For my next experiment, I'm going to live without a car. I know some people already are doing this, e.g. No Impact Man, however, doing this in Manhattan is easy. I live in Cincinnati, a sprawling Midwestern city with limited bus service & no subway.
I've been trying to do my bits to save the Earth for human beings for some time now. I reduce and reuse; buy secondhand clothing; try to eat local, organic, and lower on the food chain; minimize trash; keep thermostats low in winter; use energy-efficient lights; etc. I've simplified and simplified further.
One of the biggest components to my carbon footprint now is car use. During my lifetime (I'm 56) Americans have moved from 1 car per family to 2 to more. I want to investigate reversing this trend. My goal is to stop using my personal car September 1, 2010. I'm going to go cold-turkey. This doesn't mean I'll never use a car. I can borrow my parents or rent, though my idea is to minimize this as well. I'll blog about my experiences.
Note: Cincinnatians look puzzled when I tell them the name of this blog. This is why. The Cincinnati SMSA (Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area) includes 3 counties in Ohio, 3 counties in Kentucky, and 2 counties in Indiana. The Ohio River runs through and it's a series of fairly steep hills on all sides of the River. If I'm talking to someone who's not from this area I say I'm from Cincinnati because people know vaguely where it is and because for many purposes it's all one city. However, it is a city of multiple states and multiple political entities so almost everyone who lives in Cincinnati identifies themselves by their local neighborhood or local political entity. For Cincinnatians, I live in Fort Thomas, Campbell County, Kentucky.
Ah, thanks for the clarification. I was carless for 4 1/2 years in the city while I was in college, but I'm sure the experience is much different in Fort Mitchell than it was when you live on or near campus. I'm rather looking forward to your blog!
ReplyDeleteMiss Mielle
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! I did without a car in college as well. I lived on or near campus and this was in DC where public transportation is pretty good (even better now with their subway!) and parking a car is a pain. Then, I got a car when I was 24-25ish and have had one every since. I'm now 56 so it's been a long time. So, it's a new experience for me to try to go without a car. I expect Columbus is not easy to get around without a car either.
April