Do this |
Because |
|
| Burn fat - not oil |
Find
a hobby that does not depend on gasoline or require fossil fuel powered
engines. Snowmobiles, ATVs, motocross bikes, personal water craft,
motorboats, are all terrible polluters. They are designed for having
fun and very little attention is given to environmental issues. Best
for the environment would be if they were not used for fun at all. Use
your own power to have fun! |
significant |
| Use a vehicle with a 4-stroke engine |
A
four-stroke engine burns cleaner. You find many polluting high
performance 2-stroke engines in snowmobiles, ATVs, personal water
crafts, scooters, motocross bikes, etc. |
not enough |
| Use your snowmobile only when necessary |
In
some areas they are necessary to live and to work. In some areas you
just cannot get around easily at some times of the year. If you do not
use them to have fun, but instead restrict their use to when it is
really needed you shave of a good amount of pollution. |
noticeable |
| Use dogsled instead of snowmobile |
If you do not use the snowmobile at all you do not pollute at all with fossil fuel fumes. Few people can do this. |
significant |
| Use bio fuels |
Bio
fuels, such a fuels derived from plants (ethanol, bio diesel, veggie
diesel), are carbon neutral. That means the carbon dioxide output by
burning is the same than the carbon dioxide that was consumed by the
plants when they grew. Ethanol burns much cleaner than gaoline in
general. There is debate whether the high energy needed to PRODUCE the
fuel makes the use of these fuels a reasonable alternative. There is
also a valid debate whether using food crops (or high quality
farm land) should be used to create fuels for machines rather than
feeding people. |
no comment |
| Convert engines to run on ethanol |
Ethanol is an alcohol. It burns much cleaner than gasoline and creates less pollution than burning gasoline. |
not enough |
| Purchase vehicles/motors with better gasoline consumption |
If you operate a vehicle or sports equipment with a more efficient engine you will pollute less. |
not enough |
Operate the vehicle less often at full throttle |
Operating an engine at full throttle results in much more pollution than operating the motor at, say three-quarter throttle. |
not enough |
| Turn the engine off when vehicle is standing still |
If
the engine is not running you are not creating pollution. Just like
with cars, if your vehicle is standing still for longer than 10 seconds
you can shut down the engine. It is better for the air you breathe. |
noticeable |
| Keep engines tuned very well |
A well tuned engine consumes less gas or diesel. |
not enough |
| Avoid active or passive participation in any motor sport |
Any
motor sport creates pollution for entertainment. Most motor sports
require high performance engines. No one who develops high performance
engines cares about the damages inflicted on the environment (and
ultimately human beings) that are the result. You may not like to hear
this, but if it has an internal combustion engine and is used for
entertainment someone has fun at the expense of others. |
significant |
| Join a gym that is on the way |
Combine
trips. Don't go out of your way and create more pollution because you
like one gym better than the one on the way. If you have to take the
trip anyways, do several things in one trip without making it a longer
trip. |
noticeable |
| Exercise where you live |
The
more you travel (unless you bike or walk) the more you pollute. Move
closer to where you want to exercise – choose a sport you can do where
you live. |
significant |
| Encourage your children to participate in sports that do not require frequent travel |
The
more you travel (unless you bike or walk) the more you pollute.
Encourage (or tell) your children to choose a sport that can be done
close to where you live or have to go anyways. Just like with candy
consumption, it is about understanding long-term effects. |
noticeable |
| Avoid road trips for the sake of the road trip |
Driving
around just because you like driving around or want to see what is
going by the car window is creating pollution for your entertainment.
Do you spit in the soup that is for all need to eat just because you
find it entertaining? |
significant |
Forget driving pleasure cars/sports cars/hot rods/vintage cars/etc. |
Driving
around a pleasure car just because you like driving around is creating
pollution for your entertainment and your ego. Find something to be
admired for that does not pollute. |
significant |
| Choose a sport that does not pollute |
Some
sports pollute a lot when you practice them and/or have a high negative
impact on the environment. Avoid any indoor ice and snow sport
especially during summer. In addition avoid skiing & snowboarding,
water-skiing, wake boarding, golf, any motor sport,
parachuting, any sport that happens on frequently mowed grass fields
(soccer, baseball, softball, field hockey). Avoid sports where you have
to transport equipment for long distances or in which you need to use
equipment made from materials that cannot be recycled or reused (e.g.
skiing or snowboarding equipment, sailboats, surfboards, tennis
rackets). Stay away from any sport that requires the constant use of
machines or a human-made environment in need of constant maintenance.
Not
much left? Well, that's the way it is. We did not say it would be easy.
Running, yoga, most martial arts, shot put, javelin, and discus
throwing, walking, hiking, snow-shoeing, weight-lifting, sledding,
kayaking and canoeing (with non-fiberglass boats) on natural rivers,
cross/back-country skiing, rollerblading, and biking (if you keep
equipment for many years), juggling, and other sports that need little
equipment and/or human-made or maintained facilities should result in
pollution levels that are sustainable.
|
significant |
| Use a small camper instead of a huge RV |
RVs
have terrible gas mileage. They are probably the worst vehicles that
can be driven by regular people in regard to gas consumption per
passenger. If you really need a camper get the smallest one and don't
pull another vehicle. Best is a pop-up camper because it creates the
least increase in wind-resistance when it is towed. |
not enough |
| Bring bikes instead of a car |
When
traveling by RV (which is polluting) you could at least bring bicycles
rather than making it worse by pulling a car or even an SUV. Pulling
additional vehicles increases the already terrible gas consumption and
you pollute when you use the car. You do not pollute when you transport
or use the bikes. |
not enough |
| Hike or bike when geocaching |
Geocaching
means for many driving around in a car to find and/or hide little
trinkets of no value. It is fun, but probably not a wise activity for
the current situation. Try hiding or searching for treasures when you
are in the area anyways or by hiking or biking. |
noticeable |
| Use a digital camera |
Digital photography does not require the dangerous chemicals for developing film.
|
noticeable |
