Click to play videoIf you own a vehicle or planning to buy one, you might want to give a thought to just how you could be adding to climate change on the World Environment Day. HR Venkatesh does a spot check.
My car is a 1.3-litre petrol engine, which pumps out a healthy 87.5 BHP and hefts 11.5 kilograms of torque. That translates into a great driving experience, and I specially like the way it corners.
But my car is a serial offender. While you can't actually see the exhaust spout smoke, it emits Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and hydrocarbons; which are all Greenhouse gases that heat up the earth.
In its defence, a small car like mine drinks up one litre every 11 km. Generally speaking, SUVs like Ford Endeavour are fuel guzzlers offering a criminal 7.3 km per litre. Even luxury cars like a Honda Accord are offenders, offering only 6.6 km per litre. So switching to a small car could be the single biggest contribution you could make to the environment.
In India, ground transport accounts for 6.5 per cent of all Green House gas emissions. This number is growing so fast that cleaner and bio-fuels are getting popular.
"If we reduce the number of vehicles and we leapfrog to public transport, we will avoid air pollution, which will also help climate change," Sunita Narain, Director, Centre for Science and Environment, says.
It's clear to me that we must all do our bit. As for me, until Metro gets to my area, it's a good idea to use a cycle to get the groceries. I probably need the exercise as well.
Think of Environment Before Buying A Car | |
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