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Tailpipe emissions from vehicles count for about a third of the air pollution in the United States. Vehicle emissions are tied to the amount of fuel a car uses, so anything you can do to increase your car's mileage will decrease the car's emissions.

Replacing the old car is not always an option, but when it is, choose a replacement car with low emissions and high EPA mileage rating. The EPA mileage may not accurately represent the miles per gallon the car will achieve in real-world driving, but it does allow consumers to compare relative fuel efficiency across cars. A car rated at 35 miles per gallon may not go 350 miles on 10 gallons of gas, but it will be more fuel efficient-and less polluting-than a car rated at 23 miles per gallon. The same tests used to determine mileage ratings are used for emissions ratings. A car with higher mileage rating using the same fuel-gas, ethanol or biodiesel-will have lower emissions.

Even if a switch to a ultra low emission vehicle is not in the immediate future, there are still steps to take today to reduce vehicle emissions with the car you have.

The most basic way to reduce emissions from your vehicle is to park it and not drive unless it is absolutely necessary. A car is not emitting from the tailpipe when it is off. Save up and combine errands into a mega-excursion and carpool when possible. Consider walking to nearby destinations.

Before you drive, lose the extra cargo in the trunk and the back seat. Engines pulling more weight use more fuel and emit more pollutants as a byproduct. Estimates indicate that 100 pounds of extra weight causes a 1-2 percent reduction in fuel economy. Ditch the roof rack, too. The aerodynamic drag of an empty roof rack lowers a car's fuel economy up to 5 percent. Both will increase the pollution emissions.

Along with removing the excess cargo weight, make sure the only spare tire in the car is in the trunk. Excess weight in the front seat is just as detrimental to fuel efficiency and tailpipe emissions as excess weight in the trunk, as if anyone needed yet another benefit to dropping those extra pounds.

Keep the car up-to-date on scheduled maintenance and repairs. The vehicle spewing a cloud of black smoke in its wake is obviously polluting more than a well-tuned engine, but even something as small as dirty filters and improperly inflated tires can increase vehicle emissions.

When you drive, drive the speed limit. The 55 mph speed limit was originally a fuel-saving measure, and where there is fuel savings, there are emissions savings. For a destination 20 miles away, going 80 mph instead of 65 will only shave about 2 minutes off the travel time, anyway.

Avoid fast starts or accelerating up a hill, both of which tax the engine and make it emit more pollutants.

Reducing emissions from your vehicle goes hand-in-hand with increasing your vehicles fuel economy. Your engine, your wallet and your planet's atmosphere will all reap the benefits of some simple and not-so-simple ways to lower your vehicle emissions.

Learn more about this author, Janet Harriett.
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