On the first Monday of every month, we take on a ‘mission’ – a shift or habit or inspiration – to work on together. There’s strength (and support) in numbers! On the last Thursday of the month, we reconvene to see how far we’ve come.
I’m baaaaAAAAAck! Did you guys miss me? I sure missed you all! Today Waits is 2 months old exactly, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. Ain’t he a cutie-pie? Maternity leave has been a total blast, but now I’m sooooo excited to get back to blogging!
And how better to jumpstart our community, than with a challenging new MMM?
High atop my vintage Schwinn, ‘Althea’. Summer 2008.
#11
Let’s talk transportation. We all know that gas-powered vehicles are an environmental nightmare, but it can be hard to break out of such a convenient (and let’s face it – comfortable) habit. The truth is, if you really want to cut your carbon footprint, transport is key – in terms of impact it’s second only to going veg*n.
So in honor of springtime and the sunshine that it brings (perfect for vehicle-free transportation), I challenge you to rethink how you get around. Could you alter your errands to stay within a bike-friendly zone? Could you jog around your neighborhood instead of driving to the gym? Could you walk to work, or to the coffee shop, or to the drug store? Could you do your grocery shopping with a friend, for the company *and* the car share? Could you catch the bus to school? Could you ride the subway to dinner? Could you set up an office carpool? Could you rollerblade to brunch?
As you can see, the possibilities for change are endless. And they really add up!
Personally, I do own a car. But I do the vast majority of my ‘moving’ by other means. I do my grocery shopping daily, by foot (while walking the dogs). I walk a lot actually, and it’s a great way for Waits to experience the world. I used to ride my bike everywhere, which gave me an even greater range, but that’s out until this baby gets a bit bigger.
These days my car averages 1 tank of gas per month, almost exactly on the nose. I fill it up around the 1st, and it takes about 4 weeks to get down near ‘empty’. So my personal goal for this MMM is to cut that in half. I intend to use only 1/2 a tank of gas this month! If I can make that my standard I’ll be sittin’ pretty, don’t you think?
Damian and I rockin’ the bike helmets. Safety first! haha. Summer 2008.
The bike basket during an afternoon of errand-running. Summer 2008.
So, what could *YOU* do to curb your emissions in the transportation arena? And do you choose to accept this mission??
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