by Eric Wolf

Created on: October 10, 2008

There are more factors to consider in reducing emissions than fuel economy. A vehicle that is more fuel efficient will often emit less greenhouse gasses than one that is inefficient. Test a Prius and an Escalade and the lower emissions of the Prius will be obvious. Between most late model cars powered by internal combustion engines, lower emissions will be somewhat proportional to increased fuel economy.

However, take that same Prius and compare it to fifteen year old 600cc motorcycle. Both get similar gas mileage, but the motorcycle will likely have higher emissions. Depending on how well the engine is tuned, possibly significantly higher. The lack of a catalytic converter on the motorcycle means that the pollutants are not effectively removed from the exhaust. In addition, the design of the Prius allows its gas engine to run at peak efficiency when needed.

Now let's look at the Prius next to an all-electric car, the Tesla Roadster. The Roadster gets the equivalent of 135 miles per gallon. No electric engine equals zero emissions, right? Not necessarily. The electric has to come from somewhere. If that somewhere happens to be a poorly maintained coal fired power plant, then the whole emissions equation gets a little cloudy (or smoggy, as the case may be). Charge the Tesla with solar power, however, and the emissions per mile are zero.

A final factor that has to be accounted for is the emissions created over the entire life cycle of the vehicle, from manufacture through disposal. For the sake of argument, let's consider two identical Prius' this time, one built at a theoretical solar powered local power plant and another built in an equally theoretical steam powered plant in China. Even though both vehicles emit the same emissions on the road, the inefficient power plant and the increased energy used in shipping increases the overall emissions of the foreign built car. Furthermore, if one of them is completely recycled and the other is allowed to decompose in a landfill, guess which one pollutes more.

The point is that burning fossil fuel creates emissions. While we as consumers are finally seeing choices in transportation that allow us to save money at the gas pump and have the added benefit of reducing emissions, our societies and governments must also be looking at the big picture. We live in an age where technology is available to drastically reduce our carbon footprint upon the earth. Fuel efficient cars are only part of the equation. Energy production, manufacturing and recycling are equally important factors that we should all be aware of and cast our votes in favor of improving. Make no mistake, a fuel efficient car is a great first step, but let's keep on making strides.

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