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Traveling across country by car can be a difficult task. There is stark beauty in the deserts of the west. The Rockies are striking and majestic. The golden, arid deserts of the west are breathtaking. Then we come to that middle bit filled with corn and wheat and soybeans. That's when a lone motorist might have trouble keeping their eyes open. It's good to have a buddy, a navigator, but not just for company. It's also better for the environment than driving alone.
If you split the gas money three or four ways, it is also much cheaper than taking the train or an airplane. A car has a smaller carbon footprint than an airplane, but a car filled with people makes that footprint even smaller.
Doing some math with the Nature Conservancy's carbon footprint calculator, I've found that two roundtrip airplane flights emit more carbon per person than one person driving 5,000 miles in a mid-size car. It's about 2,792 from Los Angeles to New York. Two people traveling across country in a car is significantly better for the environment. Three or four are even greener amounts (provided those people would be traveling the distance anyway of course). There are a lot of other factors we could take into account: City driving vs. highway driving, the particular airline, what about a small vehicle or a hybrid, the heaviness of the people in the car, but that's a different post.
There are a few online carpool services, like eRideShare.com and Compartir.org where you can find or offer cross-country rides. For more online carpool options check out the DMOZ.
Another way to find traveling companions, is through social networking sites. I recently joined the group called "Iowans In Los Angeles" on Facebook. There weren't a whole lot of members. I probably won't ask the only other group member to carpool back to Iowa this Christmas, but there is a group called "New Yorkers in Los Angeles Unite!" that had quite a few members. Those people, all being from the same place, could theoretically hook up and carpool during the holidays. So, that's a thought.
More of Carpooling:
6 Carpool Tips You Need to Know
Which Internet Carpool Service is Right for You?
Find, Start a Carpool
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