Five Things You Can Do on Earth Day to Fight Global Warming

No. 2: Do Something About Your Commute

There's no question about it: The flat-out worst contribution individuals make to global warming is driving their cars. And the most time spent driving has to do with commuting.

This is going to be a terrible Hobson's choice for American society. There's no question that drive-only commuting is going to have to change. Fuel is getting more expensive (even biodiesel and other alternative fuels cost as much or more than gas). You can debate about whether we're running out of oil, but scientists all agree that the cheap oil era is over. At the same time, we simply cannot keep dumping tons of carbon into the atmosphere and expect humanity to survive.

Still, I know a lot of people who would gladly give up commuting by car tomorrow if they had a viable alternative. They're trapped. Trapped by a culture, government and greed-driven infrastructure that forces them to travel long distances by car. Simply put, they cannot afford to live close to where they work.

Now we can argue long and hard about whether they've made a willing choice to live far away from where they work, or whether subtle socio-economic forces have herded them into making that decision. It's a complicated landscape. But the fact remains, now they're stuck.

Fortunately, a green consciousness is seeping into the transportation sector perhaps more urgently than in any other segment. Alternative fuels are booming. More hybrid vehicle models are in the works.

Mass transit is expanding in most urban communities. Carpooling, van pooling and other programs are increasing capacity. Even SDC (single driver car) alternatives are sprouting up and gaining popularity, notably FlexCar and other time-share approaches.

So in keeping with the philosophy of our countdown to Earth Day, here's a suggestion: Try to figure out, just for a day, an alternative way to get to work. Ride the bus or metro. Ride a bike. Walk, even. I have three neighbors who walk to work. It takes them half an hour to an hour, but they get great exercise and some mental recuperation time as well.

Riding a bike can get you around in a city setting a lot faster than you might think. Years ago I was part of an experiment in Seattle. On bicycles several of us raced a bus and van pool from north Seattle to downtown (around 6 miles). I beat the bus by quite a margin and although we lost to the van pool, I think it was a wash when you consider parking it and walking to the office (with a bike of course you just bring it into the office or lock it right outside the door).

In years of riding my bike around town I've discovered that any distance within 5 miles is faster or nearly as fast door-to-door by bike as by driving, especially during rush hour!

Anyway, the point is, abundant alternatives exist. A lot of times we just have to take that first experimental step toward exploring them. And, in the pioneering spirit that made America great, not get discouraged or cynical the first time out.

So give it a shot. You might discover a better way of getting to work has been available for a long time. If nothing else, the process of consideration will get your antennae tuned to finding an alternative or opportunity when it poses itself.

— Paul Andrews, GreenforGood

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