Some people get uncomfortable when it comes to discussing environmentalism. Admitting you are an environmentalist can be difficult at times too. Rebecca Thorman, of Madison Wisconsin’s Magnet, compares talking about being an environmentalist to reminding folks that they haven’t called their mom in a couple weeks.

Being an environmentalist and caring for the environment are different from each other. You can care about your mom even without calling on a regular basis. You can care about the environment without making a commitment to reducing your personal environmental impact. On these issues its not just the thought that counts; the thought matters but actions matter more.

Fortunately for the frugal minded, reducing your environmental impact, presents some money saving opportunities. This month’s issue of Kiplinger’s that I wrote about gives plenty of great tips and hints on this topic. To my mind, adopting many of the suggestions and ideas found around the financial press, will go a long ways towards showing that you care for the environment but all of them combined may fall short of actually being an environmentalist which involves actually reducing your environmental impact.

Rebecca writes, “I am an environmentalist because I don’t own a car. I don’t waste time worrying about recycling every single piece of junk mail. I don’t feel guilty for not going to the Farmer’s Market every Saturday morning. I’ve already done the biggest thing you can do for the environment. I don’t own a car. The positive impact of that decision is so huge, that while I do the small stuff, I don’t sweat it.”

When I first met Rebecca we bonded over not owning a car. In Madison Wisconsin it rained all day yesterday. Ugg, and I had some errands to do too. So I took a quick walk to the bus stop. On the ride downtown it was a pleasure to sit with a good friend who lives down the block from me. He doesn’t own a car either. Over the course of the day I got my errands done with time to spare but I had to plan ahead. With the rain it was less than a nice walk in the park.

Getting along without a vehicle isn’t the easiest but for me it is worth it. I feel good about having reduced my environmental impact, I get to know my neighbors better, and I save a ton of cash.

This is a topic Queercents has previously addressed. There is the potential for four digit savings. My community’s shared car service breaks it down and suggests owning or operating a newer car will require about $7k per year, and that a used care will be about $2k, while sharing should be about $1k.

Businesses also have an obligation to reduce their environmental impact. By the nature of a business’s collective action there is an ability to make a drastic environmental impact reduction. Community Car provides the following ideas for businesses:

  • replace or augment your existing business fleet
  • spice up your employee benefits package
  • attract employees
  • join Community Car as an easy way to green your organization
  • more convenient than taxi or car rental

Any other Queecents readers take up shared car services since John’s post? I’d be interested in hearing what other strategies and ideas readers have for using shared car services. Also, anyone else have other ideas about living and getting along without owning a car that we havn’t but perhaps should cover here on Queercents?