July 10, 2008

What’s the Most Polluting Car?

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suv.jpgForbes.com has published a list of the ten dirtiest cars. Or more accurately—vehicles, since all but a few are SUVs and trucks. (And surprise! The Hummer isn’t number one).

The list order is mostly based on the EPA’s air pollution rankings, but to break ties, Forbes.com also took into account vehicles’ carbon footprints. The nadir of the coverage is in their “Tips for Polluting Less”:

Experts say that realizing even minor improvements in fuel economy among the worst polluters on the road is the most efficient way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions overall. For example, choosing a base GMC Yukon with a 5.3-liter V8, which gets 16 mpg overall, instead of the high-end Denali version and its 14-mpg 6.2-liter V8 would save more than 130 gallons of gasoline per year for the typical driver, and eliminate 1.7 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, says Therese Langer, transportation program director for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.

Langer then goes on to say that “achieving the same savings through improvements to a 42-mpg Honda Civic Hybrid would require a 25-mpg boost, to 67 mpg.”

So let’s get this straight: Consumers should feel good about choosing a Yukon SUV over a hybrid, since the Yukon is way more efficient than the Denali? That’s kind of like trying to lose weight by eating a ho-ho instead of a ding-dong.

Full top ten list after the jump.

10. BMW M5
BMW M6
Mercedes-Benz CL600/CL65 AMG
Mercedes-Benz S600/S63 AMG/S65 AMG
Saab 9-7X Aero

9. Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8
Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG
Mercedes-Benz G55 AMG

8. Chevrolet Avalanche 1500 RWD
Chevrolet Suburban 1500 RWD
Chevrolet Tahoe 1500 RWD
MC Yukon 1500 RWD
GMC Yukon XL 1500 RWD

7. Chrysler Aspen Flex Fuel
Dodge Dakota Flex Fuel
Dodge Durango Flex Fuel
Dodge Ram 1500 Flex-Fuel
Jeep Grand Cherokee Flex Fuel

6. Jeep Commander Flex Fuel
Ford F-150
Lincoln Mark LT

5. Chevrolet Suburban 2500
GMC Yukon XL 2500
Hummer H2

4. Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI
Mercedes-Benz R320 CDI

3. Mercedes GL320 CDI

2. Jeep Grand Cherokee CRD

1. Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI

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THE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.

At least we hope they will, because that’s our approach to raising the $350,000 in online donations we need right now—during our high-stakes December fundraising push.

It’s the most important month of the year for our fundraising, with upward of 15 percent of our annual online total coming in during the final week—and there’s a lot to say about why Mother Jones’ journalism, and thus hitting that big number, matters tremendously right now.

But you told us fundraising is annoying—with the gimmicks, overwrought tone, manipulative language, and sheer volume of urgent URGENT URGENT!!! content we’re all bombarded with. It sure can be.

So we’re going to try making this as un-annoying as possible. In “Let the Facts Speak for Themselves” we give it our best shot, answering three questions that most any fundraising should try to speak to: Why us, why now, why does it matter?

The upshot? Mother Jones does journalism you don’t find elsewhere: in-depth, time-intensive, ahead-of-the-curve reporting on underreported beats. We operate on razor-thin margins in an unfathomably hard news business, and can’t afford to come up short on these online goals. And given everything, reporting like ours is vital right now.

If you can afford to part with a few bucks, please support the reporting you get from Mother Jones with a much-needed year-end donation. And please do it now, while you’re thinking about it—with fewer people paying attention to the news like you are, we need everyone with us to get there.

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