Koolarticles.com Menu
Newest Articles
Most Viewed Articles
Koolarticles.com RSS
Submit Article
Login
Signup
Search the articles

Articles Main Categories
Advice
Animals
Automobiles
Business
Career
Communications
Computer Programming
Computers
Entertainment
Environment
Family
Fashion
Finance
Food
Health & Medical
Home & Garden
Humor
Internet Business
Internet Marketing
Legal
Leisure & Recreation
Marketing
Other
Politics
Reference & Education
Religion
Self Improvement
Sports
Technology & Science
Travel
Writing
Subscribe
Receive alert message from us when new articles submitted to our site for free.

Enter your name

Enter your email

Syndicate

















Home::Environment

A Simple Way To Offset the Environmental Effects of Driving

Author : Debra Lynn Dadd
We all love our cars. They give us the freedom to come and
go as we please, to get to work, to visit family and
friends, to go shopping...on our own schedule. But
automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air
we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating
unusual climate changes.

But there is a simple thing you can do to offset the
negative environmental effects of driving your car, and It
costs less than $100 a year.

HOW DRIVING YOUR CAR AFFECTS THE ENVIRONMENT

If you drive a standard American automobile, your car emits
about 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year.
That's three times the weight of the car! If you drive an
SUV, your car emits around 20,000 pounds of CO2 each year.

CO2 is a major "greenhouse gas." Back around 1800, before
there were cars and industry, the CO2-concentration in the
air was about 280 ppm (1 ppm CO2= one molecule of CO2 per
one million molecules of air). Today, as the result of human
activities, the CO2-concentration in the air is about 370
ppm, and increasing by 1.7 ppm every year. And we're adding
CO2 faster than it decomposes. Every molecule of CO2 we add
to the atmosphere stays there for about 100 years.

Many scientists are warning that this increase in CO2 is
raising the average temperature of the planet, known as the
"greenhouse effect." The widely respected WorldWatch
Institute has warned that severe climate change could
include major shifts in weather patterns and agricultural
zones, resulting in droughts and floods. A wide range of
human and natural systems could be disrupted, displacing
long-standing economic and social systems as well as
established ecosystems.

Twenty percent of the carbon dioxide released into the
atmosphere every year comes from driving cars. That is a
significant percentage. This won't be changed by
international protocols or government regulations. But each
one of us can make a difference by reducing our own CO2
emissions.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS PRODUCED BY DRIVING
YOUR CAR

CO2 emissions come primarily from the burning of fossil
fuels for energy. When you drive your car, use public
transportation, use electricity in your home or at work, or
fly on an airplane, you are contributing CO2 emissions into
the air. Most consumer products you buy are made with energy
from burning fossil fuels that produce CO2.

But there are also other ways to make energy. Renewable
energy sources such as solar, wind, and biomass are called
"clean" energy sources because they don't produce CO2.

Today, various products are available that allow you to
offset the CO2 you produce by purchasing an equivalent
amount of energy from renewable sources that do not produce
CO2. This CO2-free energy flows into a local or national
grid, eliminating the need to burn fossil fuels that would
create the same amount of CO2. So while your car is still
adding CO2 to the atmosphere, your purchase of renewable
energy is subtracting the same amount of CO2 that would have
gone into the atmosphere someplace else.

TerraPass is one organization that has a program to purchase
renewable energy to offset the CO2 produced by your car. You
simply choose the TerraPass that corresponds to the type of
car and number of miles you drive. Terra Pass guarantees the
money from your membership will result in a reduction of
carbon dioxide that counterbalances the pollution from your
car through the purchase of renewable energy certificates.
You get a TerraPass decal for your car and the good feeling
that you are doing something to keep our climate as nature
intended.

My husband and I each purchased a TerraPass for our cars. A
TerraPass for my husband's efficient Geo Metro was only
$39.95/year and my TerraPass for my Honda Del Sol was
$49.95/year. A small price to pay to do something real and
practical to protect our beautiful planet.

About the Author

Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra
Lynn Dadd has been a leading consumer advocate for products
and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the
environment since 1982. Visit her website at
http://www.dld123.com to learn more about her new book Home
Safe Home, to sign up for her free email newsletters, and to
browse 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and
earthwise products.

Related articles


  1. Recycling Resolutions
  2. Nature vs. Mankind
  3. Authors Win Environment Award
  4. Water Conservation Ideas for the Kitchen Sink
  5. Trash Talk Your Way to a Better World
  6. The Environmental Book on Everyone's Lips
  7. Reuse in the Workshop
  8. Garbage in its Place
  9. Energy Aware and Waste Wise
  10. Clean Vacationing
  11. Efficiency Equals Reduction
  12. Yellowstone - A Ticking Time-Bomb?
  13. Wisconsin bans hunting by Internet
  14. Wind Farms and Corruption
  15. Will Soy Candles be the Leader to Light the Future?
  16. WILL GLOBAL WARMING CAUSE ANOTHER NOAH`S FLOOD?
  17. How Did I Get In This Mess?
  18. Wildlife Rehabilitation
  19. Why Your Mattress May Be Killing You
  20. Why Phase-Out Organotin Paint?
  21. Sorting Your Money
  22. Weed Dangerous to Hummingbirds
  23. Weather affects every aspect of the economy
  24. Water Conservation at the Kitchen Sink
  25. Use Natural Cleaners to remove the Toxic Risk from your home
More related feeds
a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving
environment since 1982. visit her website at http://www.dld123.com to learn more about her new book home safe home, to sign up for her free email newsletters, and to browse 100s of links to 1000s of nontoxic, natural and ...

A Simple Way To Offset the Environmental Effects of Driving Your Car
But automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating unusual climate changes. But there is a simple thing you can do to offset the negative environmental effects of ...

a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving your car
about the author: hailed as ""the queen of green"" by the new york times, debra lynn dadd has been a leading consumer advocate for products and lifestyle choices that are better for health and the environment since 1982. ...

a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving your car
environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating unusual climate changes. but there is a simple thing you can do to offset the negative environmental effects of driving your car, ...

a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving your car
but automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating unusual climate [...] the leading search engine for locating resume sample home health nurse resume releated ...

a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving your car
but automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating unusual climate [...] when you are looking up pertinent resources, be sure to use all resource online. ...

A Simple Way To Offset the Environmental Effects of Driving
Debra Lynn Dadd A Simple Way To Offset the Environmental Effects of Driving HOW DRIVING YOUR CAR AFFECTS THE ENVIRONMENT If you drive a standard American automobile, your car emits about 12000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) every year. ...

a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving your car
but automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating unusual climate [...] while some may feel that the best weapon to use for digging up top-notch subject matter ...

a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving your car
but automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating unusual climate [...] at times, you may feel bogged down by the diverse references that is anywhere. ...

a simple way to offset the environmental effects of driving your car
but automobiles also effect the environment by polluting the air we breathe and, in the larger scope of life, by creating unusual climate [...] keep in mind, as the internet world continues to get better, there will be reliable ...

 


 

© 2007 koolarticles.com - All Rights Reserved

eXTReMe Tracker

Free Credit Report | Best stop snoring | credit counseling | Womens Health | Credit Score ratings |