Support Grist
Support nonprofit, independent environmental journalism.
Donate to Grist.
Counter Culture

Car Talk

By Josh Sevin
19 Jan 2000
Tools: print | email | discuss | write to the editor | subscribe | RSS
  • 70 million motor vehicles were on the world's roads in 1950


  • 630 million motor vehicles were on the world's roads in 1994


  • 1 billion motor vehicles are expected to be on the world's roads by 2025, if the current growth rate continues


  • 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted by the average car each year


  • 5 percent of a car's fuel can be wasted by underinflated tires


  • 2 billion gallons of gasoline could be saved annually if 65 million car owners kept their tires properly inflated


  • 85 percent of auto fuel is consumed just to overcome inertia and start the wheels turning


  • 2.5 times more emissions are generated by SUVs and light trucks than by standard cars


  • 33,000 natural gas vehicles were in use in the U.S. in 1993


  • 75,000 natural gas vehicles were in use in the U.S. in 1998


  • 50 million new cars roll off the assembly line each year


  • 11 million cars are junked annually in the U.S.




  • Sources:
    1-3 -- World Resources Institute
    4 -- Environmental Working Group
    5,6 -- 50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth
    7 -- Amicus Journal
    8 -- L.A. Times
    9,10 -- U.S. Department of Transportation
    11 -- Amicus Journal
    12 -- Wall Street Journal.

    Tools: print | email | discuss | write to the editor | subscribe | RSS
    Josh Sevin is a graduate student in MIT's planning program. Previously, he was an editor at Greenwire environmental news service and a researcher for U.S. News.
    < Previous | Next >
    Comments: There are no comments. Be the first to post!

    You are not logged in. Thus, you cannot post a comment. If you have a Gristmill account, log in below. If you don't have a Gristmill account, well, by all means go make one! Meet you back here in five.

    Username: Password:

    Forgot your password? Enter your username and click:

    The comments of Grist users reflect the opinions of those individuals only, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Grist, its staff, its board members, their psychotherapists, or their aestheticians. Got it?


    ADVERTISING POLICY


    About Grist | Support Grist | Jobs Board | Archives | Grist by Email | RSS | Podcasts
    Gristmill Blog | In the News | Ask Umbra | Muckraker | Victual Reality | 'Tis the Season | The Grist List | The Bottom Line



    Grist: Environmental News and Commentary
    a beacon in the smog (tm) ©2007. Grist Magazine, Inc. All rights reserved. Gloom and doom with a sense of humor®.
    Webmaster | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Trademarks