Invest in Public Transit
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: United States Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood
One-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States can be attributed to the transportation sector. But by choosing public transportation over a car, a single person can reduce his or her carbon footprint by 30 percent - that's 4,800 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
Unfortunately, educating Americans about the benefits of public transportation is not enough because nearly half of American households do not have access to the system. For those that do have access, many existing transit systems need funding and revamping in order to accommodate new riders.
Tell the Department of Transportation that protecting the climate is important to you. Urge them to invest in public transportation.
Dear Secretary LaHood,
I'm writing to urge you to protect the climate by investing in public transportation. In the past fifteen years, public transportation ridership has increased by 30 percent, which is more than twice the growth rate of the population. Still, 46 percent of American households do not have access to public transportation. Americans are ready for expanded, revamped public transit systems, and moreover, we are ready to take action to decrease our greenhouse gas emissions.
[Your comment will be inserted here]
The concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is now 380 parts-per-million (ppm), 36% higher than it was at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. One-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the United States can be attributed to the transportation sector alone, so it is urgent that we invest in the forms of transportation that will allow our country to decrease its greenhouse gas emissions. By choosing public transportation over a car, a single person can reduce his or her carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent - that's 4,800 pounds of carbon dioxide per year.
As the Department of Public Transportation adjusts and plans its budget, please take into account the urgency of climate change and the importance of public transportation.
