Carsharing; the new-generation, more responsible version of hitchhiking, is no longer just for those who

‘need a lift’ to the nearest music festival.

Ownership of a car used to be the ultimate symbol of freedom and independence however, due to rising
fuel prices and expensive maintenance costs, it is increasingly viewed as both costly and a burden. We
have, however become dependent on our personal little petrol guzzlers; the sight of one person per car
doing the daily commute is now a norm. Companies such as Blablacar, Liftshare.com and Zipcar have
therefore seized the opportunity to offer drivers and passengers an online regulated platform to organize
lifts; enabling drivers to retain their independence and share the cost of petrol whilst proving extremely
favourable for the environment.

Today, car-sharing, alternatively known as carpooling or covoiturage, not only reduces carbon-emissions,
traffic congestion and air pollution, but also rekindles our connection with other human beings, a link
which is slowly becoming extinct. The average American spends 400 hours a year commuting to work,
very often alone. If everybody in the States opted to carshare just one day a week, not only would social
cohesion improve, but traffic on the nation’s roads could be reduced as much as 20%. Instead of chatting
with the person sat next to us on public transport, we more often than not prefer to be alone on our
phones. Car-sharing enables us to communicate with others again, to meet people we possibly would
never have met, and possibly will never meet again.

Frequently, the qualm of security and safety arises, and undoubtedly companies can only regulate the
journeys to a certain extent, yet leading countries such as France, have set an example of how efficient
and effective car-sharing can be if only we let go of such qualms. Technology enables a safe and secure
experience and many companies use text message codes to release the pre-made online payment. Given
that the driver is usually willing to provide a door-to-door service, the passenger experiences not only a
cheap but convenient service. As for the driver, a friendly chat and help towards petrol is often
appreciated. Most importantly however, our environment benefits from the reduction of vehicles on the
road and therefore less air pollution. By carpooling just twice a week, 1,600 pounds of greenhouse can be
kept from the air each year. Furthermore, let’s say 100 people from your local community were to take
advantage of the carpool every day for one year, 1,320 pounds of carbon monoxide and 2,376,000 pounds
of carbon dioxide could be removed from the air!

This revolutionary idea seems to be environmentally, financially and socially advantageous and we should
therefore make the most of its many benefits! Do your bit for the environment by offering or taking a lift
today!

Motor vehicle registrations in Florida grew from 5.4 million in 1973 to 9 million in 1983, to an
estimated 13 million in 1999. Over 10 million were passenger vehicles. Transportation is responsible
for about one-third of the air pollutants that affect the ozone layer. Over half of the air-toxic problems
associated with air pollution are attributable to emissions from mobile sources. Carpooling is
ridesharing of individuals who are going to the same destination. The amount of pollution an
automobile emits and it’s fuel consumption are functions of both the number of miles driven and the
number of trips taken. Carpooling can reduce both.

✓ What is Carpooling? ✓ Why Carpool? Car pooling reduces the amount of hydrocarbons, nitrogen,
oxides, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide -- all toxic particulates that affect the environment.
Hydrocarbons and nitrogen dioxide combined form ozone commonly known as “smog”. Ozone is an
eye, nose, throat, and respiratory irritant. Carbon dioxide is a major contributor to global warming.
Carbon monoxide causes drowsiness, headaches, and lethargy and in extreme cases can be fatal.

✓ How Carpooling can Reduce the Amount of Toxins Released into the Air Suppose 125 employees
of a company who normally each drive 20 miles to work and back (10 miles each way), decide to
commute in pairs instead of driving alone. In two weeks’ time, their choice would have eliminated
10,000 miles of vehicle travel. They would not emit: This flyer is a public domain document and is
not copyrighted. It is provided as a service by the Division of Air Resources Management (DARM).
Other state agencies may download, copy, or distribute the document, provided that Florida’s DARM
receives proper acknowledgement. For more information, please contact: Visit us at
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/air/ - 80 pounds of hydrocarbons - 41 pounds of nitrogen oxides - 606
pounds of carbon monoxide - 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide - and you would save 550 gallons of
gasoline . Combine errands and visits into a single trip. Drive to a central location and walk to your
various destinations. Drive during off-peak, non-rush-hours to reduce time spent on the road. Use
chartered buses and guided tours while on vacation instead of driving around on your own. Walk, bike,
take a bus. Use your car only when necessary. Keep your auto properly tuned. Inflate your tires
properly.

✓ Other Ways to Reduce Air Pollution . . . . 1. Department of Highway Safety & Motor Vehicles:
Motor Vehicle Facts & Figures, 1999. 2. U.S Environmental Protection Agency: Annual Emissions
and Fuel Consumption for an “Average” Passenger Car, 1997. Many communities and private
employers provide ridesharing coordinating services. Call your local municipal transportation
department or personnel department to see if such help is available to you.

