A Gallon Saved Goes a Long Way

The first thing that made me realize that reducing my driving is going to be a challenge, is the fact that I knew walking was going to be a challenge, so quickly I told one of my friends and teammates my situation, and have been riding to practice with him regularly.  In order to insure that I would not be driving, I left my car with a very small amount of gas in it, that way I would not have to worry about trying to drive, even if the drive is very short.  I left the gas light on in my car!

The hardest thing about the challenge so far, is knowing that my car is ready and available to be taken to the gas station for a fill-up at any time so I could drive whenever.  Surprisingly I have taken my mind off of that and I have began to accept the fact that I do not always need to be in control of my own vehicle and on my own time.  Riding with someone else, especially since that person is my roommate, has not really changed anything in my life.  I still leave at the same times, come back at the same times, nothing is different and I am becoming more confident.  I am adjusting well to the new situation.

“Highway vehicles release about 1.5 billion metric tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere each year—mostly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO₂)—contributing to global climate change. Each gallon of gasoline you burn creates 20 pounds of CO₂. That’s roughly 5 to 9 tons of CO₂ each year for a typical vehicle.” (http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/climate.shtml)  When I read that each gallon of gasoline burned can create about 20 pounds of CO2, I realized that the less gallons of gasoline that I burn, the less CO2 will be emitted into the atmosphere.  This got me a bit excited because it shows that even just my little bit of action can have a significant impact on the environment.  I can actually make a big change and that is what I plan on doing!

Sources: Average annual vehicle CO2 emissions based on Transportation Energy Data Book, Edition 31. Table 11.10, p. 11-15. 2012.

Highway vehicle CO2 emissions based on EPA’s Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks: 1990 – 2011, Table 2-15. April 2013.

“Reduce Climate Change.” Reduce Climate Change. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.