Traveling light for the planet and future generations


Weaning ourselves off America's near-total addiction to automobile travel for all trips is not a lifestyle choice, it's a necessity. Most people don't understand the gravity of the problem or lack the political will to act. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recently issued dark warnings in its Sixth Assessment Report about the direction the planet is heading.

“Almost half of the world’s population lives in regions that are highly vulnerable to climate change. In the last decade, deaths from floods, droughts and storms were 15 times higher in highly vulnerable regions,“  the authors wrote. “There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all.”

The above figure from the IPCC report shows how future generations will experience a quickly warming planet. That disparity between rich countries and poor will only increase as the climate deteriorates. If that is not compelling enough, think about the future of the younger members of your family. The tensions in the world will increase for everyone, even the wealthy. 

Transportation is the biggest source of greenhouse gas in El Cerrito. As reported in the City of El Cerrito 2021–2031 Housing Element Update, "AllTransit scores El Cerrito 8.5 out of 10 for its transit performance." That’s a good grade. Bravo for El Cerrito! In El Cerrito doing good for your descendants by traveling by other means than a personal car is not that hard. Take a bus or BART.  Or walk, ride a bicycle, ride Amtrak, or rent a GIG Car Share. — Steve Price

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