air pollution in India causes at least a million deaths annually. In Delhi alone, over 30,000
people die every year due to air pollution, the main causes of which are increasing road traffic
and factory pollutants, and crop and waste burning.
While the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government undertook several measures at the end of
2016 such as shutting down thermal power stations for 10 days and prohibiting construction
activities temporarily, air pollution has been on the rise. This is because most of these measures
were temporary, aimed at combating the deadly haze that had enveloped the city at that time.
The odd-even (licence number) scheme undertaken by the government during the first half of
2016 was one of the most ambitious. However, despite the initiative, general air pollution in
the city, which is measured by PM2.5 rose by 15% and 23% during the first and second phase
of the odd-even rule, respectively. This raises some important concerns regarding the current
policy on tackling air pollution. While there are no easy answers, we need to look for new
solutions.
A case for HOT lanes
One such solution is the creation of high-occupancy toll lanes, or HOT lanes. This refers to
reserving one or more lanes on selected roads and highways for cars carrying more than a
single occupant. This ensures that single-occupancy vehicles are restricted to the remaining
lanes, thereby making the HOT lanes relatively faster (also through relaxation of speed limits
for these lanes). While this was pioneered in the U.S. in 1969, its effective implementation in
other countries such as China and Indonesia has encouraged millions of commuters to opt for
car-sharing as it ensured them a speedier and less costly journey.
The success of this idea is exemplified by a 2005 report in the U.S., which revealed that two
lanes with the high-occupancy vehicles 3+ (HOV 3+) facility between 6.30 and 9.30 a.m. saw a
total of 31,700 people in 8,600 vehicles (3.7 persons/vehicle), while the remaining four general
purpose lanes carried 23,500 people in 21,300 vehicles (1.1 persons/vehicle). Moreover, the
average travel time in the HOV lanes was 29 minutes, as against the 64 minutes in the general
lanes. In India, however, such an idea is still far from being imagined; in Delhi, for instance,
there exists no policy in relation to car-pooling till date.
There is also a greater cultural issue. Critics highlight that given India’s peculiar disregard for
lane-driving, the implementation of HOT or HOV lanes seems to be a long shot. However, the
 effective implementation of HOT lanes can provide significant incentive to fostering a more
disciplined driving culture.
Of course, its implementation would require important considerations relating to whether it
should be enforced during particular hours, or whether the minimum number of passengers
required to avail of the benefit should be two or more, or whether HOT lane commuters will
pay a lower road toll or will be completely exempt from it, to name a few. Nevertheless, if we
impose significant fines on violators on HOT lanes and strictly monitor the policy by first
applying it to limited areas, the results are bound to reduce air pollution by incentivising
passengers to carpool.
Also, in India, where most cars carry two-three people on average, it is perhaps preferred to
dedicate such HOT or HOV lanes to cars carrying more than three occupants. Completely
exempting these lanes from toll or, at the very least, substantially reducing the toll levied on
them in relation to other lanes would provide significant incentive to the commuter.
Accordingly, a toll differential system based on the number of car occupants and on the latest
pollution check of the vehicle is the need of the hour. In Delhi, like in most metropolitan cities,
drivers are supposed to carry a valid pollution under control (PUC) certificate with them. This
is based on the Bharat Stage norms (BS) which are based on European regulations. While the
latest BS-IV norms are due to be enforced in the whole country from this month onwards, there
is no system for differential toll treatment for higher polluting vehicles and trucks.
Therefore, the government should take this into consideration and introduce a differential toll
treatment for less polluting and higher occupancy vehicles. Moreover, electric cars or battery
electric vehicles should be completely exempt from the toll. This will not only incentivise
people to regularly check their vehicle’s pollution, but will also help reduce air pollution.

Carpool services such as UberPool and Lyft Line could reduce the number of vehicles on the road by
75 percent, according to findings released Tuesday by MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory. That means as app-based carpool options become increasingly popular, they
could help make the Bay Area’s clogged freeways more bearable. But for Silicon Valley to see relief,
more commuters must be willing to share their ride with strangers.

“Instead of transporting people one at a time, drivers could transport two to four people at once,
(resulting) in fewer trips, in less time, to make the same amount of money,” MIT professor Daniela
Rus, who led the study, wrote in a news release. “A system like this could allow drivers to work
shorter shifts, while also creating less traffic, cleaner air and shorter, less stressful commutes.”
The study’s findings are based on an algorithm Rus’ team developed that found 3,000 four-passenger
cars could replace New York City’s nearly 14,000 taxis. And travelers could make the change without
much inconvenience — the average wait time would be just 2.7 minutes.
The study could help legitimize Lyft and Uber’s push toward shared rides, where multiple passengers
going the same way are matched together in one car. Both companies are encouraging riders to use
their relatively new carpooling services — which cost less than individual rides — as they try to make
ride-hailing an everyday option for more people. Uber, for example, expanded UberPool into the East
Bay in March. The service originally was only available to Bay Area riders within San Francisco.
In cities where UberPool is available, Uber customers choose the carpool option for 20 percent of
trips, according to the ride-hailing company. In the first seven months of 2016, the company says, if
Uber riders had driven alone instead of sharing their rides, they would have traveled in excess of
312 million more miles — using more than 6 million gallons of gas and emitting 55,000 metric tons
of carbon dioxide.

“We are already seeing the impact of UberPOOL: cheaper rides for passengers and less congestion for
cities,” an Uber spokeswoman wrote in an email.
Lyft said its Line service is “a hugely popular option for our passengers, and will be instrumental in
helping us build a world with less traffic and less pollution.”

