
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Make sure your car is "tuned up" and running well. |
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Combine trips when you can. |
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Fuel Efficiency of Cars |
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Find out the fuel efficiency of a car and compare it to others. Learn about its fuel costs, energy impacts and greenhouse gas emissions.
Fuel efficient cars >> |
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Transportation Statistics |
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| How much do we drive today versus the past years? The data shows that we are more dependent upon our cars now than ever before. Transportation statistics >> |
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Car Share Programs |
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| Find out about car sharing programs and if they are available where you live. Car share programs. >> |
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Compare Alternative Fuels |
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| Education youself about alternative fuels and lessening our dependence on oil. Alternative fuels. >> |
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Looking for a Hybrid? |
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| Compare hybrid models side-by-side for fuel efficiency, cost and other factors. Hybrid vehicles >> |
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