Driving diet update: Get to know a coworker!

Ok, so after a week of feeling at a loss about how I can cut down my commuting miles without spending 5 hours a day on the bus, another option has presented itself: Carpooling! My lovely coworker Traci lives fairly nearby (Eagle Rock) but strongly believes in the cause and suggested that we give it a try. She doesn't mind swinging down a bit out of her way to Los Feliz to pick me up and the best part is, she drives a Prius! Not only are we taking one car off the road, but I get to share in her lower emissions glory. Geez, I couldn't ask for a better carpool buddy! So far she's graciously done all the driving since my MPG doesn't even come close to hers, but she says it helps alleviate her guilt about working on the westside. We've ridden together twice this week, and we're hoping to do it 1-2 times a week. It's much less of a hassle than you might think, (we just talk the day before and see if our schedules sync up) and chatting makes that hour go by faster and takes the edge off fighting the traffic. See if any of your coworkers live close or along your path to work and give it a try! Now if only there was an actual carpool LANE on the 10...

Driving diet update

Well, it’s been two weeks since I started the driving diet and I have both encourag-ing and slightly frustrating reports. On the one hand, I drove a little over 200 miles each week, which was much less than my target goal of 275. But, I only took the bus to work 3 times in those two weeks. Because, well, the bus is not quite as convenient as the train is. In fact, it’s downright difficult. The first time I took it was first day of my new job. Big mistake! Well, the morning was ok—it only took about an hour and 15 minutes to get there, and driving takes an hour. But it was an unusually late night—I was there until midnight—and after looking online to see what bus to take home, realized that I wouldn’t have made it home until almost 3am, and would have to ride 3 buses. Probably not a smart proposition at that hour. So I asked my new coworkers if anyone happened to be going in my direction, then the whole bus riding thing came out. These people don’t know me and they clearly thought I was a bit off. Anyway, no one was heading in my direction and they all insisted that I take a cab--the owner of the company went so far as to give me money for one. So, I did, and I felt like a total public transportation loser. How pathetic is that? Failure on my first serious bus-riding attempt. Since then, I’ve discovered that one bus on my morning route has been late 2 out of the 3 times I’ve taken it, leaving me waiting for half an hour at the stop. I will have to take it more to see if this truly is the norm. Then, much to my chagrin, it turns out that getting home is much more complicated than my morning ride. Seems that after 7pm or so, the buses come really infrequently, like every half hour. And I have to take 3 of them, so if I hit it wrong, I could potentially spend an hour and a half just waiting, plus the hour or more of driving. Luckily, so far it’s only taken 2 hours, but combined with the 2 in the morning, that doesn’t leave much of a day left. Which brings me to my first lesson in this experiment. If I spend 4 or more hours a day commuting, that doesn’t leave me with much energy to do anything but plop down in front of the tv, or go straight to bed, leaving no energy to work on this blog or any other efforts to curb global climate change. How does taking one car off the road weigh against having little energy to devote to other efforts? And, as I sit on the bus surrounded by people who don’t have the luxury to take the bus voluntarily, I can’t help but think that maybe my privileged position in society could be used in a more productive way. I’m sure my fellow riders dream of what they would do with those extra 4-5 hours a day if they didn’t have to take the bus. I’m reminded of hearing about my sister and her college friends at one of the most prestigious schools in the world dumpster diving Trader Joe’s trash. Good intentions, but what if they put those efforts and their high-level education toward addressing the problem of excessive food waste and unequal access to healthy food in our society, for example? My point is that I think we are all called to figure out the most effective and efficient ways we can each contribute to the problems we are facing. For those of us privileged enough to have choices in our daily lives, I think our biggest challenge is to very intentionally explore where we are most needed. So, I’m not going to stop taking the bus, and I hope you guys won't give up on it either, especially if you have a reasonable commute. But because it is such a time-consuming endeavor to and from my current job, I will likely only take it only once during the workweek on this current job. I will focus on continuing to reduce my weekend driving and will resume taking the train in several weeks when I’m back at my old workplace. In the meantime, I vow to maximize my non-commuting time by exploring new avenues to green my life and get others on board! How have you guys been doing? I want to hear your transit, bicycling, walking, skateboarding, scootering, or whatever stories!

