Stop Global Warming action tip of the month

Keep Car Tires Well-Inflated
A student project by the Steinbrenner Institute at Carnegie Mellon gauging the tire pressure of cars parked on campus reports that the vehicles averaged a total 10-pounds-per-square-inch (psi) below optimum. With the Environmental Protection Agency noting that drivers lose one percent of fuel efficiency for every two pounds-per-square-inch (psi) of under-inflation, at an average 22.3 miles per gallon and 12,242 miles per year, it’s annually costing drivers at least 30 extra gallons of gas we never need to buy!

At $3 a gallon, if these drivers were to maintain the tire manufacturer’s recommended air pressure they’d conservatively pocket $90 dollars a year in fuel savings. At 20.8 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions for every gallon of gasoline, that’s 624 pounds of greenhouse gas stopped in its tracks for every driver who knows to pump more air and less gas.

"This demonstrates that saving the environment can actually save money and that what we do as individuals really does matter to the environment…even on a global scale," says Deborah Lange, executive director of the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research.

Only one campus car tested contained the tire-manufacturer’s recommended dose of air for all four wheels. Savvy tire companies typically publish more fuel efficient specs than owners’ manuals, but that fact’s often overlooked. That and driver laxness are why the federal government has mandated that most model year 2008 cars have onboard tire pressure monitoring systems that will alert drivers when tire pressure drops. In the meantime, regular air-pressure checks serve best.

Source: Carnegie Mellon News Service at cmu.edu