How Green is Your Car?
Cars have become an integral part of our lives. In enabling us to get from A to B more easily and quickly, they have improved the efficiency of many of our daily tasks, and opened up many opportunities not available to previous generations. However, we should also be mindful that maintaining and driving our cars correctly is essential to minimise the quantities of pollutants and greenhouse gases they emit.
The major greenhouse gas emitted by cars is carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere traps heat from the sun and prevents it from being re-emitted back into space. The natural background level keeps the average temperature of the planet at a liveable level. However it is a very delicate balance between the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and the amount of heat retained. An increase in carbon dioxide levels will cause the planet to heat up.
Human activities over the past 200 years have caused the amount of carbon dioxide in the air to increase by 30%. It is becoming more and more apparent that this will lead to an increase in the average temperature of the Earth. The consequences of this are not really known but it now seems likely that they will be disruptive to our lives. It is therefore important to minimise our carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions and prevent background levels rising to dangerous levels.
Approximately 8% of Australia's carbon dioxide emissions are from cars and light commercial vehicles which is why reducing our emissions from car use is vital. Carbon dioxide emissions are directly tied to fuel use so it is important to minimise the amount of fuel consumed.
Practical ways in which you can help are:
- Where possible consider using alternative means of transport eg. walking, cycling and public transport.
- Keep your car well-maintained so as to minimise fuel consumption.
- When deciding to buy a car, consider a smaller vehicle that uses less fuel.
- When driving, avoid harsh acceleration and excessive speed, all of which increase fuel consumption.
RAC members can obtain more detailed information regarding car maintenance or buying a car, by contacting RAC Technical Advisory Services on 13 17 03.
Aside from changing the way in which we use our car, we can also reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere by planting trees to absorb it. However, this will not remove other pollutants produced such as oxides of nitrogen, hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide.
The RAC has compiled the following guide to help you assess how much carbon dioxide your car produces and how many trees you would need to plant to absorb it all.
Enter an estimate of your fuel consumption along with the number of kilometres you travel in a year. Then click on 'continue' to produce a guide as to the number of trees you need to plant.