A personal reflection on driving, sustainability, and all the small choices that matter.
I don’t know what it’s like where you live. Maybe you’re in a city where buses come every ten minutes, where bike lanes are everywhere, and owning a car isn’t really needed. But in many parts of the world, and many parts of Europe, that’s not how it works.
In lots of places, having a car isn’t a luxury. It’s a must. People need it to get to work, buy groceries, take the kids to school or sports. And when that’s the case, no amount of “take the bus” posters will change the fact that driving is part of daily life.
Then spring arrives. The sun is out, birds are singing, and in neighborhoods all over the country, people start washing their cars in their driveways. Buckets, hoses, sponges… and all that dirty water? It runs straight into the drains – full of oil, salt, and chemicals and straight into nature, completely untreated.
This post isn’t about blaming people. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about asking: is there a better way?
Can we choose to wash our cars at proper car washes, where the dirty water is collected and cleaned? That small change can actually protect rivers and lakes.
And what about the way we drive? Can we plan our trips better? Combine errands instead of driving back and forth many times? Use GPS to avoid traffic jams? Drive at quieter times of day to skip rush hour? And park smart, instead of driving around for 15 minutes looking for that “perfect” spot?
Can we carpool more often? To meetings, events, or sports practice? Maybe not always, but often enough to make a real difference. Can we drive smoother? Use less gas? Stop letting the car run while parked? Not just to help the planet, but to save money too? Can we stop turning our cars into trash cans on wheels? Keep them clean and lighter to use less fuel?
And if we drive electric, are we charging at the best times, when electricity is greener? Avoiding fast charging when we don’t need it, so the battery lasts longer?
Driving sustainably doesn’t mean doing everything perfectly. But it does mean doing something better than yesterday. These ideas aren’t from a textbook. They’re from real life, from traveling, driving, watching, and learning. I’ve seen places where no one needs a car, and others where no one can manage without one. So what can we do, when driving is part of our everyday life?
We can be more mindful. We can drive smarter, kinder – for the environment, and for ourselves. And since we often talk about flying as the big climate problem – which it sometimes is – I think it’s time to speak up for the car. Because when we use it wisely, take care of it, and drive with intention, it can actually be a more sustainable part of our lives than many people think.
The car isn’t the problem. It’s how we use it that matters.
So… do you drive? Good… Then drive like you give a damn.
