riding in cars

Want to make more of an environmental difference to a greener tomorrow? Here's how:

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Car manufacturers are going green. There are a fair number of hybrid models being introduced into the market. If you're thinking about getting a new car, this is certainly the way to go. Think of the money you'd be saving in the long run plus you'd get that warm fuzzy feeling inside every time you turn on the ignition.

The next time you're waiting on someone or something you may want to turn off that idling car. The job always takes longer & as the seconds transition into minutes, you sit there wishing you had turned the car off three minutes ago.

Yearly emissions tests on your car - this is now a requirement in many countries or your registration won't be renewed without a passed certificate. But lets not cheat & pay off the mechanic to fudge the report when you really don't pass the test. Aren't we really cheating ourselves?

Here are some of my observations of how some metropolitan cities have been adapting to greener ways.

Bermuda: We see quite a few smart cars on Bermuda's roads. On the smaller side, you can't get any greener that these but small in Bermuda small is good. With the narrow roads & even narrower driveways smaller cars are in demand. Small is good, but smarter is better.

Toronto: Has integrated Bio-diesel (part diesel, part soy bean oil) for some of public works trucks. This cleaner fuel emits lower emissions & gives the environment a much needed break.

Bombay: On our recent visit to India, I was impressed to learn that pollution levels were decreasing in Bombay, a city that houses a population of almost 13 million. So what's attributed to this change? The switch from petrol (gas) to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), a mixture of hydrocarbon gases that is proving to reduce damage to the ozone layer. There are about 7 million cars in Bombay that are running on LPG & that number is only growing.

Speaking of the ozone layer, there's some good news. All our environmentally friendly efforts have been translated into the ozone layer growing back where there was a gaping hole. That's right. The hole is shrinking. But let's not stop now!