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1. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ most recent National Household Travel Survey (2009) found that Americans took 1.1 billion trips a day, and that over 83% of those took place in personal vehicles (cars, vans, light trucks).
2. The EPA attributes 26% of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US to transportation. (By comparison, industry accounts for 21%, electricity production for 30%.) 3. The Department of Transportation reports that car transportation is by far the largest source of household carbon emissions, accounting for an estimated 47% of the carbon footprint for a typical American family with two cars. The average car in America produces nearly 1 pound of carbon dioxide per mile travelled. 4. What alternatives do we have? The EPA suggests using public transportation, carpooling, walking or cycling whenever possible. Public transportation produces significantly less CO2 per passenger mile than personal automobiles – ranging from 0.22 pounds for heavy rail to 0.64 pounds for bus transit. Leaving the car at home two days per week can reduce your annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2 tons. 5. Walking and cycling offer additional benefits. In 2009, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy estimated the total value of walking and cycling in the US at $4 billion in gasoline not purchased, plus 14 million tons of carbon dioxide not emitted, plus $235 billion in healthcare savings. |
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