How-to Green Your CarCars are the American symbol--fun, exhilarating, and altogether necessary. Yet they’re the biggest threat to our eco-system, causing CO2 emissions, pour air quality, and promoting global warming in Orange County. It’s difficult to do life here without one, but with a few how-to’s you will be well on your way to creating a cleaner, beautiful city. And with oil at over $130 a barrel (and quickly rising), you’ll be happy you did.
1) Make a Day Out of it: Your and your family may have a difficult time getting by with just one vehicle, but if you can turn off your engines and make a day out of a trip without your vehicles you will be lowering your emissions of carbon and creating a happier planet. Take a walk, bike ride, skateboard, rollerblade, or electric scooter and visit your local park (see Play section), restaurant (see Eat section), or shoppes (see Shop section). Grab your friends and make an event out of it. You can even join the local Critical Mass (see Calendar) and bike every night of the week with others that are like-minded.
2) Use the System: Or at least use it part of the way. The transportation system here in Orange County is taking great strides to improve itself. You can promote this by using it whenever you can and have time to by biking to your local station (bus or train) and hopping on for the rest of the ride there. If you’d like to see more community action to get the transportation system improved more quickly, start a meetup and let us know!
3) Do More at Home: Work from home, cook at home, buy from home. Little changes in your lifestyle will help you save money on gas and drive less, which has numerous other benefits (less time traveling=more time doing what you love). Over 44 million Americans are now working from home one day a week. Using instant messaging, teleconferencing, e-mail, video chat, and other world-flattening technologies, you’ll never have to leave your bed (although it’s not recommended for production purposes). Also, consider carpooling by teaming up with fellow co-workers on the days you do drive. Cooking your meals at home (or eating your lunch at work, rather than driving to and from) can save you time from driving to and from restaurants and gas. With the internet you can now buy practically everything you need online and have it delivered to your home--from movies, to groceries, to organic jeans. You can even buy locally and keep it in Orange County as more and more businesses join the world of e-commerce.
4) When You Do Drive: You may have heard of Hypermiling, but if you’re not that much of an extremist, here’s a few tips to get you started with better mileage. If you must drive then drive the best way possible. For the best mileage, keep track of it and keep your RPM’s under 3,000 and shift between 2,000 and 2,500. Try not to make sudden stops or starts or be an aggressive driver with jerky lane changes and merging. Turn off your AC and purchase an electric or solar fan. And, of course, keep your trips organized so you’re getting your chores done without making multiple, unnecessary trips.
5) Drive Green Friendly: Of course the greenest thing you can do is to purchase a hybrid or flex-fuel vehicle. Hybrids use electricity and gas, saving you money, emitting less carbon, and getting better mileage. Do the research before you buy one though, some hybrids are no better than their petrol-consuming counterparts. Flex-fuel vehicles can run on veggie-fuel alternatives like biodiesel and ethanol. Not ready to buy? Transform your current vehicle into a clean-air vehicle for a much smaller cost and start saving today.
6) Keep it Up: Make sure your car is in good condition by having regular oil changes and tune-ups. The easiest way to lose miles is by driving with a problem under the hood. Even if you think you’re saving money by not visiting the auto store, you losing it in poor mileage. Keep your trunk empty and your tires inflated to their specified limit to help your emissions stay low and gas expenses even lower.
7) Offset You Travels: Carbon emissions (CO2) are the toxins and pollutants that filter into the air when you travel by car, truck, train, boat, or plane. You can reduce your carbon footprint every year (and every trip) by purchasing a carbon offset. You just punch in your year, make, model, and the amount of miles you plan on using your vehicle for and it will calculate your “carbon footprint” cost. At sites like terrapass.com, you can even offset your flying, home energy use, weddings and events. It’s also a great site if you want to take action within Orange County or buy green products for your home and business.
8) Go for the Gold: You don’t have to run a marathon to make a statement here in Orange County. The easiest way to set yourself apart and make a difference is by promoting positive change. Following the steps above and moving towards carlessness will help make Orange County greener one mile at a time. Taking small steps by biking, carpooling, or using public transportation one day a week will make a huge difference, especially if you influence others to follow in your footsteps. Taking it a mile further by decreasing the amount of times you drive during the week, the number of cars you own, and the way you fuel your vehicle will help Orange County become even greener. And everyone loves a little green.
By Jenn O’Brien
