Now that we have begun a new year, it’s time to reflect on what we need to change and resolve to follow through on our intentions.  Many of us will try to do one or more of the following:

• Get out of debt
• Exercise
• Eat better
• Spend more time with family
• Get organized
• Learn something new

If you smoke or drink, quitting may be on top of your list.  If you do not look out for your own health, then who will?  There are many things that are under our own control and it is up to us to try and do our best every day.

Now what about the health of our planet?  Aren’t we all responsible for leaving a better future for our children and grand children?  So in addition to any personal New Years Resolutions you may have made, how about adding a few public resolutions?

• Reduce waste
• Conserve our resources
• Help others

Pay4Rides is an opportunity to help you meet both your own goals and those of society.  Organized paid ride sharing would improve our environment (cut greenhouse gases, slow climate change, conserve energy), bolster the economy (save/earn money, reduce foreign imports, lower gas prices) and reduce traffic (save time, get more things done, ease burden on troubled roads).  Join me in resolving to make a difference this year!

Please share your personal and public goals for 2009 in the comments.

photo credit: debaird™

Here is a very thought provoking story, “What if Climate Change is Not an Energy Problem?”.  Alex’s basic premise is that while burning fossil fuels greatly contributes to greenhouse gases, our consumption habits can have an even greater impact.  So just switching to alternative energy without increasing conservation will have much less of an impact on the environment

He raises three important considerations

1. Whether we use the energy we create
2. How we use it
3. How we live

The first point describes the waste in many of our current energy systems.  Not all energy that is generated is consumed; much of it is lost in the process and distribution.  The second point addresses how our current inefficiencies are wasting large amounts of energy.  Point three goes to the heart of the problem with over consumption.  We can all have an immediate impact by just increasing our conservation efforts.

I strongly agree with the basic premise of this article and applaud Alex for presenting this idea.  Regarding suburban sprawl, I don’t think we can undo our current housing situation.  Smart construction and compact communities are great for some, but not for all.  I live in a quiet neighborhood and consider our suburban setting a wonderful enviroment for raising children.

Pay4Rides would directly address 2 of the 3 major points in this article.  It is up to the energy producers to gain more efficiency in their production process, but we can help elsewhere.  How we use energy could be greatly improved by tapping into unused passenger capacity with many of today’s single occupancy drivers.  How we live could be enhanced by people working together to better utilize our existing resources.  As we go into the New Year and people start diets, remember that it is always easier to just eat less than it is to burn extra calories.  The same could be said for energy, consume less and conserve more.  The choice is yours.

photo credit: woodleywonderworks

I recently stumbled onto this story in Time of a brave individual named David Chameides.  He has spent this entire year attempting to not throw anything “away”.  While the average American generates about 1,700 lbs. of trash annually, Dave has saved all of his garbage.

It sounds crazy at first, but he has learned a lot this past year and is sharing his experience for all of our benefit.  After reading his story, most people will be compelled to examine their own trash habits.  Many of us are already moving away from plastic water bottles.  He also makes an excellent case for a reusable coffee mug since Starbucks went through 52 billion disposable cups last year.  That is a lot of preventable waste.

So what is he doing with his trash?  He composts any food leftovers and has been keeping all of his garbage and recycling in his basement.  As the year has progressed, he has gotten smarter about his waste and continually reduced the amount of trash he generates.  If everyone could just do some of his things he recommends, it could have a tremendous impact.

I find a story like this quite inspiring as I continue to find my own voice with Pay4Rides.  It is extremely costly to wait for government to come up with some big change that attempts to solve a problem like trash or traffic.  I believe it is better for millions of people to each start making small changes that will result in a big difference.  Do you want to remain part of the problem or become a piece in many solutions?

photo credit: <>

Over the next two weeks, the UN Climate Summit is taking place in Poznan, Poland.  The nations of the world are meeting to discuss how to prevent dangerous climate change.  This is an opportunity to push forward on the first draft of a new global agreement to address global warming.  The draft will then be debated and worked over the following 12 months before coming up for review at next years’ conference.

