HourCar Year 1

For those reading this who now dreading their addiction to oil at $4 a gallon and rising, why not go car-lite before going completely carfree? I am not completely carfree, though I haven't owned a car since 2003. There are moments when I need one, or others need a ride. In such cases I use HourCar, the non-profit version of ZipCar, which is only available in the Twin Cities.

My total cost for my first year of service is $396.34. The months I was charged only $11.32 were months I never used the vehicle, and is my service fee. I probably didn't spend this much, as I was compensated for rides that I provided for others. Not bad for $40 a month.

I don't purchase unlimited transit passes, because I don't use transit often enough. I can walk to nearly every place I need, and with the stroller attachment on my bike, Siah can come along easily.

HourCar also is convenient if you are able to share a car with someone, and use this service to fill in moments when your needs overlap ( perfect for families!).

So have I kicked the oil addiction? Nope. But my "need" has been reduced drastically, without adversely affecting my quality of life. Just like how my coffee habit has helpful antioxidants, yet I don't go over the 2 cups a day limit. :P

Buddhism while Pluto is in Capricorn

I think it interesting how Americans are shopping for faith more than anytime before. At one time, you were expected only to choose your denomination of Christianity, and then despise those of others. Now America's Christian branches continue to proliferate, while other religions that sprouted long ago and beginning to grow.

Most of these non-Christian faiths are growing due to immigration. But one has adherents that are over 3/4 American born: Buddhism. This makes it unique in this time in history, and could predicate its future growth. I purchased A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle when first published, because he shares the concept of mindfulness in ways few Westerners can. And now Oprah has made this book published in 2005 a bestseller in 2008.

Leah Seelhoff says that because Pluto is now in Capricorn, we will all have to adjust to a radically changing world where nothing is stable. All that we have attachments to will have to be let go or we go with them. It is interesting to note that Oprah made this announcement to have this book be in her club on January 26th the same day Pluto went into Capricorn. And it is also fascinating that astrologists are predicting this age to be one where we must live in the "now" and experience human population decline.

This is all fine with me, though it will not be simple to live in. I have worked to live a green life, foregoing even the delights of car-ownership. Now that oil is skyrocketing and the existence of peak oil finally reaching the mainstream, we know that having our collective heads in the sand is not working. It is time to wake up to reality, reign in our overconsumption and improve our compassion for all beings.

Why should I own a car?

I have been asked repeatedly by many friends, acquaintances, and family about why I do not own a car. Many think it a necessity in the United States, like drinking water and breathing air. One cannot be truly "American" without owning a car. If true,when oil prices continue to rise and wages do not keep up, the definition of "American" will need to change.

Having successfully lived carfree 4 years, I am unsure how it is necessary to own one. I can walk to any store I need to get to, or take the light rail to Target or Cub if I must. Every type of business I need items from are within a mile of where I live. That leaves getting to work, which thankfully my employer provides.

Dureti asks me all the time "If others who make less than you own cars, why don't you?" It makes sense within a Western mentality, even though she was brought up in Ethiopia. Obviously Africans own cars too, but few can afford to. Just because one can buy a car, doesn't mean one has to.

It is the mentality that Dureti and the West have that understands why the rich spend excessively. "They have money, so why not spend it lavishly?" This is why Al Gore need not conserve, he has money. He can throw money at "offsetting" his luxurious lifestyle, while asking those who cannot afford that to simply live with less. In the eyes of the West, this mentality is acceptable and just.

But what if a billionaire decided to live more simply? Just live as the middle class did in the 80s, and own one car ( not three). There would be one family TV, not one in each room of the house. Perhaps the computer monitor would BE the TV. Maybe a landline phone instead of a cell-phone for each member of the household. Instead of buying a library full of books, they would actually go to the library. And where would these meager savings go? Perhaps they could invest in various ways: for future generations, research, philanthropy, religious institutions, etc.

There is a new book out for the West and its more conservative perspectives on car ownership. How to Live Well Without Owning a Car: Save Money, Breathe Easier, and Get More Mileage Out of Life by Chris Balish. Chris is a TV anchorman and used to be editor for Reader's Digest. He's a pretty mainstream guy, but lives carfree.This book focuses on the financial and social costs of car ownership. Perhaps I will have to get this book for those skeptical of my environmental and ethical beliefs.

As Dureti, Ruth, and other Africans claim,"You will get a car once Phanice gets here." We will see, as I am not dictator when it comes to relationships. I am rather attached to the idea of not owning a car. Perhaps if I am coerced to own one, I will end up working more to pay for one - while rarely using it. I would rather use HourCar or Zipcar, and rent one for a few days than own one.

I was not born in America to be lazy. I want a life of meaning and purpose. I do not want my life here to take away or detract from others currently living or will live in the future. If anyone out there can find a solution to Global Warming and oil depletion that includes a car for all of humanity, please let me know. But just because one can waste resources, doesn't mean one has to.

The affluence America has become accustomed to is immoral and unethical. We have the ability to improve the lives of all future generations, in addition to reducing world population to sane levels. But we are passing by the opportunity so we can buy cheeseburgers in the McDonald's drive-thru 24/7. Each individual is still responsible for their own lives, but we all affect each other collectively. Thus is the karma of mankind.