Today we rented a car to get myself, my husband, and our 2 cats to my parent's house in MA for the holidays. (I know, cars are not as eco-friendly as public transportation, but traveling with pets is challenging. Plus, we don't own a car, so I feel that renting one every so often actually is eco-friendly. It's car-sharing.)
There was an intense snow storm and the roads were intimidating at times. It got me thinking about all the salt and chemicals that get thrown on the roads (and then run off the roads or gets stepped on by us and our pets). There are even signs on the roads in MA that say Reduced Salt Area because a local aquifer or preserve is near by.
I searched around on the internet a little, and found a couple interesting alternatives to salt for the roads or your car. The Daily Green had an article about beet juice as a potential alternative (some kinks still need to be worked out, but it's great to hear the wheels of change are in motion.) There's also an eco-friendly deicer called IceClear. And most intriguingly, scallop shells are being considered as an alternative in Japan because of their calcium carbonate.
Additionally, a simple home remedy to make starting your car in the morning easier, is to wash the windshield with equal parts water and vinegar will discourage frost from forming in the first place.
No comments:
Post a Comment