I was catching up on some morning news and read about a woman in Normal, IL who has chosen to go car-free for a month and blog about it. Others have posted attesting to how they too are experimenting an automobile-less life. I think this is fascinating and I commend them, but I must ask, does it really help to go to the extreme? My gut instinct is that getting hundreds of people to drive less (say just walking to lunch if they normally drive, or to the store when its only a backpack of groceries they need) gets us a lot further than two people who don't drive at all. I suppose I could sit down and work out the math of it. But in my experience people burn out.
Did you see An Inconvenient Truth?
6 comments:
Ooh! SO INTERESTING! I am about to read the article, but before I do, I want to enthusiatically comment my first reply. I JUST read an article last night in ReadyMade mag about the CO2 emissions of airplanes. If I remember correctly, the stat they used was that one flight cross country emitted an amount of CO2 equal to the annual emissions of 40 SUVs. So in that case, you can go car free for a month but if you take one plane flight that year you are busted.
Still, I bike to work 4 times a week. I hope it makes some kind of dent.
I am sure you make a dent by biking to work! That is awesome to hear.
I have heard before that airplanes are *terrible* for the environment. Not a great thing for me who flies for business more and more these days...and even if the flights aren't full they often run; it rather turns my stomach.
I'm not sure the solutions for air travel. At least with driving one often has an alternative, but without flying the other options are quite limited and incredibly time consuming. So then should people be content to stay within their own community?
The other day I heard that the number one emissions producer (even over volcanos) is space launch. Again, another hard thing to balance.
As a bike commuter, what do you think of Critical Mass? Denver has had a rather negative response, with the police issuing lots of tickets for violation of traffic laws.
On another point, how do you--and others who have comments--ride to work and stay ready for work? Do you take a change of clothes?
I definitely think every action counts! I'm all for people making strides and doing things differently. In regards to people "giving up cars" why not put that energy towards uniting like-minded (and on the fence minded) individuals to have a louder and louder voice about wanting cars to be more fuel efficient. The technology is there for fuel efficient cars, electric cars, all sorts of technology that would be less harmful to the environment.
I heard on NPR yesterday that when the subject of getting the nation to turn to more fuel efficient cars, the auto industry was like..."you know... I hate little cars!" And then turned everyone back to the discussion on huge SUVS.
Basically, the technology exists for the US to have a more environmentally friendly country...and cars.
I have to give a SHOUT OUT to all those people who have really lobbied for hybrids (and can afford to buy them). The more the consumer drives this, the more we can turn BIG BIZ around and really get the products we want. (Another shout out to your fabulous blog entry from the other day, Lauren).
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I agree, good comments about advertising the other day, Lauren, and you too, Elizabeth.
I heard an interesting one the other day. My car repair guy's opinion was that Americans prefer gas cars to diesel or other fuel-efficient cars because the engine warms up faster, and thus the heater. That Americans want their heaters. Seemed like a pretty lame excuse to me--a little bit of research in this area would go a long way.
Hmm, that's very interesting. I've never thought about that - but I agree that more research in that department would be interesting because when it comes down to it, people are going to buy cars (or anything) that make their lives more convenient.
Did you ever hear of that study BMW (I think) did about the #1 thing Americans want in their cars? It was a cup holder. When I first heard it, I thought it was ridiculous, then I remembered, I absolutley can't live without mine!
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