I know it sounds like a basic green tip of the week, but the simple fact is that carpooling reduces your carbon footprint.  The term ‘carpool’ has been around for ages but it wasn’t always recognized as a step towards green living.  Transportation typically equals half of an individuals greenhouse gas emissions, so any steps you take to reduce emissions benefits the environment.

Carpooling (also known as vanpool, car-sharing, ride-sharing, lift-sharing) involves sharing the use of a car with more than one passenger, while commuting to the same or similar location.  When you carpool you reduce carbon emissions, preserve precious fossil fuels and save money on gasoline.  Plus, you have companionship to help alleviate stressful driving situations or make a long trip feel less solitary.

Arrive sooner.  Some cities even have special lanes for carpoolers, enabling you and your car-mates to arrive at your destination faster by travelling the path of least resistance with low-volume traffic.  These are often referred to HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle) lanes and are reserved for green commuters choosing to carpool.

Carpooling has been somewhat popular since the 1970′s but still in 2009, people use their vehicles to drive places unnecessarily.  Carpooling is just common sense.  Every time you step into your vehicle to burn those fossil fuels, ask yourself if you can carpool with someone.  That includes taking your kids to all those extra-cirricular activities where tons of other parents also have to commute their kids – this is an easy carpool situation since they are local to you and likely people you know.  Going out with friends?  Limit the number of vehicles on the road and travel together.  Does a co-worker live near you?  Choose a greener commute to work with a colleague.

If you visit erideshare.com, zimride.com, carpoolking.com or carpool.ca, you can often find a cross-country travelling companion or a local commuter who lives and works close to the route you travel.  The Carpool.ca slogan ‘don’t be fuelish, join a carpool’ is both clever and practical.  Traveling long distance?  These sites connect you to people traveling similar distances much like Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan portrayed  in the movie “When Harry Met Sally“, minus perhaps, the romantic happy ending.

It’s time to completely popularize carpooling as greener transportation. Anything we can do globally to reduce carbon emissions impacts the environment.  This green tip of the week should be considered by all traveler’s choosing an automobile.  Put the planet in the driver’s seat and start carpooling today.