Carpool services could have an especially noticeable impact in the Bay Area, where a thriving
economy has jammed the roads and made the daily commute a nightmare for many who work in the
area. Silicon Valley workers who live outside the region spend an average of 113 minutes a day in
their cars, according to a November study released by Joint Venture Silicon Valley’s Institute for
Regional Studies. But in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, where carpooling potentially could take
cars off the road and ease commutes, only 10 percent of workers share rides.

In select cities where Uber’s version, UberPool, is available, Uber confirmed to Venturebeat

that the service reduces traffic congestion by roughly 55 percent. This statistic jives with the

estimate that a recent MIT study of what carpooling could do for the taxi industry.

After analyzing traffic and trip patterns, the MIT researchers found that 95 percent of all rides

could be shared. Perhaps most concerning for the taxi industry (and Uber drivers),

ubiquitous car-sharing would reduce the taxi fleet by a whopping 40 percent.

“Our analysis shows that New York City offers ample opportunity for trip sharing with minimal

passenger discomfort,” concludes the researchers.

California regulators have threatened legal action against both Uber and Lyft for their

carpooling feature, which they claim “violates existing California law.” Despite threats, both

companies plan to continue the feature.

I’ve been using UberPool for the last week in San Francisco and have yet to meet another

passenger during the ride. So I can’t speak to the quality of the service yet.

Read the full Uber blog post here.Update: There has been some confusion about how to

interpret this number. Uber has obviously not taken 50% of cars off the road in the entire city

of where Uberpool is available. Rather, it’s a reflection of the percent of Uber’s fleet.

Specifically, a reflection of Uber cars in select areas where they operate Uberpool and the

number of Uber cars that can operate with Uberpool. It’s a proof-of-concept service about

how many rides they could actually reduce traffic by, based on the limited experience of a

new feature. So far, some users are opting for Uberpool and it’s reducing the number of cars

potentially needed by roughly 50%. That’s a very promising sign. The fact that they have yet

to match me with a passenger means that it doesn’t work in every instance (hence, roughly
50%, and not a much higher number, which would be the case if every car took 3

passengers instead of 1). Hope this clears up how to interpret the number.

Traffic is not just a nuisance for drivers: It’s also a public health hazard and bad news for the
economy.
Transportation studies put the annual cost of congestion at $160 billion, which includes 7
billion hours of time lost to sitting in traffic and an extra 3 billion gallons of fuel burned.
One way to improve traffic is through ride-sharing — and a new MIT study suggests that
using carpooling options from companies like Uber and Lyft could reduce the number of
vehicles on the road by a factor of three without significantly impacting travel time.
Led by Professor Daniela Rus, director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence
Laboratory (CSAIL), researchers developed an algorithm that found 3,000 four-passenger
cars could serve 98 percent of taxi demand in New York City, with an average wait-time of
only 2.7 minutes.
“Instead of transporting people one at a time, drivers could transport two to four people at
once, resulting in fewer trips, in less time, to make the same amount of money,” says Rus.
“A system like this could allow drivers to work shorter shifts, while also creating less traffic,
cleaner air, and shorter, less stressful commutes.”
The team also found that 95 percent of demand would be covered by just 2,000 10-person
vehicles, compared to the nearly 14,000 taxis that currently operate in New York City.
Using data from 3 million taxi rides, the new algorithm works in real-time to reroute cars
based on incoming requests, and can also proactively send idle cars to areas with high
demand — a step that speeds up service 20 percent, according to Rus.
“To our knowledge, this is the first time that scientists have been able to experimentally
quantify the trade-off between fleet size, capacity, waiting time, travel delay, and operational
costs for a range of vehicles, from taxis to vans and shuttles,” says Rus. “What’s more, the
system is particularly suited to autonomous cars, since it can continuously reroute vehicles
based on real-time requests.”
Rus wrote an article about the work with former CSAIL postdoc Javier Alonso-Mora, Cornell
University Assistant Professor Samitha Samaranayake, PhD student Alex Wallar, and MIT
Professor Emilio Frazzoli. The article was published in this week’s issue of the Proceedings
of the National Academy of the Sciences.
While the concept of carpooling has been around for decades, it’s only in the last two years
that services such as Uber and Lyft have leveraged smartphone data in a way that has
made ride-sharing a cheap, convenient option. (In 2015, Lyft reported that half of its San
Francisco trips are carpools.)
However, existing approaches are still limited in their complexity. For example, some ride-
sharing systems require that user B be on the way for user A, and need to have all the
requests submitted before they can create a route.
In contrast, the new system allows requests to be rematched to different vehicles. It can also
analyze a range of different types of vehicles to determine, say, where or when a 10-person
van would be of the greatest benefit.
The system works by first creating a graph of all of the requests and all of the vehicles. It
then creates a second graph of all possible trip combinations, and uses a method called
“integer linear programming” to compute the best assignment of vehicles to trips.
After cars are assigned, the algorithm can then rebalance the remaining idle vehicles by
sending them to higher-demand areas.
“A key challenge was to develop a real-time solution that considers the thousands of
vehicles and requests at once,” says Rus. “We can do this in our method because that first
step enables us to understand and abstract the road network at a fine level of detail.”
The final product is what Rus calls an “anytime optimal algorithm,” which means that it gets
better the more times you run it — and she says she’s eager to see how much it can
improve with further refinement.
“Ride-sharing services have enormous potential for positive societal impact with respect to
congestion, pollution, and energy consumption,” Rus says. “It’s important that we as
researchers do everything we can to explore ways to make these transportation systems as
efficient and reliable as possible.”

