Welcome to the November 2008 Edition of the City of Fort Wayne’s Green City email newsletter.

This edition of the Green City email newsletter contains:

*Green Tip of the Month

*Ridesharing

*Carpooling Made Easy

*Mulching Leaves for Healthy Lawns

----------------------------------------------

*Green Tip of the Month

Do you know how much it costs you to commute to and from work each day?

Use the Commute Cost Calculator, provided by Citilink to determine how much it’s costing you:
http://www.fwcitilink.com/job_commuter.htm#calculate

There are lots of opportunities for reducing your commuting cost, read on to find out how...

----------------------------------------------

*Ridesharing

Sharing a ride with others who are going to/from the same locations is another great way to get to work. Check with your employer to see if they have a ride matching program available. If not, let them know Citilink can help them set this up. You may also want to submit your name to Citilink’s ride matching program to see if there are others in your neighborhood who will be driving close to your workplace and have similar work schedules. Please fill out all of the information on the online rideshare registration form or download the form and we will see if we can help you find a match. Be assured that the information you provide will be held in confidence and will not be published, sold or distributed.

To fill out the online rideshare registration form, visit:

http://www.fwcitilink.com/comm_assist_form.htm

To download the online rideshare registration form, visit:

http://www.fwcitilink.com/pdfs/comm_assist_form.pdf

----------------------------------------------

*Carpooling Made Easy

Transportation is one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse emissions. If you look out at city traffic, or at a
busy interstate, it's easy to see why. Millions of people drive great distances alone every day. It takes a lot of energy to push all those vehicles, and so many of those people are going the same way. Why not share the ride?

Carpooling websites put the power of the Internet to work, connecting commuters or cross-country travelers going the same way. Put two people together in one car instead of separately in two cars, and the greenhouse emissions are cut in half. This has a significant impact. You still get where you want to go, while saving plenty of cash. Maybe you'll even make a new friend or two.

Here are some great benefits of carpooling:

· Save on gas – obviously!

· Save on parking costs – If you have to pay to park, this could add up to a big savings if you split the cost or have someone drop you off.

· Reduce your carbon footprint – Carpooling with just one other person, cuts your fuel carbon footprint in half!

· Save your energy - Driving is a complex activity that requires decision making, hand eye co-ordination, good reflexes, split-second decision making and an alert mind. Even if you don’t realize it, is an activity which can contribute to making you tired. Ride a few days instead of driving and feel the difference for yourself.

· Have better control of your work schedule – This is easy to miss, but in the daily grind your work can control some of your schedule. To lead a richer and more fulfilling life, experts agree you need to be in control of your schedule instead. Carpooling is a commitment which may help your resolve to be on top of your work schedule.

· If available, get Carpool / Vanpool prime parking spots on your campus – Some employers and institutions have premium parking spots as an incentive for carpooling. These premium spots will save valuable minutes every day – for example for finding a parking spot, walking from that far away parking spot to your workplace. Chances are your employer may have such measures in place already (or may consider introducing them at your request).

· Reduced traffic congestion if more people carpool – This is a long term benefit and would be visible if a large number of people start carpooling. The more people carpool, the lesser will be the heavy congestion on the roads. You can join the campaign today – start carpooling.

· Reduce dependency on oil – Oil is a precious and finite resource on this planet. We will run out of this resource at some point of time, the only question we do not have a definitive answer for is when. This is also a benefit that would be visible if a large number of people start carpooling.

· It’s fun – Daily commutes if you drive alone can be boring. Same old “highway traffic advisory” and “eye in the sky” reports to watch traffic may become routine, habitual and even addictive. Take a break from these and enter the carpooling world which forces you to relax and be more patient by virtue of other people traveling with you.

· It’s easy – Carpooling websites make it very easy for you to find perfect matches. You may find neighbors or co-workers for your carpool.

There are other ways of acting to reduce one's transportation footprint. You can reduce the miles you drive by combining errands into one trip. Public transit is an option for many. Even better, consider biking to work, and turn your commute into a great way to stay in shape.

These sites help you find other carpoolers in your area:

http://www.erideshare.com/

http://www.icarpool.com/

----------------------------------------------

*Mulching Leaves for Healthy Lawns

A “green” alternative to raking and bagging leaves is simply to mulch leaves in place using your lawn mower. This is an excellent option that not only reduces the amount of fuel and energy expended to collect and dispose of leaves, but is also beneficial to lawns. Mulched leaves increase the nitrogen content, reduce weed growth, and improve the moisture retention in landscapes. There are many studies published online by various universities proclaiming the benefits of mulching. Below are links to a few of these publications.

“When Leaves Turn Into Litter”

http://www.grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_maintenance_leaves_turn_litter/

“’Leave’ Them Alone: Lawn Leaf Management”

http://www.ext.vt.edu/news/periodicals/cses/2004-11/leave.html

“Don’t Bag It – Leaf Management Plan”

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/homelandscape/dontbag/dontbag.html

“Composting 101: How To Compost Without Much Effort”

http://igniteindiana.org/articles/composting.htm

----------------------------------------------

Thank you very much for being a subscriber to our Green City email newsletter. We hope this has been helpful and informative to you.

We will contact you once per month with the email newsletter, as well as on Air Quality Action Days to alert you when air conditions indicate you need to take action.

If you would like to suggest topics or articles to include in monthly email newsletters, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Please pass this email newsletter on to your friends and family, so that everyone can share in the knowledge and have an impact on reducing energy consumption.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Harter

Program Manager

Energy & Environmental Services

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Visit the City’s Energy & Environmental Services Website: http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/energy

To unsubscribe from the list permanently visit:

http://www.cityoffortwayne.org/greencity_signup

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.