CT Green Scene

Need A Ride?

by Eileen Weber

A few months ago, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to carpool to a meeting we were both attending. I said, “Carpooling. It’s the new 'Driving Alone!'”

Well, not exactly. It seems not too many people carpool. According to the last U.S. Census, most Americans drive solo. In a survey conducted in 2005, 87.7% of commuters use their car to get to work and 77% of them drive alone. On the flip side, only 4.7% of workers use public transportation. In an earlier survey in 2004, Hawaii had the highest carpooling rate at 16.4% while Massachusetts was the lowest at 7.2%. Connecticut was not much better at 7.8%.

What’s so great about carpooling? At the end of the day, you’re still stuck in traffic. But now, you’re stuck in traffic with someone you don’t really know. The most obvious reasons for the commuting alternative are the decrease in traffic congestion and carbon emissions expelled into the air. Another benefit is that some people actually like the personal interaction from meeting new people. It can make the drive seem faster.

For those who choose not to carpool, they have their reasons. Many people often have to work late or their schedule is too unpredictable. But for some, it’s just the inconvenience of relying on someone else’s schedule that makes carpooling, or ridesharing, unappealing.

Inconvenience aside, carpooling is a necessary option in a bad economy. When belts are tightening and the gas prices are high, more people choose to bum a ride.

Field Test a MINI-E

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

I can't think of a better way to usher in the New Year than to be one of the 500 lucky ducks who will test drive a MINI-E for the next 365 days. And trust me, if I had a garage, OR $850 extra bucks a month OR more cash to upgrade my electric system, I'd do it in a heart beat.

So, those of you living in the NY/NJ metro area who meet the criteria, go for it. And don't forget where you read about it--hopefully it's worth you taking me for a spin!

Buyout Will Let Automakers off the (clean air) Hook!

Thanks to our friends at PACE for keeping us informed...

One of the most important issues concerning climate change is connected to the $34 billion bailout of the auto industry. You would think that giving them that much money should carry some conditions BUT one of most crucial ones is missing and that is to mandate the auto companies drop their lawsuits against three states of the thirteen (which includes Connecticut) who have passed a law (called "the Paveley Law") to adopt standards that would greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and trucks.

So what can little ol' you DO? Thanks to the Law Offices of Matthew Pawa, it's as simple as filling in the blanks...

*NO PAVLEY-NO BAILOUT*!

Dear Congressman BLANK:

Thank you for telling the heads of General Motors, Chrysler and Ford last week that their lawsuits against state greenhouse gas laws are a "serious obstacle" to providing taxpayer loans to their companies. It is
now time to follow through on this statement. As a constituent, I am writing to demand that you */only /*vote "yes" on a Detroit bailout */IF/*the legislation includes a provision making clear that the federal
fuel economy law does not preempt the states' greenhouse gas laws.

I am outraged that Detroit may receive taxpayer money while continuing to push lawsuits against the states. These lawsuits seek to use the federal fuel economy law to strike down state greenhouse gas laws. Sixteen states have adopted or are in the process of adopting the "Pavley regulations," which would significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks. Half the nation's population lives in these sixteen states. The Pavley law is a vital step in the fight to reduce the U.S. contribution to global warming. And since GM, Chrysler and Ford have now said repeatedly that rescuing their businesses requires that they significantly improve fuel economy, then under the logic of their own lawsuits in which they argue that fuel economy improvements are the same thing as reductions in greenhouse gases, the Pavley law is good for Detroit and its workers, too.

As your constituent, I am fully expecting you to stand up and fight on global warming. While there are many good reasons to avoid the collapse of a major company at this moment of economic peril, it is unfathomable to me how Congress could fail to grasp this moment by requiring a simple act of good corporate citizenship as a condition of any bailout, i.e., no lawsuits against the states. I am expecting you to vote "NO" on any Detroit bailout that fails to protect our planet by stamping out the GM-Chrysler lawsuits against the states. Any "YES" vote MUST include a "Save Pavley" provision.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]

Keep reading for who to contact in your area...

