Muskoka Watershed Council

CLEAN AND GREEN 13 - PROTECT AIR QUALITY

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#1 Reduce Our Gasoline Consumption

There are several reasons why we should reduce our gasoline consumption. Gasoline itself is toxic. It contains hundreds of chemical compounds, many of which are known to cause or suspected of causing cancer. As gasoline is burned in your automobile, it produces many compounds that are harmful to both our health and our watershed. Cars create enormous amounts of pollution, harm habitats and air and water quality, and contribute to global warming.

The car you choose, when and how you drive it, and how you take care of it will determine how much your vehicle pollutes. There are a number of simple actions that you can take to reduce the environmental impact of your individual automobile on our watershed.

Driving fewer kilometers will help reduce air pollution. Plan ahead, combine several errands into one trip, and try walking or biking for short errands and leisure activities.

Get regular tune-ups and replace worn spark plugs and dirty air filters, both of which will increase fuel consumption in your vehicle. When changing the oil, use an energy-conserving grade of motor oil (EC or EC-II rated oil) and dispose of used oil properly.

Driving at a steady speed and avoiding traffic helps to increase fuel efficiency and reduces the wear and tear on your vehicle.

Stop and start evenly. Gentle acceleration and coasting to a stop reduces your gas consumption.

Maintain proper tire pressure and wheel alignment to get improved mileage and fuel efficiency from your vehicle.

Don't idle the engine unnecessarily. Turning off and starting an engine uses less gasoline than letting the engine idle for 30 seconds.

Don't "top off" or overfill the gas tank. Vapours can escape, leading to the creation of smog.

When purchasing a vehicle, look for the most fuel-efficient vehicle available in the category that meets your needs. Cars with standard transmissions are more efficient than automatics. If you need an air conditioner, purchase a car that has a CFC-free air conditioner.

Despite better pollution control devices and more stringent emissions standards, driving practices themselves will determine how much a vehicle pollutes. These fuel-efficient driving practices are simple examples of how we can reduce harmful emissions into our watershed everyday.

When buying a new vehicle, lawnmower, snowmobile, boat or other road or nonroad machine, place priority on purchasing one that contains a fuel-efficient engine.

Pollution from passenger cars and trucks accounts for about one-third of all air pollution and one-fifth of all carbon dioxide emissions. For every litre of gasoline a vehicle burns, approximately 2.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere (EPA, 2001).

Some vehicles are cleaner and more efficient than others are. The choices that we as car buyers make when purchasing new vehicles affects the quality of air we breathe and the amount of greenhouse gases we create.

When purchasing a new vehicle, there are features that you can look for that will reduce the impact the vehicle will have on the environment. Vehicle weight, size, engine characteristics, accessories and fuel consumption rating are all factors to be considered when choosing a vehicle.

There are many resources available for consumers to help them buy the cleanest, most efficient vehicle that meets their needs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency developed the Green Vehicle Guide (www.epa.gov/greenvehicles) to help consumers make more environmentally informed choices when purchasing a vehicle. As well, the Government of Canada publishes a Fuel Consumption Guide every autumn which can be picked up at participating new car dealers and most vehicle license offices.

Fuel efficiency is also an important factor to consider when purchasing a nonroad machine (i.e. lawnmowers, snowmobiles, ATVs, and boats). Nonroad machines are responsible for ten percent of total hydrocarbon emissions, a component of ground level ozone and one cause of respiratory system irritation.

The most common type of engine found in nonroad machines is a two-stroke engine. As they are currently designed, two-stroke engines release significant amounts of pollution into the environment. As 20-33% of the fuel goes right through the engine unburned and is released into the environment, fuel efficiency is low and potential harm to the environment is high.

Some of the approaches taken to improve upon the two-stroke engine design and produce more environmentally friendly machines include:

· Replacing two-stroke engines with four-stroke engines to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions;
· Replacing carburetors in new two-stroke engines with direct fuel injection systems;
· Improving fuel atomization in two-stroke engines for leaner burning mixtures; and
· Treating exhaust to reduce emissions from two-stroke engines.

Machines powered by electricity are becoming more common as they produce essentially no pollution from exhaust emissions or through fuel evaporation. Hybrid powered vehicles are being produced in greater quantity, and there are electric alternatives for almost all types of lawn and garden equipment. Electric snowmobiles and ATVs are also being developed.

If you are not in the market for a new engine, then using reformulated gasoline or oxygenated fuels such as 10 percent ethanol blend and using synthetic biodegradable lube oils can reduce potential impacts to health and the environment. Also, be sure to keep your engine tuned and follow a regular maintenance schedule in order to keep your engine working in peak condition and to reduce the pollutants being released into your watershed.