It's not easy to drive green

As the joke goes, the simplest way to drive a green car is to take it into the body shop for a new paint job. Personal automotive transport just isn't the overall best way to reduce carbon output. Walk, bicycle, ride public transportation, skateboards, pogo sticks -- fill it in.

But folks love having their own "wheels" -- the freedom to go when and where they want and not have to take a long time in the process. So, recognizing that it'll never be the "best" solution, what are the ways to make it as green as possible?

First thing to do is to recognize that there are two different statistics involved with the eco-friendliness of transportation. These are the local carbon footprint and the overall effects on the environment.

On the local carbon footprint, matters are fairly clear. If you use a traditional gas/diesel engine, get one that has the best MPG. Next down comes hybrid cars -- which have an "extra" in that they pollute less when stopped at an intersection. Yet cleaner (locally), are natural gas, all electric, hydrogen, and solar (not quite feasible yet -- but perhaps soon).

So, if everyone drives an electric car, there will be no more pollution and the world will be saved. Right?

No, not that simple. Of course, there is the fact that private transportation is only part (albeit an important part) of the climate problem. But the big problem is that it doesn't cover the overall effects on the environment -- which are NOT easy to determine and which are not always immediately "obvious".

The June 2008 issue of Wired mentions that manufacture of batteries for hybrid cars has a BIG carbon footprint. I don't have the issue nearby but it offsets the carbon savings from using a hybrid by many years (5 to 10, as I recall). So, a Smart car is still a better bet -- in spite of the excitement of hybrid.

What about the zero-emission alternatives? Well, they have to manufactured. They also need roads to drive on. They need parking spaces (take a peek from Google Earth and just see how much of the land is occupied by roads and parking spaces -- especially in cities). And, except for yet-to-be-viable solar cars, their fuel still needs to created and transported.

Let's say that you have an all-electric car. How is that electricity produced? Is is a solar farm or a geothermal plant? Well, probably not (though possible). The electricity is produced and the conversion of energy is not 100% efficient (it varies a lot depending on design and fuel). Wikipedia indicates that there is a little over 7% loss in transporting over the electrical grid.

Depending on many factors -- such as how eco-conscientious the power producer may be, that electric car may actually have a larger carbon footprint than a Smart car. (I keep using a Smart car as an example -- if you prefer, just exchange that for a "very small, efficient internal combustion car".)

I used electric cars as an example but the same analysis holds for hydrogen cars.

The bottom line is that it's not easy to drive green -- so check the first paragraph for truly better alternatives. Then, if that doesn't fit with your life, organize your trips to reduce miles. Get as small of a car as works for you -- rent something for those "once a year" situations. Live and work locally if at all possible. Reduce the miles driven and spend more time with your friends and family.

Most of all, keep the "big picture" in mind. Don't feel guilty -- act responsibly.