Five Ways to Greener Driving
By Liz Kaadou If the world were an eco-oasis, we would all proudly drive swanky electric cars, jump on the super efficient subway or simply stroll to our desired destination. But the world is not that perfect, and with work, school, the gym, errands and anything else penciled on our “to-do-list," being environmentally friendly is sometimes the last thing on our minds. To make life a bit easier and driving a bit more “greenified,” here are five practical ways to take your car rides to the green level.
1) Take the Junk out of your Trunk - we tend to accumulate everything from soccer balls to pop bottles in our trunks, and adding extra weight to your car only guzzles more gas. Try emptying your trunk and throwing away the junk every night to ensure a swift car ride the next morning.
2) Be Creative with Carpooling - find some buddies at work or school that live nearby and set up a car sharing schedule. Not only is it a great way to reduce pollution but it saves you money at the pump!
3) Keep a Detailed Drive Schedule - keeping a schedule of all your driving destinations for the day will allow you to plan the best routes and group errands that are close to each other, thereby avoiding any unnecessary travel.
4) Shade Yourself - a simple way to reduce energy use is to invest in window shades. These inventive devices keep your car cooler during warm weather so your A/C can take a breather!
5) Fuel up at Night - Heading to the gas station later in the day is actually a plus for the environment. When you fill up your tank at the station, fumes are created by the patron in gas and are more potent during the day because the temperature is warmer. At night, less gas evaporates, lessening the potent fumes released in our atmosphere.
For more eco-friendly driving advice, visit RTM's Earth Tones section.
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Another way to improve mileage (by about 3%) is to keep tires properly filled with air.
Posted by: Kirsten@Nexyoo | 11/05/2009 at 12:04 PM