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AUTOMOBILES by Dan Becker and Steve Pedery |
1. Sierra Club's Global Warming and Energy Campaign
Q: What's the biggest single step we can take to curb global warming, improve our trade deficit, strengthen our economy, and protect sensitive wilderness areas? A: Making cars and trucks more fuel efficient. Visit this site and find out how American cars and trucks are affecting global warming, and how you can help make them more efficient.
2. International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives
Also known by the acronym ICLEI, this organization's Website is devoted to helping cities and local governments take action to curb global warming. As one of the biggest single sources of global warming pollution in the United States, cars are a major focus of their efforts. One notable feature of their site is the "Commuter Calculator", where you compute how much gas (and how much pollution) is involved in your daily back-and-forths.
3. Public Citizen's Critical Mass Energy Project
Critical Mass has an ongoing energy campaign, one area of which is transportation and fuel economy. This site contains some useful information on what's happening on auto fuel efficiency in the US today.
4. The Environmental Protection Agency's Fuel Economy Website
This site contains a great deal of information, including tips on how to save gas (and money) by driving smarter. Good on electric cars. Contains a link to the Department of Energy's guide to the fuel economy of 1997 vehicles.
Devoted to promoting the use of clean technology and energy efficiency. Website contains a wide variety of information on auto fuel economy and its importance.
Also...Ford Motor Company's "How To Drive Green." Ford lists 13 separate ways to be kind to the environment (all of which are aimed at improving fuel economy!). Ironically, Ford, along with GM and Chrysler, will for the first time ever fail to meet minimum federal fuel economy standards for light trucks this year. (Ford will also fall below the minimum with cars.)
Dan Becker is Director of, and Steve Pedery is Conservation Assistant to, the Sierra Club's Global Warming and Energy Program.