Kate McLeod | December 2006 issue
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified these cars as those with the best gas mileage and the lowest emissions in their categories. For a wider selection of vehicles, see www.epa.gov/emissweb/howto.htm.
The Air Pollution Score is figured according to the amount of pollution that causes smog and health problems. The levels of pollution for each vehicle are determined by the EPA or the state of California’s exhaust-emission standards for the major pollutants from vehicle exhaust. These include nitrogen oxides (NOx) and non-methane organic gases (NMOG), which, combined with sunlight, create smog. Also included are other pollutants that affect health, like particulate matter (PM), a lung irritant, and carbon monoxide (CO), a poisonous gas.
The Greenhouse Gas Score ranks emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the biggest byproducts of vehicle engines. The lower the fuel-economy ranking of a vehicle, the more carbon dioxide is released. The amount of carbon dioxide produced per gallon of fuel burned varies by fuel type, since each type contains a different amount of carbon per gallon. The average Greenhouse Gas Score for 2006 vehicles is 5.
Both scores are calculated on a scale of zero to 10, with 10 as the best rating.
[TABLE]
What are America's greenest cars?
More of Today's Solutions
Naples lets blind visitors feel the Veiled Christ
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM On a Tuesday morning in Naples, a guide named Chiara Locovardi ran her gloved fingers across a marble ...
Read MoreUrban coyotes are denning next door: here’s what to know
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Somewhere near you, a coyote may be nursing a litter of pups right now. She chose her den ...
Read MoreCompany that raised minimum salaries to $70,000 is still thriving
Almost seven years ago, The Optimist Daily did a piece on Dan Price, CEO of the credit card processing company Gravity Payments. At the ...
Read MoreUsing the Paralympics to encourage conversations about limb differences with ...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Children are naturally curious about the world around them, especially the people that cross their paths. When kids ...
Read More
