The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Transportation

The American Lung Association estimates that air pollution from motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial consumption costs the United States $40 billion annually in healthcare and lost productivity.

Each of the ten statements below is a general statement related to our transportation choices. Try to describe your current choices.
Answers range from:

1. I keep my car tuned up and keep track of gas mileage.
2. I check the inflation of my tires every two weeks.
3. I try not to let the car idle unnecessarily.
4. I try to replace my tires with steel belted or radial tires.
5. I make an attempt to have the car serviced where the motor oil and antifreeze are recycled.
6. I reduce auto weight when possible.
7. I don’t have the car’s air conditioner "serviced."
8. I try using alternate means of transportation just one day a week.
9. I let politicians know I want more and better quality mass transit.
10. I plan errands so the fewest miles possible are driven.

Tips for Living More Lightly

1. A well-tuned car uses up to 9% less gasoline and if there is a sudden drop in gas mileage, you can catch it and get the problem fixed quickly.
2. Under inflated tires can waste up to 5% of the car’s fuel.
3. It takes less gas to start a car than to let it idle.
4. Installing the most efficient tires can boost fuel economy of most cars 1-3 miles per gallon.
5. The motor oil can be refined and the antifreeze can be re-distilled.
6. An extra 100 pounds in weight decreases fuel economy about 1% for the average car.
7. Coolants from auto AC units release CFCs into the atmosphere, contributing to 16% of the earth’s ozone destruction.
8. If 1% of Americans left their cars idle for one day a week, it would save an estimated 42 million gallons of gas a year and it would decrease carbon dioxide emissions by 840 million pounds per year.
9. A Greenpeace study concluded that it takes $100 million to build one mile of highway and $15 million to build one mile of light rail transit.
10. Fewer miles traveled by car result in less gasoline burned; less smog, soot, and carbon dioxide pollution; and better health for our world.

Resources

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