Greenversations

About the author: Viccy Salazar joined EPA in 1995. She works in our Seattle office on waste reduction, resource conservation and stewardship issues.

It is summer. I want to take my family on vacation but given all the focus on climate change, I am very concerned about how my travel plans might impact the environment. So, I sit down with my family and ask them – what do you want to do on vacation and how can me make it “green”? Of course, the first question was – what is a green vacation? Here is the list we came up with:

• It is fun and we can all be together
• Minimizes traveling
• Car is better than airplane
• Biking or Walking is better than car
• Can cook for ourselves using fresh ingredients
• Doesn’t damage existing natural resources
• Can stay in either a tent, a friends house or one room together
• Measure our carbon emissions and offset them

My kids wanted to know if this ruled out Disneyland. Not completely but it did make it harder to go. We would have to make choices about how we would get there, where we would stay, what we would buy while we were there and how we could offset our emissions.

Other trips we considered were camping at a lake, a train trip across Canada, the beach and a staycation – staying home and touring our own city, Seattle. Eventually, we decided to do a combination of camping, the beach and a staycation. When the kids looked at both the environmental and financial costs of all of the choices, they realized that they were getting more vacation for their resources if they stayed closer to home and chose less high profile activities. We decided to use some of the resources on EPA’s website to figure out exactly how much impact our vacations did have – tracking mileage, evaluating hotel stays, and figuring out how much we can recycle.

When I look back on the conversation, I realize that I learned lessons too. 1) being green means making substantially different choices – not just figuring out how to do the same thing using less, 2) my kids care about the environment and see it directly affecting their future and 3) it can be done but it isn’t easy. We are off on our vacations and staycations next week. I’m looking forward to it. I hope you are all having both a fun and green summer too. I’d love to hear how you are making your vacation green.

The Sierra Club has a more detailed comparison of cars vs. planes.

About the author: Dominic Bridgers joined EPA’s Office of Public Affairs as a summer intern.

I believe a lot of people are changing their driving habits. I have done so myself. Usually, I tend to make one big trip. During the week I only drive from my house to the Metro in order for my commute to work. On the weekends I take my car for a spin once or try to carpool with my friends wherever we go.

I read some typical responses from the June 30th Question of the Week: “What would convince you to change your driving habits?” Almost half of you said if there was better access to public transportation you would dump the car and hop on a bus. Then, a quarter of you said you would change your driving habits based on the high gas prices we are facing, and another bunch said if their schedule was more flexible then you would change your driving ways. The rest suggested other things that would change their driving habits, like saving money, being able to work at home, and if it was easier to bike safely.

Thanks for your time in responding to “What would convince you to change your driving habits?”

About the author: Dominic Bridgers joined EPA’s Office of Public Affairs as a summer intern.

I have a Toyota Solara, it was given to me as a Christmas present a few years ago. I love my car because it is comfortable and it is gas efficient, rounding off at about 30 mpg. I believe those should be the main reasons for buying a car these days.

Going through and collecting the stats from the June 16th Question of the Week, “What do you drive, and why?” I came up with the following. Most of the bloggers drive a midsize/sedan type of vehicle, almost half of the people that responded drive either SUVs and trucks, and a handful of people like to throw on their leather jackets and let the wind hit their face when they jump on their motorcycles, a very fuel efficient vehicle!

Most of the bloggers responded that they drive what they drive because it is gas efficient. While some people said their vehicles suit there personnel needs, such as picking up the kids or loading luggage. I was surprised to see that a handful of bloggers said they picked their vehicle because they don’t have to spend as much on maintenance, while others chose their vehicle because it is comfortable and it is what they can afford.

Thanks for your time in responding to “What do you drive, and why?” and remember to buckle up!

Each week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.

Several commenters on a previous question mentioned “hypermiling,” which refers to techniques some drivers use to try to increase their gas mileage. Techniques range from simple to complex, from things EPA recommends to the controversial.

Have you tried hypermiling and what’s been your experience?

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En español: Cada semana hacemos una pregunta relacionada al medio ambiente. Por favor comparta con nosotros sus pensamientos y comentarios. Siéntase en libertad de responder a comentarios anteriores o plantear nuevas ideas. Preguntas previas.

En respuesta a una pregunta anterior, algunos comentaristas mencionaron que practicaban el “hypermiling”, el cual se refiere a técnicas que varios conductores utilizan para tratar de aumentar el millaje de la gasolina. Las técnicas varían desde las simples a las complejas, así como las cosas que EPA recomienda hasta las controversiales.

¿Ha tratado de hacer el “hypermiling” y cuál ha sido su experiencia?

About the author: Dominic Bridgers joined EPA’s Office of Public Affairs as a summer intern.

I live in the DC Metropolitan area and I commute to EPA - first I drive to the nearest metro station which is about a 6 mile drive. Then I take the train to work which is about a 30 minute ride. From my house to the headquarters of EPA it is about a 24 mile drive one way. But then I would run into the DC rush hour traffic which is not a pleasurable morning ride. So therefore, I take the train which is less stressful and saves me some money on gas so I can play on the weekends. I play within a 10 mile radius from my house. I’m lucky that all the things that I enjoy doing are so close to my house because if not, I would be filling up the tank every other day.

