From time to time, Cathy will post a new issue of Earth & Us to share her recent experiences and insights.

Previous issues may be found here.

Earth & Us - VI

FOSSIL FUEL ADDICTION

I used to think that I was cool
Drivin' around on fossil fuel
Till I found out that what I was doin'
Was drivin' down the road to ruin.
-James Taylor

Yes, I'm starting a Recovery from Fossil Fuel Addiction group! The first meeting will be held at the Claremont Branch, Berkeley Public Library (on Benvenue near Ashby Ave.) on May 30, at 7 PM. Come one, come all! I guess you could say I've "hit bottom." Just knowing that wars are being fought and people are dying in order for me to put gas into the tank was too much for me. How could I say I am for peace? Fossil fuels are the number one cause of global warming, not to mention pollution of water, air, and earth. I know I've been in denial about this deadly addiction for years. But now I've taken the first step.

Since February 17, when I donated my polluting old 1990 Toyota to charity, I've been living car-free. I did sign up for Berkeley's new City CarShare program (www.citycarshare.org) right at about the same time, for a sense of security, but in truth I haven't used their cars yet. In case you're curious, to join one pays a returnable deposit of $300 plus $10 per month membership fees. After that, it's $3.50 per hour, to a maximum of $35 for 24 hours (in other words, if you keep it more than ten hours, the next fourteen hours are free). Also, you pay 35 cents a mile, but gas is free; charge it on their credit card. City CarShare is in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco. An ideal way to do a bunch of errands, or take short trips that are inconvenient (or impossible) by public transit. Very convenient for me, they have cars in downtown Berkeley's Gaia Building.

A few thoughts on car-free living:

- Much of the inspiration for letting go of my car came from a book called Divorce Your Car by Katie Alvord. She does a great job of documenting the overt and hidden costs (both personal and environmental) of driving, and has many helpful ideas.

- Check this out: the average person spends $3,000 a year for all the costs of driving a car (not a new one). For a new car, figure around $7050 a year for four years. That's about $135 a week! Insurance costs an average of $870/year, registration and license $200/year. Yet the true costs of cars are hidden due to tax subsidies for road construction and maintenance, fuel production and clean-up, pollution costs, and of course the costs of injuries. If we were to add these "external" costs, the true cost of driving would add up to about $15,000 per year per car, and more if it's a new SUV. (These figures do not even include the costs of fighting wars to secure oil.) The Sierra Club estimates that if not subsidized, the real cost of gasoline would be $14 a gallon!

- We all know about air pollution: nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, volatile organic compounds, particulates, CFCs, and CO2. Then there are oil tanker spills, road salt, MTBE, and used motor oil to foul the water and groundwater.

- Worldwide, traffic accidents kill an estimated 500,000 people a year, and countless other species die due to automobiles and roads.

On a more personal note:

- First, a heartfelt thanks to all the people who have given me rides and carpooled with me to everything from Sausal Creek restoration work, to parties, to a Mt. Diablo wildflowers hike. Without their cars, my life would have been more complicated by far! And I probably would have stayed at home much more. I'm finding that most people are genuinely glad to carpool rather than drive solo. They feel more ecologically responsible, so it's a win-win (and of course I pay the bridge toll or contribute gas money).

- My legs are getting stronger! One day I made six bike trips for a total of 100 minutes on the bike, although none of it was really strenuous. Never have I had so much regular exercise built into my daily life. It makes me laugh to think of all the people on stationary bikes in the gyms!

- At last! No more frustrating waits for a parking place at the Berkeley Bowl Market! I park my bike, bring in my removable sturdy bag with hooks that attach to the rear rack, and stuff a week's worth of groceries into it and my daypack.

- I bought rain pants, but only used them one time so far; I've gotten caught on my bike in a light shower once or twice. (OK, I admit it, I walked to BART a couple of times with my umbrella, rather than ride in the rain.)

- I'm "stacking chores" much more now, so that I do several things in one general neighborhood.

- Riding on BART and buses, I am catching up on my reading. I love the secure "bike valet parking" at downtown Berkeley BART.

- I'm finding that some trips just don't feel worthwhile, so I'm finally slowing down and simplifying-- things I once just gave lip service to.

I invite all of you to investigate increasing your bicycle and public transit use. You'll be surprised at how good it feels.

Of special interest:

Cathy Holt
The Circle of Healing: Deepening Our Connections with Self, Others, and Nature
Talking Birds Press.

To order: (800) 404-9492

Peace with all our relations