Many of you opt for carpool as it brings down the commuting cost and helps save some
money. But apart from benefitting your wallet, carpool does many other things to improve
living. Here are four ways carpooling benefits you more than just saving money.

Carpool Reduces Your Carbon Footprint

Every car emits pollutants that include carbon dioxide. We all know carbon dioxide worsens
the environmental health and is also responsible for aggravating breathing issues, especially
in children. Reducing the number of cars from road is one of the best possible solutions to
reduce carbon footprint.

Carpool Reduces Traffic Congestion

If you are driving with five people in the car, you are actually saving yourself and others from
the misery of traffic congestion. Thousands of people drive their way to office and home
every day. Why not share the ride with people going in the same direction? This way you will
save money as well as contribute towards a cleaner environment.

It Helps You Make New Friends

Carpool is a great way to hob-nob with people that can rekindle your interest in driving.

It’s Eco-friendly
Of late, there has been a palpable increase in air pollutants causing us health hazards, like
respiratory issues. It’s high time that we need to act more responsible and think sustainable.
Carpooling not only saves money and traffic congestion, it also has a positive impact on
environment.

Hope after reading this you will be convinced with the idea of carpooling. Don’t consider
carpool as a way to just save money. Benefits stated above should also be taken into
consideration for a sustainable future ahead.

PCRA Committed TO Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment.

Five Ways To Control Climate Change

Are you worried about the well-being of your generations to come? If yes, then you must
make changes in your lifestyle and act more responsible. Today, we all are perturbed with
the consequences of climate change as they impact nature and human. Some of the most
deadly consequences are sudden temperature change, rising seas, changing landscapes,
increased risks of drought, fire and floods, and most importantly economic loss. Our
proactive and cumulative approach is required to combat climate change and global
warming. But, saying that we don’t mean you give up on the conveniences provided by
nature, rather use them more judiciously. Here are five practices to be followed that help
control climate change.
Green Your Commute
Explore new options to commute and reduce your carbon footprint. Choose to walk, share
car, ride bi-cycle, or electric vehicle.

Conserve Fuel
Stop the reckless of fuel and use it more sensibly. Conserving fuel reduces pollution for a
cleaner and greener environment.

Get An Energy Audit Done

Get an energy audit done to determine the overuse of energy.

Plant Trees
Plant trees and support reforestation. This way Co2 level will be decreased, as trees use
sunlight to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it
as carbon in the form of wood.

Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Reduce paper use, reuse whatever you can and recycle waste materials into a valuable
resource.Be an environmentally conscious consumer.

Save LPG For Others To Opt For A Cleaner Form Of Cooking

According to a report, three billion people in the world still reply on solid fuels like coal, wood
and dunk for cooking daily meals. The most perturbing fact is that these traditional
cookstoves produce smoke that contributes to death. It is also reported that young women
and children are more vulnerable to this household air pollution. Daily exposure of toxic
smoke settles deep into the lungs, causing a range of deadly health diseases like child
pneumonia, chronic illness, lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Affordability and
scarcity of LPG are two major reasons people are forced to use inefficient cooking methods.
Now, we need to act more responsible and save LPG to ensure its convenience is available
to all. Here are few tips that will help in you in this endeavor.

Shallow, wide vessels save fuel

A visible flame touching the sides of vessel wastes fuel since it gives out heat to the
surroundings. But if you cover the flame as much as possible by using a broad vessel, you
will save fuel. Our tests have established that for most stoves, a vessel of 25 cm. Diameter is
ideal for cooking. A vessel of this diameter tends to cover the flame completely. Where a
narrower vessel cannot be avoided, try and reduce the flame so that it does not creep up on
the sides of the vessel.

Put the lid on heat losses

It is a good practice to cover cooking vessels and pans with a lid, as an open vessel loses
heat to the atmosphere which means a waste of fuel. A vessel of 100sq.cm. opening ,
containing not water at 96°C would waste 7.2 GMs Of gas per hour. The heat loss would
increase by 2-½ times if there is wind blowing through the kitchen. If the vessel is covered by
a lid, the heat loss would drop appreciably to 1.45 gm. Of gas per hour as heat is retained
within the vessel.

The small burner saves fuel

A cooking gas stove has a big burner and a small burner. The small burner consumes 6% to
10% less gas than the big burner! An experiment on cooking 250 GMs Of potatoes revealed
that the small burner consumed 6.5% less gas but look 7 minutes more than the big burner.
Similarly in a kerosene stove, by cooking at lower flame you will use less fuel. You can now
imagine how much fuel is being avoidably wasted. True, the small burner of the lower flame
takes a little more time to complete cooking, but then you are not always in such a hurry that
you can afford to waste fuel.

A clean burner helps save fuel

It is important to/clean the burner of your gas range regularly and trim or replace the wicks of
the kerosene stove. Soot clogged gas burners and charred wick-ends of a kerosene stove
increase fuel consumption. Regular maintenance of your stove helps you save fuel. In case
stove knobs do not more freely, get them attended to.