I have read the responses to the June 2nd question of the week, “How far do you live from where you work or play?” and here is a summary. Most of you said you live within 24 miles of where you work or play. A little less than half of you said you are about 25-49 miles away. And about a dozen said you live 50-75 miles away and a handful live 75 miles or more. Wow, have you ever thought about moving closer? Thanks for your time in posting how far your commute is from where you work or play.

Each week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.

Driving less, carpooling, and combining errands all mean less pollution. And with fuel prices rising, people are driving less, or driving smarter when they can. But many find it very difficult to drive less because of where they live or what they do.

What would convince you to change your driving habits?

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En español: Cada semana hacemos una pregunta relacionada al medio ambiente. Por favor comparta con nosotros sus pensamientos y comentarios. Siéntase en libertad de responder a comentarios anteriores o plantear nuevas ideas. Preguntas previas.

Actividades como el guiar menos, hacer carpool y combinar mandados todas contribuyen a reducir la contaminación. Mientras los precios del combustible están en alza, las personas están conduciendo menos y lo están haciendo de manera más inteligente siempre que pueden. Sin embargo, a veces se les dificulta guiar menos debido al lugar donde viven o por lo que hacen.

¿Qué le convencería para cambiar sus hábitos de guiar?

About the author: Lina Younes has been working for EPA since 2002 and chairs EPA’s Multilingual Communications Task Force. Prior to joining EPA, she was the Washington bureau chief for two Puerto Rican newspapers and she has worked for several government agencies.

Lea la versión en español a continuación de esta entrada en inglés.
Some links exit EPA or have Spanish content.

At home, we will soon be looking into buying a new car for our eldest daughter. Her present car needs a replacement. Given the rising gas prices and the long distances she has to drive, we’re definitely looking at cars that get excellent mileage. The good thing is she’s over the stage of purchasing a vehicle just for its looks or because it’s the coolest car on the block. That makes it much easier on us. Nonetheless, we have to study our options carefully in order to spend our money wisely while ensuring fuel efficiency.

Personally, I would love to buy a hybrid. Wish all our cars at home were hybrids, but I don’t think that’s going to happen right now. As a mother, I’m looking at two main concerns. First, how safe is the vehicle. Second, the mileage. There are some good resources on the Web to help us make the right choice. For example, the site www.safercar.gov gives you extensive information on crash test and rollover ratings. You can even compare the different vehicles by class, year, make and model. Now for mileage, we have www.fueleconomy.gov and EPA’s Green Vehicle Guide where you can also explore green options for the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicle that meets your needs.

We’re starting to narrow our options. I think we’ll be able to find a car that will be good for the environment and our family budget. My daughter also wants a fuel efficient car because she needs to save money on gas. So far, she’s been flexible during these family negotiations. There is only one non-negotiable requirement on her part: it has to have a good sound system.

We can live with that.

Al comprar un auto nuevo

Sobre la autor: Lina M. F. Younes ha trabajado en la EPA desde el 2002 y está a cargo del Grupo de Trabajo sobre Comunicaciones Multilingües. Como periodista, dirigió la oficina en Washington de dos periódicos puertorriqueños y ha laborado en varias agencias gubernamentales.

En casa, estamos considerando comprar un nuevo automóvil para mi hija mayor. Su carro pronto no dará para más. Dado los precios de petróleo que siguen subiendo y las largas distancias que ella tiene que recorrer, definitivamente estamos interesados en los automóviles que tengan un millaje excelente. Lo bueno es que ya ella ha pasado la etapa de interesarse en la compra de un vehículo simplemente por la apariencia exterior o porque es el último grito de la moda. Eso nos facilita el proceso enormemente. No obstante, estamos estudiando varias opciones para usar el dinero prudentemente mientras aseguramos la eficiencia del combustible.

Personalmente, a mí me encantaría tener un auto híbrido. Quisiera que todos los vehículos en casa fueran así. Obviamente eso no va a ocurrir por ahora. Como madre, tengo dos preocupaciones importantes. Primero, cuán seguro es el vehículo. Segundo, el millaje. Hay buenos recursos cibernéticos que nos ayudarán hacer la selección correcta. Por ejemplo, el sitio www.safecar.gov brinda extensa información sobre las pruebas de choques y probabilidades de volcarse que tiene el vehículo. También puede comparar los diferentes vehículos por clase, año, fabricante, modelo. En cuanto al millaje, tenemos www.fueleconomy.gov y la Guía de Vehículos Verdes de EPA donde también puede explorar opciones verdes para los vehículos más limpios y eficientes energéticamente hablando para cumplir con sus necesidades.

Ahora estamos identificando cuáles son nuestras verdaderas opciones para hacer una selección. Creo que podremos encontrar un automóvil que sea bueno para el medio ambiente y el presupuesto familiar. Mi hija también quiere un auto eficiente porque no quiere gastar tanto dinero para la gasolina. En fin, ha sido bastante flexible durante estas negociaciones familiares. Su única exigencia no-negociable es que el auto tenga un buen sistema de sonido.

Creo que eso es totalmente aceptable.