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Hybrid Cars: Saving the world, one tank of gas at a time By Neil Hughes | Educational Consultant
As mankind continues to use up its limited oil supply, the need for the world to transition to fuel efficient vehicles has become more necessary and obvious. Because of this, many feel that hybrids are the way of the future. Hybrids are vehicles that can run on more than one source of energy. Their engines can use a combination of, for example, gasoline along with electricity or even ethanol or other biofuels. Hybrid vehicles don’t just reduce dependence on oil, they also pollute less and can allow environmentally-conscious people to do their part, to make as little of an impact as possible on the planet. One kind of hybrid car has a special engine that runs on both gasoline and electric power. By relying on electricity to handle part of the energy needed to move the vehicle, these hybrids get better gas mileage and thus require fewer trips to the gas station. While regular cars typically get less than 30 miles per gallon, popular hybrids, such as the Toyota Prius, can get more than 50 miles per gallon. Some experimental cars gets as much as 250 miles per gallon! Being environmentally sensitive is also known as being “green.” And for many, it’s as much about saving the environment as it is about making a statement. As a result, it’s common for national politicians and other public officials to be seen driving hybrid vehicles. After all, if an elected official is going to talk about saving the environment, shouldn’t his or her actions support those claims? Many presidential candidates are using hybrid vehicles in their fleets as they travel across the country trying to court voters. And when so many vehicles are doing so much driving, it’s a smart idea to save gas and money with a hybrid vehicle.
As for those politicians who aren’t on a national stage, many seem to drive sport utility vehicles and pick-up trucks. Though they may not put down the cash for a hybrid in their personal lives, most politicians still support the move to hybrids when it comes to vehicles purchased through tax dollars. In Florida, officials believe they can save money and help the environment by converting all of their large public vehicle fleets to gas-saving hybrids. Although the price of hybrids is still out of reach for many people, for the average person, hybrids and other eco-friendly technologies are starting to become more attractive for the financial benefits they provide. With energy costs rising, many feel that now is the right time to begin the switch to “green” electronics and energy sources. For example, some people are now using solar water heaters to warm up their swimming pools. So while we’re not quite to solar-powered cars yet, there have been some practical and affordable applications of green technology recently. While eco-friendly technologies such as hybrids are an important step in trying to reduce our dependence on oil, there are some unexpected side-effects that come from the vehicles that should be considered. Not many people realize that blind people depend on the loud sounds of a normal car engine to do basic things like know when it’s safe to cross a street. Because the engines on hybrids run so quietly, they can present a problem for those who rely on the constant hum of a traditional motor. Also, hybrid cars cost more than regular cars, although some of the cost can be made up through various tax breaks and better gas mileage. Although hybrid vehicles are currently in the minority, some believe that they could account for as much as 15 percent of vehicles sold in the next 10 years. You may not know many people who drive hybrids yet, but that number is sure to increase in the near future. So, is it worth it to you to spend extra on a hybrid to help the environment? Or would you wait until they’re cheaper and more popular? Before you decide, spend some time checking out the newspaper links and Web activities below! Try these activities using The Daytona Beach News-Journal! 1. Use The News-Journal's Classified section to find three automobiles for sale. Choose ads that tell how many miles per gallon of fuel each car offers. Next, find a newspaper dateline for a place in the United States you would like to visit. Use a map to determine how far the place you chose is from your hometown. Using the current, average price of a gallon of gasoline, compute the cost of taking such a trip. Do this for each of the three cars you chose, and then determine which car would provide the least costly trip. Create a chart or draw a picture to show your results, and share them with friends and family. (Sunshine State Standards MA.A.1.2.1, MA.A.1.2.2, MA.A.1.2.3, MA.A.3.2.2, MA.A.3.2.3, MA.B.1.2.1, MA.B.1.2.2, MA.B.2.2.1, MA.B.3.2.1, MA.B.4.2.1, MA.D.2.2.2 SC.B.1.2.2, SS.B.1.2.1) 2. People need to conserve energy not only as they use cars, airplanes, trucks and other vehicles, but also for heating and lighting homes. How can you make your home more energy efficient? Use The News-Journal to clip articles and ads about products and methods that are available to help you use energy more efficiently. Draw a picture, or make a model, of your home showing how you might use what you have learned. Share with your family. (Sunshine State Standards SC.B.1.2.2, SC.B.1.2.3, SC.B.1.2.4, SC.B.1.2.5, SC.B.1.2.6, SC.B.2.2.2, SC.B.2.2.3, SC.C.2.2.1, SC.D.2.2.2, SC.3.1.2.3) 3. Skim News-Journal articles for keywords that relate to energy use, fuel, pollution, conservation, etc. Make a list of the words as you find them. You'll need from about 10 to 20 words for this activity. Then, create a word find puzzle using all the words from your list. Duplicate your puzzle and hand out to classmates or family members for them to solve. (Sunshine State Standards SC.B.1.2.2, SC.B.2.2.2, SC.D.2.2.1) 4. Editorials in the Ideas section of The News-Journal typically follow a straightforward format. They often introduce a problem, state what has been done about it, and offer suggestions to help solve the problem. Find an editorial that you feel is well-written, and then write a similar editorial on how you feel about hybrid vehicles. Share your editorial with the class, and don't forget to proofread it first! You may even want to submit it to The News-Journal's NIE office, for possible publication at www.nieworld.com. (Sunshine State Standards LA.B.1.3, LA.B.2.3, LA.D.2.3) 5. Study The News-Journal for examples of display ads, then design your own display ad to inform others how you feel about energy conservation, hybrids or a related topic. Post your ad in a public place for others to learn from. (Sunshine State Standards LA.B.2.2.3, LA.D.2.2.3) Check out these links to learn more: Save money while reducing both fuel consumption and air pollution by following some of the tips listed here. Which steps you choose to take will depend on your own particular circumstances, but any of them will reduce the amount of money you spend for gasoline. http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/energy/conservation_gas.htm Be an Energy Saver! http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.cfm?lesson=EM526&page=teacher Visit this award-winning, energy education site for students and try out the online games and activities. http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/index.html Published April 7, 2008 |
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