Twenty Ways to Curb Global Warming Locally

Anyone who thinks that global warming is not a problem with wide- ranging consequences, or that they cannot take steps to help reduce it on their own, needs to open their eyes.

In New England, 33 percent of the region's emissions of carbon dioxide, the leading global warming pollutant, are the result of transportation. Unless you walk everywhere, every day, this is something we all contribute to in one way or the next. What's worse is that our transportation emissions have been increasing for decades and will continue to rise if trends toward more vehicle travel and less fuel-efficient automobiles continue.

For New England's six states to follow through on their historic commitment to curb global warming, made in conjunction with the Eastern Provinces of Canada 2001, reducing pollution from transportation should be the top priority.

If we work together, and our state and local governments lead by example, there are many opportunities for the region (and the nation as a whole) to reduce pollution from transportation and diminish the impact of global warming. At the same time, we can reduce our overall oil consumption and insulate the economy from energy price shock. 

Below are 20 "bright ideas" laid out by Environment Maine, an environmental advocacy group. Many of these steps are already being implemented in New England or elsewhere, and all should be considered if we are to ward off an all-encompassing threat.

REDUCING PER-MILE EMISSIONS

1. Adopt a program that requires carbon dioxide tailpipe limits. 
States adopting a full "clean cars" program can expect to stabilize emissions of carbon dioxide from cars and light trucks within the next 20 years.

2. Create incentives for the purchase of fuel efficient vehicles. 
Right now there is simply no effective program in place. What we need is a program in which fees are assessed on gas-guzzlers and handed, in the form of cash rebates, to purchasers of fuel-efficient vehicles. This could curb global warming pollution from vehicles by 5-31 percent by 2020.

3. Make fuel-saving tires mandatory. Setting required energy efficiency rules for tires could help states achieve nearly 3 percent fuel economy reductions-at little cost and without compromising safety.

4. Regulate government and transit fleets. Hybrid-electric buses can curb global warming emissions by 10-15 percent over conventional buses.

ENCOURAGE MASS TRANSIT ALTERNATIVES

5. Invest in railroad infrastructure. The development of a long-term rail plan is vital to maintaining good air quality. This is pretty open-and-shut, as compared to car or air travel, passenger trains emit about 50 percent less pollution per mile per person.

6. Expand suburb-to-suburb transit options. By using smaller vehicles  and more flexible routes, agencies in states such as New Jersey have  managed to deliver effective service in hard-to-reach suburbs,  keeping more cars off the road and cutting down on emissions (not to  mention reducing traffic jams in the meantime).

7. Improve transit in small cities/towns. Local governments, as well as major private businesses, have to help rural, small-city agencies in New England extend their reach and bolster service. Otherwise, more and more people will continue to drive everywhere.

8. Invest in pedestrian and bicycling opportunities. With careful planning and infrastructure investments, cities around the Northeast and the U.S. as a whole can finally reverse the seemingly perpetual decline in non-motor transportation.

PROMOTE SMART, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

9. Shift urban development paradigms. State policies can encourage a lot of redevelopment of industrial and residential areas in cities, where global warming emissions from transportation are much lower, per capita, than in newer suburbs and subdivisions. Development should be pedestrian friendly, while incorporating mixed-use real estate. It should be accessible to mass transit, while providing opportunities for current and future residents to benefit from improvements to the community.

10. Encourage compact development. By revisiting zoning laws, many towns are returning to a more compact, traditional New England-style development that relies less on the automobile. By allowing people to complete more of their daily tasks via transit, bicycle or on their own two feet, even a little town or city can make a big difference in this quest.

11. The importance of transit-oriented development. Every community is planned by someone, and it's important to realize how important those plans can be down the line. Making sure those plans provide both residential and commercial opportunities near transit stations can enhance the benefits of transit and reduce overall vehicle travel -- and pollution.

12. Discourage sprawl. That's easier said than done, but the prevailing wisdom among sprawl opponents is to make it pay its own way. In Maryland and elsewhere, local governments are taking away all public subsidies for sprawling development. Withdrawing government funds therefore encourages sustainable use of land and resources, making developers think twice.

CARPOOL, PLEASE!

13. Create or expand commute-trip reduction initiatives. If employer- based programs to discourage single-passenger commuting were more effective and widely used, the region could see its rush-hour automobile trips cut by as much as 20 percent. Again, that means less time spent in the car, as well as fewer noxious gasses sent into the sky.

14. Get people to live close to work or the train/bus. Long commutes in the car are responsible for a tremendous share of global warming emissions, so public and private agencies should encourage people to live closer to work or a public transit system. Reducing the need for long trips to and from work adds up when you talk about many thousands of people.

REALLOCATION OF DRIVING COSTS

15. Auto insurance by the mile. If premiums for automobile insurance were shifted to a system calculated by the mile, excessive driving would almost certainly be discouraged. Not only would global warming pollution be dealt a serious blow, but accidents would likely decline as well. Other reforms could assign greater risk premium to heavier, less efficient SUVs.

16. Fairly allocate parking costs. Many employers provide free parking to employees, while many towns require ample parking for businesses. Yet few subsidize transit or provide equal benefits to pedestrians or bike riders. Leveling the field for transportation alternatives could help eliminate these subsidies for driving, encouraging people to consider other options.

17. Eliminate other driving subsidies. From government highway maintenance expenditures to fuel subsidies, taxpayers often bear the brunt of excessive driving, even if they don't know it. Making individuals pay the full cost of driving would encourage cleaner, less-expensive alternatives.

PLANNING AND FINANCE REFORM

18. Consider least-cost planning. If communities demand reduction in the greenhouse gasses that cause pollution, transit alternatives are often cheaper (in addition to being less polluting) than building new highways. Planning that incorporates the social costs of driving and the long-term benefits of stable transit infrastructure could do much to reduce global warming emissions and the cost of transportation overall.

19. Consider global warming in transportation planning. New plans simply do not fully factor in the impact of new highways and other projects on the climate. Any future transportation project should keep this in mind-and make it a priority.

20. Fund transit and other alternatives at higher levels. States have not taken advantage of the ability to use federal funds for cleaner options, and several lack any stable source of transit funding. By prioritizing a funding plan for transit and other options, the region and country can get badly needed projects off the ground, as well as maintain high levels of service and reasonable fares for citizens.