Chapter 2: AIR CARE

All motor vehicles release pollutants into the air - mostly through the exhaust fumes that come out of the tailpipe when the engine operates. Some vehicle exhaust is easy to see (we can all spot a smoky exhaust) but much is invisible. Pollutants produced by your car's exhaust include; carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and sulfur dioxide. At high levels these chemicals add to smog and other air problems. Driving a car (with a standard combustion engine) will always produce air contaminants, but there are simple steps to reduce air pollution as much as possible. SIMPLE STEPS TO REDUCE AIR POLLUTION Buy the smallest car suitable for your needs (driving a big 4WD with no passengers is a waste of resources) Keep your vehicle properly tuned with regular servicing Maintain correct tyre pressures Only fill your fuel tank to the first click to avoid spillage Fix your smoky exhaust and report any smoky vehicles you see Avoid excessive revving and braking Remove unnecessary weight from the boot and roof racks Car pool if you can Use public transport when possible Walk or cycle for short trips (as a car's engine is very inefficient to short trips when cold) Many of these simple steps are the same of those used to driving efficiently and get good fuel economy. As such by helping the environment you are also saving money. THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT Life as we know it could not exist without the Greenhouse Effect. Without small amounts of greenhouse gases in the air; scientists estimate the earth would be 21ºC cooler that it is. Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is one of the major greenhouse gases even though (in 1995) it represented only 360 parts per million in the earth's atmosphere. The use of the fuel burning motor vehicle has led to an increase in CO2 levels (plus increases in many other gases); which could disturb the natural balance and result in a potentially catastrophic temperature rise. A cars production of CO2 is linked to its fuel consumption. Petrol consists of molecules of hydrogen and carbon which when combined with oxygen (fuel:air ratio) during combustion create carbon dioxide. In a perfectly tuned engine; enough oxygen is provided for every last bit of petrol to burn. The perfect ratio for complete combustion is 15 parts air to one part of petrol, measured by weight. Even though air is just 20% oxygen the amount of carbon dioxide produced by driving is amazing. An average car produces about 200 grams of greenhouse gas per kilometre driven. Therefore the average Australian car adds 3 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere each year. GREENFLEET: For a tax deductible fee you will get native trees planted in your name. The idea is they will soak up the 4.34 tonnes of greenhouse gases your rocket probably belches out per annum. Greenfleet is a non profit organization that was founded in 1997 specifically to deal with transport issues. You can sign up on their good looking website www.greenfleet.com.au. Think about it.......it might only be the future of the world that depends on it.

(Written by Joel Neilsen, Managing Director, Safe Drive Training)