If you truly want to make a difference in the world when it comes to vehicle emissions and lowering your carbon footprint, take a look at the Honda Civic GX. The Honda Civic GX is better than a hybrid, because it doesn’t require a drop of gasoline at all. Instead, the Honda Civic GX runs on natural gas. 

When a vehicle runs on natural gas, it has nearly zero emissions. The American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy even awarded the 2008 Honda Civic GX the distinction of being “America’s Greenest Car.” The Honda Civic GX sells for $25,000 and up when new. In addition, natural gas sells for up to dollars less per gallon than your regular gasoline.  It is the most affordable option when it comes to buying a new car that runs on natural gas.

Although the Honda Civic GX is a great concept, the purchase of this vehicle may not yet be ideal for everyone everywhere. There are only a couple of thousand natural gas stations in the United States (many in California), compared to the hundreds of thousands of gasoline stations across the country. Additionally, the tank only holds about 8 gallons of natural gas at a time, and limits journeys to around 200 miles between stops.

Overall, the Honda Civic GX is a great step toward greening our auto industry. We wait for the day for Honda to come out with a hydrogen-cell vehicle, but until then, the lesser emissions will do. If you live in an area that sells natural gas in numerous locations, or you do not drive hundreds of miles a week, you should consider the Honda Civic GX the next time you are looking to purchase a new car. As for Honda’s overall ability to develop safe and sturdy cars, the reputation is unbeatable for its class. We have been consistent Honda customers over the years and are excited to see them making steps towards a greener future.

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Newsweek has released an article on the top most fuel efficient cars in America for 2009. We were excited to see that the top most fuel efficient cars of 2009 are affordable ranging from $12,205 to $26,150. We have summarized the Newsweek list below. Check it out!

1. Toyota Prius (48 mpg city, 45 mpg highway) $22,000
2. Honda Civic Hybrid (40 mpg city, 45 mpg highway) $23,650
3. Smart ForTwo (33 mpg city, 41 mpg highway) $12,235
4. VW Jetta Sportswagen TDI (29 mpg city, 40 mpg highway) $23,870
5. Toyota Camry Hybrid (33 mpg city, 34 mpg highway) $26,150
6. Toyota Yaris (29 mpg city, 35 mpg highway) $12,205
7. Mini Cooper (28 mpg city, 37 mpg highway) $19,200
8. Honda Fit (27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway) $14,750
9. Chevrolet Aveo5 (27 mpg city, 34 mpg highway) $12,625
10. Nissan Versa (27 mpg city, 33 mpg highway) $16,100

We have a family member that own’s a Toyota Camry Hybrid and we love it! It is spacious and saves a lot on gas. Let us know if you have driven any of these cars! Give us your review in a comment below.

Using public transportation can greatly help reduce your carbon footprint and thus improve the quality of air around you. You can help reduce carbon emissions, promote cleaner air, reduce greenhouse gases, and help conserve our land, just by taking a bus, the commuter rail, or your community subway system.

Think about it: instead of 50 vehicles on the road, you can have 1 bus to hold those 50 people. Now think of how many cars will be taken off the road if thousands or millions of people do  not use their cars and use public transportation instead. If a lot of people make the small decision to use public transportation, then a big change will result. Each and every person’s small decision counts towards the big picture.

The next step is to learn about public transporation options in your community or at the places you travel. PublicTransportation.org has a map of the United States. All you need to do is click on a state, then on a city to learn about the public transportation in your area. Check this out before your daily errands or your big vacation! If you take a chance to look at it beforehand, the system, as new as it may be to you, will be easy to manouver.

For those who are well experienced with public transportation in your community, make sure you encourage your friends or ask them to join  you on an errand so that they, too, can see the difference they can make!

Travel green. Use public transportation.

You do not need to drive a hybrid or electric car to be greener and save on gas mileage. Here are some great tips to improve your gas mileage:

1. Keep your tires properly inflated. This will improve your gas mileage, and make your tires last longer!
2. Get your regular tune-up, on-time. Getting your oil changed protects your engine and helps increase your miles/gallon. Also, getting your air filter changed regularly will also protect your engine, increasing your miles/gallon.
3. Don’t carry unnecessary weight in your car, unless you are using sand bags in the winter to prevent slipping on ice. The more weight in your car, the more gas needed to lug it around.
4. When driving, don’t accelerate or break more than you need to. Usually it is best to drive at the speed limit to accomplish this. When you have a constant rpm, you save on gas. Drive several car lengths behind the car in front of you. When they break, you will not have to break as often, or as hard. Try using cruise control to maintain the same speed. This is also a great way to avoid going over the speed limit. Save gas, and avoid tickets!
5. Don’t idle for too long. All this idling will use more gas, and you are not even going anywhere! However, shutting your car off and turning it on many times in a short time period will use more gas than idling for a couple of minutes.

A great website for you to use to learn more about fuel efficiency is fueleconomy.gov. Learn about fuel efficient cars, discover more tips, and calculate your own “MPG.”