Top 10 Ways to Drive Green
| 1) | Ease up on the jerky driving: gradually speeding up and slowing down at stop signs and stop lights, instead of jerking your vehicle to a stop and/or screeching off at an unnecessary high speed can help aid in overall fuel economy. |
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| 2) | Gas up at night: fumes created at gas stations by patrons filling up during the day are worsened when it is hot - by filling up at night, less gas evaporates, creating fewer fumes and less gasoline loss. |
| 3) | Lighten your load: by losing the cluttered junk in your trunk, you can decrease in overall vehicle weight, requiring less power and gas to operate, helping your pocketbook and the environment. |
| 4) | Shade yourself: using window shades will help keep your vehicle cooler during warmer weather, allowing your A/C to not be required to run at full blast when driving. |
| 5) | Breathe clean air: replace your air filters every 15,000 miles or so, which will help your cooling system not vacuum energy from your vehicle, beyond breathing cleaner air yourself. |
| 6) | Get regular tune-ups: keeping your vehicle's engine systems in check and in optimal running condition will provide less chance of pollution and gas-guzzling to occur in your vehicle. |
| 7) | Green-accessorize: ranging from environmentally-conscious tires to Greenpeace stickers to window-fans, there are many products out there that each make a difference, adding up to progressive change. |
| 8) | Recycle, recycle, recycle: there are many programs that will help you recycle everything in your car, as well as your car itself - take advantage of these when in disposal mode. |
| 9) | Explore your car options: why not switch over to a hybrid car? If not, there are more and more options evolving each year to remove our dependence on fossil fuels and vehicles that operate on them. |
| 10) | There are even more options: if it is within your lifestyle to make the full switch, bikes, public transportation and walking can provide health benefits to your body, pocketbook and the environment. |
Videos on Driving Green
How Does the Government Support 'Green' Cars?
3 min 6 sec
Ron Cogan with GreenCar.com talks about the different ways the federal government supports green cars like supplying grants and establishing cost-sharing programs. State and local governments also offer tax incentives for going green.
Manual vs. Automatic
1 min 37 sec
This video talks about maximizing your gas mileage, and compares the effects of having a manual transmission versus an automatic transmission on fuel economy.
Articles on Driving Green
Choosing a Green Repair Shop
This article offers advice to help you choose an auto repair shop that actively observes green business practices. They usually take extra measures to ensure that their hazardous wastes do not enter local waterways or landfills.
Fuel Economy
Find tips here to improve your fuel economy. By avoiding sharp braking and acceleration, keeping your tires inflated, and avoiding idling for extended periods of time, you can improve your gas mileage.
Should you Buy Green?
This article outlines the arguments for the decision to "go green" when you buy a new car. It is an investment that is at the heart of many ecological and political discussions, and is a highly personal decision.
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