How does buying a car that gets good gas mileage might reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is added to the atmosphere?
In cities across the globe, the personal automobile is the single greatest polluter, as emissions from a billion vehicles on the road add up to a planet-wide problem. Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity. The negative effects of automotive emissions are maximum when you sit in traffic surrounded by cars, their engines idling. Everyone sitting in a traffic jam is getting poisoned.
Greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). These gases act like the glass covering a greenhouse, letting sunlight in but blocking some of the infrared radiation from the earth's surface that carries heat back into space. The gases act like a blanket wherever their concentration increases. Local concentrations increase local heat and increased differences between hotter and colder regions drives weather events into more extreme ranges. Over many years, the total amount of greenhouse gases accumulates and the average temperature of the whole planet is increasing. The planet's thermostat had been set at a pleasant average temperature of 59 degrees (F) for the last 10 thousand years or so and is now rising.
In our view, the main concern should be the effect of heat retention on local climates right now. It is possible to imagine increasingly anomalous weather and increasing loss of life and property from greenhouse gas accumulation with little or no change in the average temperature of the planet, although, we do expect slow progressive increase in average temperatures.
(From nutramed . com)
If you buy a fuel efficient car you will need less fuel to travel to places. Fewer fuel use means less carbon monoxide/dioxide discharge to the atmosphere.
Buying a car that gets good gas mileage can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) added to the atmosphere. Here's how:
1. Fuel efficiency: Cars that get good gas mileage typically have engines that are designed to burn fuel more efficiently. This means that they require less fuel to travel the same distance compared to less efficient cars. As a result, less gasoline is burned, and consequently less CO2 is emitted into the atmosphere.
2. Lower emissions: In addition to improved fuel efficiency, cars that have good gas mileage often come equipped with advanced emission control technologies. These technologies work to minimize the release of harmful gases, including CO2, into the atmosphere. This helps in reducing the overall carbon footprint associated with driving a vehicle.
3. Hybrid or electric vehicles: Another option for reducing CO2 emissions is to consider purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle. Hybrid cars use a combination of gasoline and electric power, which allows for greater fuel efficiency and decreased CO2 emissions. Electric vehicles (EVs) run solely on electricity and produce zero tailpipe emissions, resulting in even lower CO2 emissions compared to traditional gasoline-powered cars.
To determine the gas mileage and associated CO2 emissions of a specific vehicle, you can refer to various resources such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website, vehicle manufacturers' websites, or independent car review websites. These sources provide information on the fuel efficiency ratings and estimated CO2 emissions of different car models. When considering a car purchase, it is advisable to compare the MPG (miles per gallon) ratings and CO2 emissions of different models to make an informed decision that aligns with your environmental concerns.