Help stop Global Warming. Follow these guidelines when buying, driving or maintaing an automobile. The Earth will thank you

Global Warming experts have established that cars are heating up the earth. That’s bad news. The good news, however, is that there are plenty of things that every driver can do to burn less gasoline, and therefore decrease the release of dangerous greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. It's these gases that hover in the earth's atmosphere and trap the heat from the sun's rays, which ultimately cause Global Warming.

To combat what has been called the Greenhouse Effect, drivers can: (1) maintain and drive cars for greater fuel efficiency, (2) start or join a carpool; and, (3) if the family budget permits, purchase a more fuel efficient car or perhaps even a hybrid automobile.

1. How to Use Car Gasoline More Efficiently

a. Regularly check the air filter. A clean air filter is the key to better fuel economy. A dirty air filter restricts the flow of air into the engine, which harms performance and fuel economy. Air filters are easy to check and change. Just remove the filter and hold it up to the sun. If you can't see light coming through it, then you need to buy a new one.

b. Regularly check tire pressure. Next to a dirty air filter, under-inflated tires are the most common culprits when it comes to fuel-burning inefficiency. So make sure tires are properly inflated. Buy a reliable tire gauge, and always check tires when they are cold to get a true measure. The proper inflation pressures are shown in every car’s owner manual.

c. Slow down. As speed increases, fuel economy decreases exponentially. A driver who cuts average speed from 70 miles per hour to 60 miles per hour will lower the car’s fuel consumption by up to 15%.

d. Accelerate with ease. If you drive an automatic, accelerate moderately so the transmission can shift up into the higher gears. Stick-shifters should shift early to keep engine revs down, but don't lug the engine. If you need to accelerate, then downshift.

2. Start or Join a Carpool to Slow Global Warming

Nobody really wants to carpool. But think about it. Does it make good environmental sense for four neighbors to drive four separate cars to the same office park every day? Of course not. Those same four neighbors could cut their automobile emissions by 75% if they started a carpool. To get information on carpooling in you area, simply search the terms “rideshare” or “carpool” and the name of your city or town. It won’t take long, and it will help in the fight to halt Global Warming.

3. Purchase a Hybrid or Other Fuel Efficient Car

Hybrid-electric vehicles combine the benefits of gasoline engines and electric motors to provide improved fuel economy. The engine provides most of the vehicle's power, and the electric motor provides additional power when needed, such as for accelerating and passing. This allows a smaller, more-efficient engine to be used. The electric power for the motor is generated from regenerative braking and from the gasoline engine, so the current hybrids on the market don't have to be "plugged in" to an electrical outlet to recharge. There are currently fourteen hybrid cars that are available to U.S. buyers.

For those who are not yet ready to buy a hybrid vehicle, there are alternatives to the twelve mile per gallon super-SUVs that were so favorably treated by the current administration. Right now, there are many cars that get over 30 miles per gallon.

Of course, there is much more work to be done to slow down, and hopefully someday reverse, the Global Warming trend. If people are to get serious about the matter, they must lower energy consumption at home, learn more and influence others to help reverse Global Warming, keep a close eye on the government, and most important of all, support the right environmental groups.