World Environment Day special: Five ways to drive clean
- Climate trends worsen each year due to unchecked fossil fuel use, causing extreme weather events. El Nino in 2023-24 led to record temperatures, cyclones and wildfires. To reduce pollution, auto enthusiasts can adopt greener habits and measures.
Climate trends evolve every passing year, and each time they keep reminding us of the consequences of our increasing carbon footprint. With often unchecked utlisation of fossil fuels, we keep raising the Earth’s surface temperatures which cause extreme weather events. The 2023-24 El Nino weather pattern brought about the world’s highest temperatures along with harsh weather events such as cyclones and wildfires. These not only damage the planet’s resources but are also a major threat to the living population.
For auto enthusiasts in particular then, the World Environment Day each year serves as a reminder to build awareness around the carbon footprint that we leave behind through our daily activities. Whether it be for the sole purpose of commuting or driving for pleasure, most of our vehicles generate vast amounts of pollution. According to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency - an indepdent agency under the US government, the typical passenger vehicle emits 4.6 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.
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India has a massive vehicular population too and emissions from vehicles here have a detrimental impact on the planet as much as anywhere else. Since the turn of the century, India’s fossil carbon dioxide emissions have nearly tripled. A primary reason for this is that three-quarters of India’s power supply largely depends on burning coal to generate electricity. Emissions from our vehicles, coupled with coal burning, creates a recipe that is potentially heading for disaster. In order to cut down this constant pollution, motorists can adopt, adapt and alternate between a host of options which are directed towards a more sustainable outcome.
Here are five ways you can ensure that your drive, whichever powertrain, can be clean or as clean as is possible:
Periodic service checks
Having your personal vehicle go through periodic service checks can ensure validity of existing components as well as keep pollution levels in check. Regular and timely maintenance ensures that the engine remains clean, a key factor to reducing tailpipe emissions. Maintenance of the catalytic converter is essential in reducing emissions as well. A typical catalytic converter is an emissions control device that lowers the toxicity of pollutants in exhaust gases from an internal combustion vehicle. Periodic checks of oil levels and the engine oil filter can help reduce emissions by ensuring that the car runs smoothly and the engine is well lubricated.
Also Read : Everything you need to know about Real Driving Emissions norms
Getting the best mileage
Outside of maintaining a vehicle, one’s driving habits can be further enhanced to cut down on emissions. Fuel efficiency relies a lot on driving style, and being too aggressive with throttle inputs can cost you precious mileage. Having a smoother driving style maintained through linear acceleration and deceleration can significantly improve fuel consumption. And because the likes of petrol and diesel are non-renewable, conserving usage can be great for our planet.
Another good habit to reinforce is switching the engine off when the vehicle has been stationary for quite some time. Keeping the engine at idle for longer-than-usual periods of time can cost necessary fuel. It is additionally a good practise to maintain a constant speed, where the rate at which the fuel is consumed is linear and consistent. As a lasting measure, it is recommended to always opt for a fuel-efficient vehicle that ensures reliability and low emissions throughout its lifespan.
Also Read : Hydrogen is fuel of the future, says Gadkari
Buying an electric vehicle
While this may come as no surprise, purchasing and using an electric vehicle is one of the better ways of reducing one’s carbon footprint while cutting down passive emissions altogether. Electric vehicles do not produce any carbon dioxide when being driven even if the electricity powering these vehicles may be generated from non-renewables like coal.
Also Read : Is your clean car really ‘clean’?
It is reported by the EPA that over a year, electric vehicles can produce as much as 2,817 pounds, or 1.27 metric tonnes, of carbon dioxide equivalent. Compared to 4.2 metric tonnes of the same from internal combustion vehicles, it is a sharp difference in emissions.
Alternative fuels
Also known as non-conventional fuels, alternative fuels are derived from sources other than petroleum. These include fuels such as bioethanol, liquefied petroleum gas, compressed natural gas, and lately, hydrogen fuel. Companies have been increasingly looking to invest in both alternative fuels and engines that can run them. Alternative fuels bring about drastic reduction in particulate matter and fuel-cycle emissions. Total fossil CO2 emissions are essentially halved when using bioethanol over standard petrol.
Also Read : India achieves target of 10 per cent ethanol blending in petrol
Drive conservatively
It may be a tall order to ask auto enthusiasts to drive less, however, driving only when it is required enables the gradual cutting down of toxic emissions. If the destination is not too far, cycling or using public transport may be the best option. Public transport around the world is gradually making the shift towards electric or hybrid, and taking the bus to run local errands saves up a lot of fuel and prevents needless emissions. Ride sharing enables a group of people to share a car and travel along the same route instead of each using their individual vehicles.
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