Cars and the Environment

One-third of carbon dioxide emissions in the U.S. come from transportation.

Cars and light trucks, which include sport utility vehicles, pickups and most minivans, emit more than 300 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere each year in the United States. The transportation sector alone is responsible for about one-third of our nation's total production of carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas that contributes in a big way to global warming.

In response to burgeoning consumer demand over the past decade, automakers have shifted their fleets to sport utility vehicles (SUVs) and other light trucks -- popular vehicles whose fuel economy standards are unfortunately lower than those of cars.

Because more gas-guzzling SUVs are on the road today and because there is a lack of effective fuel efficiency standards for all classes of vehicles, cars collectively get worse gas mileage today than they did in the mid-1980's. This means they also pollute more. Given the increased threats to world oil supplies, the nation's dependence on foreign sources of oil to fuel our cars' increasing thirst is neither a sound nor secure energy policy.

Materials archive

Our publications and presentations are available on the following topics:

• Managing cars and carbon
• Design and technology options for cutting auto carbon emissions
• Auto industry and market analysis
• CAFE-related analysis

Other links and web resources

• Cars and Global Warming - Our online hub of information

• Cars: Pollution Solutions in Reach - A look at carbon pollution from cars and a step-by-step guide for making your next auto purchase greener

• Yahoo! Autos Green Ratings, developed in partnership with Environmental Defense, score new cars on their overall environmental friendliness.

• 2001 ACEEE report - How automakers can improve fuel economy at low cost with existing technology

• ACEEE includes the online home of Green Book: The Environmental Guide to Cars and Trucks

Posted: 30-Oct-2008; Updated: 30-Oct-2008