Oct. 6, 2003
Greener Fleets for the Gateway City
Workshop participants map strategies to put cleaner cars in our communities
By Jill C. Miller, Conservation Organizer
Sierra Club Global Warming & Energy Program
Hybrid Guide

More than two-dozen enthusiastic participants helped make the September 27 “Green Fleets” workshop a resounding success. The workshop, organized by the Sierra Club Global Warming & Energy Program, aimed to present practical solutions to reduce global warming and air pollution and develop a strategy for the St. Louis area.
Participants heard from several speakers, got a first-hand look at fuel-efficient gas/electric hybrid cars--and then brainstormed strategies to reduce pollution with a campaign to “green” St. Louis-area fleets with hybrids. In addition to helping kick off a local campaign, attendees generated great ideas for organizers in Illinois, South Dakota, and Florida, who were on hand to teach, facilitate, and learn.

The workshop was an eye-opener for new Sierra Club volunteer Ti Boshart-Masis. “Becoming involved in the Green Fleets for St. Louis campaign makes me feel that I’m actually doing something at a larger scale to curb global warming,” she said.

Darden Rice, national field coordinator for the Global Warming and Energy Program, demonstrated how carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power plants, industry/ agriculture, and transportation sectors each contribute to the heat-trapping blanket of greenhouse gases, which is responsible for climate change effects around the world. She explained why driving vehicles that use less gasoline is one of the single biggest steps we can take to reverse the trend: U.S. automobiles emit more CO2 than all but four countries! If our automakers put available, fuel-efficient technology in new cars and trucks, we would:
 

• curb global warming pollution
• save money at the gas pump
• end our dependence on foreign oil,
• protect special places like the beautiful Gulf Coast and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas drilling.

Several workshop participants brought their own hybrid cars to demonstrate how the technology works. Sierra Club volunteers Shane Staten owns a hybrid Honda Civic sedan, while Chris Hayday of Columbia MO traded in his family’s Ford Explorer for a Toyota Prius. They explained that hybrid cars feature a small, efficient gasoline engine plus a powerful battery-charged electric motor to boost gas mileage to 48 miles per gallon (mpg) in city and highway driving. A regenerative braking system recharges the battery, so they never need to be plugged in. And the less gasoline you use, the less you pollute: a gas-sipping engine means that hybrid cars emit only about one-third as much CO2 as a regular sedan, and only a fraction as much as a large SUV. For more information about current and upcoming hybrid car models, click here.

Because hybrid cars reduce dependence on foreign oil, save money, and reduce pollution, they earn wide appeal. Sheriffs in Florida have been buying them by the dozens. Law enforcement agencies have picked hybrids for their Homeland Security fleet. Marion County Sheriffs Dept. fleet manager Wyatt Earp (yep, that’s his name) points out that they’re in pursuit of fuel-savings, too! 

Some St. Louis area nuns have gone green. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet and other orders that make up the Intercommunity Environmental Council of Women Religious have committed to replacing their vehicles with hybrids in order to reduce global warming pollution. Allies are an important part of any successful campaign.
The city of Columbia MO recently announced it will begin adding hybrids to the city’s fleet. Global warming organizer Jill Miller toured the state in a Toyota Prius late last year to publicize hybrid car benefits. The mayor and city manager of Columbia, MO test-drove several hybrids and publicly expressed interest in purchasing some for the city’s fleet. Columbia Sierra Club volunteer Chris Hayday explained to the group how he pitched numerous positive stories to local reporters over the next eight months in order to build up a drumbeat of favorable attention. The efforts paid off: the city will purchase its first hybrid, a Toyota Prius, in November 2003, with two more to follow next year. Great work!

Building healthier communities requires a sound strategy. Armed with information and inspired by success stories, Green Fleets workshop participants broke into two groups to map out strategies for green fleets campaigns in the St. Louis area. One group looked at local city, while another focused on corporate fleets. Both groups generated great ideas that can make Green Fleets a reality in the St. Louis area.

Become a part of the Green Fleets campaign in Missouri! To get involved and receive email updates about upcoming clean car events and meetings, contact organizer Jill Miller at (314) 645-2032, or email jill.miller@sierraclub.org. There will be a follow-up strategy session on Saturday, October 11th.

If you are interested in starting a Green Fleets campaign in your state, contact Jill Miller or Darden Rice at darden.rice@sierraclub.org.

CAP is a coalition seeking to improve residents’ health by identifying and reducing air pollutants in St. Louis’ urban areas. Visit www.stlcap.org for more information.

Florida Sheriffs:
www.sptimes.com/2002/10/04/news_pf/State/Hybrid_cars_win_favor.shtml

Additional links:
Global warming: sierraclub.org/globalwarming/cleancars/
Fuel-saving auto technology: sierraclub.org/freedompackage/