According to the US Department of Energy: "most vehicles produce several times their weight in greenhouse gases each year. Not only does most of the fuel you put in your tank become greenhouse gas emissions, but the carbon in the fuel combines with oxygen in the air, almost tripling the weight of the fuel itself."

If you are interested in seeing how your vehicle and driving habits are contributing to global warming, you can visit their website.

The simplest solution to this problem is: drive less.  Walk, bike, use mass transit, carpool whenever possible.  Here are some steps you might try:

• On a map of your town, find the location of your home. Place the point of a divider compass there, and draw a circle with a two-mile radius. This is the area in which you will find places within walking distance. 
• Next draw a circle with a five-mile radius.  This is the area in which you will find places within bicycling distance.
• Now mark with a highlighter the places that you regularly visit: your workplace, grocery store, place of worship, day care center, and any other place you visit at least once every two weeks.
• Choose one of the places that falls within either circle and commit to walking or biking to it instead of driving. (More than one-quarter of Americans’ daily automobile trips are a mile or less. Almost 14 percent are less than half a mile, a 10-minute walk.)
• Every couple of weeks, commit to walking or biking to another location within the circle.
• Begin choosing places outside the walking or biking radius and see if you can find a closer alternative.
• Now assess your new transportation needs. Total up all your household’s driving and calculate whether occasional taxi rides and car rentals wouldn’t be cheaper than paying all the bills for two—or even one—car.

(The list above is adapted from Katy Alvord's book: Divorce Your Car!: Ending the Love Affair with the Automobile )

If you live in Cape Girardeau, walk or bicycle to the office of the Cape County Transit Authority and get information on the new mass transit system.  You might be able to take the bus to a frequently visited destination. 

If you decide to start riding a bicycle, remember that bicycles on the street ride on the right hand side of the street, and follow most of the same laws that cars do.  You can find more information on the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists.

Distance is not the only factor to be considered when deciding to walk or bicycle to a destination. Not all areas of a town are equally friendly to pedestrians and cyclists. For example, if you live within a 2-mile radius from Capaha Park, you should have no problem walking or bicycling to the park, thanks in part to the crosswalks at the intersection of West End and Broadway.  However, even if you live within a 2-mile radius of Arena Park, you still may not be able to walk or bicycle to the park, as there is no crosswalk anywhere on Kingshighway, including the Arena Park entrance.

Efforts currently underway to address this problem, and others like it.  A recent newspaper article entitled, Cyclists want share of Cape streets, describes how bicyclists and pedestrians in Cape Girardeau are already working to "Complete the Streets" to create Communities that are more Walkable,  and more Bicycle Friendly.  

Other links of interest:

PSI Project - reduce greenhouse Gas emissions

Better World Club – Roadside Assistance, travel, insurance

PedNet - Pedestrian and Pedaling Network in Columbia, Missouri   

"Top 10 reasons not to hit a cyclist'   

Velo Girardeau 

National Academy of Sciences discussion of ethanol costs/benefits

Friends of the Earth: Some thoughts on Biofuels

Plug-in Hybrids 'Yes,' Ethanol 'No:' Largest-Ever Push Mounted to Drive GM, Ford to Shift From Ethanol to Plug-in Hybrids

Environmental Defense: Transportation By The Numbers: Transportation facts underscore the need for reform

Proposed ethanol plants would produce 690 tons of pollutants Southeast Missourian story October 28th by Sam Blackwell about the proposed Cape Girardeau corn ethanol plants.

Ethanol And Biodiesel From Crops Not Worth The Energy. The basic research that questioned the energetic benefits of the major biofuels. Science Daily July 6th 2005

Researchers Identify Energy Gains And Environmental Impacts Of Corn Ethanol And Soybean Biodiesel  Science Daily July 12^th 2006 An analysis of the energetic and environmental costs and benefits of corn ethanol and soy biodiesel.

Biofuel Crops That Require Destroying Native Ecosystems Worsens Global Warming offers an accounting of the costs of converting land to biofuel production.  It notes that conversion of natural ecosystems is detrimental while converting degraded land may be beneficial. Science Daily February 7^th. The study was supported by the University of Minnesota's Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment and the National Science Foundation and published in Science.

Wall Street Shows Skepticism Over Coal presents a review of decisions by Citigroup, Inc., J.P.Morgan Chase & Co., and Morgan Stanley to require utilities seeking financing for plants before then to prove the plants will be economically viable even under potentially stringent federal caps on carbon dioxide, the main man-made greenhouse gas.

The car you drive: the most important personal climate decision.
When you buy your next car, look for the one with the best fuel economy in its class. Each gallon of gas you use is responsible for 25 pounds of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. Better gas mileage not only reduces global warming, but will also save you thousands of dollars at the pump over the life of the vehicle. Compare the fuel economy of the cars you're considering and look for new technologies like hybrid engines.  Source:  Union of Concerned Scientists

Think before you drive.
If you own more than one vehicle, use the less fuel-efficient one only when you can fill it with passengers. Driving a full minivan may be kinder to the environment than two midsize cars. Whenever possible, join a carpool or take mass transit.  Source:  Union of Concerned Scientists

 Tips For Drivers (Source: Seattle Climate Action Plan)

• Drive less
• Drive more efficiently
• Keep your car in shape
• Choose a more efficient vehicle
• More resources for drivers