entirely shot on iphone using only an external mic. 

the union of concerned scientists have a 2008 report (pdf) that details the greenest way to travel, depending on whether you’re flying solo, traveling as a couple or in a small group. even with technological advancements, their findings hold true, according to the 2015 u.s. transportation energy data energy book, which includes data up to year 2013.

so should you fly, drive or ride?

the answer, perhaps surprisingly, is to hop on a bus — specifically a city-to-city bus. the american bus association’s motorcoach census for 2013 found that though the average mileage for a bus is just 6.1 mpg, an industry average of 39.3 passengers per trip resulted in 222.7 mpg per passenger. this is the best option for the environment — regardless of distance and whether you’re traveling alone or not.

if you’re traveling between 100 and 500 miles, the second best option is to hop on a train, with 56.18 mpg per passenger. the third best choice (for a single person) is to fly economy. the average mileage for a plane per gallon per seat is between 50 and 64 miles depending on distance traveled and whether it is a non-stop flight. if you can, try to find a plane that seats all economy as these have the lowest carbon footprint.

cars can be quite environmentally friendly as long as the car is filled to capacity and fuel efficient. if you are comfortable traveling with strangers, then a service like rideshare may be the one for you.

if you still feel like you need to drive yourself home for the holidays, here are a few practical tips from earth share:

1. keep your speed around 50 mph: speeds far above or below this number result in fewer miles per gallon.

2. don’t travel during peak hours: traffic is bound to be problematic — for your stress level and for your gas tank. being stuck in traffic is one of the best ways to burn through gas at a quicker rate.

3. pack light: traveling with less weight in any vehicle (plane, train, bus, car, etc. …) will conserve energy because the machine will not have to work as hard to lug all your stuff at high speeds. take only the essentials and you will find that your travels will be more efficient all around.

(image at top: plane by urvile86; bus and train by adam e. moreira; highway by minesweeper. / creative commons)

that’s right, every gallon of gasoline emits 20 pounds of co2 into the environment.

a gallon of gasoline only weighs a little over 6 pounds, but co2 is created from combining the carbon with oxygen in the environment which means that the weight of the gasoline in your car more than triples in the amount of emissions released through your exhaust pipe.

what changes can we make?

we all have a number of options to lower the amount of vehicle emissions released each day. below are four simple ways to stop emitting 5 – 9 tons of co2 automobile emissions each year.

1. choose a car that gets better mileage.
   having a car that gets better mpg means you are putting less vehicle emissions into the air. the epa and u.s. department of energy have a great comparison tool to help consumers find the right car for them when considering gas mileage.
2. walk, bike, or take public transportation.
   if you’re close enough to walk or bike to work, or even to the store, you are making nearly a 100% difference in the amount of vehicle emissions you are producing. even if walking or biking to work is not feasible, consider taking public transportation when you can. you will not only be helping the environment, but also your wallet.
3. carpool
   get to work in the fast lane and split save money and reduce pollution doing it. carpooling is a great option if you are looking to save money, the environment, and have a few buddies at the office who live nearby you. many areas have carpool lanes that will let you get to and from work much quicker, and everybody will be splitting the fuel cost.
4. use low-carbon fuels
   using ethanol, cng, or other even cleaner automobile fuels (electric car?) can help reduce co2 pollution when you are driving.

what will fuel your change? 

john perrino is a senior majoring in political communication at the george washington university. julia blakely is a senior majoring in journalism at the george washington university.

if you follow the correct steps then you can achieve both together. for this purpose, you may have to make some investments at the initial stage. these investments can be a little heavy on your pocket, but you will see the difference soon. some ways to increase your fuel mileage is discussed below:

1. fit an air-filter in your car – fit your car with an air-filter. make sure that you purchase the air-filter which is suitable for your car. after you have the correct air-filter, exchange it with the old one that your car or truck has. as you change the air-filter system, change the induction system as well. you can do this work by yourself and save some money by purchasing. this new filter system will allow an increased amount of air to flow to the engine. the appreciated flow of clean air will amplify the combustion and in turn, the performance of your car and fuel mileage will be enhanced.

2. purchase a good exhaust system – fit in an exhaust system in your car that will increase its performance. these systems are a bit expensive, but they are a good investment. a performance-exhaust system has less number of bends. thus, the engine does not have to put in greater effort to pump out the fumes. this enhances the efficiency of the engine and the motorcycle fuel pump. as a result of this you will get an improved mileage and horsepower.

3. fit a power chip in your vehicle – this chip tugs at the electronic control system of your automobile. this modifies the working of the engine. as the engine works more efficiently, you will get better mileage and an enhanced horsepower.

4. reduce the weight of your vehicle – it is very important to cut down on the weight of your automobile. the weight of the car will obstruct the efficiency of the engine. this in turn will reduce the mileage and the horsepower. you can cut down on the unnecessary accessories and heavy wheels made of steel. you can use alloy wheels to reduce the weight of your tires. don’t use over-sized tires.

5. check the air in your tires – make sure that the tires have right amount of air all the time. less inflated tires give rise to greater amount of friction. engines work harder to compensate for this. this reduces the efficiency of the engine. the mileage and horsepower will decrease as well. for better performance of your car fill the tires with correct amount of air and maintain it at all times.

these are the various ways in which you can increase the mileage of your car. this enhances the overall performance and efficiency of the automobile. though these modifying parts can be a little expensive, but, you will reap their benefits as well. the expenses on your fuel will come down as a result of better mileage and horsepower.

enter quanto o2–a smartphone-based application that’s based on the car’s specs (year, make, model, engine), speed and distance traveled to estimate the ozone depletion, and offers suggestions for less depletion. quanto 02 stores this data to show trends over the past 7, 30 and 360 days. families will be targeted first so kids are inspired to play an active role (since parents can’t or shouldn’t use devices while driving) with the app. mom and dad can help shape conversation about potential solutions to a cleaner environment and planet and safer communities. social sharing of the app results has aspects to help stimulate friendly competitions in each town, but may extend around the world; and for each brand, make, model, year, engine, too.

the goal is to raise awareness of ozone depletion with every trip we take by car, then gradually to develop a quanto o2 gauge as an oem gauge on every car, right alongside the fuel gauge.

it is hoped that it will speed up the decline vehicles dependent on fossil fuels.
a side benefit is that when cars are driven at lower speeds, accidents and deaths tend to decline and so insurance, medical, personal injury claims, and other related costs could decrease, as well.

photo used under creative commons license