Yes, that's step your way to a smaller carbon footprint- unfortunately, not a smaller shoe size! A carbon footprint measures the impact of your activities (i.e. commuting, electric usage, ect) on the environment, specifically, the amount of emitted green house gases. Click here to calculate your footprint.
Last night I was relaxing while reading Fitness Magazine. To my delight, the issue contained many "green" articles about eating green, little ways to make an environmental difference, and how walking reduces your carbon footprint. Here are some interesting stats from Fitness on the difference walking makes in your health and the environment:
- About 15% of trips in the U.S. are shorter than 1 mile and more than half of those short trips are made by car! Drive only 10 less miles each week and you can help reduce pollution by more than 500 pounds a year.
- If Americans walked 30 minutes each day instead of driving, approximately 8.4 billion gallons of gasoline a year would be saved and carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced by 82 million tons.
- If you walk just 3 miles a day (less than the recommended 10,000 steps a day which equals 5 miles), you'll burn about 240 calories.
Something to think about the next time you reach for the car keys when you need to run a few quick errands... why not just walk and get in some exercise while doing something good for the environment?
On Monday, 3/17, I was travelling to my home in W. Springfield from dntn, south on 395, alone in my 2 passenger car at 5:00 PM. About 5 times a year I leave my office early and use 395 instead of my usual trek leaving after 6:30 PM and using the HOV lanes from DC.
I cut into HOV after Edsall and was ticketed for an HOV violation, ($125), at tne Old Keene Mill ramp.
I was told since 1/1/08 I no longler could use this stretch of HOV to go to W. Springfield.
Ignorance doesn't seem like a good defense but I wondered if anyone out there has gone to court to argue this ticket?
Thanks,
Steve
Posted by: Steve | March 20, 2008 at 10:37 AM