Air Conditioner

Turn it off! Did you know that it takes more energy to cool a hot car than it does to cool a medium-sized home in Atlanta, Georgia during the summer?! The A/C consumes nearly a gallon of gas per tankful to keep you cool. So you will save money and reduce your contribution to global warming by turning your A/C on only when you really need it.

If you insist on using the air conditioner, you can minimize the impact by driving a light-colored car with a light interior, and parking in the shade. Inside-the-windshield sun-blockers also do a good job of keeping your car cooler while it's parked.

Drip... drip... drip...

Is your car's air conditioner leaking? Many older auto air conditioners contain chemical refrigerants that harm the atmosphere if they get loose. Pre-1995 models used about three pounds of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC-12, commonly known as Freon), compared to just a few ounces in a typical home refrigerator. When those CFCs leak out, they damage the stratospheric ozone layer. If your car is a 1995 model or newer, it probably contains HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) instead. These don't damage the stratosphere, but they do contribute to global climate change, so it's still a good idea to keep them from getting out.

Make sure you have a trained mechanic look for leaks each time the vehicle gets a check-up.

A properly trained technician will use a chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) recycling machine, which recycles freon - the cooling chemical in the A/C. The machine sucks the coolant out of the air conditioner, purifies it, and then reinjects it into the air conditioner.

Do-it-yourselfers take note: This is a job best left to the experts-not only do they have the right equipment and training, in some places they're also the only people allowed by law to work on A/Cs.