Save money and the climate: carpooling 101

Carpooling is among the most efficient solutions out there for cutting back on your personal contribution to greenhouse gases. If just one million more people carpooled every day, it would avoid approximately 20 million pounds of carbon dioxide from direct fuel savings alone -- every day. Carpooling also reduces congestion, which makes every other vehicle on the road more efficient. It reduces the need for more lanes, and it reduces vehicle wear and tear, saving significant resources down the line. As an added benefit, using carpool lanes can drastically cut down on commute time.

The only thing you need for carpooling is information: How do you find your partners? The obvious place to look is at work. Many companies have rideshare and vanshare programs, and some will even subsidize costs. If that doesn't work, try calling companies near you or seek out a regional rideboard. Most metropolitan regions have some kind of online and phone-based system for connecting carpoolers. They are often supported by your regional planning organization (also called an MPO), so start there. A simple web search for "carpool [yourcity]", or Craigslist may work, too.