The Best Ways To Reduce Your Car's Lasting Effect On The Planet

Stop idling your engines.
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You’ve likely already heard reasons why using a bike or public transit instead of a car is better for the environment. But there are other avenues you can take to minimize your carbon footprint that don’t require ditching your wheels.

In our newest episode of “Sustainable Self,” a HuffPost Originals series about how your everyday choices can significantly affect the Earth, we address the huge effect car pollution has on the environment. For example, cars and trucks account for roughly one-fifth of our country’s total global warming pollution. Chemicals from motor vehicle pollutants have been linked to birth defects, cancer and other serious illnesses.

With Americans now driving more than ever, there are steps you should consider taking to give our planet a bit of a break. First, stop idling your car. Running the engine for two minutes uses roughly the same amount of gas as driving one mile. Second, keep your tires properly inflated to improve the gas mileage on your car.

But that’s not all. In the video above, learn more ways to lessen the impact your four-wheelers are having on the world.

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