Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint in Seattle

Ways to save energy and lower carbon emissions in your daily commute to and from work.

Climate change and environmental impact are increasingly important issues for many residents and businesses in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest area. Being eco-friendly is one of our top social values for us as a company at Odd Dog. 

In honor of Zero Emissions Day on September 21st, the Socially Conscious Committee organized Walk/Bike/Bus week, with daily tips on how to sustainably travel within Seattle. 

Here’s a recap of our week and our top tips for saving energy and lowering carbon emissions in your daily commute:

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions from the production, use, and end-of-life of a product or service, producing carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases. These emissions produce heat which gets trapped in the atmosphere, resulting in what is known as global warming or climate change. 

You can calculate your individual carbon footprint here to get started understanding your contribution to the environmental impact.

Once you know where you’re starting from, here are some tips on how to improve:

Use Public Transport in Seattle

Getting to and around Seattle using public transit is much easier than people think! Seattle is equipped with the King County Metro, Sound Transit, Streetcar, Monorail and Lightrail infrastructures, Ferries and water taxis, and more. Using these resources not only cuts down on carbon emissions, but can often save you time, money, and the hassle of dealing with Seattle metropolitan area traffic. 

Take the Bus or Lightrail:

• The best way to learn more about transit schedules and routes is through the App – Transit Go Ticket
• Getting an Orca Card makes the process quick and convenient and can often save you time and money with each use of public transit. The Orca Card has both a physical card and app option for convenience.

Planning Your Route:

• Google or Apple Maps – Choose transit as your mode of transportation and see live updates about bus/lightrail arrivals
• Transit Go Ticket app also has a trip planner option you can utilize.

Maps & Schedules:

• Find all maps and schedules here
• Metro Map of NW Seattle

Replacing Driving with Biking to Work

The Seattle Department of Transportation has dedicated programming to help make Seattle a great city to bike in. Use the following resources to plan your next ride!

Seattle City Bike Routes:

• You can find a list of local bike lanes here on the SDOT City Bike Map.
• Note: Green paint on the road alerts drivers and bicyclists that they may cross paths.

Request a Bike Rack:

• Ever wanted to bike to and from your favorite Seattle local destinations but didn’t have anywhere to comfortably store your bike? You can request a bike rack to be installed outside of local businesses and establishments through the Seattle Government City Projects and Programs forum.

Recover Stolen Bikes: What’s stopping you from replacing your car use with biking for your commute? If it’s the experience of having a bike stolen or potentially just the fear, know that the city has resources to help you protect and recover your equipment if anything is to happen. Find help here: https://bikeindex.org/ and https://project529.com/garage.

The Benefits of Walking

Walking has many benefits for your physical and mental health, as well as being an eco-friendly alternative for your daily commute. Here are some of the 6 top benefits of walking:

1. Walking is a great way to improve your heart health, build stamina, and burn calories.
2. It requires 200 muscles to take one step.
3. Just walking 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, and boost muscle power.
4. Walk on grass rather than concrete to help absorb impact.
5. Walking can help put you in a meditative state.
6. People do better on tests for creative thinking when they walk, compared with when they sit or are pushed in a wheelchair.

Resources:

• Good walking shoes
• Walking maps

Financial, Economic, and Social Benefits of Carpooling

Carpooling and generally reducing the number of vehicles on the road is a surefire way to reduce emissions and help the earth. But, when you need to drive, did you know regular car maintenance and certain driving habits could reduce the impact of driving on the environment?

• IPCC presented that transport is responsible for around 23% of global energy consumption.
• The International Transport Forum (ITF) says carpooling has the potential to reduce global emissions by as much as 11%.
• King County resources, including a carpool incentive program that gives out an REI or Union 76 gift card if you carpool 51% of all miles to work in any given month!
  • King County Vanpool and Vanshare
  • Carpooling apps

What You Can Do to Reduce Pollution from Vehicles and Engines?

• Don’t accelerate or brake too hard
• Choose fuel-efficient vehicle
• Don’t idle – pollutes the air, wastes fuel, and causes excess engine wear

Good Car Maintenance Habits that Help the Environment

How You Commute Matters

Whether you choose to drive, walk, bike, or take public transportation, how you commute matters not only to the global environmental impact but to your local economy. 
See how our team put this value into action all week long on our Instagram and check out Odd Dog’s other socially conscious commitments and initiatives here.