Calculating your car ’s C footprint just got a lot easier , thanks to a unexampled interactive tool created by MIT research worker . AsThe New York Timesreports , CarbonCounteruses raw data to determine how 125 railway car types presently for sales agreement in the U.S. impact the surroundings .
CarbonCounter ’s deliberation are based on finding froma late studypublished in the journalEnvironmental Science & Technology . Meeting global clime change mitigation goal will require drivers to reduce transport - link greenhouse accelerator pedal emissions , so investigator want to obtain out which cars will help us achieve that end . The study look at the carbon intensities ( a.k.a . C emissions per mile ) of each fomite ; and to see if light-green living is really that expensive , it also calculated how much the cars cost to own and operate free-base on vehicle , fuel , and maintenance toll per mile .
need to find out how harmful your drive is for the surroundings , and how much an environmentally - friendly fomite will set up you back financially ? Go to CarbonCounter’swebsiteand embark your fomite mannequin and positioning ( the C intensity of the electricity supplying is higher in some places than others , Vox explain ) . The final result will pop up in the grid in front of you . you’re able to also see how your fomite stack up against U.S. emission - decrease target for 2030 , 2040 , and 2050 ( the end finish being to limit mean spheric temperature rise to 2 ° C above preindustrial point ) .

Here are a few principal takeout food : intercrossed and battery vehicles may have a high initial toughie price , but they actually carry through you money in the long running because they be less to fire up and maintain . ( Not surprisingly , most of these “ light ” cars also gather the discharge - reduction target for 2030 . ) Meanwhile , no cars with home burning engines meet the 2030 standard , and the average carbon intensity of vehicle sold in 2014 overstep the climate mark for 2030 by more than 50 percent . clear , auto manufacturers ( and policymakers ) have their employment cut out for them .
[ h / tThe New York Times ]
Know of something you opine we should handle ? Email us attips@mentalfloss.com .