How do used cars save
the planet?
First consider probably the most
important fact. Someone who bought a new car decided they must sell it,
for what ever reason, it happens...
Does this mean when the person now
buys a new car, the new car will use less fuel and pollute less? Usually, but
the amount of pollution generated from the manufacture of the new car is
about as much pollution that the new car will create during its entire
life cycle of 8 to 12 years. If every car owner bought a new car every two
years, it would be hard to imagine how much more pollution we would
generate from the increased manufacture of these vehicles.
We still need new cars to replace
vehicles when they reach the end of their life cycle and to accommodate
the ever increasing population. Used cars can still
be of use when they reach the end of their life cycle. Some lucky cars
become classics and get picked up by collectors. The rest usually end up
getting recycled in used
auto parts and salvage yards which can dismantle the car to reclaim
salvageable mechanical and body parts. The remainder of the car is then
processed for its raw materials.
If more people opted for a used car
opposed to purchasing a new car, less new cars would be manufactured
causing less pollution, but we may be driving a fleet of cars that use a
little more fuel. Great strides have been made toward emission- less cars
and alternate fuels. As these cars infiltrate the current fleet of used
cars on the road, the fuel issue will slowly go away over the years. We
currently have no technology to reverse the effect from green house gasses
created during the manufacture of a new car.
- Keep your car running
- When you need a new one
- Buy a used one.
It may be a small effort, but the
Earth will thank you.
|
