Up a Creek in My Car

by Rebecca Ephraim

photo by Jaime Kowal

I filled up my car and it took nearly 80 bucks. That’s a stunner—my car has morphed into a gas guzzler! As I stand at the pump ticking off the toonies, what plays in my mind is likely similar to most vehicle owners: I’m grumbling about the cost, but it still doesn’t squeeze me to the point of where I’d give up driving a car.

Now that’s speaking from a purely selfish standpoint, as it’s not really about the gas money, is it? The question of whether I (or you) can personally afford to go on filling our gas tanks is beside the point. It’s really about our cars’ carbon assault on the environment—not to mention the toll that oil extraction takes.

Yet, truth is, like many, I’m not ready to go carless. If I didn’t drive, I’d be up a creek, as most workdays I’m toting my briefcase, computer, dog, and recyclables (and don’t forget the magazines).

But the squeeze, regardless of whether it’s a financial hardship, is like a hungry mosquito, and you’re what’s for lunch. That mosquito keeps buzzing you—and hikes in gas prices are doing the same.

So now it’s come to this. We pay attention and we compromise—which is a lot better than what we have been doing. And what we’ve been doing is dominating the environment (actually, “destroying” would be the word).

It’s time to compromise.

I’m not gonna stop driving tomorrow. But if there’s more fuel-efficient ways to do it, I’m all over it. And the more choices, the merrier.

In SharedVISION: Dialogue for Change, we believe stepping more lightly on the planet is about choices. That’s why we engaged writer Lisa MacFarlane, well known in Vancouver for her auto reviews, to give us an early peek at select 2009 models that range from eco-friendly to eco-friendlier.

Buying an “alternative fuel vehicle” can also score you as much as $2,000 in tax discounts plus a lower sales tax rate. And that’s a nice reward for paying attention and compromising. Visit ec.gc.ca/incitatifsincentives for details.

The New James Bond…
In our cover story about Richard Campbell and his campaign to bring an avant-garde transportation system to Vancouver (à la Paris, Lyons, and Barcelona), we imagined a James Bond send-up of a guy who really does have hero-like qualities in the world of alternative transportation. Not to mention, Richard is simply a good sport… and a lot of fun, too, as he has a charming, natural humility about him. Yet he sprung into action at our request and was willing to play along. Read about his vision and intention.

And special thanks to our “Bond girl,” Carissa Douglas, who brought the pièce de résistance to this month’s cover image.

Meet Our New Dialogue Leader
Choices Markets , long a favourite of SharedVISION readers, now steps into a new role at the magazine as a Dialogue Leader. Locally owned and independently operated, Choices has for many years distinguished themselves by their grassroots community involvement. Now look for their ongoing sponsorship of a cutting-edge column called EthicalEDIBLES that profiles the ways in which we, as consumers, can embrace more thoughtful ways of planting, eating, and buying organics. Choices Markets joins Dialogue Leader Inhance Mutual Funds , a leader in socially responsible investing, in our pages.

It’s all good. It’s all a SharedVISION.

In gratitude,