Auto Industry Changing Gears
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Good news for the climate! The auto industry is calling for cap-and-trade legislation to fight global warming. Car manufacturers have been among the fiercest defenders of business-as-usual, so it’s great to have them on board.
Even better, this shift seems to be a trend. The Chicago Tribune recently reported that big business is starting to push for federal legislation to cap carbon emissions, because the blizzard of individual state laws is driving them crazy.
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This isn’t so much about “Auto Industry Changing Gears” as a question. How can I find legitimate stats about vehicle AND industrial CO2 emissions?
Check out Yahoo’s Green Car Web site. It has what you want:
http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/
As noted in the publications of Transportation Alternatives, an group promoting cleaner and safer mobility in NYC, we need to consider alternatives to driving, even before we consider cleaner cars. Individual cars take up more space on the road and parking (by many times) than pedestrians (x10), transit (x10), and bicycles (x5). This exrta space and the danger of so many vehicles makes walking and bicycling less safe. The space requirements, such as more parking, lead to more sprawl. These alternatives, especially walking and bicycling are far more energy efficient than even the best hybrid cars.
Note: The exercise of using these alternatives certainly helps us stay healthy.
Note: I don’t live in NYC, but it’s not too late to apply these valuable lessons everywhere.
Hi ruby2zdy,
Transportation is responsible for about 1/3 of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions; industry accounts for 28%.
You can find find this and other emissions info from the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration.
It’s a typically dense govt report, but the info is there!
Lisa Moore
Environmental Defense
http://www.climate411.org
Let’s forget about cars for a moment. All cars pollute. The pollution either comes out of the tailpipe or out of the power plant where the car’s electricity is generated. (Not to mention that if a hybrid car hits you, it’ll kill you just as good as a gas powered car.)
Let’s talk about encouraging walking and biking. These modes of travel generate zero pollution (nor do they kill and maim tens of thousands each year).
What will it take to convince you to forgoe your car trip (even in your hybrid) and walk or bike?
Here’s some food for thought that’ll hopefully compel you to make the easy switch:
Fact: one quarter of trips in the United States are 1-mile or less, and three-quarters of these trips are made by car.
Source:
http://activelivingbydesign.org/fileadmin/template/documents/factsheets/Transportation_Factsheet.pdf
Fact: it takes 15-minutes to walk one mile
Fact: once you factor in parking and traffic, riding a bike one mile takes the same amount of time as driving
I agree, walking and biking sure beat driving when it comes to pollution. We need to encourage folks to use their feet and their bikes whenever they can. Mass transit’s good too. And by the way, your facts are real eye openers.
But let’s face it, for most Americans, not using a car is simply NOT an option. People need to know that even if they drive, they can still help in the fight against global warming by driving right, and (when in the market) buying the right kind of car.