Posted on May 6th, 2008
If you’re headed to a baseball game this season (or any major sporting event, for that matter), consider taking the bus instead of driving there. More than 15 million fans attend major American sporting events games each year. If only half of them drive to the game, that’s still one massive amount of gas and carbon emissions. Don’t miss the game, miss the traffic and the parking instead! The nice thing about major sporting venues is that they’re often easily accessible by bus or rail. Hit the net and look up the transit schedule for your city – it’s a cinch to figure out the routes these days. Why spend $20 ...
Posted on April 24th, 2008
Do you wish your favorite market labeled its local produce, that compost was accepted at your curb that your local pub offered organic beer? All you have to do is ask...and maybe ask again. It sounds a bit simplistic but a good company will give the customer what they want. It worked on Enterprise Rent-A-Car. A recent ride with one of Enterprise's managers led to an interesting conversation. Mr. Rent-A-Car admitted the company had been holding out on adding the hybrid to its fleet of available vehicles in hopes that the car was nothing more than a trend, a fad, a passing fancy. No such luck - he was plagued with requests to ...
Posted on April 17th, 2008
When the gasoline nozzle belts out that satisfying "click" and shuts down, let that sleeping dog lie. Topping off gas tanks releases extra huge doses of benzene into the great blue yonder, which ultimately finds its way inside the otherwise pristine lungs of the Prius driver behind you.
Posted on April 16th, 2008
Winter’s over and the slopes have (mostly) slushed up for the year – so why are you still carting that ski rack around on the roof of your car? Even an empty ski or cargo rack adds significant drag, making your car less aerodynamic, which consumes more fuel. Help reduce your fuel consumption and keep money in your pocket by helping your car drive as unencumbered as possible. Another perk? Removing excess drag from your car will make for a quieter drive down the highway for you!
Thanks to Kosta for suggesting this tip!
Posted on April 11th, 2008
If you find yourself burning rubber when the light turns green, you’re not driving very green yourself. “Jack-Rabbit” starts can increase your fuel consumption by as much as 40% and can increase your toxic emissions more than 5 times the normal amount. Yuck! The next time you’re tooling around town in your car, try reminding yourself that smooth and steady wins the race and helps the planet.
Posted on April 3rd, 2008
A clean air filter may just be the little known trick to good fuel economy. That’s right: a dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and economy. We think that solvable problems are the best kind to have, so we’re happy to report that changing an air filter is actually pretty
simple. Remove the filter and hold it up to the light. If you can’t see light coming through it, it’s time to replace the filter. Better yet, replace that old disposable filter with a reusable one (found at an auto supply store). A permanent filter is much less restrictive than its disposable cousin and ...
Posted on March 7th, 2008
These days it's super easy to carpool. Online rideshare tools like the app on
Facebook, as well as
Car Pool Connect,
iCarPool,
CarPool World and
eRideShare make it a cinch to hook up with other do-gooders like you. Carpooling is a great way to meet new people while reducing the amount of miles your car drives each year. By keeping your car parked at home part of the time, you'll save on gas, maintenance and possibly even insurance. Even better, reducing the number of cars on the road helps the environment. Cutting out one 20 minute car trip each week can save 1,200 lbs. of carbon dioxide per year. Imagine ...
Posted on February 25th, 2008
Idling your car for more than ten seconds uses more fuel than stopping and restarting the engine. Idling also sends unnecessary emissions into the air contributing to both pollution and health problems. Running a non-moving vehicle for 10 minutes a day uses an average of about 22 gallons of gas per year. Since each gallon of gasoline saved keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, the potential to reduce your contribution is huge! With gas prices climbing, saving 22 gallons/year makes economical and ecological sense. Need another incentive? Excessive idling can actually damage the engine and decrease fuel-efficiency. Whether it’s to heat your car before your commute or you’re just hitting the drive-thru, ...
Posted on February 9th, 2008
Yes, the juice you're already crankin' out thanks to the undulating energy resource provided by your car's gas-powered alternator, that is. That nifty little cigarette lighter you no longer use to flame up tasty Newports (because you quit smoking, right?) is now a handy cell phone or iPod charger, sparing your wall outlets from the energy hogging task. Unplug those outlets when not in use, by the way. They don't stop sucking just because nothing's plugged into 'em.
Thanks to Winston Ross for suggesting this tip!
Posted on February 8th, 2008
We all know how salt wreaks havoc on our cars, bicycles, and shoes every winter, and its impact on the environment is every bit as corrosive. Can you believe that we’ve changed the pH of the Great Lakes by salting our roads and sidewalks? To reduce your environmental footprint, skip the salt and spare your local ecosystem. Instead opt for a green de-icer, like Enviromelt, which contains no salts or chlorides. Or better yet, try making your own! See December’s Recipe of the Month for an easy and environmentally friendly fix to slippery sidewalks.
