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Driving Green
From WikiVerde
Green driving can be defined in many ways, but essentially it is using transportation in such a ways as to minimize the use of fossil-based fuels. The purpose of this philosophy is to conserve energy, slow the consumption of non-sustainable energy sources, reduce the financial impact of fossil fuels, and reduce the impact on the environment caused by petroleum products. With today's escalating fuel prices, motorists are thinking about green motoring in the hopes that fuel costs will be reduced, but driving greener has other benefits besides cost savings. In fact, even with cars such as the new hybrids, your fuel mileage may not change all that much. Here are some factors to consider when thinking about driving green.
Cut Your Miles
There are dozens of hints about how to reduce mileage. One way to start is for you to eliminate the car for all of those short jaunts. Set yourself a walking radius around where you live and resolve that you will not drive to any of the locations within that circle. You may initially set the circle at only six blocks, but you should push your limits as quickly as possible so that you are not only getting good exercise and saving non-renewable resources of energy.
Service Recommendations
Service your vehicle regularly. Make sure that filters are in good working order and that tires are inflated property. The exhaust system should be checked regularly to avoid excess emissions. This is a factor that doesn't impact the cost of green motoring, but does have a tremendous influence upon the effect of your vehicle on the planet.
Drive Green Habits
Some of the green habits that will help you to maximize fuel efficiency of your vehicle include maintaining a steady speed. Don't speed up and slow down unless you do it smoothly. No jackrabbit starts and never let a car sit and idle for more than a minute, even when you are waiting for the bank teller or when you are stuck in traffic. When it's time to warm your car up in the morning, don't use the idling car as a way to clear your iced up windows.
Streamline Your Vehicle
Think of the ways you can streamline your car while driving in order to conserve fuel. For example, anything that drags and causes wind resistance is sure to lower fuel efficiency. Remove roof racks and boxes and bicycle racks that catch the wind. Driving with the windows lowered will cause additional air drag and will eat into your fuel efficiency. If you make sure that car is in proper alignment, it will help to prevent the drag and uneven tire wear. It certainly makes you a safer driver as well. If you choose a smaller or lighter weight vehicle, you'll save the cost of powering it down the road. Having a smaller car give you more options for parking too.
Consider a Hybrid
A hybrid car is one that uses both fuel and electricity in order to save usage on non-renewable natural ingredients at all levels. Not only will you not pay as much personal property or license tax when you purchase a hybrid, but you will also use far less gasoline than you would have. Hybrid cars work by using the on-board battery to recharge while slowing or stopping the car. In addition to being fuel efficient, hybrid cars are quieter, do not spill harmful ingredients into the water supply and atmosphere of the planet. The popularity of hybrids is very much connected to the price of fuel. If fuel prices drop, alternative fuel popularity drops as well. If fuel prices increase, choosing a hybrid or other alternative fuel vehicles become more and more popular.
Alternative Fuel Vehicles
In addition to the hybrid cars that are a combination of electric and petroleum fuels, other power sources for automobiles have been developed. Hydrogen seems as if it is one of the most promising, but it is still years away from being a viable competitor to gasoline. There is no real demand for the hydrogen vehicle yet, and there remains the difficulty of refilling the prototypes with hydrogen fuel. Also the fact that fossil fuels are required to produce hydrogen also holds back hydrogen's fuel potential.
Another alternative fuel is biodiesel, a fuel that can be mixed with regular gasoline in order to give better efficiency in the home. The drawback to using biodiesel is that it tends to decompose rubber and aluminum engine parts over a relatively short period of time. Because it breaks down regular fuel in the lines, using biodiesel will result in higher than usual sediments collected in the fuel filter. In fact, most manufacturers suggest that you gradually break in the change of fuel in a vehicle so as to avoid the heavy buildup of sludge on the fuel filter.
Global warming
The exhaust systems of normal automobiles have been cited as a significant cost of global warming. Automobiles produce carbon dioxide gas in large quantities, even when emissions of such a vehicle are heavily monitored and taxed.
Other environmental effects
Even if you just drive in such way to conserve energy or reduce the miles that you travel, you can be considered to be driving green. Fewer emissions and a reduced usage of the non-sustainable resources will help you to drive lightly and leave a smaller footprint upon the land, both as an individual and as a member of the community. Reducing carbon emissions will lessen the greenhouse effect that is due in part to the increased carbon dioxide levels released into the atmosphere.
Related
Resources
http://cars.uk.msn.com/greenmotoring/
http://ezinearticles.com/?Make-Your-Car-A-Lean,-Green-Motoring-Machine&id=951030
http://www.worldbusinesslive.com/TechnologyInnovation/Article/667953/green-motoring/
