Reduce and Offset Car Emissions
A litre of petrol produces about 2.5kg of greenhouse gasses and over half our air pollution. So let's use less and offset the emissions we "have" to have.
We are generally a society that developed quite a reliance on our cars. However when we understand what type of issues we are contributing to we can change our way of thinking. Through optimising efficiency we can really begin to improve our environment through reducing our greenhouse emissions.
How to do it now!
Drive less, walk, ride & use public transport - If you have to drive, plan to do a number of errands in one trip rather than several trips and save both time and fuel (for the first couple of minutes of a car trip the engine is cold and this results in an increase in fuel consumption per kilometre). Also avoid peak-hour traffic whenever possible.
Offset your cars carbon emissions - A quick, effective and popular way to address the many tonnes of greenhouse gases we emit is to pay someone to offset this by planting enough trees to absorb our emitted CO2. Companies that provide this service include:
- GreenFleet - non-profit - approximately $11.20 per tonne of CO2 offset.
- Carbon Neutral - non-profit - approx $13 per tonne of CO2 offset.
- Elementree - approximately $9.90 per tonne of CO2 offset.
A more effective and permanent (yet more expensive) way to offset your emissions is through investments in renewable power generation, which trades your fossil fuel use against reduced fossil fuel use elsewhere.
- ClimateFriendly - company - approx $ 21.15 per tonne of CO2 offset.
Of course, offsets should not be a substitute for reducing the CO2 we emit in the first place!
Conserve fuel & drive economically
Three basic actions can reduce your fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions by over 25%: tune your car, drive more slowly, and avoid using your air-conditioner in the cooler seasons. Basic car maintenance can save fuel costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Ensure your car (or bike) is regularly serviced and properly tuned (this can reduce fuel costs & emissions by up to 15%).
- Inflate tyres to the maximum recommended pressure.
- Travel light - an extra 50kg increases fuel consumption by 2%.
- Remove roof racks when not in use to improve aerodynamics and reduce drag.
- Drive a more efficient car.
Careful driving habits can conserve fuel and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Avoid hard acceleration and heavy braking.
- If driving a manual, select the correct gear - driving in a lower gear wastes fuel.
- Drive more slowly - at 110km/h your car uses 25% more fuel than it would cruising at 90km/h.
- Use the air-conditioning sparingly - air-conditioning increases fuel consumption by up to 10%.
- Put the car in neutral (or turn it off) at traffic lights or in gridlocked traffic - this reduces drag on the engine and conserves fuel.
Further tips on eco-friendly driving practices are available from the Green Vehicle Guide. A database on low emission vehicles is available at Green Wheels.
Why this action is important?
Transport accounts for a significant portion of most people’s personal CO2 emissions. Reducing the amount of CO2 and other greenhouse gasses entering the atmosphere has been identified as a key component to addressing climate change. Reduced car use, increased car efficiency and carbon neutralizing, via offsetting your emissions, can lead to both a carbon- and cost-neutral solution.