If everyone went the speed limit or slower, would global hotting be reduced?

Question

Scientific thoughts and answers please.

Answer 1

I agree with the first poster, but I thought peak efficiency was at 35 mph. Anyway, slower equals less gas equals less pollution equals less global warming. Factories produce way more emissions than cars, but everything helps.

Anything over 60 seriously increases the wind drag on your car, especially the boxier SUVs and semis. I would love to see people actually drive 60-65 all the time, but I don't see it happening, unfortunately.

Another thing to consider is to buy local products whenever possible. They might be slightly more expensive at the cash register, but they required significantly less fuel to truck them to your neighborhood. I wonder how much fuel is burned annually to freight plastic useless McDonalds toys to the US from China?

Answer 2

It would help a little. Most cars are most efficient at 45 miles per hour give or take. So we'd all get better mileage by slowing down a bit. That's the reason the US lowered the speed limit in the 70s. We raised it back in the 90s because oil was cheap then.

Answer 3

No, not really. The only way to reverse global warming is to end ALL fossil fuel burning. Reducing our rate at which we produce greenhouse gases will slow the arrival of the effects of global warming, but it won't stop it. That being said, you have to start somewhere, and cutting automobile emissions by driving slower is a START, but it won't fix the problem by itself.

Answer 4

I'm not sure if that alone would do it. It would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by some small amount, but as for being enough to make a difference? It's hard to say.

Answer 5

yes