Today I took a small step toward reducing my fuel consumption/demand by investing a recent windfall in one of the most energy-efficient forms of transportation known to man (
not a Prius) and using my new wheels to "convey" myself to work.
I have been thinking about doing this for a long time, probably since the gas-price spike after Katrina, and this weekend I finally took the plunge and bought a bicycle, and rode it to work for the first time today. I had my reservations, especially since I live along the 8-lane, 45 mph highway through the "infinite corridor" of suburban strip-mall sprawl known as Newport News, VA, and live about 4 miles away from my place of work on said highway, which is, to say the least, unfriendly to bicycles and pedestrians. However, on my first commute with my new vehicle, I discovered that it wasn't half as bad as I'd expected...
...Sidewalks line the road all the way from my residence to my workplace. These sidewalks are rarely frequented by pedestrians or cyclists as NN lacks a real public mass transit system and driving a car seems to be the only good way to get around. With the exception of a few busy street crossings, though, getting to work via bicycle was no more difficult than driving, and in a lot of ways, far more pleasant.
For starters, being outdoors and breathing fresh air, feeling the wind in my face, and getting some exercise were immediate benefits of having turned over this new leaf. And I haven't yet begun to calculate the gas savings or estimate the reduction in my personal environmental/geopolitical impact, which, while not much in the grand scheme of things, is better than nothing.
In summary, I'm seeing lots of benefits that I think will far outweigh the few drawbacks, like the fact that it takes me 25 minutes to get to work instead of 5-10 by car, and that if the weather is bad, I either have to suck it up and put on a poncho, or get back in the car.
The greatest benefit, though, is to finally feel like I am backing up my words with actions and becoming part of the solution.