US stops driving global warming?
Driving less miles, converting to smaller cars, and using more public transport - they are going in the right direction!
Having delayed on the Kyoto Agreement for so many years, the USA is now driving in a different direction.
Less miles
Americans cut back on their driving for the first time in more than 20 years, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. Total travel fell 0.4 percent to 3.00 trillion miles from 3.01 trillion miles in 2006.
That might not seem much, but subway and public bus use is at the highest level in more than 50 years.
Downsizing cars
Sales of the smallest, cheapest, cars are rising dramatically, becoming the only market segment not showing a loss.
Sales of all types of small cars in March were at year-ago levels, Autodata says - a big success in an industry that sold 12% fewer vehicles overall than in March 2007.
An analysis of PIN data for USA TODAY showed more owners of small, cheap cars are trading for something similar - 20.8% in the first quarter vs. 17.5% a year ago - instead of moving up in size or price, as they usually do.
And even more telling: 6% of compact owners traded down in size and price in the first quarter, compared to 4.6% a year ago. And 3% of midsize car owners took two steps down, skipping mainstream compacts in favour of smaller, lower-price models. Only 2.3% did so a year earlier.
The numbers aren’t big, but the trend is there.
Loading ...