It’s time for school, work, or even your weekend plans that you scheduled ages ago. As you grab your keys and start the car, a thick line of unidentified smoke sputters from your engine. The gases seem to dissolve before you even have the chance to notice them, all too easy to forget. But as you mindlessly start your route, you fail to realize that millions of people across the world are emitting the same gases.
With the looming climate clock counting down the years left before the damage to Earth is irreversible, climate change has become a topic of passionate debates. While recycling, composting, and being mindful of consumption are all necessary and beneficial to the planet, the most influential action that should be taken on an individual level is moving away from harmful transportation habits and personal transportation. This, above all else, is one of the most crucial ways people can and should be making a difference to their communities.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a greenhouse gas. This means that the gas will not only absorb, but trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, inevitably leading to a rise in the global temperature. CO2 makes up about 80% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, which is largely the result of the burning of fossil fuels like gasoline.
What some may fail to realize is that the gasoline used by motor vehicles does not directly equate to the resulting CO2 emissions. One gallon of gasoline, on average 6.2 pounds, can produce around 20 pounds of CO2. When gasoline is burned, the bonds between hydrogen and carbon in the compound are broken. In this process, the hydrogen atoms bond with oxygen to form water while the carbon bonds with the oxygen to form CO2. Thus higher amounts of CO2 gas produced is largely due to the fact that the reaction gains mass from the air around it, an idea that many people overlook.
This abundance of CO2 production, in comparison to the majority of Americans who drive alone to work, leaves people to question the impact of it all.
The devastating fallout of human activity poses an undeniable crisis that must be treated seriously and urgently. Naturally, plants and other organisms act as consumers for the gas, keeping the Earth at a healthy median temperature. Butm due to mass deforestation paired with a jump in the usage of fossil fuels, this equilibrium is no longer being maintained.
Traveling to Boston is one of the most prominent examples of Westford residents using personal transportation to their own convenience. One person deciding to use public transportation on a 20 mile commute can decrease CO2 emissions annually by 20 pounds per day. This number will then compile daily to more than 48,000 pounds in a year. Driving one way from Westford to Boston is almost double this distance, and double this output.
In deciding to use the commuter rail in Lowell instead of driving oneself to the city, a tangible improvement can be seen on the environment and in our future. The Lowell Line usually has a train leaving every 20 to 45 minutes, making it convenient for individuals to choose a time that works for them.
Another option for Westford residents 55 and older or adults with disabilities is the bus system run by Westford’s Council on Aging Transportation Department. This transportation program is fairly flexible to individuals’ desired locations and can be scheduled through the transportation office (978-399-2322). To learn more about this system, click here.
Not only is public transportation preferable for the environment, but it also serves many benefits to its users. Travel time of an individual car can be significantly cut down all by using a commuter rail. This is because the rails travel directly to one’s destination rather than following a spew of meanders, while also not facing the difficulties of traffic congestion. As a result, public transportation has statistically proven to be ten times safer per mile than individual travel.
Another prevailing deterrent towards using public transportation could be the concern over its financial burden. However, according to RideRTA, public transportation saves individuals an average of $1100 a month. This is due to less maintenance on a car and less gas payments, replaced with cheaper ride tickets. Because the option of utilizing public transportation presents few cons aside from a little more effort, it is one of the most effective solutions to the climate crisis on a local level.
It would be ignorant, however, to claim people in today’s technological society should do away completely with cars. Additionally, it can be recognized that public transportation is not always available on a local level. But no matter the inconvenience or unavailability it may pose, there are always alternatives and steps that individuals should take to become more eco-friendly when traveling.
For one, carpooling is an easy option that can significantly cut down one’s overall CO2 emissions. Rather than meeting a group of people at the same location, coordinate collective rides based on proximity. By driving in groups, less cars are unnecessarily on the road, leading to a collective decrease in fossil fuel consumption. A similar alternative is utilizing platforms like Uber Group Rides which, similarly to carpooling, decreases the amount of cars on the road.
In other cases, carpooling is not plausible, and so another option for eco-friendly traveling is using better gas alternatives. According to KCATA, using 1000 DGEs of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) instead of the typical diesel fuel is equivalent to taking 395 passenger cars off the road for an entire year. If you have a car that will operate on CNG, there are a variety of locations that offer tank fillings. Taking this step will further reduce emissions and is another vital change to be made for our planet on an individual level.
Another alternative to eco-friendly transportation is biking. This option would be more realistic for shorter commutes like going to school, but provides absolutely no CO2 emissions. Not only does it cease to have detrimental effects on the environment, it also benefits the rider.
According to The Nutrition Source at Harvard University, bicycling reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and early death. Additionally, it is cost-friendly while increasing dopamine and endorphin levels after just 20 minutes of cycling.
Despite the hassle it might pose for one to take these steps towards utilizing public transportation, reversing the irrevocable damage to our planet is not supposed to be convenient. It’s not supposed to be something that caters to you, me, or anyone. It’s a natural fact that we now have to account for the damage that previous generations have knowingly and unknowingly contributed to. So no matter the distance, always be mindful of your individual impacts, and remember that your planet is counting on you.
