Using Caring for Creation as Lenten Discipline

Caring for Creation suggests combining trips as a Lenten discipline Ordinary living involves trips to many places, some of which recur regularly, e.g the grocery store.  If you work, some trips may be combined as you travel to/from work.  If you are retired, there is greater flexibility to combine trips, e.g. grocery store and other trips on grocery discount day.  Combining trips is not only energy-efficient; it is also very time-efficient!

The Oregon Department of Transportation offers the top 5 tips for “trip chaining” and More On Smart Driving Resources.  To add an intellectual challenge to planning trips, impose these constraints:

• No back tracking;

• Make all your left turns at traffic lights;

• Maximize the number of right turns.

To quantify travel and fuel efficiency, the U.S. Department of Energy website offers My MPG where registrants can save MPG information, view, edit, or update it later and share or compare personal MPG with others.