Driven to Save our World - Environment Article

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By:James Copper

Energy efficiency is not just about what we do at home and at work. Its what we do everywhere. Nowhere can we practice energy efficiency that in the way we travel. We can practice energy efficiency in the vehicle we choose and the way we drive it. Here are some tips on driving with energy efficiency in mind.

Perhaps the number one detriment to driving with energy efficiency is the practice of jack rabbiting. This is the practice of flying away from the stop sign or traffic light and driving aggressively. When you floor that gas pedal not only do you waste gas but you increase the rate of pollution drastically. Even one second of this type of gunning it driving can create almost the same amount of carbon dioxide being emitted as if you drive normally for 30 minutes.

Energy efficiency in driving is also about thinking ahead. Anticipating each stop so that you can let your car or truck coast down on its own is easier on the car as well as the ozone. Braking hard after a hard acceleration is not only a cause of increased air pollution but it also wears out your brakes and wastes gas.

Up to a certain point energy efficiency is helped by slower driving speeds. If you have a car whose dash indicates RPMs note when you are over 3000. Thats generally when youll start to see the difference in your gas mileage. For some cars this is 80mph on the straightaway, for others its 65mph.

There arent many things that work against energy efficiency as much as sitting in rush hour traffic. Of course, in some larger cities it always seems like rush hour. As much as possible avoid stop and go driving. This will increase your gas mileage and decrease your vehicles emissions of air pollutants.

If you can combine a number of small errands into one trip you can make a big difference in the pollution your car generates and the gas you use. This is because an engine and catalyst that is warmed up creates considerably less pollution.

Decreasing the heavy items you carry around in your vehicle can help your energy efficiency as well. Each 100 pounds your car or truck is hauling reduces its fuel economy approximately one percent.

For those who drive a manual transmission or an automatic vehicle with overdrive be aware of the fact that the higher the gear you are driving in the lower the cars RPMs, and thus the less fuel used for the same drive and the less wear on the engine. Manual vehicle transmissions should be shifted up as soon as possible, and automatics should be put in overdrive as soon as they hit 55 mph.

Air conditioning in vehicles is often necessary but it does increase fuel consumption and pollutants. Roll the car windows down, open the doors and air it out as much as you can before you turn on the air conditioning.

Follow these tips and youll greatly increase your vehicles energy efficiency.

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James Copper is a writer for http://www.newcareerskills.co.uk where you find out about plumbing courses