7 Ways to Reduce and Offset Your Car’s Emissions

Did you know the average passenger car produces more than 4 metric tons of carbon dioxide a year? Collectively, cars and trucks account for nearly one-fifth of all US emissions and are a major cause of global warming. The impact of global warming cannot be avoided nowadays with record high temperatures, rising seas, and severe flooding and droughts all too common.

If you’re like most Americans, you drive a car or truck to get to work or school. Even so, you can still do your part to decrease emissions and help offset your car’s CO2 emissions. Here are just 7 ways:

5 Ways To Decrease Your Car’s Carbon Footprint

1. Avoid speeding and unnecessary acceleration.

a. Studies have shown that this sort of aggressive driving can lower your gas mileage by 15–30% at highway speeds!

b. Lower gas mileage means you are using more fuel, and thus emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere.

c. Responsible driving can make you a safer and more sustainable driver.

2. Turn off your air conditioning!

a. It’s cool to stay hot every once in a while! Your AC adds to your carbon footprint.

b. By turning off your AC — even for just five to 10 minutes a day — makes a measurable impact on the environment.

3. Keep your engine properly tuned.

a. This includes maintenance fixes such as ensuring your tires are properly inflated, which could improve your gas mileage by up to 3%.

b. Bigger fixes, such as fixing a faulty oxygen sensor, can improve mileage by up to 40%.

4. Carpool! Bike to work! Take public transportation.

a. If you aren’t driving your car, it isn’t emitting CO2.

b. Even if this is only a once-a-week event, over the whole year that could be up to 52 fewer days driving your car.

5. Buying a new car?

a. Consider purchasing a hybrid or electric car.

b. What you save in lower gasoline bills makes these vehicles more cost effective and less impactful on the ecosystem.

2 Ways To Offset You Car’s Carbon Footprint

1. Buy auto insurance from MagicQuote.

a. Starting with a quick scan of your driver’s license, MagicQuote automagically fills out forms from dozens of insurance companies to get you quotes and save you money.

b. And if that’s not enough, MagicQuote will plant a tree in your name to help offset 25% or more of your car’s CO2 emissions.

c. And you can use the money you save on insurance from MagicQuote to go out and…

2. Plant your own trees

a. Use your green thumb to plant your own trees or

b. Support an organization, like One Tree Planted, which especially good at reforesting those parts of America which have been denuded by forest fires and natural or man-made calamities.