4th Annual Leave Car at Home Week under way

Things are heating up - in a good way! - on the Sustainability and Environmental Studies front, with great programming in the days ahead. 

First up is the fourth annual Leave Your Car at Home week, Sept. 27 to Oct. 1. This annual event, designed to reduce carbon emissions when commuters travel solo in their cars, encourages solo drivers to carpool, bike, walk or bus to work if possible. Participants are encouraged to register their miles avoided here to help the College quantify (and celebrate!) the savings.

In the past, well over 100 members of the Skidmore community have registered to participate in this event, with employees teaming up from throughout the region. Mike Profita, director of Career Services, retains the unofficial title of "most enthusiastic participant" based on his 2008 round trip to Skidmore from his home in Clifton Park, a distance of more than 25 miles.

Hopes are high that this year's participation level will meet or even exceed 100. As a Skidmore person, you can ride the local buses for free, all over the place! Not sure about the bus routes and timetables? Click here. 

If there's just no way you can leave the car at home and you can't carpool but you really wish you could do something, tell us if you now drive a hybrid car, or if you check your tire pressure and make it optimal this week, or if you know of some other creative way you can try to decrease your carbon emissions. You can report on this here.

Need some creative thought about potential vehicles? Click here.

Want to connect up with other local bicyclists? Try the Saratoga Healthy Transportation Network.

Click here for more resources on alternative transportation.

Next Monday, Oct. 4, Environmental Studies will host a lecture by Jeff Olson titled "The Future is Riding a Bicycle." Free and open to the public, the talk will begin at 7 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium, Palamountain Hall.

Communities around the world are finding that the bicycle is an important local solution to global issues including climate change, energy independence, public health and sustainable development. Olson has been involved in active transportation projects throughout the U.S. and internationally. "Our society is at a crossroads, and creating green infrastructure is a critical issue. Bicycling and walking are sustainable, but can communities like ours change our built environment?," he asks. This presentation will offer real solutions that can be implemented, and case studies that provide optimism for the future.

The annual Environmental Studies (ES) Welcome Reception will follow in the Palamountain Lobby. All are welcome to attend the lecture and then join ES faculty, staff and students as well as local community organizations to learn more about environmental issues at Skidmore and in the greater Saratoga Community.