Transportation and Mobility

We believe that people should to be able go where they want to and need to. We humans are a mobile lot, based on our relationships, connectedness, industriousness and curiosity. We have been very creative in finding ways to move. Besides getting around on foot, we travel via bicycles, scooters, motorcycles, automobiles, trucks, busses, boats, trains, helicopters, and airplanes, and many other vehicles. Now we need to try to find the most efficient and effective way for each of our situations.

It is a scientific fact that burning 1 gallon of gasoline containing 10% ethanol produces 18.9 lb. of CO2 gas. [US Energy Information Administration] Note that to hold that volume of CO2 gas would require 1,200 gallon-size bottles. Imagine 1200 milk jugs sitting on the side of the road, for every 30 miles you drive (assuming 30 mpg)! That’s 40 jugs per mile, or one every 130 feet! Since this is at the ground level (where we breathe), we should use fossil fuels sparingly, especially when better options are available.

We believe that the opportunity for us is to think just a little bit more about how we move around… about timing, options, combining trips, sharing, fuel options, and efficiency, etc. By thinking just a bit more, we can each make a difference. We can consider the following questions:

• Do I really want to or need to make that trip?
• Is it close enough to walk?
• Could I accomplish my goal via email, telephone call or videoconference?
• Am I going when it is time-efficient for me and energy-efficient for the transportation mode I am using?
• Could I make more than one stop on this trip, to save another trip later?
• Could I share the ride with someone?
• What is the environmental impact of the fuel or energy I am consuming?
• What can I do to be as fuel-efficient as possible on this trip?

Many ways exist for each of us to get where we need to go, but in a more efficient way. It just takes a little forethought.

Vehicle emissions are the leading cause of “ground level ozone,” an odorless gas that is a severe irritant to your lungs and throat. In the summer, ozone pollution can be especially bad, and young children and the elderly are the most vulnerable. Hospital admissions of children with asthma soar in the summer due to ozone created by vehicle exhausts. [National Institute of Health]

We support the use of public transit such as Atlanta’s MARTA. We carpool to school, minimize the number of car trips, and combine 3 or 4 errands whenever possible.