App Obsession: Commute Greener!
Whether you live in the spacious, outlying suburbs of Los Angeles or find yourself squeezed in between briefcases and sports coats during rush hour in Manhattan, there's no doubt that every one of us leaves some type of carbon footprint as we travel from home to work. Perhaps the most common is the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by the vehicles we drive and the taxis we take. The question is -- how much? We should definitely be conscious of the decisions we make during our commute and how it affects our planet. And with the Commute Greener! app, now we can. But smartphone users beware -- this app isn't only for vehicle or phone owners. Whether you utilize public transportation systems, walk, or ride your bike to and from work or school, this application, which is also available on the web, not only gives you an assessment of how green you are, but how you can continuously reduce your carbon footprint and encourage others to participate in the cause.
Ideal and convenient for spreading awareness about how our everyday decisions affect the earth, Commute Greener is a free application that you can download onto your phone as well as sign up for on the web. After creating an account complete with username and password, Commute Greener helps you track and reduce your carbon footprint in the following ways.
1. Start/Stop
Creating baseline journeys
Baseline journeys are commutes that you typically take throughout the week. These would usually entail roundtrips traveling from home to work, school, or any other destination you frequent often and consistently. Just input the addresses from points A to B, what you utilize to get around (be it by small car or bike), and the start/end time and days of each commute. You can choose to turn on the GPS in this application for a more accurate measure. The app will render your weekly carbon footprint according to your weekly schedule.
Tracking new journeys
Similarly, Commute Greener will also track any new destinations that you would like to head off toward. By inputting the same type of information as the one above, the output will calculate how much CO2 is utilized in your travel from place to place.
2. Performance
Setting goals and measuring your progression toward that goal
With
a CO2 Savings Performance record, the app will give you your personal
performance week to week in regards to how much CO2 you've used, how
much you have left, and how much you saved. It also provides information on how much money and trees you save as a result of the way you choose to commute. If you choose to walk or bike, the health index at the bottom of the performance page gives you a kudos for not only elongating the life of the planet, but also your own.
Giving you tips on how you can commute greener
3. Pulse
Building your own Commute Greener community
In this section, you can choose to share your CO2 performance with your in-laws, significant other, co-workers, or anyone you'd like. Simply invite family or friends by setting up the contact list within the app and you will be able to view each other's statuses. With Commute Greener, reducing your carbon footprint isn't only easier and fun, but more importantly accessible.
--Christine Nguyen
--images by Commute Greener
Read More:
Green Your Fitness: A Human-Powered Commute
Posted by Green Life at 11:17:00 AM
in Business and Money, Education, Health, Media, Social Life, Technology, Transportation, Travel, Work
