Harsh Facts of the Week
Motor vehicles are
responsible for about one third of the world’s oil use. However, they account
for almost two thirds of America’s oil use.
In the United States,
10,000 gallons of gasoline are burned in a single second.
In the state of
California alone, the amount of gasoline vapors wafting out of gas station
pumps totals 15,811 gallons a day.
On average, 1,143
gallons of gasoline are used per household per year. (If the vapors lost from
Californian gas stations could somehow be saved, they could fulfill this annual
usage for about fourteen households).
Americans now use motor
vehicles for more than ninety percent of their daily trips. Keep in mind that a
quarter of all car journeys are less than
two miles.
An average person
travels more than 9,000 miles a year by car, compared with less than 4,000
miles from four decades ago.
Children who live
near streets used by more than 20,000 cars a day were six times more likely to
develop cancer than those who lived in neighborhoods where traffic was less
than 500 vehicles each day.
We live in a fast paced world, and
for most of us, using a car is inevitable. However, we have also become so
accustomed to this fast method of transportation that for many of us, walking
or biking to a destination that is only a mile or two away seems like quite a lengthy
and strenuous trip.
I will be going to college in a
very bike-friendly city. I plan on bringing my car with me to college, but I
have vowed to myself that I will only drive it when it’s absolutely necessary.
For the rest of the time, I will be joining the hordes of walkers and bike
riders in order to transport myself around campus, the city, and local
attractions, such as the lake.
Where can you substitute a walk or
a bike ride in your daily schedule? Have you been lacking in exercise lately?
This could be the perfect opportunity for you to work off some fat, enjoy the
outdoors, reduce your carbon emissions, and generally feel good about yourself.
To learn seventeen ways to make
your car more fuel efficient, check out this past edition of “EcofriendlyEconomics.”
