There were two stories in Time Magazine that caught my attention last week.  One is about living longer and the other is about dying, but they have one key thing in common: reducing our air pollution.

In the first story, “Want to Live Longer? Cut the Pollution”, they cite a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.  The study details increased life spans for people who live in areas where pollution has been curbed.  Now this should not come as a surprise to anyone, but it is reassuring to see statistics to back it up.

In the second story, “Study: U.S. Trees Dying at Alarming Rate”, they look at the findings of a thirty-year study published in the journal Science.  The study finds that the death rate of trees in the western U.S. has more than doubled in the last few decades.  These are trees of all sizes and types in healthy, well-established forests.

We have already lost millions of tress to beetle infestations, but these are apparently healthy trees without evidence of infestation that have been weakened by global warming.  The real irony is that trees soak up large quantities of carbon dioxide and are critically important in slowing climate change.  So these trees will not be around to help clean the air and their dying actually releases carbon dioxide back into the air as a kind of global warming double whammy.

As temperatures slowly rise, this problem will worsen since the summer season will be longer which causes trees to be stressed and vulnerable to drought conditions.  More trees dying will have a direct effect on our air quality and ultimately our own longevity.

Aggressively reducing our auto emissions is a huge step in slowing the current rate of climate change.  Pay4Rides would help trees live longer, which improves the health of the planet and the air we breathe.  Now aren’t those a couple of great reasons to share rides?

photo credit: *PaysImaginaire*

In the winter, many parents will drive their kids to and from the bus stop every day.  Then they idle their car or van waiting for the bus while they waste precious gas and generate excess exhaust.  Most times, you see several neighbors on the same street, each with their own vehicle idling.

This may seem like a small issue and it is, for just one vehicle.  Now consider all the parents across the country and how many vehicles are idling every single day.  Yes, this is a significant waste of money and resources.

So does a vehicle idling really burn that much fuel?  Studies have shown that an average car will consume one gallon of gas for each hour of idling and those costs can quickly add up.  You should turn off your engine if you’re going to be stopped for more than 30 seconds, except in traffic.  This is just another compelling reason to reduce traffic.

We should also reduce idling is to prolong the life of your car.  Idling can cause damage to your vehicle’s engine since it is not working at its peak temperature.  This can result in incomplete fuel combustion which leads to several engine problems and potential damage to your exhaust due to water condensation.

Finally, idling is a health issue.  Vehicle emissions are known to cause significant respiratory health effects.  Children can suffer with asthma and the elderly struggle with emphysema and chronic bronchitis.  Any reduction in exhaust fumes would improve respiratory health since the air would be cleaner.

We can not idly sit back and wait for someone else to fix our problems.  Each of us needs to make small contributions every day to have a big impact.  What will your contribution be?

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…