Motor vehicles that use fossil fuels, such as common fuels you’re familiar with like unleaded gasoline or diesel, are the single biggest contributor to air pollution in the United States. Alongside pollution, vehicles are also at the forefront as major contributors to the greenhouse gases that are legitimately ‘driving’ climate change on a global scale.
Right here at home, in fact, the United States has nearly 30% of the world’s vehicles, and is responsible for close to 50% of the world’s vehicle-created gases.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), motor vehicles of all kinds that use fossil fuels — cars, trucks, equipment like bulldozers, boats and ships, trains, and recreational equipment like snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles — cause about 75% of the nation’s carbon monoxide pollution, currently.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reports that on-road vehicles like cars, trucks, and buses create one-third of the country’s smog-producing air pollution. They are also behind about 27% of our total generated greenhouse gas emissions.
However, thanks to much public activism by individuals and organizations, as well as stronger government regulations in recent years, we have made a great deal of progress in trying to shift the tide. The cars made today create nearly 75% to 90% less pollution than vehicles produced 50 years ago.
Continued industry innovation and changing individual and community behaviors can all make a big difference. As technology has improved, all-electric cars are becoming more and more popular. By choosing an all-electric vehicle, you will in fact be making a big difference. How? Because electric vehicles create less than one-third the greenhouse gas emissions of a gasoline-powered vehicle, and about one-fourth the greenhouse gas emissions of a vehicle powered by diesel.
Electric vehicles are also less expensive to operate, since electricity costs sit lower than gasoline or diesel, and there’s less maintenance and fewer repairs needed.
But if you aren’t buying a new car yet and will be driving your traditional gasoline-powered car, there are still things you can do. How can you make a difference when it comes to driving and your carbon footprint?
Supporting energy conservation practices is another way that we as individuals can make a difference. That’s also why Discount Power is proud to offer a variety of 100% Green Energy plans to power your home or business.
Here’s how it works:
When you enroll in one of our Green Energy plans, all of your electricity usage will be offset by 100% wind-generated, carbon neutral sources of power. You’ll get your power sourced to your home as you do now, and continued service from your current utility company. It’s easy, it’s seamless, and it’s clean!
That electricity can be used to power electric cars and other vehicles for clean, emissions-free driving – keeping green initiatives benefitting directly from each other!
Support the environment and help reduce our nation’s carbon footprint by locking in great rates with a Green Energy plan from Discount Power for your home or business. Contact us today to learn more and see how easy it is to enroll!