Drive less.

CO2 output per person in the US (all sources including industry, etc): ~13-14,000kg

Average distance driven per year per capita in the US: ~20,000km

Average CO2 output of current private vehicle fleet: ~250g/km

Therefore, over one third of total CO2 output per person is personal vehicle use. Considering only CO2 output due to personal choices driving has to be well over half.

Most people don't - or refuse - to consider the obvious choice to take personal responsibility. Drive less.

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Mawr 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Driving isn't realistically a personal choice. Roadways designed for cars extend from every single point in the country to every other. The support for alternative methods of transportation varies greatly by area, but is generally poor.

Riding a bike or taking the bus is objectively the worse option for most people. That's not personal choice, that's policy.

Reversing course for a car-culture country like the US would take 50+ years. If it's even possible, which I personally don't think it is — the US is too far gone.

	▲	tmnvix an hour ago \| parent [-]
		To an extent I agree with you. Some places and lifestyles (e.g. means of earning a living) don't make cutting back on driving a viable choice. However, these things can and do change (introduction of public transport and saner planning allowing local shops and the possibility for children get to and from school autonomously for example). One problem as I see it is that many people that don't have a viable choice other than driving everywhere are politically opposed to structural change. Adopting this political point of view is also a personal choice.

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fullstackchris 4 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

love how a completely valid point gets downvoted becuase the average person refuses to believe they are part of the problem "no! its those big corporations and airline industry! my daily commute has no input at all!"

and this is why we'll never solve the problem

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bfrog 5 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I guess returning to the office isn't so great. Pointy hair bosses rage everywhere.

But beyond driving less, surely eating further down the foodchain helps as well. Plants and shellfish are efficient. Cows are not. Eat fewer burgers and a few more lentils and mussels. Unless you are RFK Jr then of course please eat lots and lots of fatty cow, tallow, butter. Go full on Atkins please and follow right behind him.

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loloquwowndueo 5 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

This also means two thirds of emissions are not due to vehicular emissions. Let’s tackle that first, more bang for the buck?

Also - does that per capita figure include cargo? If so, how much? Does it matter if random individual takes personal Responsibility and stops driving when all those long haul trucks will still be on the road?

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tmnvix 4 hours ago | parent [-]

My point is that in terms of personal responsibility nothing comes remotely close to driving but a vanishingly small proportion of people are willing to consider this.

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melling 4 hours ago | parent | next [-]

A few decades ago we explained that personal responsibility isn’t the solution.

Please catch up. Why we’re having a conversation from the year 2000 now is beyond me.

I also suggest reviewing the “nuclear isn’t part of the solution. Besides it takes a decade” discussion.

	▲	tmnvix 4 hours ago \| parent \| next [-]
		How does cultural change happen? I would say it's often because people see individual examples in action. Some people follow those examples. Then more do. You are more influential than you think.
	▲	mmooss 3 hours ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		> A few decades ago we explained that personal responsibility isn’t the solution. I've never seen that argued persuasively. All the arguments I've seen are the usual hopelessness for democracy, lack of agency, and victimhood. Lots of people acting in the same way is the foundation of democracy.

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mmooss 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

What I've read is that diet can do more, though of course it depends on what you currently eat and your current transportation.

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philistine 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

Flying is much higher than driving.