Pressure cooking saves fuel

Pressure cooking is one of the fastest and most economical ways of cooking. Experiments
have shown fuel (kerosene or cooking gas) savings of 20% on rice, 46% on soaked gram dal
and 41.5% on meat, as compared to ordinary cooking. The savings in cooking time were
equally high. To obtain further savings from a pressure cooker, use the separators of the
cooker to cook different items such as rice, vegetable and dal, all at the same time. Just
think of the fuel and money you will save! And have your entire meal ready quickly.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment

Curb Air Pollution By Taking Effective Measures.

The ever increasing rate of pollution is responsible for devastating the ecosystem that
deteriorates human health. Have you ever pondered why we are struggling with the issues
like Global Warming and Climate Change? It’s our injudicious fuel consumption that works
as an impetus for pollution to aggravate. There’s an urgent need to curb pollution and save
our planet from the wrath of it. We need to start thinking sustainable, as a luxurious lifestyle
can make living exceptionally convenient but not healthy. Pollution control measures need to
be taken to ensure a greener and cleaner tomorrow. Keep these following suggestions in
mind while driving and cooking. PCRA’s simple yet effective tips can help you contribute
towards achieving a sustainable future.

Drive between 45-55 Km/H

Drive slow and steady. The faster you go, the more wind resistance your vehicle will face. If
you go at speeds above 60 Km/H, you will waste petrol. Tests on Indian cars prove that you
can get up to 40 % extra mileage at 45-55 Km/H as against 80 Km/H.

Keep your engine healthy

Tests on a large number of cars prove that you can save as much as 6% by tuning your car
regularly. If your engine emits black smoke, has poor pulling power or consumes large
quantities of oil, get it checked immediately at a reputed garage. A delay, may prove more
expensive in terms of petrol and oil as compared to the cost of an overhaul.

Drive in the Correct Gear

Incorrect gear shifting can lead to as much as 20% increase in fuel consumption. Start your
car in the 1st gear only, except if you are in a muddy patch or going downhill then engage
the 2nd gear.
Pressure cooking saves fuel

Pressure cooking is one of the fastest and most economical ways of cooking. Experiments
have shown fuel (kerosene or cooking gas) savings of 20% on rice, 46% on soaked gram dal
and 41.5% on meat, as compared to ordinary cooking. The savings in cooking time were
equally high. To obtain further savings from a pressure cooker, use the separators of the
cooker to cook different items such as rice, vegetable and dal, all at the same time. Just
think of the fuel and money you will save! And have your entire meal ready quickly.

Use optimum quantity of water

The quantity of water used differs for various dishes. And even for the same dish, different
housewives use varying quantities of water. Since water is extensively used in cooking, you
should remember that surplus water wastes fuel. Besides, when the excess water is drained
subsequently, precious nutrients are lost. An experiment on cooking rice with double the
required quantity of water has revealed that fuel consumption increased by 65% So use only
the optimum quantity of water for cooking.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment

Driving car for every one kilometer may not impact your wallet but it surely deteriorates
environmental health. It might be difficult for some of you to give up on the comfort of
commuting in a car. But if you do so, roads will not be clogged with pollutants and air will
become healthier for us to breathe.
Use bicycle or walk, if going to a nearby location. Sometimes there is no choice and we have
to drive. So, in this case there are things you can do to ensure that your car pollutes less.
First of all always buy the most fuel efficient car that also meets your family needs. Keep the
car engine well serviced and tuned regularly for reduced emission. Drive in the correct gear
and at the speed of 45-55 km/hr. Plan your route, avoid driving during rush hours and take a
less congested route that can save time and fuel.
Driving vehicle unnecessarily increases the fuel consumption that results into a polluted
environment. Be more concerned about the health of our planet, after all this the place
where we live. Commute by walking or biking, instead of driving in a car to stay fit. An half an
hour walk or biking will burn calories even if you don’t exercise vigorously at the gym.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment

Did you know? Almost Forty Percent Of The Total Primary Energy Of Our Country Is
Consumed by Industry Sector.

After conducting a thorough research, it was found that the industry sector consumes almost
forty percent of the total primary energy consumption in the country. PCRA programs in this
sector focus on improvement in fuel use efficiency through up-gradation of technologies and
reducing wastages brought out through energy audit of large, medium and small-scale
industries. PCRA conducts energy efficiency studies in the industrial sector, which include
Energy Audits, Fuel Oil Diagnostic Studies and Walk through Audits in small-scale industries.
Through sector-specific technical seminars and meets across the country, PCRA
disseminates recent technological advances and improved operational practices for raising
energy efficiency. During these events, PCRA shares its experiences of conducting energy
efficiency studies in the sector through case study presentations explaining investment-
benefit ratio of energy conservation measures. Besides, through participation in national and
international exhibitions, PCRA exhibits its in-house capabilities and expertise through
display of information about success stories on energy conservation in various sectors
brought about by PCRA. Through Institutional Training Programs (ITPs), PCRA shares its
industry audit experiences and good practices pertaining to the industry. These programs
aim at raising awareness among stakeholders about their conservation potential that can be
realized through energy audit of their plants. Moreover, PCRA develops energy auditors to
serve industries and commercial establishments by impanelling suitable parties to conduct
energy audit on its behalf.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment4

notes

PCRA Recognizes The Potential And Scope For Conservation Of Petroleum Products &
Electricity In Agriculture Sector.
PCRA recognizes the potential and scope for conservation of
petroleum products & electricity in this sector. The use of non- ISI
and substandard foot valves, pumping sets and other equipment
result in wastage of oil and electricity. PCRA extends activities in
agriculture workshop, kisanmelas, van publicity and educational
programs for students, agriculture communities with agricultural
Universities. During these events, clippings and films produced by
PCRA on fuel saving tips are shown.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment

