Americans and our love affairs with our cars. What is it about these expensive, unreliable, dangerous vehicles that causes us to adore and even worship them? Is it their role as a status symbol? Is it that we live in such an overcrowded planet that we need the barrier of solitude inside our cars? Or is it our need to be in control of everything ─ from the speed we go, to where we go, to the radio station we listen to as we go? Whatever the reason, it's a love affair that's killing us.

      When I was in junior high, we lived just under the distance to get the bus and just over a reasonable walking distance to school. So at 13 years old, my only option was to ride my bike. Going through puberty is hard enough without having to arrive at school with matted hair and sweaty clothes. No "cool" girl rode her bike and I knew no "cool" guy would turn his head at me as I struggled up the hill. (Ironically, the men I now date are impressed with my love of biking.) As soon as I turned 16, the bike was thrown into the back of the garage and the car became my sole method of travel. We all remember that moment ─ African tribes have a rite of adulthood, Americans have "pass the car keys over" ceremony.

      We place so much emphasis on getting our license, buying our first used car , buying our first new car. Save up money to buy the car, pay insurance, and fill up the gas tank. Why isn't there a similar excitement when we take our first bus ride, take a cross country train ride or even bike to junior high school? When I spent my junior year of college in England, hardly anyone had a car. Everyone rode the bus into town, took the train into London and walked to visit friends. Not only was public transportation clean, safe and incredibly efficient, but students even go discounted fares. It was "cool" to use alternative means of travel.

      I recently attended the New England Environmental Conference at Tufts University and heard over and over again how transportation is one of the largest environmental problems facing our country. I was shocked to learn that for every gallon of gasoline my lovely Buick uses, (and it certainly isn't known for getting lots of miles per gallon) 20 pounds of carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere. In one day Americans alone release 4 billion (yes billion!) pounds of carbon dioxide into our beautiful blue sky. In one year, that amounts to over a trillion pounds! And that doesn't even take into account the nitrogen oxide (acid rain causer) and hydrocarbons (smog inducer) released by our driving. When we add in all the destruction of the land caused by the construction and maintenance of the road, it becomes acutely obvious that not only are we releasing toxins into the air, but also destroying the natural processes that could potentially clean up our mess.

      But yet, I love having my car and despite all of this knowledge, I still drive too much. But I also fight for alternative fuels, better public transportation and more bike trails. I carpool more, walk whenever possible and no longer care about having "helmet hair." I long for the day when alternatively-fueled cars are the norm, when I can ride my bike without fear of getting run over and when everyone will think it's "cool" to ride the bus or train to work. Oops, gotta go now. I have an appointment for my car at this little repair shop down the road ─ I hoe it's nothing major.

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