Go Green, Save Your Green.
That was the slogan in our corporate newsletter this week. It seems everyone at my work is trying to become more "Green". And as a result every week there is an article from someone preaching the gospel of green. This weeks installment had to do with making your commute more green. It gave suggestions such as Carpooling, riding the bus (that doesn't come within one mile of our work), or, the best option, riding a bike. Several years ago, when I considered myself to be somewhat of an environmentalist, if someone would have asked me why I bike everywhere, I would have been quick to explain how I was saving the environment or saving money. But, seeing how I now longer consider myself to be an *idiot, I cringe whenever someone suggest that the reason I am biking is to become more green.
I realize there are possibly a few people out there (apparently more than a few at my work) who still consider themselves to be mentalist, so I will explain why biking to work is not the best way to make the world green.
Today it took me approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes to ride to and from work. Covering a total of 26.5 miles, which by happenstance is the same amount of miles my car gets to the gallon. Earlier today I heard the average gas price was $3.50. So by biking today I saved $3.50. What it cost me was 1 hour 54 minutes (it takes me 12 minutes to drive to work, and 24 minutes to get back). It also cost me a sore bum, having to be yelled at by passing drivers (they must have forgotten to read my blog last week), and narrowly avoiding being hit twice. Actually my story here is somewhat normal, the average commute is 15 miles and 26 minutes (slightly more than mine).
I work at an engineering company where the average salary is around $70,000. Which translates to approximately $35 an hour, so that 2 hour ride is costing an employee $70. If an employee is really serious about making the world more green he would drive to work (saving $70) and buy a tree, the next day he drives he could use the 2 hours to plant the tree. Keeping this up it wouldn't take anytime before he was "carbon negative".
Some people may argue there is another benefit to riding a bike, exercise. In my case if I don't ride my bike to work then I typically will go run on town lake. It takes me a total of 45 minutes to run 4.3 miles on town lake (that includes the drive to the lake, warm-up, and warm-down). When I do that I get a much better work out because I don't have to worry about getting run over, I don't have to stop constantly at traffic lights, and I don't have exhaust being blown at me (that isn't to mention not having garbage thrown at you, being yelled out, getting flats, or getting clipped by cars).
Another argument is that "well, no one is going to take all that money and plant trees". I would agree, when it comes right down to it, most people aren't *idiots. But them working on just about anything would be almost as good as them planting trees. If they are working (particularly if they are engineers) they are going to be helping grow that economic pie. And the real reason we have people writing articles about going green is due to how much green we have. Because you can bet your bicycle no one is worrying about how to make their commute more green in Zimbabwe.
*a.k.a. environmentalist
7 comments:
Let's be honest here, Gavin. Riding your bike to work does not "cost" you $70. You, and most of your co-workers, are on salary. You make the same amount no matter how long it takes you to get to work.
Your right Abinadi, It doesn't cost me that much because I don't make 70k. But for many of my co-workers it does. Many of them have their own companies where they make as much or more than they do at NI. But, for those people like me they aren't missing work, they are missing out on reading a book, hanging with friends, or watching TV. It is tough to say how much this time is worth, but NI thinks their time is worth about $35 an hour. Judging from our high attrition rates it appears that most of the employees value their time a little bit more than that.
Um GG I'm confused - if you get a sore bum but not a good work out, don't really save any money or time or the planet, and you're basically putting your life in the hands of all the passing gas guzzlers, why then do you ride your bike to work?
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