By Nayna Shah
You have already greened your summer and your diet, so what’s the next step to becoming an environmental guru? Greening your car. The emissions from billions of the Model T’s descendants all over the world are a major contributor to the carbon dioxide clogging up the atmosphere.
During the 1900s, 90 percent of children who lived within three miles of their school walked or biked the way. Today, that same percentage accounts for the population who drives to a destination only a half mile away!
In 2002, the total carbon dioxide emissions from cars and trucks exceeded 314 million metric tons, a figure that can be reduced with the help of a few simple tips.
The ideal green-mobile is a hybrid vehicle. Hybrids use both gasoline and an electric motor, powered by a rechargeable battery. Hybrids are much quieter than a conventional car and can get up to three times the mileage per gallon. Computer systems installed in these vehicles control which energy source to use at certain times to maximize efficiency and safety. The batteries last for up to 10 years and hardly ever need recharging. The partial use of gasoline makes for a decrease in emissions and an extremely eco-friendly ride.
Although if would be idyllic if every household owned a hybrid vehicle, it’s not easy for every person to ditch their own car and spend their entire savings on a new one. It is easy, however, to follow a few tricks to lessen the carbon dioxide rushing out of your tailpipe.
Begin by driving smoothly, instead of jerky stops and starts. Flooring it for only five seconds can produce the same amount of CO2 as 30 minutes of normal travel. Next, turn off your engine if possible when standing still for one minute or more. Contrary to most beliefs, restarting uses half the gas used when idling.
Keep your car tuned by continuously changing the air filters, tire pressure and oil. Cover the bed of pick-up trucks with tonneau covers to improve the aerodynamics and increase the gas mileage. Finally, be cognizant of the heat or air conditioning and do not open windows and doors when these systems are turned on. Remember, any extra work a vehicle has to do will cause extra emissions.
The most straightforward methods to going green, ironically, are the least used among the American population: Public transportation and walking/biking. Carpooling with a friend or many friends is one less car on the road and 20.4 pounds less CO2 in the air. Using buses or trains to reach a destination can stop hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere!
Unfortunately, when Henry Ford invented his first car, he brought happiness and laziness to the American people. Today, thousands of people risk the life of their own planet for a comfortable ride to work. What’s a bicycle or a walk anymore? Americans are married to their cars and definitely do not have the upper hand in the relationship. Leave the CO2-factory-on-wheels at home for a change, and take a bike ride, a walk, a bus, or a train to your destination.
When asked to give back to Mother Earth, don’t give her more carbon dioxide! Green your car, use other modes of transportation, and consider taking CO2 out of the air. It’s the best way to give back to the environment.
Nayna Shah is a sophomore at Morristown High School.
Just wait til you start driving kid. You will be on your cell phone, smoking, doing your make up, and texting while driving around The Green in an SUV, looking for parking. You will be in love with your car!