Green my ride

Transportation is one of the largest sources of air pollution in the US and Canada. This sector not only contributes to the formation of smog and acid rain but also produces a quarter of the nation's greenhouse gas emissions.

To address the issue, the Federal Government has announced measures to reduce the impact of vehicle emissions on the environment and human health. They include regulating cars and light-duty trucks to use fuel more efficiently and working with the United States to establish an environmentally ambitious standard for all North American vehicles.

With a more immediate impact several programs encourage Canadians to take public transit more often and purchase more eco-friendly vehicles. The ecoENERGY for Personal Vehicles program, for example, provides details on the most fuel-efficient models available, such as hybrids, while the ecoAUTO Rebate Program offers those who buy or lease such vehicles a rebate of up to $2,000. And transit users can now claim the cost of monthly passes as a tax credit.

Environment Week is always an opportunity to learn more about these and other incentive programs, but it's important to green your ride all year round. Try following these simple steps:

* Don't idle; restarting the engine uses less fuel than 10 seconds of idling and produces less air pollution.

* Avoid fast starts and stops -- they burn more fuel and pollute more.

* Limit your use of air conditioning.

* Don't speed; increasing your speed from 100 to 120 kilometres per hour reduces your mileage by 20 percent.

* Use gasoline with at least 10 percent ethanol and don't overfill; spillage is a major source of ozone pollution. (Husky/Mohawk stations all have this type of gas.)

* Don't carry unnecessary weight, and remove your roof rack if you're not using it.

* Keep your tires properly inflated: a vehicle driving on under-inflated tires can use up to three percent more fuel.

* Keep your vehicle in good shape; a poorly maintained vehicle can use up to 50 percent more gas and produce 50 percent more pollution.

----For more information on other Government of Canada environmental initiatives aimed at supporting Canadians in their "green efforts", visit ecoaction.gc.ca or call 1-800-622-6232 or TTY 1-800-926-9105. Thanks to www.newscanada.com.