First things first

Long before the Copenhagen hype began, all the major funding and media attention was directed towards developing fun but expensive technical gadgets as a solution to the climate problem. The belief that technology can save the environment and stop global warming is so blind that it eclipses the many small steps that all of us can take to reduce the amount of CO2 we contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Even ministries of transport and the environment, as well as municipal authorities, pay no heed to the small but practical measures available. The politicians’ desire for publicity, fame and glory drives them time and again to go ribbon-cutting at so-called 'green technology' projects which, while costing millions, ultimately do nothing for the environment.

Changing our behaviour, on the other hand, both at home and on the road, can save lots of energy. It’s such a pity that our policymakers have little concept of how to organise the changing of behaviour. They are also afraid of being accused of ‘meddling’, and so they turn to high-profile, ‘innovative’ technological tours-de-force such as electric cars and fuel cells, whilst it is the practical steps that will have an immediate effect and decide whether the 2020 reduction targets will be reached or not. But they are simply overlooked or considered unimportant, for there is no glory to be had. Improved local traffic schemes that save hundred of tons of CO2 per year, for example, won’t make the front page. In other words, the proverbial ‘two bridges too far’ will always trump the 'low-hanging fruit'.

In a previous column, Small steps, I outlined some rather poignant examples from eastern Europe. However, the lack of Praktische Vernunft in the ‘rich West’ (the old EU15, including the Netherlands) is also shocking. A few examples from off the street:

1) In-car instruments
Only the simple use of an onboard computer or a meter showing current fuel consumption can teach proper ecodriving (see point 6 below) and save 10-20% on fuel. An eco-rev-counter (photo) with a green zone between 1000 and 2500 revs can also help drivers to drive more economically.

Not even half of all new cars has an onboard computer, but energy-guzzling air conditioning systems are in nearly every model! The industry puts a large price tag on onboard computers as an accessory, despite the non-existent production costs due to the wiring and software being already built-in. Our ‘smart’ cars are full of needless accessories and nonsense gadgets that waste energy, while the only provision that would save energy and inform us of our consumption is missing.

Onboard computers – along with gear-shift indicators – should therefore be made mandatory in the EU car emissions directive for all new cars. Additionally, only cars with onboard computers should be eligible for a green label (A/B) and tax benefits in the Netherlands.

2) Speed limits
Lower, strictly enforced speed limits on motorways could save the European Union a great many megatons of CO2 . Unfortunately, Germany is thwarting every European discussion on the matter, and Italy has raised the speed limit on the autostrada – Berlusconi's answer to Germany’s sacred speedways.

By contrast, the Netherlands (with its 'average speed enforcement system' and ten million fines per year) and France are setting a good example with stringent and well-organised enforcement and administration of fines, resulting in a major drop in both the number of road victims and CO2 emissions. This helps the environment and road safety simultaneously, benefiting the economy.

Countries that are lax in enforcing speed limits are therefore wasting energy and human lives. It is also for this reason that the EU should get involved; EU Directives should ultimately lead to drastic engine downsizing and ‘depowering’ (i.e. less horsepower).

3) Tyre pressure
Fifty per cent of all cars on the road have low tyre pressure. In addition to costing fuel and reducing service life, above all it is dangerous due to poor road-holding and the likelihood of burst tyres and disintegrating chassis.

Although the automobile industry is aware of this, solutions are only offered in the form of expensive pressure control systems, while standard tyre pressure should itself first be increased by around 0.3 bar so as to be on the safe side both for when the car is full and if consumers fail to check the pressure themselves. Unfortunately, it seems that the industry sets more store by suspension on cobblestone streets than by the environment or human lives.

4) Traffic lights
Although traffic lights and right-of-way regulations are essential for road safety, they lead to unnecessary emissions and wasted energy and time if not configured properly. In most cities in the Netherlands, a single cyclist or pedestrian can bring an entire convoy of cars or trucks to a grinding halt on a major thoroughfare simply by pressing a button. Cars exiting secondary or other side streets can do the same. Rigid, outdated (safety) practices such as these constitute a dominant but avoidable source of CO2 emissions on urban streets.

The solutions already exist: phased traffic lights (a concatenation of green lights if drivers maintain a constant speed); 'tovergroen', a system that causes traffic lights to favour heavy vehicles along truck routes; and flashing orange lights, that allow cyclists and pedestrians to decide for themselves whether they can cross over, but also allow ‘weaker’ categories (such as children and the elderly) to force a green light. And traffic should never be forced to stop without any reason whatsoever, such as at night or if there is no intersecting traffic.

The North-American full-stop for all traffic at every intersection only benefits the OPEC. The difference in fuel consumption between a stop-and-go trip through town (with lots of low-gear acceleration) and an ecodriven trip (with only a few stops) can increase to a factor of three.

Governments that spend millions on electric cars ought to first make the small investments in a traffic-based, software-driven update of all traffic signals, in order to eliminate needless stopping and starting. Smooth motion in top gear is green!

5) Traffic-calming devices
The Netherlands is where the 'woonerf' (a residential safe traffic zone) was invented. Although lower speeds are safer, many a road administrator has become overzealous and made the remedy worse than the disease.

Speed humps are necessary in order to contain speed in 30km/h zones. But because motorists dislike speed humps, roads are often made narrower and lanes blocked up, causing the traffic in one lane to come to a complete standstill to allow the traffic on the other side of the road to pass by.

This is lethal for both the environment and CO2 emissions, and usually does nothing for safety due to drivers taking off at full speed in-between the useless stops. Narrow lanes such as these therefore need to be eliminated and replaced by speed humps or similar measures, which do limit driver speed, but not to 0km/h.

6) Ecodriving
Every motorist can easily save 10-20% on fuel and emissions through ecodriving. Anyone can use it, and it is recommended by every car instruction manual. The permanent oil crisis of today demands that if we really want to keep driving cars, we need to do it as efficiently as possible.

Ecodriving is the only way in which all motorists can reach the manufacturer’s EU test consumption level themselves, starting with monitoring fuel consumption and using the onboard computer. See below for the eight important tips, in addition to this main rule: for short trips, take your bike!

• Keep the revs between 1200 and 3000 RPM (fewer revs = less stress!)
• Do not depress the accelerator more than half way when accelerating, use full throttle only in emergencies.
• Change gears at 2000-2500 RPM, and downshift only when you need more traction.
• Look well ahead and anticipate traffic lights etc. by releasing the accelerator early and using the engine to brake – without engaging the clutch or downshifting.
• Use 4th and 5th gear when in town (50 km/h), and drive 80 km/h in 5th gear on country roads.
• Increase the standard tyre pressure by 0.3 bar, and check it regularly.
• Use air conditioning sparingly, and never on the coldest setting.
• Avoid unnecessary idling when stationary, and in winter: frost first, engine second!