On the move
Dangerous Driving
Carbon dioxide is a bad thing. And vehicles burn so much petrol and diesel that their engines belch out roughly a third of all the carbon dioxide created by humans. The precise amount released by each vehicle depends on the size of its engine - a truck or a large van emits far more per mile than a car. Similarily a large car usually belches out more than a small one. But can we really blame Chelsea tractors for the planet's changing climate?
Ben Crystall from New Scientist reports
Big is Bad
Unfortunately 4x4s - SUVs, off-roaders or Chelsea tractors - are ever more popular. Currently they account for around 1 in 15 of all cars sold. They have come in for particular criticism because their large engines are more suited to pulling horse boxes than dropping the kids off on the school run. They might be comfortable, spacious and relatively safe, but they also guzzle fuel.
Greenpeace is critical of Land Rover's 4x4s in particular, highlighting the fact that some models do as little as 12 miles per gallon around town. This is less than half the fuel efficiency of an average car. And according to the campaign group Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, driving one of these rather than a more typical family car for just one year will waste more energy than leaving the fridge door open for 7 years, leaving the TV on for 32 years or leaving the bathroom light on for 34 years!
Drivers under pressure
There is increasing financial pressure on drivers to swap big gas guzzlers for small, efficient vehicles. Firstly, large vehicles cost a lot to run. These days with a small car you pay less road tax, less for fuel and even less for parking (some councils have introduced higher parking rates for large cars).
While economics is helping to push dirty vehicles off the road, Greenpeace wants to go further. It would like to see a new, £1,000 tax, to be paid annually, for all cars which release more than 250 grams of carbon per kilometre - in other words, any car that does less than roughly 25 miles to the gallon.
Clean Up Your Act
Even if you don't drive a Chelsea tractor, you shouldn't feel smug. When it comes to global warming, every car contributes. But better to have a smaller, more fuel efficient engine that produces less carbon dioxide per mile. Check out how much your vehicle adds and next time you get a new car, choose one with a more efficient engine - the Vehicle Certification Agency has information on this.
Other tips: the AA and RAC recommend you keep tyre pressure correct as under- or over-inflated tyres can cut fuel efficiency. Have a clean out too - extra weight in your vehicle's boot - old tools, etc - will mean it uses more fuel. Even removing the roof rack, reducing the use of the air conditioning and keeping windows closed will help improve its efficiency.
Say No to Petrol
There are alternatives to dirty combustion engines. You could follow actor Leonardo DiCaprio and drive a "hybrid" like Toyota's Prius or Honda's Civic. These have small petrol engines and a large battery. Most of the time the vehicle runs on electricity from the battery making it clean and quiet. When more power is required or the battery needs charging, the engine kicks in.
Hybrids reduce emissions but they aren't perfect - scientists calculate that they still release more CO2 than many small cars with diesel engines.
Some cars can run on bioethanol - a fuel made from a mix of old fashioned petrol and ethanol. Ethanol is made from sugar from plants, so overall biofuels are better for global warming.
However if we all use biofuels we might encourage farmers to cut down rainforests to grow fuel crops, or use wheat to make ethanol when it would otherwise be used to make bread (this has already caused food prices to rise in some parts of the world). And the cleanest alternatives like all-electric cars or vehicles running on hydrogen are still years away. When they make it onto the market, they could make a big difference.
Unfortunately 4x4s - SUVs, off-roaders or Chelsea tractors - are ever more popular. Currently they account for around 1 in 15 of all cars sold. They have come in for particular criticism because their large engines are more suited to pulling horse boxes than dropping the kids off on the school run. They might be comfortable, spacious and relatively safe, but they also guzzle fuel.
Greenpeace is critical of Land Rover's 4x4s in particular, highlighting the fact that some models do as little as 12 miles per gallon around town. This is less than half the fuel efficiency of an average car. And according to the campaign group Alliance Against Urban 4x4s, driving one of these rather than a more typical family car for just one year will waste more energy than leaving the fridge door open for 7 years, leaving the TV on for 32 years or leaving the bathroom light on for 34 years!
Drivers under pressure
There is increasing financial pressure on drivers to swap big gas guzzlers for small, efficient vehicles. Firstly, large vehicles cost a lot to run. These days with a small car you pay less road tax, less for fuel and even less for parking (some councils have introduced higher parking rates for large cars).
While economics is helping to push dirty vehicles off the road, Greenpeace wants to go further. It would like to see a new, £1,000 tax, to be paid annually, for all cars which release more than 250 grams of carbon per kilometre - in other words, any car that does less than roughly 25 miles to the gallon.
Clean Up Your Act
Even if you don't drive a Chelsea tractor, you shouldn't feel smug. When it comes to global warming, every car contributes. But better to have a smaller, more fuel efficient engine that produces less carbon dioxide per mile. Check out how much your vehicle adds and next time you get a new car, choose one with a more efficient engine - the Vehicle Certification Agency has information on this.
Other tips: the AA and RAC recommend you keep tyre pressure correct as under- or over-inflated tyres can cut fuel efficiency. Have a clean out too - extra weight in your vehicle's boot - old tools, etc - will mean it uses more fuel. Even removing the roof rack, reducing the use of the air conditioning and keeping windows closed will help improve its efficiency.
Say No to Petrol
There are alternatives to dirty combustion engines. You could follow actor Leonardo DiCaprio and drive a "hybrid" like Toyota's Prius or Honda's Civic. These have small petrol engines and a large battery. Most of the time the vehicle runs on electricity from the battery making it clean and quiet. When more power is required or the battery needs charging, the engine kicks in.
Hybrids reduce emissions but they aren't perfect - scientists calculate that they still release more CO2 than many small cars with diesel engines.
Some cars can run on bioethanol - a fuel made from a mix of old fashioned petrol and ethanol. Ethanol is made from sugar from plants, so overall biofuels are better for global warming.
However if we all use biofuels we might encourage farmers to cut down rainforests to grow fuel crops, or use wheat to make ethanol when it would otherwise be used to make bread (this has already caused food prices to rise in some parts of the world). And the cleanest alternatives like all-electric cars or vehicles running on hydrogen are still years away. When they make it onto the market, they could make a big difference.
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