How to Take Action to Reduce Air Pollution
Question car culture., Take the bus, subway or train., Try walking or biking., If you do drive, keep your car in good condition.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Question car culture.
Industrial manufacturing practices are the primary reason the earth's air is polluted, but car-related pollution is the next biggest culprit.
The manufacturing of cars and roads, the production of fuel, and the emissions that result from burning that fuel all play a part.Since many cities are laid out in such a way that driving is almost a necessity, it can be hard to determine the best way to combat this problem.
No matter where you live, you can take action by finding creative ways to be less dependent on cars.
It may not be practical to give up your car entirely, but you can still take action by reducing your use of your car.
For example, instead of driving to the grocery store every other day, make one trip every week or week and a half, stocking up on everything you need all at once.
Carpooling with your neighbors or signing up for a car share program are also great ways to reduce your car use. -
Step 2: Take the bus
If you live in New York City you're probably already used to taking mass transit wherever you go, but big cities aren't the only places that offer public transportation.
Get familiar with your city or town's bus or train routes, and start replacing your car commute with a bus trip at least once a week.
Work up to using public transportation as often as possible, only using your car when you can't figure out a good alternative.
Taking a bus or train to work, school or any other activity has a lot of advantages.
Aside from doing your part to reduce air pollution, you'll have extra time to read, knit, do crosswords, or people watch.
Taking public transportation is also safer than driving, and will probably help reduce your anxiety level since you won't have to deal with rush hour traffic. , Even better than taking public transportation is using your own energy to propel you where you want to go.
You can probably walk to locations that are within a five minute drive of your house
- and if you're adventurous and have the time, you may want to walk even further.
If you're lucky enough to live in a place with good bike routes, start using them.
In places with heavy traffic, biking can be the fastest way to get around. , Get your car tuned up frequently and make sure it passes your city's smog test with flying colors.
There are a few other things you can do to help your car make as small a dent as possible:
Use an energy-conserving motor grade oil.Fill your gas tank in the early morning or late evening, when it's cool outside.
This helps prevent as much gas from evaporating in the heat of the day.
Take care not to let gas spill when you fill your tank.
Instead of letting your car idle in long lines at fast food restaurants and bank drive-thrus, park your car and walk inside.
Inflate your car’s tires to the recommended pressure.
This will produce the best performance for your car and reduces fuel usage. -
Step 3: subway or train.
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Step 4: Try walking or biking.
-
Step 5: If you do drive
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Step 6: keep your car in good condition.
Detailed Guide
Industrial manufacturing practices are the primary reason the earth's air is polluted, but car-related pollution is the next biggest culprit.
The manufacturing of cars and roads, the production of fuel, and the emissions that result from burning that fuel all play a part.Since many cities are laid out in such a way that driving is almost a necessity, it can be hard to determine the best way to combat this problem.
No matter where you live, you can take action by finding creative ways to be less dependent on cars.
It may not be practical to give up your car entirely, but you can still take action by reducing your use of your car.
For example, instead of driving to the grocery store every other day, make one trip every week or week and a half, stocking up on everything you need all at once.
Carpooling with your neighbors or signing up for a car share program are also great ways to reduce your car use.
If you live in New York City you're probably already used to taking mass transit wherever you go, but big cities aren't the only places that offer public transportation.
Get familiar with your city or town's bus or train routes, and start replacing your car commute with a bus trip at least once a week.
Work up to using public transportation as often as possible, only using your car when you can't figure out a good alternative.
Taking a bus or train to work, school or any other activity has a lot of advantages.
Aside from doing your part to reduce air pollution, you'll have extra time to read, knit, do crosswords, or people watch.
Taking public transportation is also safer than driving, and will probably help reduce your anxiety level since you won't have to deal with rush hour traffic. , Even better than taking public transportation is using your own energy to propel you where you want to go.
You can probably walk to locations that are within a five minute drive of your house
- and if you're adventurous and have the time, you may want to walk even further.
If you're lucky enough to live in a place with good bike routes, start using them.
In places with heavy traffic, biking can be the fastest way to get around. , Get your car tuned up frequently and make sure it passes your city's smog test with flying colors.
There are a few other things you can do to help your car make as small a dent as possible:
Use an energy-conserving motor grade oil.Fill your gas tank in the early morning or late evening, when it's cool outside.
This helps prevent as much gas from evaporating in the heat of the day.
Take care not to let gas spill when you fill your tank.
Instead of letting your car idle in long lines at fast food restaurants and bank drive-thrus, park your car and walk inside.
Inflate your car’s tires to the recommended pressure.
This will produce the best performance for your car and reduces fuel usage.
About the Author
Charlotte Harvey
Experienced content creator specializing in hobbies guides and tutorials.
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