Image by biofriendly

No matter what form of transportation you use, one of the key things you should factor in is cost to you and the environment.  How much does it cost to run that vehicle?  How much is your car polluting the air?  How much will a proven fuel additive help lower emissions and improve fuel economy? Is it better for the environment and less costly to you to use public transportation?  Is time a factor in whether or not you are using public transportation?  How easy is it for you to get to the bus or train station?  Is there a station near your work?  All of those questions are a factor when it comes to deciding what form of transporation is best for you.

We’ve been doing that in our family and continue to find new ways to cut down.  First of all, out of necessity, we became a one-car family.  Even though we have two kids and a 70-lb dog (who goes with us a lot of the time), we just didn’t want to continue to make 2 car payments or pay twice as much insurance, especially since I work from home.  We also recently moved and there are a lot of stores and activities in close proximity to us, so walking is a great way for us to get around (when it isn’t 103 degrees outside).  Getting rid of one car saved us about $500+ per month on just car payments/insurance, not to mention gas, maintenance, repairs, etc.  It also saved about 9 tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted into the environment every year.

Shortly after that we started driving my husband to work one day a week so that we could use the car.  We use it to go visit the kids’ grandparents.  We manage to see two sets of grandparents every time we do it, so it saves us time, gas money and emissions.  To further save gas/mileage, my husband car-pools home from work those days.

Then our most recent step was actually started due to a new program his work set up.  They now pick up employees from Union Station in downtown L.A., if they ride train to work.  His office is about a 10-minute drive from Union Station, so prior to the new program, it didn’t really work for him to take the train to downtown then try and catch other lines/buses to get closer to work.  It took too much time and he would arrive at work late.  But since his company set up this new shuttle service, it has been working great.  He takes the train once or twice a week, when he needs to go to his downtown office, and the company picks him (and others) up.  He likes it because it is a lot less stressful, he gets to relax or work on the train, it doesn’t cost us as much and is less wear & tear on the car.  Oh…and did I mention, when he buys a 10-trip pass and uses it, his company reimburses him for 50% of the cost.

So, no matter who you are or what actions you are currently taking to curb your transporation costs and pollution, take some time to research what else you can do.  You may be pleasantly surprised as your city may have just the right program for you.  For example, in New York there is a group call Transportation Alternatives and their mission is “to reclaim New York City’s streets from the automobile, and to advocate for bicycling, walking and public transit as the best transportation alternatives”.  In the San Francisco and Boston areas, there is a car service called PlanetTran which provides “the Nation’s first public auto service to utilize ultra fuel efficient hybrid vehicles exclusively”.  In Portland, in addition to being a bike/pedestrian-friendly city, they have Tri-Met which includes buses, the Max light rail, WES commuter rail and the Portland streetcars, one of which can pretty much get you anywhere you want to go in Portland.

But no matter where you live, big city or small, you can always check the websites of your local Metro trains, buses and even the EPA has a great “Green Vehicle Guide” to help you cut costs and environmental pollution.  What are you waiting for?

Photo from California Coastal Commission website

Calling all beach lovers, surfers, vacation goers, families and really anyone and everyone who cares for the environment…Saturday, Sept 19th is the 25th Annual California Coastal Cleanup Day!  It’s a great opportunity for people to come together from all over CA and do something to make our beaches clean and green again.

Since the program’s conception, over 800,000 Californians have contributed to removing more than 13 million pounds of debris from California coasts.  Just in 2008 alone, over 1.6 million pounds of trash and recyclables were cleaned up from California coastlines and lakes.

Now while that is a great accomplishment, the fact that there is that much trash polluting our beaches and lakes is not a good thing.  It’s not good for the environment and doesn’t reflect well on people’s awareness and ability to take care of the environment and clean it up.

When I was a kid growing up near the coast in Southern California, I used to spend many a weekend with my family at the beach.  It was always a great place to relax, play in the sand or enjoy the Pacific Ocean.  Personally I spent most of my time in the water….there was always something wonderful about being able to swim in the ocean.   

