Ours is a country that likes its cars and trucks, despite dire warnings over the years that auto pollution is a major contributor to greenhouse gases and global warming. Unfortunately, the government and the auto industry have done little to control the situation. At a time when fuel conservation should be top of mind for Americans, the market for large, gas-hungry vehicles is thriving, and automakers are there to meet the demand. Contrary to popular belief, however, new cars consume more fuel and get poorer mileage than comparable models from 20 years earlier, only worsening an already serious problem.
According to some studies, as of 2002, there were more than 140 million cars in the United States alone, or roughly one vehicle for every two people. At the current rate, that number is expected to double within the next 15 years, along with a continued depletion of the world's oil supply and an increase in deadly pollutants.
But more and more colleges and universities, driven by cost considerations, entrepreneurship, and a sense of social responsibility, are leading the way in finding alternatives to vehicle overpopulation and our dependency on oil. What follows are some examples of campus transportation trends that could one day lead to new industries and alternate fuel sources-not to mention cleaner skies.
Best of Both Worlds
The big buzz in the last couple years-especially as gas prices rose-has been over hybrid vehicles that run on conventional fuel as well as an on-board rechargeable energy storage system. This technology provides superior fuel efficiency, which means more miles driven before a fill-up is required. Unlike conventional vehicles, hybrids actually perform better with city driving than highway driving. Energy is stored in the vehicle battery while braking, which occurs more frequently during city driving.
Oberlin College (Ohio) purchased two hybrid vehicles in 2005 for the Office of Safety and Security and a Tiger Star cargo van for mail delivery. As at many schools, the move to environmentally friendly transportation was driven by students. In this case, Andrew Decoriolis, a double major in environmental studies and biology, spearheaded the hybrid purchase. "One reason we did the study on the security car and purchased the Ford was because of the many discussions I had with Andrew," says Gary Koepp, director of Purchasing and Auxiliary Services.
Decoriolis also helped establish an innovative campus car-sharing project. In partnership with CityWheels, a Cleveland-based, car-sharing organization, the college's Environmental Policy Implementation Group (EPIG) has brought two new vehicles to campus and made them available for rental by students, faculty and staff members, and residents of the community. Members will be able to use the vehicles for $8.50 an hour or less; the price includes gasoline, insurance, and maintenance fees.
"Our admissions staff has a few very tall people, so they needed the leg room. A smaller car was not the way to go." -Pam Johnson, Dominican University
At Dominican University (Ill.), the decision to go hybrid was based on practical reasons. Pam Johnson, vice president of enrollment management, says the cars driven by various departments are often handed down from senior administrators and not always suited to the task at hand. "The president has a car and the director of institutional advancement has a car, both of which were bought in keeping with their status. We finally decided we needed to get the right car for the right purpose," says Johnson. "The Admissions staff typically travel great distances, so this car fits pretty well."
The car, a Toyota Camry, was chosen after much research for another reason: It has more room than most hybrids. "Our Admissions staff has a few very tall people, so they needed the leg room," Johnson says. "We also end up running to the airport a fair amount so we needed something with a lot of trunk space in the back. A smaller car was not the way to go. With this car you don't feel like you've made any compromises in terms of comfort or features."
Dominican was so pleased with the car that it rented a second hybrid to help out last year during the heaviest travel periods between September and November-a time when national gas prices were skyrocketing.