PCRA Initiates & Supports R&D Projects For Optimal Utilization Of Energy And Reduced
Carbon Emission
PCRA initiates and sponsors R&D projects in industry, agriculture, transport and domestic
sectors for optimal utilization of energy and reduced carbon emission. PCRA’s R&D projects
focus on low-end technologies and the technologies that can be easily replicated and widely
disseminated. Some of the R&D projects are listed below:

<Biogas enrichment & bottling technology for vehicular use

In collaboration with IIT Delhi, a technology has been developed to enrich biogas and
convert it into bio-CNG, which can be used in vehicles as an alternative to petroleum fuel. A
biogas enrichment and bottling plant has been installed in Bhilwara, Rajasthan Enriched
biogas (bio-CNG) is being used to run a CNG auto luggage carrier. It has been found that
bio CNG (95% methane content) gives better mileage that petroleum CNG.

<Generation of SynGas through plasma gasification of plastic waste

In collaboration with CSIR-CMERI Durgapur, an integrated, cost effective and environment

friendly technology has been developed to tackle Plastic waste problem has been developed.
A 20 Kg/hr lab scale plasma gasification unit has been installed & commissioned in CMERI
premises. SynGas (synthetic gas containing CO, H and C H ) generated is fed to a Gas
Engine 2 X Y coupled with an Alternator to produce electricity. It has been observed from
experimental study that 2.4 kWe net electricity can be produced from 1 kg/hr plastic waste.

Porous radiant burners for LPG cooking stove

In collaboration with IIT Guwahati, a porous radiant burner (PRB) for domestic cooking
application has been developed and successfully tested. The newly developed PRB for LPG
cooking stove has maximum thermal efficiency of 72%, against 68% of conventional burners.
CO and NO emissions of the PRB are in x the range of 25-200 mg/m3 and 0-2 mg/m3, while
the respective values of conventional burners are in the range of 250-1100 mg/m3 and 75-
260 mg/m3. In terms of both thermal efficiency and emissions, the PRB has been found to
be better than conventional counterparts. Compared to a conventional burner, the newly
developed PRB can save about 2 kg of LPG in 14.5 kg LPG cylinder.

Minimization of energy consumption in potato cold storage using finned tube evaporator coil

One of the important factors affecting energy consumption in potato cold storages is
primitive design and careless selection of refrigeration system components. The bunker coil
used as an evaporator is a major source of energy wastage and poor quality product. In
collaboration with BCKV, West Bengal, finned tube evaporator coils have been designed &
installed in existing bunker type cold storage system. Techno-economic analysis has shown
saving of upto 26.5% in overall energy cost (in 3 units where implementation took place) due
to reduction in diesel & electricity consumption. Also there’s material saving of 1.4% of
stores products due to reduction in moisture loss.It is the backbone of our economic system.
PCRA recognizes the potential and scope for conservation of petroleum products &
electricity in this sector. The use of non- ISI and substandard foot valves, pumping sets and
other Equipment result in wastage of oil and electricity. PCRA extends activities in
agriculture workshop, kisan melas, van publicity and educational programs for students,
agriculture communities with agricultural Universities. During these events, clippings and
films produced by PCRA on fuel saving tips are shown. A clean& green environment can be
achieved with our cumulative efforts of conserving fuel. Join us in the initiative and educate
people about the importance of fuel conservation.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment

Respect The Convenience Of Fuel & Conserve It To Diminish Air Pollution

According to a report shared by World Health Organization, an estimated 700 million people
in India still rely on solid fuels and traditional cook stoves for domestic cooking despite their
negative impact on peoples’ and environmental health. This figure has remained relatively
constant over the last three decades despite efforts to improve access to cleaner energy
sources such as gas and electricity also in rural areas.

There is an increasing urgency to move over from the traditional chulha to cleaner forms of
cooking. LPG is one of the best solutions to salvage our planet from the hazardous effects of
chulha smoke. Its convenience will also be available to those 700 million people, if we care
to use LPG in moderation and save it. Saving LPG can solve the problem of its poor
accessibility and help households adopt clean and environment friendly cooking habits. The

inter- ministerial working group has identified a saving potential of 30 % in domestic sector.
PCRA’s scope of activities in this sector includes education of housewives on better cooking
habits, educating housewives and youth on good driving habits, use of fuel efficient
kerosene and LPG stoves and lighting appliances. PCRA also encourages the use of
alternate sources of energy such as bio-gas, solar heater etc. PCRA adopts a networking
institutional approach and takes help of MahilaMandals, AIWC, AIWA, Youth forum, Jaycees,
Lions Clubs, Rotary clubs, Residents Welfare Associations and various schools and colleges
for conducting awareness programs. PCRA conducts awareness workshops for women
where films on energy conservation are shown to them. Adequate literature is also being
published and distributed to inculcate energy saving habits among women. This results in a
substantial annual recurring savings of petroleum products, which is a significant
achievement.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment

