By: Deborah Johnson Wood
With all the hype about reducing one's carbon emissions by switching to smarter light bulbs or replacing outdated appliances with more energy efficient models, the positive effects of taking public transportation instead of driving a car almost has gone overlooked. Almost.
A new study by the American Public Transportation Association reports a daily transit pass might be one of the most powerful weapons against global climate change. And while the report underscores that other means of reducing carbon emissions are important, using public transit has a much greater positive affect on the situation.
For example, one person can reduce carbon emissions 4,800 pounds a year by switching to public transportation. Compare that to keeping the house at a moderate temperature, which saves 2,847 pounds of carbon a year, or replacing an old refrigerator freezer with an energy efficient model, which saves 335 pounds of carbon a year.
And hybrid buses may reduce the environmental impact of transportation even more. The Rapid, metro Grand Rapids' regional transit agency, has five hybrids in service and, although the definitive environmental effects remain unknown, they are under study.
"We are working with GVSU to do an analysis of the hybrids' performance," says Jennifer Kalczuk, spokesperson for The Rapid. "Industry data suggest fuel savings and emissions, but we want to quantify our savings."
Source: American Public Transit Association; Jennifer Kalczuk, The Rapid
Deborah Johnson Wood is development news editor for Rapid Growth. She can be contacted at [email protected].
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