Going green in the snow

As more and more snow falls this winter, we tend to forget about being green and focus on the white – getting rid of it, that is. We plow, throw down salt, and break our backs shoveling just to get out onto the treacherous snow and ice covered roads, moving at a snail’s pace. There are, however, ways to make the winter months easier on us as well as the environment.

Alternatives to the snow blower

While no one enjoys shoveling, snow blowing is detrimental to the environment. Its gas consumption and pollution do more harm than good so if you can, shovel to remove snow. One alternative to the snow blower is the Sno Wovel. The Wovel is a shovel on a wheel and is said to perform equally or better than a snow blower, with zero carbon footprint.

After you shovel, use sand instead of salt to keep from slipping on ice. Salt contains cyanide and can pollute vegetation and water supplies. Sand is equally effective at reducing slippage and is less damaging to the surrounding areas, but it can still do harm to storm drains if too much is used.

Improve your winter gas mileage

Another way to stay green in the winter is to keep your gas consumption low. As previously mentioned, eliminate the use of a snow blower for an easy way to decrease fuel consumption. After a snowstorm, be sure to scrape off all of the snow and ice off of your car. Many people just scrape their windows but built up snow and ice can decrease fuel economy. Also, be sure to keep an eye on your tire pressure. In cold weather, pressure decreases greatly which can result in lowered fuel efficiency.

Finally, a tip that you should stick to year round is: don’t speed! It seems simple enough, but speeding burns fuel rapidly. In the winter it is especially crucial to keep your speed down due to the risk of black ice.

Not only will these tips help you go green but they will eliminate high costs this winter as well.

Matt Schuierer (@MattSchuierer on Twitter) is on the project team at Mom Central Consulting.