Clean Water - A Precious Resource (Our Precious Resource)
Long Road

Transportation

Moving people and moving resources pollutes

The Ford Model-T got better gas mileage nearly a century ago than the average Ford vehicle on the road today. Transportation accounts for one-quarter of our energy use. That produces a lot of pollution. Keeping personal vehicles well maintained and using them sparingly substantially reduces pollution.

Every mile driven alone uses two to three times the resources of public transportation. Modern public transit systems are efficient and convenient. We can all carpool, take public transit, and walk and bike more.

Walking or biking more is not just good for the environment. More than half of Americans do not get the minimum recommended exercise of 30 minutes 4 times a week. Just walking from the bus to work or school everyday can make a big difference.

We all use much more energy each day than we are aware of to move things around. When buying a gallon of gas few people think about the 1.5 gallon-worth of energy that it took to get the petroleum from the ground to the gas station.

The same steps that reduce waste also reduce the energy needed to transport products to us, so buying locally made products usually means less pollution. It also support your local economy.

Did You Know...?

 

Simple Things You Can Do:
  • Idling over 10 seconds uses more energy than restarting your vehicle.
  • Transporting people and goods accounts for 30% of energy use in the U.S.
  • The average food item in the U.S. travels over 1,300 miles from farm to plate.
  • About a third of vehicles have at least one under-inflated tire that is reducing its fuel efficiency.
  • Vehicle efficiency quickly drops above 60 mph.
 
  • Bike or walk more often.
  • Carpool or take public transit 1 day a week.
  • Get a car tune-up and fix any leaks promptly.
  • Combine errands into a single trip.
  • When buying a new vehicle look for fuel efficient models.
  • Compete with yourself to get the best mileage out of your gas.
  • Learn more about alternative fuels.

Activities

Web Site Description
Scavenger Hunt Work with an adult to create a scavenger hunt around your home town, and only allow people to get around by foot or public transportation. You'll see that you can get anywhere.
Idling Education Learn some myths and facts about idling and educate others.
Comparing MPG Do you know the best way to measure MPG? See if you can improve your mileage every time you're in a car.
Drive Better Check out these tips for improving your gas mileage.

More Information

Web Site Description
Vehicle Pollution Facts Links to PDFs with great information. Although it is a Minnesotan site the information applies to everywhere.
Green Vehicle Guide An EPA site that grades all cars and trucks available in the U.S. based on their environmental impact.
FuelEconomy.gov This site give valuable information on improving MPG, greener technology, and allows you to compare vehicles' fuel economy. A joint site by the DOE and EPA.
Sustainable Transportation The Northeast Sustainable Energy Associations outlines steps toward transportation with lower environmental impacts.
Commuter Challenge Challenge your notions about alternatives to commuting.
Alternative Fuels Check out Chewonki's Renewable Energy Poster, and Renewable Energy Poster Live.
Emission Facts EPA fact sheet concerning the emissions of passenger cars and light trucks.

Teacher Resources

Web Site Description
Transportation Lesson A learning module designed for use with the Clean Water poster. The Transportation Lesson has students explore the differences between permeable and impermeable surfaces and their effect on the runoff of water and pollutants. The lesson also looks at where runoff goes and how it is handled by different towns.
Cars of Tomorrow An entire unit designed by NESEA to expose students to the “Cars of Tomorrow.”