Cars are an important part of our daily lives, no matter the perspective. So how do we reconcile our need for personal transportation with lightening our environmental load? Consider these potentials to determine if they might work for you.CAR SHARING
Those whose transportation needs are occasional or light may be a good fit for a car sharing program, which enables members to pay for the use of a car by the hour or day, with insurance and often gas included. Zipcar (www.zipcar.com) is one of the more high profile car sharing services, although a growing number of similar efforts are emerging in environmentally-inclined areas of the country.
Zipcar car sharing service
RIGHT-SIZE VEHICLES
As beneficial as car sharing programs are, most people find their needs requiring more than occasional access to a vehicle. In fact, most households require multiple vehicles to accommodate the needs of working parents and busy teenagers whose work and school schedules simply do not mesh in ways that allow sharing a single vehicle or taking public transportation. In this case, the most important thing you can do is choose sensibly. Far too many people who drive full-size SUVs never fill the available seats. Buying a car that truly fits your needs – rather than going mega-size for status – saves cash, emissions, and gas.
RENT UP
Let’s say you decide that right-sizing is for you. Then that annual vacation comes up and your five passenger sedan just isn’t up to carrying the passengers and gear necessary. No worries. Park your regular ride in the garage and rent a larger vehicle for your trip. You may even be able to rent a hybrid or alternative fuel vehicle that fits the mission. A growing number of rental car agencies are now offering hybrid SUVs and we’d expect clean diesel SUVs and crossover vehicles to be increasingly available as well.
Hybrid SUV at LegoLand
SHARE THE RIDE
This one is so easy we hesitate to bring it up. But really, too many people never give this a thought: consider sharing a ride. Workplaces help arrange carpools because they’re typically encouraged to do so by transportation demand management agencies and others whose job it is to help mitigate transportation-related emissions. But you don’t need an ‘official’ carpool program to get on board. The historically high gas prices we had last year prompted a lot of people to carpool in order to save money. Consider doing it now even when gas prices are down to save emissions and do an environmentally positive thing.
USE ALTERNATIVE FUELS
There are over six million flexible-fuel vehicles on American roads capable of running on E85 ethanol, gasoline, or any blend of these two fuels in the same tank. Is yours one of them? It may seem odd, but most people driving flexible-fuel capable vehicles don’t even know their cars can run on an alternative fuel. If it can run on E85, then check to see if E85 fueling stations are located in your area. Also, most diesel vehicles can run on low blends of biodiesel like B5, a mix of 5 percent renewable biodiesel and 95 percent petrodiesel. Be sure to check your owner’s manual to confirm that your vehicle can run on either of these fuels and won’t void your warranty. Never run a standard gasoline vehicle on E85 since this can damage your engine and fuel system.
B-99 and B-20 Biodiesel
DRIVE LESS
Okay, this may seem counterintuitive to most people, but it really is a valid suggestion. We bet you’ve made plenty of trips around town that weren’t really necessary, involved errands that could have been run by someone in your family who was already out in their car, or could have been dispensed with altogether. Driving less also means considering other forms of transit when they make sense. For example, it may be more affordable to take Amtrak or light rail for trips of a certain distance rather than a car. Not only can you save money and decrease vehicle-related emissions, but you’ll likely get to your destination a bit more relaxed than if you had to contend with traffic along the way. -Ron Cogan
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