One of the things that made it so nice was that it was clean.  The sand was relatively clean (the occasional cigarette butt or can left lying around) and the water was pretty much free of trash – just water, sand, rocks and sometimes seaweed.  A key for us was my mom taught us to always clean up after ourselves.  We always picked up our stuff and tried to leave the beach clean for the next people.  Trash cans were never very far away, so it wasn’t a hard thing to do.  Others obviously practiced the same simple rules as well.

But in going to those same beaches over the years, I have noticed an increase in trash/pollution, both on the beach and in the water itself.  For some reason people aren’t caring for the beach like they used to do.  It’s a sad sight to see and one that needs to have attention brought to it.  That is why I wanted to raise awareness on Coastal Cleanup Day.

What about those of you who don’t live in California, but want to contribute to Coastal Cleanup….well, you’re in luck….Saturday, Sept 19th is also International Coastal Cleanup Day!  It is the perfect opportunity for anyone who lives near, visits or wants to visit the coast to help keep it clean. 

And remember, when you are enjoying the beauty of the beach and ocean please keep these simple steps in mind….a) clean up after yourself, b) use re-usable containers for food & drinks so you don’t have a lot of trash, c) if you see trash, pick it up and throw it away.  The beach is a great place for all of us to enjoy….let’s keep it that way!

I hope many of you will take a few hours out of your weekend and go down to the coast to help make our beaches a little more clean and green!  I’d love to hear your stories or see your pictures of your Coastal Cleanup Day adventures – I’ll post mine!   

Image from PortofLosAngeles.org

America’s Port, aka the Port of Los Angeles, is making headway on its quest to significantly lower emissions and improve air quality.  This is even despite it being one of the largest U.S. Harbors, handling more cargo and international shipments in just a few weeks than most North American harbors do in a whole year. 

Last year I wrote a blog titled “Nitrogen oxides coming to a port near you” about the volume of pollution being generated from ships coming in/out of ports like the Port of Los Angeles.  So, I figured it was about time to see what steps are being taken by the Port of L.A. to improve the environment around it:

• The Los Angeles Harbor Board just approved the first terminal lease under the San Pedro Bay Ports “Clean Air Action Plan”.  Not only will this bring more construction and regional jobs to the area, but it takes one of the most obsolete container terminals and turns it into a “state-of-the-art facility by which TraPac will be able to implement cutting edge environmental mitigation technologies.”    They are even building an energy-efficient administration building which will meet LEED “Gold” standards.  Per estimates, these upgrades alone will reduce NOx and SOx emissions by 62%.
• TraPac (the company doing the upgrades) will also become eligible to receive an additional $1.5 million.  These funds would be ear-marked towards technology that can capture harmful emissions from ships not retro-fitted to plug in to the shore-side electric power while they are in port.
• NOTE: Capturing harmful emissions from ships who aren’t or can’t afford to be retro-fitted to make use of the shore-side electric power while in port, is a key step.  But, ships and shipping companies can implement simple and immediate cost-effective technologies such as using fuel additives proven to lower emissions in both heavy fuel oil and marine diesel.  Every step taken to lower emissions helps.
• A ”Water Resources Action Plan” was just adopted.  It is designed improved water quality in the port…a much needed improvement.  The plan zeroes in on littering, sediment pollution and other potential contaminants.
• Since implementing their “Clean Trucks Program” in October 2008, The Port of Los Angeles reports that almost 60% of the over 177,000 cargo moves done in June 2009, were done by clean trucks that meet or exceed the EPA’s 2007 emission standards. 
• In Feb 2009, the port took possession of the first 25 heavy-duty all electric trucks from Balqon Corp.  Balqon Corp built these electric trucks exclusively for the port.  Each truck can haul a 60,000 lb. cargo container at speeds up to 40mph.  The battery has a range of 30-60 miles, so obviously they are designed for local hauling.  Each battery charger can fully charge 4 electric trucks within a 4 hour period, but can also provide up to 60% charge in just an hour for peak delivery times. 

Those are just some of the steps the Port of Los Angeles (and Port of Long Beach for the most part), have recently been taking towards lowering harmful emissions and improving air quality around the ports.  I don’t know about you, but it looks to me like they are serious about…..”The Port of Los Angeles - A cleaner port. A brighter future.”