Do you consider the environmental impact of your transportation?
If there’s a choice between flying and taking a train, what’s your preference? Would you take public transportation over driving if it required more time and effort? Will your next car be a hybrid or SUV? It’s easy to complain about the environment, but will you make a personal sacrifice or at least a commitment to do your small part by your transportation choices?
Do you consider the environmental impact of your transportation?
I'd take a train if possible, but only because I prefer the train to planes – not an environmental decision! I rarely tend to consider the impact of my travel, because I need to get to work whatever I do, though I do take mass transit 2/3 days a week
Because I live in a city, I take public transportation (although it kind of sucks and is completely unreliable) most places. I have rarely used cabs and walking is pretty easy.
When I'm home (which isn't very often) I drive a Toyota Camry (let's forget about the recall for a moment) which gets pretty good gas mileage and I don't fill up the tank often. At home, there really isn't any form of public transportation but my friends and I carpool when possible.
In my opinion, I try to be environmentally responsible when it comes to my transportation choices. Most of the time it's mainly for convenience purposes, and responsibility comes second.
Absolutely! That is why I walk to work.
I don't have much of a choice but to drive where I live. I'm too far out to take a bike or walk (and, ya know, it's snowy), and there's very limited public transportation in this area in general. When I bought my car, however, I definitely considered gas mileage. It's still not spectacular MPG, but it's better than the van I was driving. I would have loved to buy a hybrid, but I didn't have the money.
I'd like to move into the city proper, though, at which point I could see walking/using public transportation more often. As much as I complained about the T while I was at school, I really miss having a good public transportation system and being within walking distance of most places. That's less about environmental impact and more about me just enjoying the freedom the city gives.
As far as trains v. planes v. buses? Planes are definitely the most convenient to go most of the places I want to travel to, but I *hate* them. Once again, it has nothing to really do with environmental impact. Flying just terrifies me. After the experience I had over New Year's, though (huge delays, etc.) I'd take a bus over a train.
My choices are a mix of environmental considerations and personal preferences.
I refuse to drive although I have a driver's license. I think that if you can get anywhere you want with the public transportation or you can walk, you don't need to drive. Of course, the fact that I grew up in a place where public transportation is usually faster than driving, there are sidewalks everywhere and everything is so close that you can walk, also plays a role in my choice.
However, I prefer flying when it comes to longer distances. I feel guilty about it and that is why when an airline has the optional environmental fee I pay it. Although I am not exactly sure how they use it, but it just makes me feel better.
I just hope enough people care to offset my desire for getting an enormous SUV.
No, in all seriousness, I'm not inclined to make large decisions to impact the environment, such as biking versus driving, trying to take more public transportation even if it's a lot less convenient than a car, etc.
But I'll make a conscious effort to not let the car idle for too long or to carpool when possible. I also let the car warm up before taking it out too hard, since colder vehicles are less efficient when it comes to emissions.
Don't expect me to really care too much about the MPGs, however, unless it's a strong financial consideration.
Train. But only because it's more convenient than a plane…
Hybrid. But only because I don't need an SUV…
I don't complain about the environment. I accept where it is and I accept that it is my responsibility to change my habits to make a difference. Then I act upon my wishes.
Now to answer your question about the environmental impact of my transportation choices….
Living in Amsterdam you only have the environmentally friendly choices… Bike,Tram or Walk. It's the benefit of living in a city where everything is only 10minutes away on a bike or 20 minutes by walking or tram. Since there is no place to park a car that costs less than an arm and a leg, you might as well bike to work. The way that it is safe to do this all the time, is that bicycles have right of way to ALL forms of transportation, even to pedestrians. There are bike lanes that get you everywhere in the shortest route. Personally, I find that cities that make it bicycle friendly in Europe will most likely have more bicyclists.
In the States, it is a whole different issue. When I lived in Seattle I drove a Jeep. This was to pull my boat and to frequently go up to the mountains nearby. However, when gas prices rose, I switched to a smaller car. Yes it is more environmentally friendly, but I was thinking more about saving money and being able to fit my small car into tiny parking spaces near my university. That was over 2 years ago.
After living in Europe and seeing how Europeans make everyday decisions to save the environment, I think my lifestyle has ultimately changed. Basically, because it costs more to NOT be environmentally friendly. That's how it should be everywhere else. I personally find that people will only change their ways if it costs more to continue doing what they are doing… of course this is really situational. There first has to be cheaper and more reasonable alternative already in place for them to switch, you can't just blindly raise the costs of things and expect people to change…
So all in all, now I do consider the environmental impact of my transportation. You can thank this revelation to the others around me that consider the environmental impact of their transportation, and society for giving power and praise to those who do the same.