Ticking Off the Ice Cream Truck Man

I was at the park today with my kids when a diesel ice cream truck pulled in. The man, in his fifties, kept the fifteen year old truck spewing smoke as he passed out frozen treats packed with artificial colors and flavors and enough preservatives to outlive the kids who ate them.

I stood by silently, my  young ones knowing better than to ask, since for the past four years their mommy claims not to have any money, or rambles on about how unhealthy that ice cream is, convincing them to go to the New Morning to pick up some organic, lactose-free, all natural, frozen desserts.

Then it hit me: this must have been what the first proponents of banning second hand smoke must have felt like. Unsure, insecure, timid. I marched up to the truck and asked if he'd be staying long. "Nope."
"Good, I replied, because we can smell your truck all the way across the park."  "If you're so worried about it, why didn't you walk instead of drive here?" he spat back.

Tonight, I'll dream of electric powered ice cream trucks that sell organic, healthy frozen treats on sultry summer days.

Rethinking miles-per-gallon

Cycling Activity vs. National Gas Prices

Thanks to Design New Haven  and Mark Abraham for this post!

Looks like the number of posts per day on the ElmCityCycling listserv, a forum for making New Haven more accommodating to bicyclists and pedestrians, is highly correlated with the national price of unleaded gasoline (click on chart to enlarge). Who would have thought?

With gasoline predicted to hit $6-10 per gallon as soon as a few months from now, the number of nonmotorized trips to work in New Haven is only likely to continue to increase. As a relatively flat and compact city, Downtown New Haven is already perfect for bicycling and walking, as evidenced by the fact that the city has one of the highest percentages of bicycle commuters in the United States (1.8%, versus 1.2% in Boston, 0.9% in Providence, 0.6% in New York City, 0.4% in Hartford, 0.1% in Bridgeport and 0.0% in Waterbury, according to the Census Bureau's 2006 ACS). During rush hour, there are already occasional bicycle "traffic jams" on the popular Orange Street bicycle lane. New Haven was also recently named one of the 20 most walkable cities in the United States.

However, improvements to the city's bicycle-friendliness are needed before the average area resident will choose to ride to work, or even use his or her bicycle for short trips (e.g., a 4-block run to the corner store). Considering that bicycles are already widely-owned (and very inexpensive), the most frequently given reasons why Connecticut residents don't bicycle more often - infrastructure and safety - are fairly easy to solve. According to numerous studies, infrastructure such as bicycle parking, bike-friendly street design, multi-use greenways like the Farmington Canal Trail and accessibility at train stations raise land values by an amount much greater than the investment put into them (in part because they tend to calm traffic). Reckless and high-speed driving and driver education can be addressed through community-wide efforts and traffic enforcement, and through measures such as anti-dooring ordinances like those found in Chicago.

Electric Cars? Cooler than You Think!

Imagine turning the key in the ignition and not hearing a sound? Or zipping around town on errands and not emitting ANY carbon! That's what it's like when driving an electric vehicle (EV). GEM (Global Electric Motorcars) are available for sale here in Connecticut for around $8,000 and they plug right into an outlet. If you're signed up for Clean Energy Options, you'll feel great about using this to run around doing errands.

The feel of the interior is similar to a VW beetle, with large windows, a sun roof and lots of light. The gas and break pedals are the same as any other car, but the noise--or lack of--is what I found most amazing.

The GEM I drove tops out at 25 mph, but is a perfect alternative to my other cars when doing errands or traveling short distances. The only hang up...while GEMS are street legal in all 50 states, you can't register them in Connecticut. Go figure. The one I drove was owned by EV proponent, John Papa. His property in New York state allows him to register his vehicle there. "It's great as a second vehicle to use instead of a SUV. The guys at the gas station love it when I drive by," Papa says.

Let's hope the guys who own the automobile industry feel the same way.

Come test drive one for yourself at the March 12th Fairfield County GreenDrinks event at iPark in Norwalk!