Clean Air Campus in the Spotlight: Bard College’s Electric Bike-Sharing Program

Walking around the Bard College Campus in Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, you’ll see plenty of hurried college students and racks filled with the bicycles many of them use to get to class. Look closer and you’ll find some of these bikes are electric. Bard, a Clean Air Campus, recently started a bike-sharing program available to the entire college community. Bard is in a relatively rural area, but it is no stranger to the transportation problems that can affect college campuses and fast-developing communities. Bard operates its own shuttle between campus and the two closest towns, but many of the student parking lots nevertheless now regularly run out of spaces as car traffic increases. This new bike program helps solve this problem; students, faculty and staff can sign out the bikes for an entire day. In addition, there are several bikes available exclusively for use by staff for on-campus travel.

As an alternative to motor vehicle travel, the electric bike is perfect for short distances. It has no direct emissions and is easy to use even for those of us with little biking experience. The electricity is run with the push of a button, so the user can peddle as much or as little as wanted. Hopefully, the electric bike also opens the user up to the world of biking itself, to develop a habit of biking and to realize the benefits - personal health, cleaner air and a better environment - that biking offers. This one program will not solve all the transportation and pollution problems that Bard has, but it is nonetheless a step forward and is part of how we ultimately hope to improve transportation at Bard and in the local community. The program foreshadows a cleaner and healthier future, filled with smaller and emptier parking lots. The only way that can happen is through our own individual steps to start the processes by which such change arrives. At Bard College, the electric bike program is an opportunity to do just that.

Guest Blog by Bartek Starodaj, Bard College, a Clean Air Campus, Class of 2011.

Kids Should Learn About Clean Air, Too – They’re the Drivers of the Future!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/livable-streets-education-anti-idling-rap-new-york-city-video.php?dcitc=th_rss

A few days ago, I came across this video. A Park Slope, Brooklyn, middle school documented what the students learned from a unit their teacher did on transportation and air pollution. I shared it with my Clean Air NY colleagues and we can’t get enough of it!

Here are the top five reasons this is a great video, and a great project:

5) The kids were able to express what they learned creatively. Some sang, some danced and others drew. By combining what they learned with their interests, they made the project more interesting and more memorable.

4) They worked to spread the word. Beyond producing this video and simply keeping it, they were able to get it onto a popular blog, Treehugger. This teaches them at an early age that when you have an important message, you need to spread the word!

3) The climate change journal is a great idea. Requiring the kids to monitor the air quality each day allows them to really notice when the air quality is poor. They’ll most likely to continue noting the quality of the air each day, simply by habit. You can stay current on air quality with our widget, located on our Web site.

2) This project was very hands-on. Instead of being told that idling releases carbon pollution into the air, they measured the pollution. Instead of being told that typical vehicle occupancy is one person, they did a survey and found out for themselves.

1) Kids don’t learn enough about the negative effect vehicles can have on air quality. Because they can’t drive yet, we assume that we don’t need to teach them. I think if people are taught clean-air actions early, they are more likely to incorporate them into their daily lives. It’s a lot easier to start off with good habits than it is to change bad ones. These students are likely to remember what they have learned from this video project once they begin driving. They know now to carpool when possible, to stop idling, etc. Hopefully, these actions will be incorporated automatically into their driving habits.

All you teachers and parents – take a lesson from this lesson. Make sure your kids know about transportation and air pollution. They are, after all, the drivers of the future.

Amanda Moss, Clean Air NY Outreach Coordinator.

Green Your Valentine’s Day

It’s February, which means that Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. This holiday brings out the romantic in some and strikes fear in the hearts of others! Regardless of how you feel, it’s a great time to show your love for our planet as well as the special people in your life.

With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to have a green Valentine’s Day:

• Take transit to meet your date. Riding the subway to meet your date may not sound romantic, but who wants to sit in traffic on Valentine’s Day? Take public transit to meet up with your date and avoid the headaches caused by backups and bad drivers. If you work on Valentine’s Day (it’s a Saturday), plan ahead of time to go directly from work to meet your date rather than stopping at home first. You’ll save time and get to see your sweetie faster.
  
  
• Eat near home. Select a local restaurant and walk there, if possible. Valentine’s Day is a great time to eat at that little neighborhood café that you’ve always wanted to try. And, what’s more romantic than holding hands with your sweetheart during the stroll to dinner? If you do drive, choosing a nearby location will let you spend more quality time with your Valentine and less time in the car.
  
  
• Send an e-card or make a card. Skip a trip to the card store and send your special someone an e-card. Afraid your sweetheart won’t go for an e-card? Make him or her a card using items you have at home, like old photographs or movie stubs from past dates. Your Valentine will appreciate the effort, and you’ll save time and money.
  
  
• Buy local flowers or plants. Many flowers used in bouquets are shipped in from far-flung locations, causing lots of air pollution along the way. In addition, most people throw away the flowers after a few days. As an alternative, either buy locally grown flowers (preferably organically grown flowers from your local farmers’ market) or give your sweetie a flowering plant that he or she can continue to enjoy throughout the year.

These are just a few ideas for making February 14 a little greener. If you have any other tips or advice, we’d love to hear about them!

Clean Air NY: Everyday Choices Make a Difference

Here are some simple steps to achieve cleaner air:

Combine Trips. This is one of the easiest choices and can save time while you are improving the air. Instead of going home after work and then back out to the gym or to the grocery store, plan ahead and combine your errands into one sensible trip, even on the weekends.

Bike, Walk or Use Public Transit. Forgoing your car just one day a week for a year could save about 1,000 miles on the vehicle and more than $500 in total driving costs. Just think of what you could do with that extra money, not to mention the health benefits of walking or biking.

Share a Ride. Whenever possible, share a ride by carpooling or vanpooling to your destination. To find a carpool partner or vanpool, visit nycommute.org.

Maintain Your Car. Take care of your car by following the suggested maintenance schedule, keeping the tires properly inflated. A well-maintained vehicle not only preserves your investment, it also produces 20 percent less ozone-related emissions, saves money on gas, and means less traffic congestion due to breakdowns.

Avoid Topping Off Your Tank. When filling your car with gas, avoid topping off the tank.

Cut Back On Idling. Whenever possible, avoid idling your car. For example, go into a fast-food restaurant to pick up food rather than waiting in the drive-through lane

Don't Be So Cool. At home, set your air conditioner at 78 degrees when it's warm outside to conserve energy.

Use Safe Products. Read product labels and be sure to purchase and use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible. This limits the amount of unhealthy vapor in the air.

Spread the Word. The more people who know about Clean Air NY, the more steps will be taken to improve air quality and the health of all New Yorkers.

To receive FREE real-time Air Quality Action Day updates, text AIR to 42269 or sign up at http://www.CleanAirNY.org today.