Sustainable living: Tough choices for over-the-hill commuters

Anyone who relies on a car to make ends meet (that is, nearly everyone in the U.S.) knows that gasoline is quickly approaching the $5 mark and may hit $6 a gallon by the end of the summer. With the lack of jobs in Santa Cruz County, especially in San Lorenzo Valley, we simply don’t have many choices other than driving “over the hill” for a paycheck.
And for all my talk about limiting energy use and living in better harmony with the Earth, I must confess that my own commute is a far cry from the sustainable lifestyle I otherwise try to maintain.
In fact, I dump roughly 9½ tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year from my daily 80-mile round trip commute to Sunnyvale. I find that appalling — especially since I could do my job anywhere there’s an Internet connection — but I always come up short when seeking alternatives. It’s a good job. and my family depends on it.
Two of the most effective ways to limit job-related greenhouse gas emissions (while limiting the pain at the pump) are telecommuting and carpooling. The first requires an open-minded employer and a certain amount of self-discipline, while the second option takes a little networking and coordination with neighbors.
Unfortunately, my own employer does not allow telecommuting, though I tried in vain to make the case. But more and more companies are starting to reconsider — just witness the success of the Satellite Telework Center in Felton — and, in fact, there are quite a few reasons telecommuting policies are good for businesses, too.
When you’re pleading your case with your boss, don’t tell them how it benefits you. They get that. Instead, tell them what’s in it for them:
– Access to a much larger talent pool (as opposed to just regional hires)
– Fewer office-related costs
– Increased productivity (by 10 to 15 percent, research has consistently shown)
– Reduced employee absenteeism (you don’t have to take a day off work for an appointment, for example).
– Lower stress levels and improved health (research backs this assertion, too)
These are valuable benefits that cost virtually nothing for the employer.
With climate change and gasoline prices making headlines, companies might even have an enlightened self interest in proving to the public (not to mention their shareholders) that they have a progressive view of workforce management.
If that fails — or if your job requires you to actually be there — then carpooling offers a way to cut your gasoline bill at least in half. But finding others who work in roughly the same place you do, and who keep the same work hours, can be challenging. Since my job doesn’t allow telecommuting (at least not yet), I have been searching high and low for at least one carpool partner. So far I haven’t found anyone, even though I rarely see a car with more than one person inside on Highway 17.
A good place to start is the RideMatch service offered free at http://rideshare.511.org. This online tool allows users to register their workplace address, home address (or nearby meeting place), preferred times and other details to match up people looking to carpool. I personally have not had much luck with this, though I’m convinced there are plenty more lone-wolf SLV drivers out there who’d rather carpool.
We can’t all have gainful employment in San Lorenzo Valley, but we do have some options. Meanwhile, employers will soon realize they need to adapt if they hope to keep their best workers.
Steve Tanner is a writer and journalist living in Ben Lomond with his wife, young daughter, dog and four hens. He is on the steering committee for Transition San Lorenzo Valley, a local nonprofit committed to creating a more sustainable and resilient community.