Going Green: Saving the Planet one Car at a Time

For the past couple of years, global warming has become an important issue in today’s society. Throughout the United States, the Going Green Campaign draws more attention to the detriments global warming brings to the balance of our eco system. As the Earth’s average temperature is rising, glaciers are liquefying, hurricanes are hitting more frequently, and droughts and floods are destroying the land, and global warming is the culprit behind these environmental disasters (Allianz). With this newfound conviction to end global warming, many new innovations are available to aid in conserving energy. One major contribution from car manufacturers has been the introduction of the Hybrid car. Hybrid car engines reduce contaminants that contribute to global warming by one-third (National Resource Defense Council). With the Hybrid being a cross between a gasoline-powered car and an electric car, this technological novelty produces less pollution for the environment by reducing tailpipe emissions and improving mileage which contributes to the efforts to end global warming (How Hybrid Cars Work).

Remarkably, the Hybrid car gets around twenty to thirty more miles per gallon than standard automobiles. With the Hybrid car, mileage efficiency can be enhanced by having a smaller engine, lighter parts, and by reducing the number of cylinders. According to Nice and Layton, “composite materials like carbon fiber or lightweight metals like aluminum and magnesium can be used to reduce weight” in the Hybrid car’s structure (How Hybrid Cars Work). “A lighter vehicle” like the Hybrid “uses less energy each time you accelerate or drive up a hill” (How Hybrid Cars Work) which in turn will increase gas mileage. Also, the Hybrid car has a smaller engine which helps extend mileage. Most automobiles need a moderately large engine to create a sufficient amount of energy in order to rapidly accelerate. By making the engine smaller, it is more energy efficient. Furthermore, larger engines usually have additional cylinders, and each cylinder uses fuel every time the engine fires, even if the car is not in motion. So by constructing the Hybrid car with a smaller engine, making it have lighter parts, and lessening the number of cylinders, less gas per mile is achieved. By being able to use less gas per mile because of their design, Hybrid cars add to the fight against global warming.

While the Hybrid car gets more miles to the gallon, it also reduces tailpipe emissions such as carbon dioxide. According to Nice and Layton, the only requirements an automobile must meet to be marketed is it has to (1) “drive at least three hundred miles before re-fueling,” (2) “be refueled quickly and easily,” and (3) “keep up with the other traffic on the road” (How Hybrid Cars Work). While a gasoline-powered automobile meets these standards, it generates a hefty amount of pollution. An electric automobile, on the other hand, produces almost no pollution; however, it only can reach between fifty and one-hundred miles between recharges. By combining the gas-powered and electric car, the Hybrid is a “compromise.” It attempts to considerably “reduce the emissions of a gas-powered car while overcoming the shortcomings of an electric” (How Hybrid Cars Work). This is vital because from their tailpipes, cars release a pollutant called carbon dioxide. Scientists believe that the carbon dioxide emitted from cars contributes to global warming. Furthermore, an automobile that burns two times as much gas adds twice as much carbon dioxide in to the environment (How Hybrid Cars Work). So, Hybrid cars are aiding in the stop of global warming by reducing carbon dioxide tailpipe emissions by having a more energy efficient car.

In order to help cut global warming pollution, it is vital to incorporate conserving energy into a daily routine. Nowadays, the total carbon dioxide annually dumped into the atmosphere is one ton per person (Global Warming). Every time a more eco friendly product is purchased, it is contributing to the fight against global warming. Biodegradable and reusable products, even though small steps, assist the fight. Even a compact fluorescent light bulb when chosen over an incandescent bulb, keep nearly seven hundred pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere (Natural Defense Council). Like the compact fluorescent light bulb, Hybrid cars are just one more step toward helping the eco system and one more step toward immensely contributing to the efforts to end global warming.