Green Transportation - Travel

Green Living Quick Car Tips

Cars are one of the biggest sources of pollution and greenhouse gases in our lives.  However, most of us still need our cars to get around.  If you can't give up your car yet, you may be wondering what the best way to reduce its impact is.  The answer is making sure you're getting the best fuel efficiency.  You'll be improving your impact on the planet, as well as saving a little money, if you learn to drive your car so that you get the best mileage.  Here's how. Pay attention to your speed, for one.  It's easy to feel like you're in a hurry to get everywhere and be tempted to drive at high speeds.  However, you should avoid driving over fifty-five miles per hour if you want better mileage.  This means you're less likely to end up in an accident, and you'll get a better fuel efficiency. Just going up to sixty-five means you're burning ten percent more fuel, and at seventy miles an hour you've lost seventy-five percent of fuel economy, with numbers getting worse from there.  As engines heat up at higher speeds, they burn gas more quickly, and they have to deal with greater air and road ...

Take the Bus or Train - It Does Make a Difference

With fuel prices unpredictable and concerns about consumption rising, many people are wondering if they should make changes to their lives.  The answer is yes, and there are simply ways to make things better.  For instance, choosing to get to work without taking the car can make a big difference in fuel consumption, pollution, CO2 emissions and traffic congestion. Did you know that a twenty mile daily trip to work produces nearly a thousand pounds of carbon dioxide - even if your car is brand new?  That's like a dozen twenty pound bags of charcoal.  To neutralize that carbon contribution, you'd need to plant around a hundred and fifty sugar maples, and that doesn't count the rest of your driving.  Think about how many trees you'd need to neutralize the carbon emissions caused by the travel of everyone in your family, or your whole neighborhood! This kind of impact is referred to as the ecological footprint.  It's how much damage you do and how many resources you use up during the course of a year.  For most people, it's an enormous amount, and a lot of us are trying to reduce our ecological footprints.  However, this can be tricky, since heating and ...

Truth or Myth: Electric Vehicles

When it comes to electric vehicles, there are many different myths surrounding them.  It is important that you know the truth about these vehicles.  Here is a look at the myths and the real truth behind them. Myth #1 - There is not enough range in an electric vehicle.  You'll get stranded. This is a huge myth.  The facts are that most Americans only drive about 40 miles each day.  Most of the electric vehicles out there have ranges that are double that and more.  You can charge them at any outlet as well.  All you have to do is plan things out a little to use your vehicle if you need to travel further.  On a combination of gasoline and electricity, these vehicles can go about 300 miles or more. Myth #2 - Electric vehicles are only good for trips that are short and in the city. Again, this is not the case.  Many consumers that actually own these electric vehicles use them on a regular basis for trips that are all the way up to 100+ miles. Myth #3 - There is simply a smokestack replacing the tailpipe with an electric vehicle. The truth here is that these vehicles really help to reduce the ...

Wal-Mart testing Hybrid Diesel Trucks

When it comes to class-8 trucks, Wal-Mart announced that it plans on doing some tests on two different types of hybrid options.  They also plan on testing some alternative fuel options as well.  Why? They want to improve the fuel efficiency of their fleet.  In the past few years, they have been able to increase their efficiency by 25 percent and they are working to double this amount within the next few years. The problem is that the class-8 trucks they use are huge.  In fact, they have 10 tires, three axles, and weight more than 30,000 pounds a piece.  Currently these trucks are being used by Wal-Mart to help distribute their products.  However, they are not testing a couple different hybrid options.  One is available from Eaton and Peterbilt and the other comes from ArvinMeritor. A look at the two systems gives you a pretty good idea at which one is going to work the best.  The Peterbilt Eaton option should increase efficiency by about 7%; however, the ArvinMeritor option is expected to add an increase of about 25%, so it definitely sounds like one option is looking better than the other. The Hybrid System by ArvinMeritor This particular diesel-electric hybrid is going ...

10 Great Reasons to Get an Electric Car

Admittedly, many of us will continue to use conventional cars even with the increasing popularity of electric cars.  In a way, this is not such a big deal considering that there are ways to lessen the environmental pollution that comes with using a fuel-powered car, not to mention that getting an electric car to replace your old but still functioning car is still an expensive proposition. However, if you are in the market for a new vehicle, then consider these ten practical reasons to go electric over an electric car. Lesser Service Costs Since the parts are fewer in an electric car, there are fewer things to fix, too.  As such, you can drastically reduce your trips to the mechanic and, hence, significantly lower your service bills.  Your wallets will be fatter, too. Say Goodbye to Oil Changes Oil changes can be a hassle, not to mention a real pollutant.  With an electric car, you say goodbye to oil changes since only the coolant flush and battery changes will be on the menu, both of which are less polluting and time-consuming than an oil change. Get Rid of Tailpipe Emissions Among the hazardous by-products of using ...