Reduce the Harm:
Drive a More Fuel Efficient Car
Switching from a gas guzzler to a more fuel efficient vehicle is a way to make a huge reduction on your ecological footprint. Consider the following:
- A gallon of gasoline weighs just over 6 pounds. The carbon in it burns with oxygen to form 19 pounds of CO2. Energy also goes into its production and distribution, which increases the CO2 released to 25 pounds per gallon.
- The average US car gets 21 mpg and is driven 30 miles
per day releasing 35.7 pounds of CO2.
- If you switch from a vehicle that gets 15 mpg to a vehicle that gets 30 mpg you will reduce your carbon output by 4.5 tons and buy 400 gallons less in gas, and pay $1,200 less in fuel cost this year (at $3 per gallon).
Other things to consider:
- Greenhouse gases from car exaust can stay in the atmosphere for decades to centuries.
- Next to going 100% solar at your home, driving a more efficient vehicle or deciding not to drive reduces your harm to the environment more than any other choice you make.
- The worlds fastest growing economy, China, has only 9 cars per 1000 licensed drivers and 1.2 billion people. They are watching how we do things in the US with 1,148 cars per 1000 licensed drivers but only 300 million people.




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