Reduce Your Transportation Carbon Emissions

Action of the Month for March
 
Basic Action:
In March, as we begin our season of Lent, our Action of the Month asks you to commit to reducing your transportation carbon footprint by 10%. This is like a tithe to honor God’s creation. The ELCA church’s Social Statement on Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope, and Justice, asks us to be a community committed to the principles of sufficiency and sustainability. The Statement advocates for an environmental tithe and other measures to limit consumption and reduce waste.
 
Examples below can help you achieve the 10% reduction of your transportation footprint.

Reduce vehicle engine idling – When your car idles, you are using gasoline to achieve 0 mpg! Idling more than a minute or two uses more gas than starting your car, except in the case of hybrids. Where can you reduce the amount of gasoline waste when you are not moving?

• Are there times when your car is on and no driver is in it?
• Is it idling it while someone runs into the store?
• In the carwash? 
• Waiting for a train to cross?
• While dropping off your recycling?
• Waiting for a friend to come out and join you?

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Drive differently

• Plan routes where you can safely drive with a maximum speed of 55 mph, preferably while using cruise control if driving outside a city, for this more fuel-efficient speed.
• Combine errands into a single trip. Or carpool.
• Use easy starts and stops, a steady driving style, and a follow a pre-planned route.

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Maintain your vehicle to lower your emissions

• Check your tire inflation monthly and maintain correct tire pressure to improve mileage and safety.
• Change your oil and air filter when recommended

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Require fewer truck-delivery services

• Shop locally instead of shipping goods longer distances.
• Take your name off lists for organizations that send mail to you even though you do not purchase from or donate to them.
• Change from delivery mail to email lists from the organizations you do use.

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Use some electronic communications instead of travel, when possible

Minimize air travel
The average domestic commercial flight in 2019  emitted 0.39 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalents per passenger mile. How many miles did you fly in 2021? Multiply that by 0.39 to calculate your share of carbon emissions. from flying.

• Can you fly 10% less this year?
• If you must fly, can you use a bus or an airport shuttle from the airport to your lodging instead of a rental car?

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Check to see your progress.
Compare your gasoline expenditures or frequency of fill-ups.

• If you typically save your gasoline receipts each month, you will be able to compare your March expenditures with previous months. You can also track your miles flown and compare those with past miles flown per month.
• Or can you go more days before filling your vehicle with fuel? If you filled up every 10 days and now can make it to 11 days, that can show a 10% savings.

 
In these days of higher transportation fuel costs, using these methods to save on transportation use can also save you money.

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​DID YOU KNOW…
The transportation sector is the largest source of carbon emissions in the U.S. and creates about 1/3 of our annual global warming emissions. It is also a major source of air pollution. Low-income communities of color are especially impacted by living close to major highways, warehouses, airports, and ports where the air pollution is higher. (Source: Sierra Club 2021 Summer Newsletter, “What We Want for the Next Generation” by Michael Brune)

Advanced action:
Make a big reduction by choosing to reduce dependence on fossil fueled transportation in a big way. If it is time for a shop for a newer car, upgrade to an alternative fuel vehicle—electric or hybrid—or one that has significantly higher miles per gallon fuel efficiency than your previous model.

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