COP21Paris PCRA MitigateClimateChange ConserveFuel ReducePollution

JustClimateAction IndiaAtCOP21
4 notes

Conserve Fuel & Help Mitigate Climate Change

Climate change is one of the most serious issues we are going through in 21st century. Our
driving habits and reckless use of fuels are the major contributors of carbon emission. Our
tendency of over speeding, frequent use of clutch, racing in lower gear, etc., results in fuel
loss and carbon dioxide emission. A study has revealed that transport sector accounts for
almost half of the country’s total petroleum consumption. PCRA has taken a lead role in
establishing standards and labeling in fuel efficiency of vehicles. Studies indicate a saving
potential of around 20% in the sector. To realize this, PCRA conducts a variety of programs
for State Transport Units (STUs), private fleet operators, organizations in private and public
sector to promote efficient use of petrol, diesel, lubricants and greases through better
maintenance practices, better driving habits, model depot studies, emission awareness
programs, exhibitions, workshops, clinics etc. all over the country.

PCRA trains the drivers on good driving habits and maintenance practices. Through
specially designed Driver Training Programs (DTPs) for the sector, drivers from STUs, Army,
Border Security Force, etc. have been trained by PCRA. Besides, PCRA regularly organizes
workshops on Fuel Efficiency in Transport Sector at different places in the country. PCRA’s
Model Depot Project is an integrated program to study existing management, infrastructure
and maintenance practices of the depots and workshops of STUs and other fleet operators
having low KMPL. The study analyses in detail all historical records of the depots, examines
current condition of vehicles, and makes recommendations for improving the systems with
time bound action plans. Let’s join hands and pledge to diminish pollution for a greener &
cleaner environment.

PCRA Committed To Petroleum Conservation For A Cleaner & Greener Environment

Foster City and San Mateo are chipping in to partially subsidize carpooling for anyone who
lives or works in either city through a partnership with Scoop Technologies, which makes
a carpooling app.
“We want to encourage both residents who live in those towns and commuters who work in
them to carpool,” said Rob Sadow, CEO of San Francisco’s Scoop, which he co-founded last
year with his brother, Jon Sadow, the chief product officer. “This is a first-of-its-kind
agreement by these cities to aggressively support carpooling by contributing (money) to
reduce the cost of trips.”
People who give rides via Scoop typically receive around $5 per passenger for a trip of 20
miles, or about 25 cents a mile. Under the program, riders’ fees will be capped at $2 per trip
with the cities picking up the tab for the rest. Foster City has budgeted $60,000 and San
Mateo $30,000 for the trial, which starts Monday and continues until the funds are
exhausted. The two cities combined have 130,000 residents.
“Foster City sits at the entrance to the San Mateo Bridge and is impacted by Bay Area
commute-time traffic,” said Foster City Vice Mayor Charlie Bronitsky in a statement. “Our
partnership with Scoop not only creates temporary incentives to encourage carpooling, but,
we hope, will help change the way people think about commuting.”
Waze announced today a new carpool service in San Francisco The new service is by
invitation only "to a select group of employers and their employees in the Bay Area," Waze
says But if it grows popular, it could put Google in direct competition with ride-hailing giants
like Uber and Lyft the Waze Rider app simply matches users with a driver heading their
same direction like a virtual version of a casual carpool
Media: Wibbitz

The move comes as commuter carpools are getting a new impetus from another pilot
program. Google’s Waze social-navigation mapping app now is opening up to Bay
Area commuters, after a trial with 25,000 workers centered around Google’s Mountain
View headquarters. Waze, with 700,000 Bay Area users, will seek to match drivers with
riders going the same way with rates of around 54 cents a mile, which is the IRS mileage
reimbursement rate.

Car pooling, also known as ride-sharing or lift-sharing, can save you big bucks on gas, wear
and tear on your vehicle, oil resources and reduce all the associated nasty environmental
impact associated with driving. But wait, there’s more!..

When you drive to work, are you alone or do you have room for other passengers? Have you
ever noticed how many others around you are driving on their own too? In Australia, 83%
people who drove to work or study in 2003 did not have a passenger. (ABS Social Trends,
2003). In the USA, single occupant commuting is around 75% according to census data.

There are millions of us who engage in solitary travel to and from work; driving billions of
miles each year, spending a stack of cash on gas and pumping tons of emissions into the
atmosphere.

According to the SightLine Insitute (single passenger statistics):

– A small car emits around .59 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile
– A medium car emits around 1.1 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile
– An SUV/4 wheel emits around 1.57 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile

If public transport isn’t for you and you’ve rejected the idea of car pooling in the past for
whatever reasons, technology has provided more far more choice, flexibility and efficiency to
the concept – perhaps it’s time to consider it again?

As mentioned, you don’t necessarily have to have a car to participate in a lift sharing
arrangement. In these cases you should plan to contribute cash to the driver to help cover
his or her costs.

