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Share Your Solution to Clean Air
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 5:40 PM  

Olympic ringsDespite Beijing's best efforts, air pollution became the center issue last week on the eve of the Olympics, when a grey haze cut visibility down to a mile.

While Chinese officials struggle with cleaning up the air for athletes, half a world away, Houston-area officials are encouraging individuals to do their part to clean our air.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council, a voluntary association of governments in the 13-county Gulf Coast region, has launched a contest that asks people to come up with a solution to cleaning the region's air.

The pledge drive is part of Commute Solutions Month in which commuters are urged to save more than time and money - but become part of the solution. For every pledge made, the East Harris County Manufacturers Association will donate $1 for the first 1,000 pledges. The money will be used for education and awareness programs on clean air and commute solutions.

 Mysolutionis.com offers some solutions from which to choose, including carpooling, teleworking, mass transit, alternative work schedules, biking and walking, maintaining your vehicle and school pools. You can choose one of those options, or there's space to write some other solution you have in mind.

Check out METRO's vanpool program that uses its extensive database to match you with riders who live in your neighborhood and work where you do. Qualified riders receive $35 a month as an incentive.

Click here to read what local celebrities are touting as their solutions. There's even a solution from a robot. Click here to view the animation.

H-GAC points out that carpooling can save up to $6,500 per year on gas and other expenses, including about 20 percent on insurance premiums if a vehicle is driven only for personal use.

Click here to make a pledge. In addition to feeling good about being part of the solution, you'll get a coupon for free Jamba Juice and a chance to buy discounted Houston Dynamo tickets. Both Jamba Juice and the Dynamos are sponsors. You'll also get a chance to win a Houston Dynamo prize package and a $1,000 gas card, courtesy of the East Harris County Manufacturers Association.

What's your solution? Share it on this blog, too.

Posted by Mary Sit
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    • Comments

    Royko said:

    Maybe we can outsource the entire METREAUX operation, and ship the executives, the tram, and the Lee. P. Brown administration building to China.

    China might embrace the "Smart Growth" urban rail lemmings.

    # August 12, 2008 6:09 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    I "trip chain".

    Went to shop before work today

    (Now putting on Nomex, because Cedric is going to kill me for seeing new Hybrid MCI bus #5008.)

    So after work today, I took a chance to see if one of those 5000's were there.

    Yes it was.  Somebody was putting detailing touches on

    it.  Nice. Shining. Beautiful.

    JUST DON'T PUT THAT PUSHING UP DASIES DECAL ON IT.

    It might save energy, but this MCI's fans make more noise than the 48-49XX's.  Gues it needs more air for the electrical systems.  If METRO is the first roll out for the 45 foot hybrid MCI, then our heat will be a good test for it.  

    I wounder if all those cooling fans will become a paper magnet.

    # August 12, 2008 9:22 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    Arn't those rings upside down?  I thought there were 3 on the top, 2 on the bottom.

    Colors are wrong.  They are Black, Red, Blue, Yellow anf Green.  These are the colors used by most of the national flags of the world.

    Not pushing any "world government stuff" here.  As they would say on Dragnet, "Just the facts."

    # August 12, 2008 9:26 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    Sometimes on days off, I just stay home, get some work around the house done and/or do some hobbies.

    # August 12, 2008 9:28 PM

    DominicMazoch said:

    Where on the HGAC is this contest?  I can't find it!

    # August 12, 2008 10:48 PM

    Robert said:

    I'm almost certain that Metro can't use the Olympic rings as illustrations for their article.

    http://news.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/08/12/1127220

    # August 13, 2008 1:36 PM

    tambo said:

    I live 2.25 miles from my work place and I bike most days. In fact, I save lots of money by not driving. Parking at Rice will cost $230 – a third of what I paid for my bike – for the 2008-2009 year, cheap for the Medical Center. Yet my building is half a mile from the parking lot, and so I get into the office just as fast by biking as by driving & hiking. I also get a much better parking spot when I bike. (; The bit of exercise on the way to the office is also nice.

    In short: 1. live near to work, 2. bike

    # August 13, 2008 1:45 PM

    Cedric Collins said:

    Dominic,

            I say again in regards to you seeing a new MCI hybrid---GRRRRRRRRRRR!!  Lucky you.  F.Y.I., YES---the Olympic rings are upside down and of the wrong colors.

    Robert,

          Do you know if METRO even asked to use the Olympic rings for this blog topic?  If they didn't, then we all should ask that this be taken off ASAP.

    Just a thought.

    # August 14, 2008 2:18 PM

    Mary Sit said:

    Ok, astute readers. Thanks - had the wrong image up and now it's been replaced with the Olympic rings the way they're supposed to look.

    # August 14, 2008 4:42 PM

    Jose said:

    Proposal:

      1.)Create bike trails, away from traffic, to downtown and surrounding areas. The bike trails should have good lighting and have visible law enforcement in the area. Im my mind, this should promote more people to use bicycles than driving or even using the metro to go to work.

      2.) Kayak/Canoe to work using the Buffalo Bayou and other Bayous.  

      3.) Walk/Jog/Run to work. The bike trail should be perfect for this.

      4.) Create Moped lanes. Ensure they are protected from the rest of the traffic. More Mopeds for work.

      5.) Create more Rail systems; at road level or above road level like in New York.

      6.) Hire a bike taxi service. This should work well with the new immigration reform. The Hard working American will save on fuel, insurance, maintenance, parking, accident expenses. This should reduce the deadly smog produced my Americans thats killing the globe and in turn will help third world countries by providing work for them. Everybody wins. The Americans, Globe and the poor countries.  ;)  

    # August 20, 2008 6:55 PM
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