Every May, ICL is one of many organizations that challenge their staff to use as much alternative transportation as possible. While biking is clearly the preferred alternative, our staff also favors getting to work by taking the bus, carpooling, walking or running, or using a zero-emission electric vehicle. This year, the Ada County Highway District, who runs May in Motion each year, awarded ICL with the Platinum Transportation Champion award, the highest award available!
Transportation, Climate Change and Air Pollution
We’re proud of our staff’s commitment to alternative transportation. It’s not uncommon to see an overflowing bike rack within an otherwise empty parking lot at ICL. We like to ditch our cars as much as we can for a variety of reasons: to save on gas, pollute less, get some exercise, and avoid traffic!
If you’re like us though, you’re probably thinking, "why stop with the month of May?" For us, using alternative transportation is a year-round endeavor (we’ve had staff ski into work before!), and it’s not just because we’re avoiding traffic. In Idaho, the largest contributor to greenhouse gases is our transportation sector. So doing our part at fighting climate change means getting out of the car and into a bus or onto a bike. Not only do these actions benefit our climate, but driving less also means less air pollution that’s harmful to everyone’s health.
It’s Going to Take All of Us!
And that brings me to the real point of this blog post. ICL’s staff can’t do this alone. We need you to be sitting next to us on the bus or in front of us in the bike lane. Many of you already take full advantage of the alternative transportation options available to you, but do your friends and family? I’m challenging all of us – ICL staff, members and supporters, family and friends – to spread the word that we’re doing something about climate change one pedal stroke at a time. Tackling these issues will not be easy and will truly take a village. The good news is that the ICL family is just the village for the job!