Formal carpooling is thought to have emerged in mid-1970s, likely due to the oil crisis at that
time. It was a different sort of crisis back then and what we face now is far more serious. Our
crisis isn’t so much about politics or oil cartels; it’s about a resource that’s running out and
one that plays a major role in global warming – oil.

While the days of plentiful, easy to extract crude oil are just about over; there will be still
enough around for some years to come to push us well over the brink into runaway global
warming. Unavoidable change is already occurring to our climate, but it’s within the power of
each of us to do our little bit to reduce emissions – and our collective efforts can make a
difference as to how bad things get.
Car pooling advantages

Save money

Just putting aside the gloom and doom aspect of the environmental impact of fossil fuels;
consider even the cost saving aspect. I’ve been reading a fair bit on car pooling today and it
hasn’t been uncommon to read stories of people who save a couple of hundred dollars a
month in transport costs by sharing a ride with someone else. In some cities, you can also
save on tolls and parking if your vehicle has multiple occupants.

It’s not just the cost of gas, tolls and parking, but city driving is notorious for causing wear on
vehicles – all the stopping and starting wears out engines, brakes and gearboxes, not to
mention tire wear. According to the American Automobile Association, it costs an average of
26.2 cents per mile to drive a car; and that’s just gas and wear and tear combined.

Decongests roads

According to a recent US study, “Commuting in America”:

– U.S. drivers wasted 4.2 billion hours sitting in traffic in 2005

– Traffic delays chewed through 2.9 billion gallons of fuel
– In Los Angeles, the average driver wastes 72 hours per year going nowhere.

If everyone car pooled, imagine the many hundreds of thousands of vehicles that would be
off the road each day. This would lessen traffic congestion, making trips faster, cutting fuel
and car maintenance costs even further. Some places even have roads with designated
lanes for multiple occupant vehicles and I expect we’ll see more of this in the years ahead.

Social/emotional

Through sharing a ride, you’ll meet other people. Our online world is steadily disconnecting
people and that can be unhealthy for many folks. For some people, there’s nothing like a pep
session before the daily grind and a counselling session immediately afterwards :).

Also, if you find driving to work stressful, car pooling can alleviate the frustration in travelling
to and from the workplace. You may even find time to carry out other tasks during the drive
instead, such as preparing for meetings etc.

Flexibility through technology

In the early days of car pooling, it was fairly restrictive and it could be difficult to find people
you get along with to team up to share a ride. The advent of the World Wide Web has
changed all that. Many online services have sprung up that provide a good choice of people
to ride share with and therefore greater flexibility with your own timetable. Better online
resources will offer the following matching:

Geographic – matching departure and destination routes

Chronological – matching times of departure and arrival

Personal Preferences. – Points such as whether you wish to be a driver and/or passenger,
gender preferences, smoker/non-smoker – some even provide matching for music choices.
That’s quite a good idea; I know I would go absolutely nuts sitting through an hour of rap (no
offense to rappers intended).

Here’s some online car pooling resources to check out:

USA
eRideShare.com
CarPoolConnect

Canada
eRideShare.com
CarPool.ca
CarPoolConnect

Australia
TheCarPool

UK/Europe
LiftShare
Car Pool UK
Car Share (directory of sites)

Alternatively, try running a search on your favorite search engine using terms such as:

car pool town

ride share town
lift share town

…. where town is your town, suburb or city name

Splitting the words up will also find occurrences of single word occurrences on most major
engines; e.g “lift share” will locate instances of “liftshare” also.

If you come across any particularly good online resources not mentioned above, please let
me know and I’ll build on the list.

If you can’t find a service that really suits you; perhaps try to form a structured car pool at
your place of work.

Car pooling precautions

Wherever humans are involved, there is *always* potential for things to go wrong and not
everyone in the world is.. umm.. balanced. If you’re a newbie to the idea of car pooling with
folks you don’t know, here’s some basic guidelines to bear in mind.
– Try to meet the your prospective new car pooling buddies in a public place first before
making firm arrangements to travel together. Don’t reveal too much personal information up
to that point.

– Ask some probing questions about driving habits. You don’t want to end up being stuck
with someone prone to road rage or other habits that don’t suit you.

– Try to confirm your prospective travel partner’s identity. Ask to see their driver’s license or
other state-issued ID and reciprocate the gesture.

– Trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel quite right, don’t go ahead with the
arrangement.

– Be sure you exchange emergency medical information once you’re comfortable and
decide to go ahead with the arrangement. This is in case you’re in an accident.

– Make sure you settle on issues such as eating/drinking in the vehicle, stops along the way
and flexibility in pickup times; i.e. how late can a person be before they’ll miss a lift.

– Have a backup plan as sometimes unavoidable situations will occur such as you become
ill or the other person is ill.

It’s really important that everyone involved in the ride sharing arrangement is aware of and
agrees upon the ground rules and it’s probably wise to have them written down. Winging it is
a sure-fire recipe for disaster.

I can see a time in the not too distant future where vehicles with single occupants will
become prime targets for higher tolls and other disincentives; so why not try giving it a whirl
and ease yourself into lift sharing at your own pace? Your pocket and the planet will benefit!