It’s time to reduce greenhouse gas emissions…
Society changes quicker than many realize. It’s not just fashion, electronics or wealth that changes us. It’s what we’re doing to our community, city, country, planet that should direct us to our way of life. We tend to look to the future when we think about education, jobs, health and finances, but what about where we live? Are your driving habits hurting the environment?
Greenhouse gases are part of what’s hurting our environment. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. These gases trap heat and make the planet warmer and that’s not a good direction we want to go for our future. You may not see it directly where you live, but climate change is happening. Many people may agree with this, but others do not. I do. We’ve done it to ourselves actually. But there are ways we can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions without it costing us a lot of money.
Transportation is responsible for a large part of the greenhouse gas emissions. Burning fossil fuels are a big part as carbon dioxide contributes to the greenhouse gas emissions, but the automakers are trying to do their part to help the public reduce these gases by coming up with alternatives. Electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles are helping us reduce greenhouse gases, but is it enough? What if you can’t afford the initial cost of leasing or buying these types of vehicles? There are still things you can do to be part of the solution with your current vehicle.
First of all, let’s come up with viable alternatives to driving. There are times you just don’t need to drive. Many people I 
know use their bicycle 12 months of the year. It’s their main mode of transportation. It’s also a great way for exercise. Others use public transit. The cost to use public transit is far less than operating a vehicle as its spread out to serve a number of people at the same time. Both are great ways to reduce greenhouse gases. But what about walking? Not only will it reduce greenhouses gases, but it’s a pretty healthy habit. But what if you really need to drive?
If you can carpool with at least one other person on a regular basis it can really help. It places fewer vehicles on the road. Whether it’s traveling to work or school, not only can you reduce greenhouse gases, it can save you money since you’re not driving each day. Avoid driving in rush hour as much as possible. Sitting idling in traffic adds to the greenhouse gases. If you’re waiting in your vehicle for someone to come out of the store, bank or whatever, turn off the engine. If the engine is at its operating temperature, you won’t save fuel by leaving the engine running. It uses up more wasted fuel, plus adds more greenhouse gases. And never leave the vehicle running when no one is occupying it. It’s an invitation for someone to easily steal your vehicle.
Let’s talk driving techniques. I watch drivers accelerate quickly from a stopped position so they can quickly get up to speed. What’s the hurry? A more gentle acceleration uses up less fuel which can add less greenhouses gas emissions. Ease off the accelerator early when approaching a red light or beginning to go down a hill as that can save fuel and reduce greenhouses. The harder your engine works, the more fuel it uses. The more fuel it uses the more greenhouse gas emissions it produces. This means you should remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle as well.
It’s not too late to help improve our environment; our planet. Our climate is changing. It’s not up to the experts to fix our mistakes. We have it in us to do something. Our kids and grandkids are counting on us.