Owning a car is something that is not only expensive, but bad for the environment. It puts a variety of different pollutants into the air, as well as attributing to further deterioration of the ozone layer. If you are someone who prefers to live a green lifestyle, you may be happy to know that there are some options to make your car a bit greener, if you are forced to own a car to get to places such as work or to visit relatives that live far away. To learn more about these tips and tricks, just read below.
Good Tires
If you have to drive, it is important that you keep good tires on your car. We all know good tires are better for our safety, but did you know that tires that last longer actually help the environment? Tires that last longer are less likely to go into a landfill sooner, allowing you to use as much of the tire as you can. As well, many good tires can later be recycled to make new tires or be used for other items.
Maintenance
Make sure that you are keeping up with all the maintenance on your car. A car that is in need of an oil change is more likely put off more dangerous emissions, so make sure everything is working perfectly. As well, make sure that your car isn’t leaking oil, since this can be dangerous not only to the soil around your car, but to any nearby animals. By making sure that all of the chemicals and emissions are working perfectly, you are helping to making your car as eco friendly as possible.
Hybrids
Today, nearly every auto maker has their own hybrid car. Unlike cars of the past, these cars use both gas and electricity to run. When possible, use electricity as much as you can, since running off this fuel is less likely to put dangerous emissions in the air. You will also notice rather quickly that while these cars may be more expensive to buy, they are also cheaper to run. When purchasing one of these cars, also remember that larger isn’t always better. Get exactly what you need for your family and nothing more.
Vegetable Oil
If you run a diesel car, you should rarely be using diesel at all, unless it is biodiesel. Today, you can buy kits to allow your car to run off of pure vegetable oil. By doing this, you are using not fossil fuels, but the bi-product of vegetables. Using vegetable oil as fuel does not hurt the environment and is actually more cost efficient for you. Just make sure everything is installed correctly and you follow the necessary directions before you decide to use this Earth friendly fuel.
For those who do not have a diesel car, look for ethanol instead. Many companies are mixing ethanol and gas together since it is not only cheaper, but better for the environment.
Let’s face it, we all love our car. Unlike times of the past, it gives us a great deal of freedom to move about and do things that we could never dream of doing if we didn’t have a vehicle. Luckily, there are some ways we can still help the Earth and keep our cars at the same time.
