EcoPerks

I have a little dirty secret that isn’t news to people who know me, and now you’ll be in on it, too: I drive an SUV. Yes, with all the sources of environmental damage from polluting corporations to governmental policies and all the finger-pointing happening as global temperatures soar to record highs, I find my hand turning to point at myself as well.Here’s how it happened: I had just been in a terrible vehicle accident in Los Angeles when I moved to Alaska to start my reporting career. At that point, my family and I decided it would be safest if I drove a larger car. And now, years later, I am a soccer mom, carpools and all.

But let me tell you, the price of gas is driving me, and many I know, into the poorhouse. With these high fuel prices, I pay about $240 a month just to do my normal driving. And, the Bush administration has proclaimed the price of gasoline, which soared after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, will remain elevated probably for years to come. With no relief in sight for our class=”padded-image” wallets, it makes sense to find ways to be more fuel-efficient. And with motor vehicles responsible for almost a quarter of annual US emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary global-warming gas, we have to do better. I have to do better.

As a driver concerned about CO2 emissions, there are three aspects to consider: the amount of fuel used, the emissions released from the type of fuel used and the number of cars actually on the road - all contributors to global warming. The only way to win the battle against global warming is to combat all these factors. This means, we need to increase the fuel efficiency of the cars we drive, switch our cars over to renewable fuels with less harmful emissions, and drive less.

As consumers, there’s only so much we can do. The government, under intense pressure from automotive industry lobbyists, waffles on mandating fuel efficiency standards. So, we can write our senators and congress people to support such legislation. For people who buy hybrid cars, there are already various tax incentives. But if you’re like me and need to work with what you’ve got, here are some ideas gleaned from various sources that can make our daily commute a little less burdensome on the planet and our wallets.

Keep your speed in check. This is tough. You should see me when I am trying to make my yoga class on time and miss all the red lights. Yikes. But for each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph you are paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.

Stop aggressive driving. I know. This is hard too. Especially if you’re in a big hurry, like I usually am, and all the cars around you are making you angry because they’re driving like morons and your boss just yelled at you or your kids won’t listen. But you can improve your gas mileage up to five percent around town if you avoid “jackrabbit” starts and stops by anticipating traffic conditions and driving gently.

Keep a lid on it. This one is easy! Loose, missing or damaged gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year, according to the Car Care Council.

Avoid unnecessary idling. Another simple one. If you plan on waiting somewhere for more than a minute (the actual 60 seconds), turn your engine off. You’re getting zero miles to the gallon by keeping it on, polluting the air and throwing your money away. You can save up to 19 percent in your average overall gas mileage if you follow this tip.

Use cruise control. This is for long steady driving only. It takes a lot less gas to keep going than to slow down and speed up. You can get up to 14 percent savings in your average miles per gallon when you use cruise control. It doesn’t work on mountain roads though, because your car has to work harder to keep it at the designated speed through hills and slopes.

Combine errands. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as one trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm. If I have several errands throughout the day, I list them (I have to these days or I’ll forget - not like the good ol’ days) and I plan a route based on those errands in my head. This kind of efficiency makes “cents.”

Drop the Load. I am guilty of this one. Sometimes, I’ll carry around a bunch of things I want to ignore for a while in the back of my SUV and thus weigh it down. The engine has to work harder to go the same distance and burns more fuel in the process. An extra 100 pounds in the trunk can reduce a typical car’s fuel economy by up to two percent.

Don’t be a Drag. Putting things on top of your car or driving a flat-bed pick-up truck creates wind resistance as you drive around. This can decreases fuel economy by five percent. Instead, get an aerodynamic roof carrier if you have to pile stuff up there. And get a tonneau for your pick-up truck to reduce drag.

Don’t Tire Out. I have to say, this is the one I hear about most often. It makes sense intuitively. An engine has to work harder if the tires aren’t rolling smoothly. Many experts say to check your tire pressure (when your tires are cool) every month and keep them aligned. The Federal Trade Commission says it can increase your gas mileage by three percent.

Don’t be an Airhead. Keeping your air filters clean can increase your fuel efficiency by ten percent. This is how your car gets its power. The air your car takes in while you drive combines with fuel to create the reaction that makes it go. If your car can’t get the air it needs, it becomes sluggish and unresponsive. To be even more environmentally sound, you can get a replaceable air filter that you only have to clean every 50,000 miles. The company, K&N Engineering, guarantees it for the life of your car or 10 million miles. It pays for itself the first time you would need to replace your air filter (6-8,000 miles), if you have it replaced professionally, or after two times, if you do it yourself. The air filter is serviced by a cleaning kit that lasts for 5-10 cleanings. See http://www.knfilters.com for details. And don’t forget to change your oil and spark plugs regularly - a well-tuned car is a more efficient ride.

And there are plenty of shysters out there trying to sell you bogus ideas like fuel additives claiming to save up to 26 percent in fuel per fill-up. The ones evaluated by the EPA didn’t stand up to those claims. The same is true of fuel system magnets. It’s like feng-shui for your car but totally bogus according to the FTC. Using higher-octane gas has never been shown to increase fuel performance. Read your manual and use the grade recommended for your car. Finally, never use neutral to coast downhill. First, it’s dangerous and second, it’s illegal. When you’re driving downhill, your car will use less fuel all on its own and you’ll still retain control of your vehicle. Big plus.

I found a couple other great resources for the fuel-concerned citizen. One is the Department of Energy’s website rating the fuel efficiency of various cars and many other super interesting tidbits. You can also find the exact impact your car is having on the planet. Very cool. The other is a Sierra Club analysis of the most environmentally friendly oil companies ranked from best to worst and why.

My amends to the planet will be the purchase of a hybrid vehicle the next time we are in the market to buy a new car, but in the meantime, combining several or using all of these tips will minimize the impact my car has on my wallet and the world.

[1]
E.g. www.consumerenergycenter.org/transportation/consumer_tips/index.html

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Rina Baraz Nehdar - Ecoist
Rina is the girl next door who’s been around the block. She started her career as a news reporter for NBC affiliate KTVF in Fairbanks, Alaska. There she strained to see through the winter darkness to file her stories on the environment. After catching a chill, she returned to her hometown of Santa Monica and worked in various newsrooms, including KCOP and the now defunct cable news channel OCN. She reported for a time for news radio KPFK, after which she worked to better the lives of women by producing stories for Lifetime’s Speaking of Women’s Health. She took a leave from news to lead health seminars with English speaking students around the world focusing on topics such as making healthy choices about tobacco and other drugs as well as delaying the use of alcohol. Recently, she has put away her traveling shoes to settle down with her new husband and stepson in the quaint town of Agoura Hills, California.

Tags: car, driving strategy, fuel-efficient driving, tire pressure, tune-up

This entry was posted on Monday, December 17th, 2007 at 2:04 pm and is filed under EcoTransit, Featured Article. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.