On the web site ItsGettingHotInHere.org, they list Five Things to Watch in Poznan.  In the post, they run down of some of the key issues and players at the climate summit.

In a Wall Street Journal blog they discuss how the current recession of the global economy is a major problem.  Due to the current economic woes, rich countries are not in a strong position to commit to specific targets for greenhouse-gas reductions.

I think this summit is a great opportunity for the world’s nations to discuss this important issue, but what about action?  Passenger Energy is an incredible opportunity to tap unused energy and reduce our carbon output.

photo credit: greenpeace.italia

On Tuesday, California hosted the Governors’ Global Climate Summit.  Attendees from Europe, Asia, South and North America met to share ideas on how to combat climate change.  They discussed strategies to cut greenhouse emissions and ways to get their national governments to join the effort.

According to the press release:

“The Governors’ Summit brings together U.S. and international leaders to develop cooperative partnerships and promote collaborative actions needed to combat climate change.”

This is great to have a meeting to find ways to combat climate change.  The leaders in attendance said the problems that global warming present to the world are too big not to do everything possible to address it.  I believe that Pay4Rides is not only possible, but could be easily implemented with support from our leaders.

photo credit: kevindooley

Do you ever get that helpless feeling and think to yourself, what can I do to help?  Live Earth gives many suggestions on how we can all help reduce our carbon footprint.  Here are a few:

• Switching to fluorescent light bulbs
• Planting tress in our yard
• Turn off our computers when not in use
• Recycle
• Go solar

These are all wonderful suggestions and everyone should try their best to follow these guidelines.  Unfortunately, it just does not seem like enough and it can be hard to get excited about small savings.  Pay4Rides is everyone’s chance to make a big difference, every day.

What if we could reduce daily gas consumption by 25%?  Without spending any money?  Too good to be true?  Maybe not …

All it would take is a trust in our fellow US citizens.  We trust taxi drivers, why not a stranger?

* These savings are based on just 1 in 4 sharing a ride instead of driving themselves.

photo credit: azrainman

photo credit: awezmaz

“When people lack deep heart, purpose and meaning on the inside they try to compensate for it with other things.  Get another relationship, a higher paying job, bigger house, a fancier SUV, a bigger boat.  Bigger and more is better – or so the saying goes.” ~ Mike Seymour

Explore the motivation to improve our quality of life and to help others, not to mention future generations.  We can all feel good about volunteering and helping out by doing our share.

A friend recently sent me a link for an Inspirational Speech by Dr. Randy Pausch.  If you have not already seen this, please take a few minutes and then share with the people who are important in your life.

Appreciate this wonderful planet

Earth Day is an observance intended to inspire awareness of and appreciation of the Earth’s environment.    An estimated billion people attended activities for Earth Day 2008 in thousands of places all across the globe.

We need to make every day Earth Day.

photo credit: mysi with the ears

Is the planet heating up?

Global Warming is a hotly debated topic.  Some believe that the planet is truly heating up and we are headed for a climate catastrophe.  They blame everything from raging wildfires, megadroughts and widespread flooding on temperature change.  Others say that the planet has always experienced fluctuations in temperature and we are just going through a cycle.  Either way, everyone agrees that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a good thing.

Passenger Energy could significantly reduce the current level of emissions and result in a more stable climate.

photo credit: openDemocracy

Let’s leave a better planet for our children.

Everywhere we go today, we hear about going green.  Motor vehicles are one of the largest sources of air pollution and contribute to unhealthy air.  Every time we drive a vehicle, fly in a plane, or use electricity at home we emit carbon dioxide into the air.  Every gallon of gasoline a car burns emits 20 pounds of carbon dioxide.

Carbon offsetting is the act of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.  To compensate for greenhouse gas emissions from personal travel, you can purchase offsets.  Common offset methods include tree planting, investments in renewable energy and support for conservation.

Pay4Rides could use a similar concept allow people who share rides to earn credits.

photo credit: *PaysImaginaire*