Mile-for-mile, personal vehicles emit a lot of harmful pollutants into the air we breathe. The California Air Resources Board reports the transportation sector (including commuting) is the single largest source of carbon emissions contributing to climate change in the state. Ahead of Earth Day, here's why you should ditch the car for climate-friendly transportation.
Every Trip Counts
An average car emits about five tons of CO2 — a primary greenhouse gas (GHG) — each year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
As stressed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, human activities drive increases in GHG concentrations, causing shifts in temperatures and weather patterns, leading to effects like more frequent and intense droughts, storms, and heat waves.
Exhaust emissions are also linked to health problems such as asthma, lung cancer, and heart disease.
Instead of pumping pollution into the atmosphere, consider the sustainable way.
Going Green
Becoming climate-aware and taking climate action with commuting starts by getting out from behind the wheel.
Walking is the best option, with a carbon footprint of zero!
As two-wheels go, research from the University of Oxford shows choosing a bike over a car just once a day can reduce the average person’s transportation-related emissions by 67%.
Pollution doesn't just come in gas form. It materializes from loud vehicles too. Replace a car with a quiet bike, and you also cut back on noise pollution.
Public transportation is estimated to reduce noxious CO2 emissions by 37 million metric tons annually, according to the American Public Transportation Association.
An average bus fits around 40 people and can take several single-passenger cars off the road — cutting back on damaging fumes and particles and improving air quality.
Additionally LA Metro, Santa Monica Big Blue Bus, Culver CityBus, and UCLA's BruinBus have all-electric buses in their fleet, producing zero emissions.
Besides fighting climate change, green transportation has other positive impacts. Sustainable options reduce traffic congestion, save six billion gallons of gas annually, help households save thousands of dollars yearly, and offer physical and mental health benefits!
LA Metro is ready to help you go green by offering free rides on their entire bus, rail, and bike share and Metro Micro rideshare system on Saturday, April 22, in honor of Earth Day. Metrolink is also offering free rides this Saturday. See you on board for a more eco-friendly commute, Bruins!