Auto-shop 101 WEEK

While we're on the topic of driving, here are some super-fast ways you will instantly lower your carbon dioxide footprint before you even cut any miles out. (But I am still waiting to hear what people are pledging for the driving diet...come on-buck up, folks!)

1. KEEP YOUR TIRES INFLATED
Apparently, by checking monthly to make sure your tires are appropriately inflated, you will save 250 pounds of CO2 a year and over $800 because your gas mileage will be that much better! I have no idea what the proper amount of inflation is, so I'll be asking a friendly mechanic for guidance on that one.

2. CHANGE YOUR AIR FILTER MONTHLY
I'm always skeptical at EZ Lube when they tell me I need a new air filter, but perhaps they weren't just trying to rip me off. Maybe they were even trying to help me save money, because you will save an estimated $150 annually and, most importantly, 800-1000 pounds of CO2 a year! My car knowledge is in the sub-zero range, but apparently, a functioning air filter improves horsepower and gas mileage by getting rid of the bad particulates in the air before they hit the engine. And you don't even have to pay the guys at Jiffy Lube to do it--here's an article on how to change it yourself:


3. CLEAN OUT YOUR TRUNK
If you're carrying around your life in your backseat or trunk, your gas mileage is not as good as it could be. Obviously, extra weight lowers fuel efficiency. And cleaning out clutter from your car will just make you feel better anyway.

4. DON'T IDLE!
Clearly, when you idle, your MPG is 0. Apparently, even on a very cold winter day, 30 seconds of idling is the most you need to warm up your car, and according to the Department of Energy, "The best way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it." If you frequent drive-through restaurants, banks, pharmacies, or whatever, turn off your engine while waiting.

5. SWITCH FROM AAA TO BETTER WORLD CLUB
I can't even count the number of times AAA has bailed me out in my 10+ years of driving. Ah, the memories...There have been the innumerable keys locked in the car, the poor judgement leading to empty gas tanks on the freeway (yes, more than once), and numerous mysterious mechanical failures. I hate to always be the bearer of bad news, but it is now widely reported that AAA uses its members' dues and popular name to lobby against clean air regulations (they pretty much deny that cars even pollute), FOR more highways, and against public transportation. Geez, they even oppose bike paths! They are basically highway lobbyists...and you are too, if you pay them dues! But there is fortunately an alternate auto club that is actually FOR the environment (thanks greenLA girl for the tip). Better World Club donates 1% of their revenue to environmental cleanup and advocacy. They support environmental legislation, alternative transportation and cleaner air. They give discounts to hybrid owners and for hybrid rentals, offer roadside bicycle assistance, help you offset your CO2 emissions, and give you $40 gas coupons for joining. All that, and they provide the same basic services as AAA--roadside assistance, towing, those cool "triptix" maps, and discounts on hotels and other travel services. The cost of membership is the same or less than AAA, and they use many of the same local towing companies, so the response time is also around 30 minutes. You can still have the peace of mind that you will be rescued off the side of the road without unwittingly being a part of an anti-environmental lobby! I'm making the switch!

Driving, you're sooo 2006

Welcome, 2007! Whether you're for or against making resolutions, it seems obvious that the first day of each new year is a convenient time to reflect, evaluate, and make a fresh start in various aspects of our lives. Many of us have already been making small but significant changes towards a more sustainable, less disposable future. And it's like a snowball, isn't it? Once you start remembering to bring your own bags, you can't help but notice how much packaging surrounds your crackers, cds, and running shoes. It always seems like there's so much more you could be doing, doesn't it? So...(can you tell I'm leading up to something big here?), let's start the new year off with a bang by attacking the biggest, baddest monster of them all: DRIVING. I don't think I need to convince you on this one--we all need to be driving a lot less, period. So, I've decided to put myself on a driving diet. Yes, a diet--a staple of the American lifestyle. We can all be very disciplined people when it comes to counting calories, resisting carbs, sticking to a monthly budget, or saving for retirement. But one area of our lives that seems to be totally lacking discipline--or any thought at all--is how much we drive. Our president even admitted that we are "addicted to oil", and as addicts, we unthinkingly rack up hundreds of miles a week and can't even account for our actions. Quick: How many miles do you drive per week? Don't know?

