This is part of my series: 20 Ways to Go Green that Make a Difference. This series discusses practical ways we can go green in our lives, that will have a measurable effect on the environment. This is an alternative to the many lists that offer 100+ suggestions, many of which are not easily applied to our lives or the impact is minimal.
As I mentioned in yesterday's tip, driving is one of the largest contributors to pollution. In addition to driving less often, the manner in which we drive can have a huge impact on the environment.
Every time you hit the brakes you are wasting energy expended to get you up to that speed. Driving slowly, at or below the speed limit will make you waste less from braking. Also more fuel is used to attain and maintain higher speeds, which means driving slower will conserve gas. Speeding up to 70 MPH from 55 MPH does not save you much time on your commute, so don't do it.
Another benefit is safety on the roads. As a reader of this blog, you are someone who cares about going green you do not want to ever do harm to others. Driving fast is not as safe, and by driving more slowly, lowers the risk of accident. If a car accident occurs, expensive new parts or even a replacement is not a good use of resources, especially if it could have been avoided by driving slower.
Another green driving tip is to always maintain your car with scheduled oil change and emissions checks. This limit damage done to the environment by dirty emissions. This will also lower the rate of break downs and save you from costly repairs and replacements. Not idling in your car, when it is unnecessary, will also conserve gas. Turning the AC off and opening your windows will help the environment as well.
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