Driving Less, Accomplishing More

One of the easiest ways to participate in helping to create a sustainable planet is to reduce the amount of fossil fuels the you are responsible for using. First of all, the less someone drives, the less carbon emissions they will be responsible for. Secondly, fossil fuels are a finite resource, which are extremely valuable for the survival of the human race—in the production and transportation of food, in heating one’s home, in producing electricity, and myriad factors that contribute to a more comfortable way of life. To help reduce the harmful impact of driving in excess, as well as to aid in conserving the energy resources we still have, limiting one’s driving can be a very effective method.

 There are several easy ways a person can reduce the amount of miles that they drive. One great way to reduce the amount a person drives is to use public transportation whenever possible. Those of us that live in Portland, Oregon have many public transportation options. TriMet has buses that have dozens of routes throughout the Metro area. TriMet also runs and operates light rail and streetcar lines that are easily available to the public. Rather than driving around town in a car by one’s self, TriMet provides citizens the opportunity to reduce the number of automobiles that would typically be traveling around the Portland Metro area on a daily basis.

Other ways people can reduce the amount they drive is to consider alternatives such as walking, riding a bike, or participating in carpool programs with co-workers or classmates. People can also group errands together, so that instead of making several short car trips around town, they can have one long trip, accomplishing the same tasks, using a fraction of the gas.

I am not suggesting that reducing the amount we drive will save the environment, but I can say without a doubt, that it is a step in the right direction. The main purpose in reducing the amount one drives is not necessarily to save money, though that will undoubtedly come as a result, but to reduce an individual’s carbon footprint, which has the effect of decreasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which has been on the steady incline since the dawn of the industrial revolution. If we continue to use fossil fuels at the same rate as we currently are, the ecological impacts will surely be devastating.