The Search for Nicole

Carpooler

Nothing else screams "carpool" more than living in the same building as a girl who works just 3 blocks from my job. Angie and I started carpooling today. Although it may be only one or two days a week that it works out for us to carpool, I feel like I am starting to do my part to conserve.

It's not just gas prices that are motivating me to make this change. If you have not seen the film “End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion And the Collapse of the American Dream” go out and rent it (or buy it) today. It drastically changed the way I think about the way I live and how things are going to change in the future because of the lingering energy crisis. Our dependence on a resource that is finite is coming to an end. Suburbanites will be hit the hardest- they rely solely on their automobiles for transport and their cookie-cutter homes in the "burbs" will DEpreciate instead of Appreciate. What will we do when our public transport is overflowing because everyone has been forced to abandon their cars? I purchased a condominium 2 blocks from public transportation and conserving energy and resources was a huge part of my location choice. (I am also shopping for a VW Golf TDI- If you're selling yours, let me know!! They are rare here in Portland.)

Many restaurants here use only locally grown and made foods which reduces the need for transportation of these goods. I recently read the article in Portland Monthly titled, "How Green Are We?" (I highly recommend reading it) and I must say that I am very proud to be a Portlander. Even some of our buses use biodiesel! But although I believe that Portland is way ahead of the game, we are surely not prepared for this crisis.

Gas prices will continue to climb as oil supplies lessen. Future generations will see our current automobiles in museums and wonder what it was like to drive a gasoline-powered car. Enjoy it while it lasts, but please enjoy it less.

posted by nicole @ 9:19 AM