Strategies for Commuters

Turn it off. For cars made in and after 2002, idling for more than 10 seconds is actually less efficient than turning your car off and back on, according to Environmental Defense, an advocacy nonprofit in New York. That doesn't mean you need to shut down at every traffic light. (Though in Japan, where conservation is practically an art form, some people do.) But making a habit of turning off the ignition while waiting in line at the bank is definitely a good idea.

Slow down. The interstate highway speed limit was set at 55 miles per hour in the 1970s for purposes of oil conservation, not safety. At expressway speeds, more than 50 percent of engine power is used to overcome air resistance, meaning the faster you go, the more fuel you consume. Smooth driving - accelerating and braking gradually - also saves fuel.

Drive a more fuel-efficient car. The EPA has found that for each gallon of gas combusted, about 20 pounds of carbon dioxide are released into the air. For diesel fuel, that number goes up to 22. One car getting better mileage - whether or not it's a hybrid - can literally prevent tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. "Buy the most efficient car that meets your needs and fits your budget," says John DeCicco, a mechanical engineer and senior fellow for automotive strategies with Environmental Defense. Take note that a hybrid vehicle that gets 25 miles per gallon is still less efficient - and more polluting - than a conventional car that gets 35 miles per gallon. "Hybrids are wonderful, but the 'hybrid versus Hummer mentality' is not," DeCicco says. Plus, even what seems like a small savings can be significant: A vehicle that travels 12,000 miles per year getting 12 miles per gallon uses 200 more gallons of gas, produces 4,000 more pounds of carbon dioxide, and costs $600 more to operate each year than a car that gets 15 miles per gallon.

Skip a trip. While there's sometimes no substitute for meeting face to face, teleconferencing can cut way back on a company's travel footprint, not to mention save time and money. Boston architecture firm Office dA, for example - which has recently accepted commissions in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Cleveland, as well as Chile and Korea - has beefed up its teleconferencing capacity partially for environmental reasons. "It makes a huge difference in our carbon footprint to be able to communicate without travel," says principal Nader Tehrani.

Bike more. Commuting by bike may be the ultimate eco-friendly option, but anyone who has taken to area streets on two wheels knows that potholes and aggressive drivers make biking Boston a risky prospect. Mayor Tom Menino has vowed to change that, with proposed new bike lanes on Commonwealth and Massachusetts avenues and 250 additional bike racks to be placed throughout the city. But David Watson, executive director of advocacy group MassBike, encourages cyclists not to wait. Instead, he suggests using multiple modes of transport - say, cycling to a train or bus stop, then completing a journey via public transit. "You don't have to ride all the way to work or do it every day to be a bicycle commuter," he says.

Fix public transport. Boston offers one of the best public transit systems in the country, but if it doesn't meet your needs, identify why. Is it too dirty? Do commuter trains stop running too early in the evening? Tell transit authorities why the system doesn't work for you, and then suggest what would; the MBTA customer-support online "Write to the Top" option makes it easy. Customer demand for better bike accessibility on the T and commuter rails, for example, has led to expanded hours when bikes are allowed on trains, and 360 buses are being equipped with bike racks; another 155 new buses with racks will join the fleet next year.

Telecommute. If all commuters worked from home just one day each week, the United States would save at least 6 billion gallons of oil each year, according to Environmental Defense. "Telecommuting is a win-win-win situation - better for employees, better for the planet, and it saves employers money," says Mark Ontkush of New View Data Solutions in Belmont. "Plus, telecommuters get more done, because there's a lot less 'water cooling' going on."

Carpool. Commuting together means saving fuel, less wear on your car, and access to the car-pool lane. GoLoco (goloco.org) lets you create an online ride-share network to link up with fellow commuters.

Stay tuned. Keeping your engine tuned, your air filters clean, and your tires properly inflated can save about 60 gallons of gas each year, according to Environmental Defense. Hauling an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle reduces fuel economy by about 1 percent, so lighten your load whenever possible - though that's not an excuse to dump your car pool, of course.

Consider going carless. If you're an urbanite who only uses a vehicle for work once in a while, join a car-share service.

Buy carbon offsets. Voluntary credits purchased to counteract greenhouse-gas emissions, carbon offsets help fund projects such as wind or tree farms that could improve the climate. Critics argue that they're just paper tigers, but many environmentalists agree that they are better than doing nothing. Services such as Vermont-based NativeEnergy (nativeenergy.com) can help you calculate and mitigate the carbon footprint associated with your land and air travel.

Use a travel mug. If stopping for coffee is part of your daily grind, bringing your own cup helps reduce the amount of waste you generate.