Opinion | Michigan: Driving alone is killing the environment, and your wallet
I always try to find a better way to get to high school, whether that be picking up my friends or persuading them to pick me up so we can save gas or so we can avoid car repairs from driving on Michigan’s infamous roads. But not everyone thinks of those things when they want to travel to a destination. Carpooling would be beneficial to all who incorporate it in their daily lives, so why don’t we all do it often?
About 75 percent of Americans commute to work alone, according to a recent article in the Harvard Business Review. Many Americans care little about carpools or just don’t want to share a ride because of the extra work required to organize a system for them. If we all hate spending money on ever-rising gas prices and damages caused by our potholed state roads, then why wouldn’t we all collaborate with co-workers and friends and carpool more often to save money?
Well, most Americans — not just those in the Motor City or Vehicle City — are stubborn. Most also find it hard to change routines. Research from Harvard Business School supports this. The researchers “sent letters to 15,000 employees encouraging them to sign up to their workplace’s existing private carpooling system” and just fewer than 100 signed up after receiving the letters, showing that almost none of the 15,000 people surveyed were willing to change their commute. But once we can get over that initial hump of stubbornness and work on setting up a rotation with co-workers who live nearby, everyone who carpools will be saving money and wear-and-tear on their vehicles. Carpooling will not only need some planning — but some persuasion.
Once motorists start carpooling, they won’t just be doing themselves good, they also help the environment by reducing the carbon footprint automobiles produce. An extensive study on transportation by the International Energy Agency found that 24 percent of direct carbon dioxide emissions are from fuel combustion in vehicles. One way we can reduce it is by driving less, but a more practical move is to drive smarter by sharing rides. Most people, I assume, would like to improve our environment and save money. Logically, we could kill two birds with one stone.
Sure, carpooling with others can be annoying and stressful. But researchers found that commuters who had conversation with someone on the way to work reduced their stress. Sharing rides can be a great way to meet new people or to get to know others better.
Carpooling might be difficult at first, but once people start to talk to others who are interested and live nearby, it will be efficient. Sharing rides is a simple idea that can save money — and the environment of the planet we inhabit.
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