SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AS WORSHIP

SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL AS WORSHIP

Traveling sustainably can be an act of worship, and can inspire others to travel sustainably as well. Although transportation may not seem like a spiritual issue, walking, biking, carpooling or riding transit is a way to honor Creation by promoting our health, quality of life and social justice while also being good to the pocketbook and to the environment. In places where the only reasonable travel mode is the automobile, it is still possible to travel more sustainably than driving alone by sharing a ride with someone else.

The health benefits of walking or biking are far-reaching: reduced risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic diseases; lower health care costs; and improved quality of life for people of all ages. There are intangible benefits as well: in cities and towns where people can regularly be seen out walking or biking, there is a sense that these are safe and friendly places to live and visit.

Sustainable travel is economical as cars are expensive and can consume a large portion of a household budget. According to 2004 data from AAA estimates and US Census surveys, ownership of one motor vehicle accounts for more than 18 percent of a typical household's income whereas the cost of using transit can be a fraction of that, operating a bicycle for a year may be $120 (League of American Bicyclists) and walking is free. The cost of ride sharing varies but is almost always quite a bit less than driving alone. So when safe facilities are provided for sustainable modes of travel, people can spend less on transportation and have more money for other things.

Relying less on automobiles saves communities money too by reducing the demand to build and maintain new roads and parking structures while providing good local jobs and supporting the local economy. Since walking, biking, carpooling or using public transportation requires significantly less space per traveler than single occupancy vehicles (SOVs), such use helps reduce roadway congestion. Many business leaders in metropolitan areas now realize that it makes good economic sense to be accessible to walking, biking or public transit as well as by driving.

Sustainable travel is good for the environment. Motor vehicles create a substantial amount of air pollution and many metropolitan areas do not meet the air quality standards specified in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. Also of great importance is the tremendous contribution that cars and light trucks make to global warming (almost 30 percent of all greenhouse gasses). If one person switched his or her daily driving to a more sustainable travel mode, the household carbon footprint could decrease by 10 percent, or 4,800 pounds in a year. Road construction can also reduce and alter wildlife habitat.

Sustainable travel supports social justice. Perhaps the most important factor is choice. When providing bicycle, pedestrian and transit facilities as well as roads, communities allow people to choose how they want to travel. Otherwise, people are forced to travel by car or engage in unsafe behavior. For those who do not have the option to drive or for whom owning a car involves unfair sacrifice, this lack of choice creates an unnecessary, inconvenient and socially unjust barrier.

Worship Creation, guard your health, enhance your community's quality of life, be good to your and the community's budget, care for the environment and promote social justice. Travel lightly on the Earth. When you travel, consider walking, biking, car pooling or riding transit. You could be inspiring others to as well.