Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in the atmosphere. Daily human activities like driving, using electricity to light and heat your home, and throwing away garbage create these greenhouse gases. The most common gases created by us, and emitted into the atmosphere are Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Fluorinated gases. 

While reducing these levels of gases in our atmosphere won’t happen overnight, there are steps that you can take to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases you emit. You can decrease your emissions by making some of these very simple changes.

Easy Action Tips

When you stop, turn your engine OFF

While some vehicle idling is unavoidable, most drivers end up voluntarily idling their vehicles at various times—in drive-through lines, waiting to pick-up passengers, while stopped to talk on the phone, etc. In the Denver Metro Area idling is responsible for an estimated 40,000 tons of harmful air pollution a year and 400,000 tons of CO2 emissions–the result of over 40 million gallons of fuel wasted while idling, costing area residences and businesses over $100 million dollars a year. What can you do? Turn the engine off when stopped for more than 30 seconds to save fuel and reduce exhaust emission.

Reduce Your Automobile Usage

Take mass transit, carpool, limit your daily trips, and walk or bike more. Combine errands together to minimize unnecessary driving. Visit www.drcog.org for commuter, carpooling and Bike-to-Work Day information. Visit www.rtd-denver.com for bus and light rail schedules.

Keep Your Car Maintained

The fuel efficiency of your vehicle depends a lot on how it is manufactured, but there are also a variety of practices that you can adopt to improve performance. By keeping your car well maintained and adjusting your driving habits, you can save considerable wear and tear on your vehicle and realize savings at the gas pump.

• Maintain correct tire pressure – an under-inflated tire can mean a 5 percent fuel efficiency reduction.

• Perform regular tune-ups. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.

• Avoid “warming up” your car and excessive idling.

• Remove unnecessary weight from your car.

• If you have a rack on top of your car, consider removing it. The aerodynamics of a rack can reduce your fuel efficiency up to 30 percent.

• Drive at 55 mph. This uses 30 percent less fuel than driving at higher speeds. Each 5 mph you drive over 60 mph is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.

• To reduce ozone, fuel up when it’s cool (in the mornings and evenings), and stop at the click.

• Drive gently: aggressive driving such as speeding, rapid acceleration and braking wastes gas. It can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.

Buy Local

The average piece of produce travels 1,000 miles before it reaches a supermarket shelf. Buying locally-produced items helps reduce pollution and supports Colorado’s farming economy. From June-October at metro area farmer’s markets, you can find fresh produce like green beans, lettuce, potatoes, sweet corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, and much more. You can also find other treats like eggs, Colorado honey, cheeses, wines, preserves and fresh-cut flowers. Find a market near you.

Colorado Carbon Fund

The Colorado Carbon Fund provides high quality carbon offsets to consumers as a way to support new energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in our state. The Colorado Carbon Fund partners with local governments, community groups, and businesses across the state on our Project C outreach and education campaign, and a portion of all funds raised stay in the local community. You can participate at the fund’s Web site, www.ColoradoCarbonFund.org.