Five Earth Day Tips for the Average Motorist


1) If you really want to save the planet but insist on driving a car, get a diesel powered VW like this Jetta Wagon - 42 mpg on the highway comes pretty close to matching the overall fuel economy of a hybrid like the Honda Insight. Besides, are you 100 percent convinced that all those extra electric motors, switches, circuit boards and batteries are REALLY better for the environment than a typical gas or diesel powered car? I'm not.
2) Walk more. Granted this won't work for everyone but if you live within two miles of a shopping area, consider walking once in awhile.
3) Keep your current car or buy a used one - building new cars generates heat, waste and pollution. Even a normal car that gets so-so fuel economy has a less harmful impact on the environment the longer it stays in service. Scrapping so many cars and then getting new ones is clearly not a green solution.
4) Keep you current car running properly. Make sure the air filter is replaced regularly, replace spark plugs and oil at regular intervals too - and the easiest thing to do is check tire pressure.
5) Stop speeding - by driving at more moderate speeds you can use up to 30 percent less fuel. Slow starts and avoiding abrupt stops will help too.

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