On average, I drive 375 miles a week, due to a long commute. The starting goal for my diet is to drive 100 fewer miles per week. To do that, I'm going to take the bus to work 2-3 times a week. (I was gleefully taking the train, but am starting a new job outside the range of the rail system, so I'll be discovering the world of the L.A. bus system!). I challenge you to join me on this diet! I'm not asking you to drive 100 fewer miles...I've already gotten used to public transportation and know that 100 miles is doable for me. Pick a number that seems like a realistic starting point for you, like driving 10 fewer miles a week. Then get creative to figure out how you can reach that goal. First, figure out how many miles you drive to work every day. Could you take the train or bus to work one day a week? Even if it's far, it's not unrealistic. I'm going to be going from Los Feliz to Santa Monica, and although it will take a little longer on the bus, I'll be able to read and enjoy all the benefits of not having to pay attention to the road. Do you live close enough to work that you could bike a couple days? Does a coworker live nearby whom you could carpool with?

Next, look at your non-commuting driving. Most of us in LA have grocery stores, banks, and other essentials within a reasonable walking distance. (If you're trying to shed those holiday pounds, you'll be killing two birds with one stone, right?) And don't assume that driving less will cut into your social life. Figure out a way to meet up with friends for drinks using public transportation--it will be an adventure! An added bonus--nobody has to worry about being the designated driver. Figure out what bus route can get you to your BFF's place for Saturday brunch. Another option is to observe a driving "sabbath" on Saturday or Sunday. Get all your errands done on Saturday, and don't touch your car on Sunday. I've been pretty faithfully observing a "no-driving Sundays" rule, and it has been great! It's amazing how relaxing it is to not fight traffic all weekend...

Although the L.A. rail system is limited, it serves some areas really well, and there's a chance you live or work near a stop and might not even know it. Check out this map. Even if you're not near the train, there are definitely buses that serve your area. Go on an urban adventure! And remember, there are millions of people in L.A. who have no choice but to rely on public transportation. There are even a few who voluntarily live without a car. If you are somewhere else, even in suburban sprawl, I bet there are stores that are within walking distance, even though you never see anyone walking to them. Your presence will remind people that, even in suburbia, there are ways to get around without a car.

So pick a number--10, 25, 50 miles, whatever is realistic yet challenging for you, and pledge to join me on this diet. Just like if you were losing weight, as you meet your goal, create another one for yourself. It's a learning process: If this 100 mile thing turns out to be easy for me, I'm going to cut my original number in half. Please let me know what you are pledging, etiher by posting a comment or by emailing me. I don't want to do this alone!! And I want to know what other people are doing! Start logging your car trips (as if it were your checkbook) so that you know exactly where your mileage is being spent. Please forward to friends and encourage them to join you on the diet. I am convinced that everyone can easily cut out at least 10-25 miles a week, and imagine if we all do more!

Becky says "feck driving!"

As many of you know, I've been living it up on the train a lot lately, taking the long journey between Los Feliz and Manhattan Beach regularly, which has caused a few people to question my sanity. I try to explain: An hour and twenty minutes of care-free, "me time" versus 45 minutes fighting traffic? Duh, no-brainer! And well, I've come to enjoy...ok, absolutely LOVE everything the train has to offer. In my dreams I've written numerous "odes to the train", paying homage to all the life lessons it has taught me already in our short relationship. Seriously, folks! But, alas, time has not allowed such a litany of gratitude yet. So thank goodness I discovered my friend Becky's blog which is all-around fabulousness. Most exciting, she has written her own ode to the train, and an accompanying "Letter to Driving". Check it out. It's quality, LOL stuff.