We live in a world where phrases like “Waste Not, Want Not” and “Go Green” get thrown around , but ( and sadly ) putting them into practice might not be as simple as we’d like. My family has tried to reduce its carbon footprint several times (turning lights and appliances off when we’re not using them, recycling, etc) – just about every tip Edit this text that allows us to “go green,” we try. Some of it takes a lot more work than we might like . one example? Our compost pile in our backyard and the neighborhood creatures who enjoy digging through it and spreading the contents all over our yard.
But every now and then , something arrives that makes it easy to do a little more for the Earth . And, in the most recent example , that something is our Garmin GPS. Can you believe that ?
I know you’re probably going to have a slightly amused , slightlydisbelieving smirk on your face right now, but stick with me.
Gas prices are soaring , and it doesn’t look as if that’s going to change anytime in the near future . With four kids and an incredibly tight routine of taking them back and forth to school, every sport practice imaginable , piano lessons, friends’ homes and more , frankly, I’m surprised we haven’t shelled out as much on our gas bill as we do on the mortgage or our other bills . But, thanks to the Garmin GPS device we received for Christmas from my in-laws (well, two – one for each car ), we haven’t been shelling out as much money .
I discovered that many Garmin GPS devices in the Garmin nuvi line already have this amazing little feature called ecoRoute. (You can also download it for use with compatible models at no cost from the Garmin website). Remember how your GPS used to determine the shortest routes or the fastest routes? Now, it can calculate the most fuel efficient way to go . ecoRoute shows fuel and mileage reports that pinpoints your fuel consumption and conservation data, fuel efficiency and your carbon footprint. It also displays routes with fewer hills and curves, fewer traffic lights and lighter traffic patterns – which means you use less gas . And let’s just say it , saving gas money every time we drive is definitely worth it nowadays .
They can’t guarantee the exact amount you’ll save using ecoRoute since they don’t know your local terrain or driving habits , but in the past few months our family has reduced our gas usage by roughly 15%. Not bad for an automotive GPS device – and equally, and possibly more importantly, not so bad for the world we live in either.



