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DEP Home > Innovation > How You Can P2 > Household > Transportation

Transportation

Whether it's a short trip to the store, commuting to work, or taking a family vacation, people are constantly on the move. Have you ever thought about the environmental impact of all the miles you travel? Every time we get in our cars most of us make the choice to burn nonrenewable fossil fuel and send harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that contribute to global climate change and create smog. But you can make decisions to minimize the impact of transportation.

Green cars update
www.grist.org/feature/2007/08/13/cars/index.html

Improving fuel efficiency

For more information on saving money and making fewer stops at the gas station follow the tips on this website from the Department of Energy:
www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/drive.shtml

The Resourceful Car Checklist www.maine.gov/dep/innovation/p2/carcheck.htm

US Environmental Protection Agency Green Vehicles Guide. This car guide provides statistics and comparisons of the environmental performance of vehicles.
www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/index.htm

How much does your car pollute? The Tailpipe Tally from www.environmentaldefense.org is an online tool for determining annual emissions from your vehicle. Vehicles have different emissions and fuel efficiencies. By being aware of these differences you can make environmentally responsible transportation decisions.
The Tailpipe Tally
www.environmentaldefense.org/article.cfm?contentID=5578

Alternative fuel vehicles

Hybrid electric vehicles, made by major car companies such as Toyota and Honda, use as much as 50% less gas than conventional cars. For more information on hybrids check the Green Vehicles Guide listed above.

An option for any vehicle currently using diesel fuel is biodiesel. Biodiesel is produced domestically from renewable sources, and can be combined with regular diesel fuel. For more information on biodiesel visit:
www.biodiesel.org

The Alternative Fuels Data Center from the US Department of Energy provides information on alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles.
www.eere.energy.gov/cleancities/afdc/