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Tip 24 - Carpooling |
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Private automobiles account for more than 20 percent of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, 34 percent of acid- rain-causing nitrogen oxides and 27 percent of our smog-related hydrocarbons. We are a mobile society, which means driving. It also means burning energy. Here are a few suggestions to lessen the effect of our driving on the environment. |
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ENERGY FACTS- Our vehicles use more gasoline each year than the entire U.S. oil industry produces. We now import 52 percent of our oil, even more than we did before the oil crises of 1973 and 1979.
- Most vehicles transport only one person. We have so much extra room in our 140 million cars that everyone in Western Europe could fit in them with us.
- With each vehicle so underused, our roads are more and more crowded. Traffic congestion wastes about 3 billion gallons of gas a year, a lifetime supply of gasoline for an estimated 600,000 cars.
- Your vehicle's efficiency is a significant factor. Fuel-efficient cars typically emit fewer noxious gases that contribute to global warming, smog and acid rain.
- There also is no need to sacrifice comfort to save gas. In 1987, the average car used 43 percent less gas than it did in 1978, though it had the same amount of interior space.
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SIMPLE WAYS TO SAVE ENERGY- Keep your car tuned: It's the easiest way to travel the same distance on less gas. A well-tuned car uses up to nine percent less gasoline than a poorly tuned car. A tune-up can reduce tailpipe emissions and help engines last longer.
- Track gas mileage. If it drops quickly, have your car checked for a problem. It also allows you to track what you're spending each year on gasoline.
- Zero in on zero mpg. When your car is idling in traffic or warming up, it gets zero miles-per-gallon. Idling for 60 seconds uses more gas than shutting off the engine and restarting it.
- Think inflation. The cost of driving on deflated tires is staggering. We waste up to 2 billion gallons of gasoline a year because of under-inflated tires. Maintaining tires at their rated pressure or slightly above can improve gas mileage by up to five percent and extend the life of your tires.
- Lighten up. Check your trunk for unnecessary weight. Carrying an extra 100 pounds can increase your gasoline use one percent.
- Consider retiring. Radial tires improve gas mileage by up to 10 percent on the highway, five percent in the city.
- When shopping for a new car, check its gas mileage. The law requires it to be listed on the sales tag. If you're buying a used car, ask the previous owner for his or her records.
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STAY OUT OF A JAM- Try public transportation. Many car commuters read the newspaper before leaving home and read reports after they arrive at work. By taking reading materials along on train or bus, you can sleep later and still be ahead of the game.
- Investigate carpooling. Some employers and local governments help commuters find others to share rides.
- Consider walking or biking once a week on a trip when you would normally drive. In addition to saving energy, it's good exercise.
- If every commuter vehicle in the United States carried just one more person, we'd save 600,000 gallons of gasoline (and 12 million pounds of CO2) every day.
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