Interesting facts on green topics.
Car fuel consumption standards
- Japanese cars are required by law to get more than 45 miles per gallon whereas for cars in the U.S. the standard is under 25 mpg.
- Australian cars have a voluntary target set in 2003 of 6.8L/100km for petrol passenger cars by 2010. This represents an 18% improvement in the fuel efficiency of new vehicles between 2002 and 2010.
Cycling saves carbon emissions
A cyclist who commutes 18km each way every day on a relatively flat commute will save each year:
- 2.6 tonnes C02 and $7000 compared to a large car like a Land cruiser
- 0.9 tonnes C02 and $3000 compared to small car like a Corolla
Trains are the best form of urban transport
Rail passenger transport has the lowest carbon emissions - full trains are clearly much more energy efficient than cars. Relative to a trip in a car, carbon emissions are:
- Train trips - one eighth (8 times better)
- Light rail - one quarter (4 times better)
- Buses - one half (2 times better)
Australian households create 9 tonnes of CO2 per year from electricity usage
- The average Australian home uses about 20kW/h of electricity per day
- This translates to about 9 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year
- A solar efficient house with a solar array can greatly reduce or eliminate these emissions. More information.