This commentary is by Tom Frank of Milton, a retired Social Security claims representative.
The federal government plans to spend $1.2 billion on developing a “vacuum cleaner” to suck carbon dioxide out of the air. This is equivalent to removing 500,000 cars from our congested highways.
There are two major problems with this “vacuum cleaner” solution to combating climate change.
Our highways will still be congested and we will still be pumping greenhouse gases into our planet’s fragile atmosphere. A much better solution is to simply remove the half-million cars off our streets. In Vermont, with only 1/500 of our nation’s population, that equals about 1,000 cars.
Breaking the numbers down even further, Chittenden County, with one-fourth of Vermont’s population and most of its air pollution and congestion, adds up to only 250 four-wheeled polluters. The other 13 counties can share in the removal of the remaining 750 smog generators.
We can, working together, meet this, and more ambitious objectives. Collectively, we are all responsible for reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. Each and every one of us must be aware of the choices we make each and every day.
While sitting in a traffic jam breathing in your neighbor’s fumes, think about the following suggestions and your participation in making Vermont a better, or worse, place to live.
- Where possible, take public transportation to and from work. Buses provide a safer, less polluting, and less costly alternative to a solitary driver in a single car.
- Fewer downtown parking lots will be required, leaving more space for trees, parks and grass. You can also chat with fellow passengers or use the buses’ built-in Wi-Fi to check on the morning’s news or read the latest steamy novel. Mass transit also helps fellow Vermonters who are unable to drive because of a disability travel independently.
- If your community is too sparsely populated to support mass transit, check with neighbors, friends, fellow staff members, and the state’s ride-sharing resources to create a van or carpool. Again, you save money while reducing pollution and parking spots.
- An even better solution, at least when the weather cooperates, is to get out of your car altogether. Advocate for more bicycle lanes, pedestrian sidewalks, and paths in your neighborhood to provide a healthier, non-polluting alternative to the automobile. And, with the advent of electric bicycles, you do not have to be a Lance Armstrong to pedal around town.
- When shopping, consolidate your trips with family members. Ask yourself each time before getting in your car; “Is this trip really necessary?” Challenge yourself to cut daily trips in half. Too drastic a concept? Even a 10% reduction is better than none.
- Talk with your selectboard members and state representatives about adequately funding these initiatives. Yes, they will cost money. Investments in the public good always do. But the cost of doing nothing will be much higher. This summer’s floods should be a wakeup call to all of us. Even our beloved rail trail failed to escape the ravages of changing weather patterns.
- Finally, the most valuable action you can take is: Each morning, when looking into the mirror, ask yourself, “What can I do today to reduce my carbon footprint?” All of your actions, or lack thereof, have consequences. Together, as a united Vermont community, we can create an improved environment for ourselves and future generations.
Since moving to Vermont in 1982, I have lived in Barton, Waterbury and Milton. Being legally blind, I have sampled all types of transportation but have not been able to drive since turning 22 over 50 years ago.
