A whole lot of driving is going on in Northfield. For example, St. Olaf College's Spring 2004 Campus Ecology class estimated that 763 St. Olaf
staff and faculty drive 19,788 miles to and from work daily (see the St. Olaf Sustainability Task Force Report ). This commuting results in combustion of about 1,000 gallons of gas or diesel fuel daily, and emission of roughly 25,000 pounds of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. As the Sustainability Task Force Report puts it, "The primary environmental impact for almost all colleges and universities-and for most Americans as well-is consumption of fossil fuels, which is usually out of sight and out of mind."

RENew Northfield, is a local grassroots nonprofit group whose mission is to lead the Northfield-area community to energy self-sufficiency. Northfield-area community residents can significantly reduce the amount of transportation-related petroleum consumption, beginning right now. Movement toward local energy self-sufficiency clearly must include a major focus on transportation fuels. Petroleum accounts for 40% of all energy consumed in the U.S., and 2/3 of that petroleum fuels motor vehicles. About 58% of our petroleum is imported, and none of it, obviously, is produced in Minnesota. Local energy self-sufficiency can only be achieved by improving vehicle efficiency, using all transit options more wisely, and developing locally produced cleaner, renewable alternative fuels (such as ethanol and biodiesel).

To that end, RENew Northfield, in partnership with Northfield Transit, is sponsoring Northfield's first-ever B-BOP (bike, bus or carpool) Day on May 20, 2005. Area residents are encouraged to fill out the Northfield Commuter Challenge Pledge Form on the RENew Northfield web site and detail how they will reduce their annual petroleum consumption by one or more of the following methods:
* Reducing annual solo driving miles.
* Using clean, domestic, renewable E85 (85% ethanol, 15% gasoline) or biodiesel fuel. Click here for a list of cars able to use E85. Biodiesel may be used in any diesel vehicle. For more information on biodiesel, go to
http://biodiesel.org/ or http://www.biodieselnow.com/.
* Purchasing a more efficient vehicle and/or one able to burn E85 or
biodiesel. Click here to get more information on vehicle fuel efficiency.

Fill out the form, submit it online, or print the form, and bring it to our B-BOP Rally on Northfield's Bridge Square between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. on May 20. All pledgers are eligible to win fabulous prizes! Those who attend the B-BOP Rally will receive free coffee and pastries, and a free RENew Northfield t-shirt (while supplies last!).

Northfield's local event is part of the statewide Commuter Challenge week "Commuter Challenge, Share the Road (formerly known as B-BOP) is a statewide partnership between business and government designed to encourage and help employers and employees promote the use of alternative transportation modes.