Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of hybrid automobiles. Since automobiles account for the majority of mobile source emissions, the emphasis seems well-placed. However, a recent article on Yahoo! Green by Lori Bongiorno rightfully points out ways in which driving a hybrid is no more green than driving any other car.

Hybrid and electric automobiles do, in fact, reduce carbon emissions, but sometimes, what you drive is less important than how much you drive. Even if every American household switched to a hybrid automobile, it would do nothing to curtail traffic congestion. Traffic congestion, in turn, increases public demand for more roadways which, if built, can have a significant environmental impact. Furthermore, as some experts have noted, new roadway construction can lead to worse congestion and potentially worse environmental degradation.

Commuter Services of North Florida helps people reduce their dependence on personal automobiles. Locally, many agencies are working on policies that encourage bicycling, walking, carpooling, and public transit as part of an overall transportation planning strategy. In doing so, we can begin to maximize the capacity of our existing roadways. This lessens the financial burden on already-strapped federal, state, and local governments to build additional roadways.

Certainly, no one should be dissuaded from purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle. But perhaps, as Ms. Bongiorno’s article illustrates, it’s how you use it that determines whether or not it’s green. If you purchase a hybrid and carpool with your spouse or neighbor, the rewards are even sweeter.