car2.JPG

For many people, an automobile is considered a necessity.

With issues like Global Warming gaining lots of media attention, we tend to be most concerned with the impact that our car has during it’s useful life. Have you ever considered what happens to the thousands of pounds of junk that your car will eventually become?

One source says that while the metals are readily recyclable, 25% of a typical automobile is unusable by the auto recycling industry and it ends up in landfills.
My family recently spent one full year without owning a car. We rented a car in order to do some necessary errands one day per month. We rented a van for about 5 days when we had family visiting. Sit down and think about whether it really is necessary for you to have a car. If you have two or more cars, think about whether you can effectively live a lifestyle that doesn’t require that number. We now own a small used car.

Choose automobiles that are reputed to have a longer useful lifespan. If durability was a major criteria for purchasing decisions, the automakers would respond to that.

Choose the smallest vehicle that will meet your needs. The second smallest car on the US market is the AVEO. It weighs 2,365 pounds. A Hummer weighs 8600 pounds.

Consider joining a carsharing plan. I have been intrigued by this concept for years, but I have never lived in an area where it was available.

Hone your skills as a driver and be responsible in your operation of a motor vehicle. An accident is bad for the environment as well as being bad for your physical well being and your finances.

‘If you live in a city, you don’t need to own a car.’
William Clay Ford Jr.,
CEO, Ford Motor Company Ltd.

Sources: TMS, CarSharing.net

 Retweet This Post