The Best Transportation Campaigns—Join One and Make a Difference

While we've been getting bombarded by plenty of campaign jargon for the 2008 presidential election, there have been other worthwhile campaigns in the U.S. that have had to take second fiddle as people focused on the big issues. With the election out of our hair, we can once again focus on some of the smaller campaigns, such as the ones that are focused on making our roads healthier, safer, cleaner, and more friendly.

Idle Reduction Campaign

Such a voluntary campaign can be voluntarily brought to any neighborhood with the help of the EPA's helpful guidelines. Such a program helps bring awareness of excess idling and the damaging effects it can have on not only the environment but our own health. Such a campaign can be brought to the attention of your local school bus drivers, garbage workers, airport express, public transportation buses, and various other public and private vehicles you find in your neighborhood.

Change Your World Campaign

A relatively new campaign by the UK cycling charity, Sustrans, successfully launched this summer, sharing its message to 8,000 participants who participated by using alternative forms of transportation during the first week of July. This coming summer of 2009, from June 29th through July 4th, they plan on promoting the campaign yet again. While we cannot all be in the UK to take part, the great thing about such a campaign is that it can be followed by anyone, anywhere, and at anytime. It may be winter, which puts a damper of walking and bike riding in parts of the country, but you can use public transportation and carpool year round.

We Add Up Global Campaign

Who would have thought that the purchase of a t-shirt could make a difference in the green transportation front, but it can. We Add Up is a global campaign that sells t-shirts announcing to the world what part you are taking in the fight for a cleaner environment, such as riding a bike, driving a hybrid, participating in a carpool, or using a mass transit system. The shirt then designates a number along with your activity that will serve as your personalized ranking among all the other people around the world who are engaging in that same practice. These shirts offer awareness of the different activities that can aid in the sustainability of our world, and 10 percent of each sale is given to various environmental organizations around the world.

Create Your Own Campaign For Change

While there are a lot of great campaigns out there, there is still plenty of room for more. If you can think of an area in need of change in your area, then you are already a prime candidate to start your own movement of change. Bill McKibbean offers insight on how to successfully push any campaign from its birth to its ultimate success, in his book, Fight Global Warming Now: The Handbook for Taking Action in Your Community. McKibbean's eight essential ingredients for a successful campaign are: it has to be credible, timely, collaborative, meaningful, creative, accessible, seductive, and long lasting.