On the day this column comes out, it will be the 63rd day of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, one of the worst environmental disasters in American history. Every day the hole in the ocean floor is gushing tens of thousands of oil into the Gulf. As the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months, I have followed the news, the talking heads, the outrage of the public, the PR blunders by BP, and the slow call to action by our government. Everyone has someone to blame. One school of thought says it is BP's fault. The company that made the device should be able to fix said advice. Seems logical. The other side of the aisle blames President Obama. He should have regulated. He should be doing more now. That seems logical, too. But, the one group of people we are not holding responsible actually holds the key to changing the course of the future: the American Public.

We use more oil in the United States than the continents of Europe, South America, and Africa. It is easy to blame BP, our government, and the perfect storm of conditions that got us here (poor public transportation, relatively wealthy country, and low fuel costs to name a few), but we are not holding ourselves accountable for the role we have played. Demand drives the market and as Americans, we love to consume. And our addiction must be feed, every 25 miles to the gallon (sometimes more, often less). So, how can we change?

Change is not sustainable if it isn't realistic. I know. I drive an SUV. I love my air conditioning in the summer, and I haven't ridden a bike to get anywhere in years. I thought long and hard about realistic changes the average person can make. I can buy a hybrid when I get my next car, but that's not happening anytime soon. It is not realistic to think we are suddenly going to give up our cars or go buy new ones (and that wouldn't be environmentally friendly either), but we can make changes to reduce our dependency on oil in the short term and voice our desires to our leaders for the long term. You can get started by taking a quiz to see how big your transportation carbon footprint is at www.planetgreen.com. Once you do, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

The first thing you can do is make your vehicle as efficient as possible. Reduce the weight within your vehicle, i.e. don't lug around a bunch of junk in your car. Less weight takes less gas to propel you. Slow down. Consumer Reports estimated driving at 65 mph on the freeway instead of 55 means drivers are using 12.5 % more gasoline. You can assume that each 5 mph you drive over 60 is like paying an additional $0.24 per gallon for gas. Buy low rolling resistance tires, they produce less fiction on the road. This alone could save 270,000 barrels oil per day. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. If motorists kept their tires properly inflated, total savings in 2013 could be as much as 200,000 barrels of oil per day. This would have the added benefits of longer tire life and improved safety. Use fuel-efficient engine oil. Selecting the proper grade of motor oil and using motor oils with additives that reduce friction may increase a vehicle's fuel economy by 1 percent to 2 percent. Widespread use of efficient motor oils could reduce fleet-wide gasoline consumption by 1 percent in 2013, saving 100,000 barrels per day.

Next, try to drive less often. Walk, bike, and utilize public transportation as much as possible. The Obama Administration is increasing spending on walking and biking projects by $1.2 billion. The new policy is an extension of the administration's livability initiative, which regards the creation of non-car transportation including buses, streetcars, and trains, as well as biking and walking, as central to solving the nation's transportation woes. Demand the creation of more sidewalks and bike lanes from our government leaders. Support candidates who support initiatives to improve and support the biking and walking lifestyle choices. Give CARTA a try. Plan errands together for less shopping trips. Walk or bike to errands within one mile. If you are biking, use the new Google Maps feature where you can choose the "Bike There" option. The best part is that the feature doesn't give you the same old route you would drive. It avoids crowded interchanges, uses roads that feature bike lanes and trails and the flattest land.

We all have a voice in this fight and we have all contributed to what got us here in the first place. It is up to us to make responsible changes. Vote with your consumer dollars for more hybrid vehicles, dig a little deeper for the best quality tires and gas, and use your voice with our leaders to express our desire for change from lawmakers, oil companies, and alternative fuels. In the meantime, make a personal commitment to make some realistic, sustainable changes in your life. My fiancé and I are going to carpool to work more and this week, I am going to attempt to ride my bike to work for the first time.

"Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world." - Howard Zinn





Katie Wells will be riding her bike this week. Let her know what you are doing? Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . When Katie isn't writing she runs a customer service company. www.kewsolutionsinc.com