#1: Saving Gas
As tutors and teachers, we enjoy the privilege of near-constant driving on the wonderfully maintained and blissfully under-crowded road system of these United States. Unfortunately, the high cost of gas and concomitant release of vast clouds of carbon dioxide can really put a damper on this otherwise joyous process. Transportation is one of the biggest contributors anthropogenic atmospheric C02, accounting for almost a third of total emissions. With this in mind, this week’s green teacher tip is a list of 5 ways to boost your MPG and reduce both your carbon and plastic (wallet) footprints.
1. Make sure your tires are properly inflated; check your pressure once a month and fill the tires up to the PSI level indicated by the manufacturer
2. Keep your engine tuned-up and have your air and oil filters replaced when you get an oil change
3. Don’t use your car as your personal tutoring office. I know, those MCAT books are a pain to haul back and forth between your car and the house, but all that extra weight can noticeably affect fuel consumption
4. Try to plan your schedule so that you can avoid multiple trips to the same far away area. Have two students in the same town that’s 20 miles away? See if they can both meet on Tuesday. It’s a longer workday, but you haven’t wasted half of your pay on gas and you can feel good about helping the environment.
5. Don’t drive so #$@!ing aggressively. Rapid stops and starts are one of the fastest ways to burn gas (as well as wear down your car). Every time you brake you’re wasting all of that energy that you put into accelerating the car to that speed. Red light or stop sign ahead? Coast to it in neutral rather than speeding up until the last possible moment just to cut off that jerk next to you so you can give him the finger. (applies especially to those of us in the Northeast)
6. Bonus tip – bike or take mass transit whenever possible. Avoid the traffic jams, get in shape, and save the planet all at once! (plus, spandex shorts are so in)
These ‘techniques’ represent only the tip of the rapidly melting iceberg as far as ways to save gas and reduce your driving emissions. More comprehensive lists can be found all over the web, but a good place to start is: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/06/66-gas-saving-tips.php. Happy driving and feel free to submit your own teacher eco-tips to Josh.
