No, this column is not an ode to the 1987 movie. Having said that, if you haven't seen it, do so. But first, please read on. Deciding on the "best" form of travel is not easy. Some methods are better for your health, some better for your environment and some better for your wallet. So, what form of travel is really best? Clearly, this is a column relating to sustainability, so I will discuss transportation from the angle I know best.
Please note that all of my calculations for this article have been done using a carbon calculator and using a trip from Boston to New York City as an example. All calculations are in metric tons of carbon dioxide per person. These are the results I found.
Planes have the largest footprint by far. On a trip from Boston to New York City, they produce about .238 metric tons of carbon dioxide per person travelling. They were followed by cars, which produce .10 metric tons of carbon dioxide on a New York-Boston trip. Trains only produce .05 metric tons of carbon dioxide on this journey. The subway produces .03 metric tons and the bus .04 metric tons. Now, keep in mind that most people will not take a subway from Boston to New York City. In fact, if you have suddenly found a subway system that runs between these two cities, please do not ride on it. I am almost certain it is not legitimate.
Anyway, subways are a bit better then buses, so given the option on your commute around Boston, take the subway. For one trip, the difference is negligible, but for an entire year, the commute can add up. A one-mile trip to and from work on the subway every day for an entire year would save .03 metric tons of carbon dioxide per person, assuming the alternative is the bus.
Three-hundredths of a metric ton sounds like a small amount, so why does saving that much carbon dioxide matter? The average person produces 4.9 tons of Carbon dioxide a year. It is said that in order to stop the increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide, each person must reduce their footprint by half. In other words, each person should emit, at most, 2.45 tons per year. Unfortunately, in the United States in 2011, each person produced an average of 17.3 tons of carbon dioxide. Consider that.
According to the EPA, 27 percent of the United States' greenhouse gas emissions came from transportation in 2010. This means that using alternative forms of transportation is an effective way to reduce your environmental impact.
Obviously, the best thing people can do is walk, run or bike to get where they need to go. Replacing forms of transportation that require fossil fuels is a step in the right direction and the benefits to human health and individual finances are an added bonus. If you are comfortable biking, do so. If not, Tufts Bikes occasionally hosts rides to help you acclimate, and the Office of Sustainability has bike maps. They are coded with good routes to take, and they show where the bike racks are and where to borrow a bike.
Want to get from A to B the old fashioned way? I've taken to jogging to CVS or the grocery store if I need to pick up one or two items. It's easy, my conscience feels better and I'm healthier for it. It also gives me an excuse to take a break from writing papers, studying and reading articles to be outside and explore the world around me.
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Danielle Jenkins is a senior majoring in English and environmental studies. She can be reached at danielle.jenkins@tufts.edu.
