Save gas, save money ... save the planet!

RELEASE: May 30, 2008 – Volume XL, No. 22

By now everyone seems to know that auto emissions contribute much of the pollution that causes global climate change. What many people may not realize, however, is that emissions are created long before spark plugs ignite fuel in our engines. Virtually every step in the process of producing gasoline brings its own hazards and pollution to our land, air and seas.

One easy way each of us can work toward a healthier planet – and keep more cash in our wallets as prices surge past $4 per gallon – is by conserving gas.

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) studied American oil and gas drilling and production facilities for a report titled “Drilling Down: Protecting Western Communities from the Health and Environmental Effects of Oil and Gas Production.” The study found pollution associated with oil and gas exploration and production includes carcinogens, reproductive toxicants, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) like benzene, and other chemicals like arsenic and mercury.

The oil industry enjoys exemptions from many provisions of federal law designed to protect human health and the environment, including the Clean Air, Clean Water and Safe Drinking Water Acts. Transporting oil can also be risky for the environment, as the many major and minor spills attest. So no matter how you look at it, reducing demand for oil helps our environment.

The good news is that anyone who drives a car can help – and in New Jersey, that’s almost 6 million people! As the summer driving season begins, here’s what New Jerseyans can do:
• Take mass transit, walk, bike or carpool as much as possible.
• Avoid aggressive driving. I know, this is New Jersey … but “jackrabbit” starts burn more fuel. Road tests by the auto information website Edmunds.com found an average fuel savings of 31 percent from accelerating and decelerating smoothly!
• Minimize idling; don’t leave the engine on while you run inside for a cup of coffee. Edmunds found almost 20 percent fuel savings by turning the car off if you’re stopping for more than a minute.
• Stay at the speed limit. Fuel economy drops as speed increases, and even slowing from 75 to 65 mph can make a big difference. Edmunds found 12 percent savings at lower speeds (even if drivers behind you get annoyed).
• Use cruise control; you paid for it, now let it pay for itself by boosting fuel efficiency. Edmunds found drivers can cruise to a savings of up to 14 percent.
• Use the right octane level gas for your car - it’s listed in the owner’s manual.
• Combine errands to drive fewer miles on a cold engine.
• Keep your engine tuned, and change your oil and air filters regularly.
• Clean the extra stuff out of your car and off the roof rack. (Yes, you never know when the bowling balls, bags of mulch, stroller and kayak you’re hauling might come in handy, but if they aren’t there for an immediate purpose, they’re just adding drag and weight.)

Before buying a new car, ask: “Do I really need a new car?” Since it costs energy to build new vehicles – even hybrids – perhaps the best answer is to keep your old car in shape and drive it a little longer.

Another question to ask is: “How much car do I need?” The latest hybrid SUVs may tempt you, but an efficient sedan (or sedan hybrid) will usually be far more efficient. And think about engine size. Four-cylinder engines generally offer significantly better gas mileage.

Finally, some estimate that the world’s oil reserves will be depleted in about 40 years. As we use up this finite resource, what impacts are we causing that we may regret centuries later? Future generations may find our oil addiction was far more damaging than we ever knew.

If 6 million New Jerseyans adopt even a few gas saving measures, could we be both the Garden and the Conservation State? A quick internet search for “gas saving tips” will yield a treasure trove of good advice. The Edmunds test results can be found at www.edmunds.com/advice/fueleconomy/articles/106842/article.html. And I hope you’ll contact me at info@njconservation.org, or visit NJCF’s website at www.njconservation.org, for more information about conserving New Jersey’s precious land and natural resources.

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