Living Green in Seattle

I was watching the news tonight and heard that Seattle's Mayor, Greg Nickels, wants the city's fleet of taxis to "green up".  The mayor said the switch to 30-mpg vehicles will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, by 40 percent and will also dramatically reduce fuel costs. Seattle would be following in the footsteps of three other cities... San Francisco, New York and Vancouver, B.C.

This made me smile, as I am an advocate of the green movement.  I would love to see our city filled with fuel-efficient cars.  It just seems "So Seattle."  Not only is it the right thing to do, it is the "trendy" thing to do.  I am glad it is a trend.  It's gets people to understand their impact on the earth.  Something my mom raised me to be concerned with. 

I was browsing on AR last night and came acrossed a few non-believers, those who think it is just a propaganda movement to get consumer's to buy more.  I am talking about global-warming just being HYPE.  Sure, if that's want you want to believe.  Don't believe that the earth is warming but please at least believe that our existence on this planet has a very strong bearing.  There are not endless supplies of everything.  We do damage and take from the earth and if you take anything away from this whole green movement...It is simply asking people to walk a little lighter, use a little less, respect a little more.  It is a give and take slow dance.  It won't happen overnight but if everyone becomes a little more conscious, even in one area, such as: recycling, composting, eating organically, buying products with less packaging, using less toxic cleaning products, driving less (or good mpg), buying locally, using less water and energy, etc.  If you want to respect your own body, it means eating less genetically modified foods, MSG, preservatives, no hormones from meat and dairy and no sulfites (buy bacon and processed meats without), no artificial sugar, limit high frutose corn syrup,... I could go on and on but I am not trying to jam it down anybody's throats.  It is, however, something that gives me passion.  So if you let me go on and on...I will...and I do...believe me, I drive my family and friends nuts.

I learn a little bit everyday on how I can lighten my load on the earth.  I am not perfect by any means.  My car only gets 16 mpg.  I think it said 17-24 on the car sticker, but when I look at my computer's trip report,  it only say's I am getting 16.  I too, like the taxi drivers protesting the proposal agree buying cars with better gas mileage can be expensive.  But I think in the long run, it will really pay off.  I mean...look at gas prices!  I can only put premium in my car and I almost paid $4 a gallon the other day.  If a taxi's business is simply to get a person from one place to another and they are driving all day...then by all means... drive an efficient car.  If it simply isn't affordable and you taxi drivers will know that more than me, since it is your business, then hopefully Mayor Nickels will offer some sort of incentive or even work out a great deal if most taxi drivers would need to replace their fleet.  Maybe he can work a deal with a major auto company?  Where there is a will, there's a way.