The negative impact on the climate from passenger vehicles, which is considerable, could have dropped by more than 30% over the past decade if not for the world’s appetite for large cars, a new report from the Global Fuel Economy Initiative suggests.
Sport utility vehicles, or SUVs, now account for more than half of all new car sales across the globe, the group said, and it’s not alone. The International Energy Agency, using a narrower definition of SUV, estimates they make up nearly half.
Over the years these cars have gotten bigger and so has their cost to the climate, as carbon dioxide emissions “are almost directly proportional to fuel use” for gas-powered cars. The carbon that goes in at the pump comes out the tailpipe.
Transportation is responsible for around one-quarter of all the climate-warming gases that come from energy, and much of that is attributable to passenger transport, according to the International Energy Agency.
Agree also. I wish we could buy a 1.2L engine car with a 5 speed transmission and manual windows. No iPad on the dash. That is all anyone needs, extremely simple to repair, low impact, but alas…
And as someone who needs a truck, why can’t we just buy a simple body on frame pickup with a single cab and an 8ft bed anymore? It is so hard to buy a truck these days that can actually do work. I don’t need an entertainment system or heated leather seats in my truck lol.