1 / 19

World Watch Institute, December 1998  worldwatch/alerts/981217.html

Cars consume a third of U.S. iron and steel, a fifth of its aluminum and two-thirds of its lead and rubber. . World Watch Institute, December 1998  www.worldwatch.org/alerts/981217.html.

evette
Download Presentation

World Watch Institute, December 1998  worldwatch/alerts/981217.html

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Cars consume a third of U.S. iron and steel, a fifth of its aluminum and two-thirds of its lead and rubber.  World Watch Institute, December 1998 www.worldwatch.org/alerts/981217.html

  2. Worldwide, bicycles outnumber automobiles almost 2 to 1, but of all the trips taken in the U.S. just 2/3 of 1 percent are made by bicycle.  Northwest Environment Watch, John Ryan, " Small Wonders: Everyday Things for a Healthier Planet," 1999

  3. If US cars and light trucks were a country, they would be the fifth most polluting nation in the world.   Environmental Defense, "Sinful Emissions, Weighing In on Automakers' Carbon Burdens," July 2002

  4. The typical SUV today has a fuel economy 29 percent lower than that of the average car, resulting in a CO2 emissions rate roughly 40 percent higher. Environmental Defense, "Sinful Emissions, Weighing In on Automakers' Carbon Burdens," July 2002

  5. The 8.2 million barrels per day of fuel consumed by U.S. automobiles nearly matches the amount of oil produced by Saudi Arabia. Environmental Defense, "Sinful Emissions, Weighing In on Automakers' Carbon Burdens," July 2002

  6. Presently, U.S. oil production satisfies about half of our nation's petroleum needs – just enough to fuel our cars and light trucks. The remaining oil  (for heating and cooling, freight and air travel, electricity production, and industrial uses) is imported into the United States from areas such as the Middle East.     Environmental Defense, 1999

  7. A gallon of gasoline weighs 6 pounds, but when burned and combined with oxygen in the air, the resulting compound weighs nearly 20 pounds.     Environmental Defense, Carbon Emissions Fact Sheet, July 2002www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/2209_CarEmissionsFactSheet.pdf

  8. The United States has the highest rate of carbon emissions in the world, with close to 1,600 million metric tons of carbon released annually (or about 25 percent of the world's total).   Environmental Defense, Carbon Emissions Fact Sheet, July 2002www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/2209_CarEmissionsFactSheet.pdf

  9. Thirteen percent of the total global, transportation-related carbon dioxide emissions are released by airplanes. U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "Aviation and the Global Atmosphere," April 1999

  10. Each year in the United States, 10 to 11 million vehicles reach the end of their useful lives and are taken out of service.     Environmental Defense, 1999

  11. The hidden costs of driving in the U.S. amount to at least $184 billion per year, including $40 billion for road costs not covered by fees and tolls and $56 billion for health damage due to air pollution. newdream.org

  12. Developing countries are following the example of rapid adoption of the automobile: in 1996, more new cars were sold in Asia than in Western Europe and North America together. The Councils of the Royal Society of London and National Academy of Sciences' joint statement "Toward Sustainable Consumption," 1997.)

  13. According to the EPA, 50% of urban automobile trips are approximately five miles or less, transport only one passenger, and travel at a low speed

  14. In the U.S., transportation accounts for 66% of carbon monoxide emissions, 21% of particulate material, 35% of volatile organic compounds, and 40% of nitrous oxides (Colorado Energy Talk Newsletter, U.S. Department of Energy Findings, Spring 1995, p.4.)

  15. Jets on average need 40% more energy than cars to move a passenger each mile . Alan Thein Durning, How Much is Enough?, Worldwatch Institute, 1992

  16. Tip: Ask your employer to take back your parking space and give you a raise.

  17. Don't speed! The U.S. Department of Transportation says speeding can increase your gas costs by 20% Campaign on Auto Pollution

  18. Vacation locally! Many of us take planes and cars for faraway vacations, and miss many great (and more affordable!) attractions right in our own region of the country. newdream.org

  19. Cluster errands and do them on your way to or from work. Americans travel 60-100% further per capita than Europeans, but the average trip length is about the same (12.5 - 15 km). (Northwest Environmental coalition)

More Related