Share a car...or get a greener one
Want a greener car? The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) Green Book is the comprehensive guide, giving you all the info you need to choose the most environmentally friendly option. Or consider car sharing and use a car only when you need it.
Car sharing
Many people are finding they can forego car ownership and still get a care when they need one by participating in car sharing networks. These networks help you save money and resources while cutting down on the number of cars on the streets:
| Carsharing.net | |
| Flexcar | |
| Zipcar |
Get the Green Book at your local bookstore or online for under $10. Or for the same price, go online right now and buy a subscription at GreenerCars.org. The subscription gives you instant access to all the info in the book. (You can also browse the highlights for free.) If you are shelling out big money for a new car, it’s worth a ten spot to find the greenest and best car available.
| ACEEE's Greenest Vehicles of 2007 | |
| Consumer Reports’ “Greener Choices” ratings |
Why it’s important
On a per capita basis, the United States is the leading contributor to
global climate change (second only to China in country-wide
emissions), and motor vehicles are responsible for almost a quarter of annual U.S. emissions of carbon dioxide, the primary global-warming gas. The US transportation system emits more carbon dioxide than any other nation's total economy, except that of China, and presently accounts for seven of 10 barrels of oil this nation consumes. And, of course, our appetite for oil not only pollutes the air and warms the climate, it also increases the pressure to drill in fragile landscapes and conflict areas at home and abroad.
Why cut greenhouse gas emissions? The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a group of hundreds of scientists established by the United Nations to analyze global warming, indicates that the planet's atmosphere is warming even faster than previously anticipated. The Panel suggests that rapid warming could precipitate brutal droughts, floods and violent storms across the planet over the next century, and that rising temperatures could melt polar ice caps and raise sea levels by as much as 34 inches, displacing tens of millions of people in low-lying areas. Much of the costs of our behavior will be borne by less affluent nations—those who had nothing to do with the problem.
Of course, the greenest way to operate a car is to give it plenty of rest, leaving it at the curb whenever public transportation is available or a stroll would suffice (Then report that action back to Turn the Tide and see the amount of CO2 you're saving from entering the Earth's atmosphere.). But for times when you have to drive, driving a fuel efficient car is critical. For every gallon of gas you save, you prevent 19 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere. So before you buy, check out GreenerCars.org.
Learn more
More on hybrids and less polluting cars
- Hybrid Cost Calculator Tool - compare the lifetime costs and air emissions of a hybrid to those of a conventional vehicle.
- HybridCenter.org
- How to buy a hybrid - from the Union of Concerned Scientists
- Click (and Clack) here. Humorous, but sage advice on eco-driving and hybrids, from NPR’s Car Talk hosts.
- The hype on hybrids - from our newsletter, In Balance
- Future fuels - from FutureCars.com
Car Sharing
Many people are finding they can forego car ownership and still get a care when they need one by participating in car sharing networks. These networks help you save money and resources while cutting down on the number of cars on the streets:
| Carsharing.net | |
| Flexcar | |
| Zipcar |
Drive smarter
Tips on fuel efficient driving from Eartheasy
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