America is a nation on the move. For all of the various reasons we use energy, travel and transportation account for about 27% of the total energy we consume per year.
If we could reduce this expenditure by even one or two percent, it would go a long way towards increasing our energy independence and reducing our demand for foreign oil. Through refinement into gas and diesel, oil is responsible for 84% of our fuel used for travel and transportation.
Renewables are growing at a steadily increasing rate, but the reality is that our current infrastructure will not be eliminating the need for oil for several decades. However, we are on the right track. 2010 was the first year in over a decade that our percentage of imported oil dropped below 50%.
While we still have a ways to go, this does not mean that we have to sit by idly waiting for solutions to find us. There are many low-hanging fruits that translate into easy-to-realize goals. All it takes is a little awareness and recognition of our transportation habits to contribute to the larger transformation.
Many of the most significant impacts come not from sophisticated new technologies, but instead by conscious decisions by concerned and empowered individuals like yourself. Consolidating trips and errands, carpooling, public transportation, and personal transportation power (bikes, walking, and skates) all contribute in their own unique way.
So many solutions to our transportation and travel challenges exist, there is something right for everyone, regardless of their walk of life. The most important thing is to realize that each little bit helps, and whatever contribution, no matter how small, is another step toward energy independence.